TELE
                                                    Published
                                                    worldwide
                                                    since 1981
                                                    in all major
                                                    languages

     1 03
      1                                            satellite
                             GLOBAL DIGITAL TV MAGAZINE IIIIIIII
                                                               II
                        II
                 IIIIIIII
B 9318 E                                                                   02-03/2011


                                                       Company Report
                                                       SKYWORTH
                                  Jack Jiang Managed a Highly Successful
                                        South American Market Expansion

                                                       Company Report
                                                           JIUZHOU
                                                 Huang Wei Makes a Big
                                               Move Into IPTV Production

                                                       Company Report
                                                             TRIMAX




 
   DXer Report                               Jerry Chu’s Expansion Into
   Satellites in Tokyo                    New Sectors: A Smart Decision
   Big Dishes in Tokyo,
   An Uncommon Hobby in Japan                          Company Report
                                                             SOWELL

            30
           TELE-satellite
                                                Eagle Chain and His Four
                                               Partners Built an OEM Out
                                                  of an Engineering Firm
               Years
                  of
             Digital TV
             Business
               Reporting




                                                                            02-03/201
                                                                                    1




 Test Report
 Golden Media UNI-BOX Perfect Family Receiver

  IPTV  Fiber Optics  Broadband
TELE
satellite
                                     Dear Readers,
Address
TELE-satellite Magazine              Once again we are – as we have so often been lately – at a turning point: TV manufacturers
PO Box 1234                          are making a change and are looking to decide which tuner they should integrate into
85766 Munich-Ufg                     their TVs. For the past several decades the answer was obvious; an analog tuner had to
GERMANY/EUROPA UNION                 be installed in every TV. But with the arrival of digital terrestrial TV, the answer wasn’t
                                     so clear anymore. A rather logical solution might have been to not install any kind of
Editor-in-Chief
Alexander Wiese                      tuner in the TV and let the customer simply decide what receiver to use. But this idea
alex@TELE-satellite.com              wouldn’t work. How can a manufacturer offer a
                                     TV set without a tuner to the customers? “HDMI
Published by                         connectors and nothing else”? TV manufacturers
TELE-satellite Medien GmbH
                                     could even do away with remote controls since
Aschheimer Weg 19
85774 Unterfoehring                  they already come with every receiver.
GERMANY/EUROPA UNION
                                     The truth is customers simply wouldn’t buy
Hard Copy Subscription               TVs like that even if the idea makes sense. It’s
www.TELE-satellite.com/secure/eng/
                                     the same with mobile telephones; they must
Design                               include numerous features or else no one would
Németi Barna Attila                  buy them even though these extra features
                                     have nothing to do with making a telephone
Advertising                          call. TVs must also have a long list of features
www.TELE-satellite.com/ads/
                                     otherwise they’d never leave the store shelves.
Printer                              TV manufacturers have no other choice but to
Litografia Rosés                      integrate a TV tuner in their TVs and why not
08850 Gavà                           then a digital tuner for terrestrial TV. And while
SPAIN/EUROPA UNION                   we’re at it, why not add a satellite TV tuner and
                                     on top of that, why not include IPTV? This would
Copyright
© 2011 by TELE-satellite             eliminate the need for a receiver.

ISSN 1435-7003                       Not so fast, receivers won’t become obsolete that quickly, it’s actually quite the opposite.
                                     TV manufacturers first and foremost have to do what the customers want and that is to
                                     install tuners for digital terrestrial TV. Every buyer of a TV would be able to receive these
                                     signals and that’s exactly what they’d expect from a TV. But does this buyer also have a
                                     satellite system or a high speed Internet connection for IPTV? That’s a question unique to
                                     each individual situation.


                                     A TV will never include all of these different possibilities. Receiver manufacturers are
                                     far too innovative for that and are continuously expanding and modifying the receivers
                                     functions in every possible direction. Here’s only one example: radio reception will never
                                     be included in a TV yet every receiver is capable of radio reception. A media player or PVR
                                     are functions that TV manufacturers rarely have anything to do with since these functions
                                     really have nothing to do with what a TV is supposed to do. But they definitely are features
                                     that a customer would expect to find in a receiver.


                                     The chance that a TV will one day have all the features that a receiver has today is very
                                     unlikely. TVs will always include only basic features while all the extra functions will only
                                     be found in the external receiver now and in the future. The receiver is and will always be
                                     the focal point of your TV and media reception!



TELE-satellite was established
in 1981 and today is the oldest,
largest and most-read digital
tv trade magazine in the
world. TELE-satellite is seen by
more than 350,000 digital tv
professionals around the world                                                                              Alexander Wiese
and is available both in printed
                                                                                                  Editor-in-Chief TELE-satellite
form and online.

www.TELE-satellite.com
CONTENT

        GOLDEN MEDIA UNI-BOX 9080
        CRCI HD PVR COMBO PLUS
        Digital HDTV PVR receiver with
        BlindScan Function ..................... 10




                                 NETUP IPTV
                                 COMBINE 4X
                                 & AMINO
                                 AMINET130M
                                 IPTV Operator
                                 Software System
                                 & IPTV
                                 receiver....... 26


                                 CLONE+
                                 CARDSPLITTER
                                 Simple
                                 Distribution of
                                 PayTV Channels
                                 in Your Own
                                 Home.......... 46




Feature:
The New IPTV Standard OIPF ...........54                Company Report:
                                                        Receiver Manufacturer
Company Report:                                         SOWELL, China ............................. 104
IPTV Box Manufacturer
JIUZHOU, China ..............................64         Company Overview:
                                                        Best Digital TV Companies
Company Report:                                         of the World.................................. 112
Digital TV Meter Manufacturer
TRIMAX, China ................................72        Feature:
                                                        Silicon Tuners .............................. 128     DXer Report:
Company Report:                                                                                               Satellite Enthusiasts in Japan .......... 146
Receiver Manufacturer                                   Feature:
SKYWORTH, China ...........................76           Single- and Multi Frequency Networks                  News:
                                                        in Digital Terrestrial Television ......... 130       HDTV & 3D Programmes ................. 150
Company Report:
PC Card Manufacturer                                    Company Report:                                       DTT of the World ........................ 154
TENOW, China .................................82        AZBox Distributor, Russia ............... 134
                                                                                                              World Satellites .......................... 156
Company Report:                                         City Report:
OEM Receiver Manufacturer                               The Satellite Dealer from                             TELE-satellite Magazine
GLOBALSAT, China ...........................90          Sidi Bel-Abbes ............................... 138    Worldwide .................................. 160

                                                                        ADVERTISERS
    8DTEK ........................................37     DVB-WORLD 2011 .................... 103              SATCATCHER ..............................89
    ABC-BIZNIS ...............................33         FULAN ELECTRONICS .................. 5               SATELLITE GUYS ...................... 152
    AB IPBOX ..............................44-45         GLOBALINVACOM .......................61              SATFINDER............................... 147
    ALUOSAT .................................. 107       GLOBALSAT ................................49         SEATEL .......................................21
    AMIKO ........................................71     GOLDENMEDIA ........................... 41           SKYWORTH ................................. 7
    ANGA 2011 .................................69        HORIZON ...................................85        SMARTWI ...................................15
    AZBOX ...................................... 163     HUBER+SUHNER ........................ 2              SOWELL......................................29
    AZURE SHINE ........................... 135          ICECRYPT ................................... 4
                                                                                                              SPAUN ........................................47
    BOIINGSAT ................................53         INFOSAT................................... 103
                                                                                                              STREAM ......................................87
    BOXSAM .....................................75       INPAX ........................................63
                                                                                                              SVEC ..........................................13
    BYA ELECTRONIC...................... 131             JIUZHOU .................................. 164
                                                                                                              TEHNICB .................................. 145
    CABSAT 2011 ..............................79         MFC .......................................... 135
    CCBN 2011 .................................93        MOTECK.................................... 143       TENOW .......................................19
    COMMUNICASIA 2011 ................99                 NABSHOW 2011 .................. 57, 139              TEVII ....................................... 109
    CNBROADCASTING................... 153                NETUP ........................................95     TOPREAL .................................. 101
    CONVERGENCE INDIA 2011...... 159                     PYCH ........................................ 141    TOOWAY ................................... 147
    DISHPOINTER .......................... 145           PREVAIL ................................ 24-25       TRIMAX .................................... 109
    DOEBIS .................................... 8-9      ROGETECH................................ 151         WEISS ...................................... 131
    DOEBIS-JAEGER .........................59            SATBEAMS ................................ 143        YINHE ........................................67


6      TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                             1
TEST REPORT                        HDTV Receiver




Golden Media UNI-BOX 9080
CRCI HD PVR COMBO Plus
A PVR Receiver with an
Exceptional BlindScan Function
• Whoever designed the housing of Golden Media’s UNI-BOX 9080
deserves a pat on the back. It’s very pleasing to the eye and would
nicely adorn any TV rack or living room cabinet. The front panel sports
an elegant black see-through Plexiglas flap behind which you’ll find
eight buttons that can be used to fully control the UNI-BOX 9080
should the remote control go missing. You’ll also find two integrated
card readers as well as a CI slot behind this flap. While the card reader
is only compatible with the Conax encryption system, the CI slot can
communicate with every type
of module, for example, Irdeto,
Cryptoworks, Seca or Viaccess.




                             02-03/201
                                     1
  Golden Media UNI-BOX 9080 CRCI HD
              PVR COMBO Plus
      Perfect family receiver but also a
   top choice for the satellite DXer thanks
    to its high-speed BlindScan function




10 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
TELE-satellite World                               www.TELE-satellite.com/...
                                                                       Download this report in other languages from the Internet:
                                                                       Arabic       ‫ﺍﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ‬     www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/ara/goldenmedia.pdf
                                                                       Indonesian   Indonesia   www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/bid/goldenmedia.pdf
  A VFD display can be found      fit your needs. DVB-S2 and            German       Deutsch     www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/deu/goldenmedia.pdf
in the middle of the front        DVB-C as well as DVB-T and           English      English     www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/goldenmedia.pdf
                                                                       Spanish      Español     www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/esp/goldenmedia.pdf
panel and is very easy to read    DVB-C      combinations      are     French       Français    www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/fra/goldenmedia.pdf
even if the front panel flap is    available from the manufac-          Hebrew       ‫עברית‬       www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/heb/goldenmedia.pdf
                                                                       Chinese      中文          www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/man/goldenmedia.pdf
closed. When the receiver is      turer.
                                                                       Polish       Polski      www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/pol/goldenmedia.pdf
on, it shows information on                                            Portuguese   Português   www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/por/goldenmedia.pdf
the currently selected chan-        An absolute must for any           Russian      Русский     www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/rus/goldenmedia.pdf
                                                                       Turkish      Türkçe      www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/tur/goldenmedia.pdf
nel, the time as well as tech-    HDTV receiver is an HDMI                                      Available online starting from 28 January 2011
nical parameters using small      output     that   can   provide
icons.                            the best possible audio and
                                  video quality to the TV. In         grammable 0/12V output as                   trol’s plastic housing, the but-
  Looking at the rear panel       addition    the   manufacturer      well as a main power switch                 tons themselves are covered
of this new Golden Media          included Scart jacks (for use       so that the receiver can be                 with a slip-free surface that
receiver is also a joy. The       in Europe), six RCA jacks for       completely         disconnected             makes the entire remote con-
first thing you notice is the      YUV, stereo audio and com-          from the power source.                      trol comfortable to use. The
two tuners; our test receiver     posite video plus an RJ45                                                       excellent multi-language user
came equipped with DVB-S2         jack, an optical digital audio        We were also very pleased                 manual also included in the
and      DVB-T   HDTV   tuners.   output, an RS232 serial inter-      with the included remote con-               package must also be men-
Since these tuners are plug-      face and since this is a PVR        trol. It sits comfortable in your           tioned. Even though at first
in modules, it is possible to     box you’ll also find a USB 2.0       hand plus all the buttons are               glance it seemed to be some-
customize the receiver with       port. To top it all off, the rear   legibly labeled and organized               what unorganized, in the end
a combination of tuners that      panel also comes with a pro-        in a very logical manner. In                the user manual was able to
                                                                      contrast to the remote con-                 answer every question that
                                                                                                                  popped up during our tests
                                                                                                                  and should therefore be an
                                                                                                                  outstanding source of infor-
                                                                                                                  mation for the user at home.


                                                                                         0.55                         All in all, we were very
                                                                                                                  happy        with     the     receiver’s
                                                                                                                  quality; we were impressed
                                                                                                                  with its design and even with
                                                                                                                  the remote control and user
                                                                                                                  manual Golden Media did not
                                                                                                                  spare any expense.


                                                                                                                      When the UNI-BOX 9080 is
                                                                                                                  turned on for the first time,
                                                                                                                  an Installation Assistant did
                                                                                                                  not appear as is the case with
                                                                                                                  many other receivers. But it
                                                                                                                  didn’t really matter; a single
                                                                                                                  push      of    the     Menu       button
                                                                                                                  immediately takes you to the
                                                                                                                  Main Menu. And just like the
                                                                                                                  elegant design of the receiv-
                                                                                                                  er’s housing, the Main Menu
                                                                                                                  is just as elegant and orga-
                                                                                                                  nized. It consists of eight sub-
                                                                                                                  menus that let you take care
                                                                                                                  of all of the receiver’s settings
                                                                                                                  and also let you access all of
                                                                                                                  the receiver’s functions.


                                                                                                                      Since      this    is    a    Combo
                                                                                                                  receiver with two different
                                                                                                                  tuners, the receiver naturally
                                                                                                                  needs to be matched to two


                                                              www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 —
                                                                                               1          TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine     11
More on This Manufacturer
  Read TELE-satellite’s Company Report:


  GOLDEN MEDIA
  Manufacturer and Distributor, Germany                                  www.cynextra.com    receiver with an SCR system,          and reliably during our tests.
                                                                                             you’re in luck: the UNI-BOX           An especially useful feature
                                                                                             9080    supports       single-cable   is the audible signal tone that
                                                                                             solutions and lets you define          can be activated so that it
                                                                                             all its required parameters.          isn’t necessary to repeatedly
                                                                                             The extensive LNB settings            look at the TV screen while
                                                                                             are expanded even more with           aligning the antenna.
                                                                                             the ability to increase the LNB
                                                                                             supply voltage by 0.5V. This            Once all of the settings
                                                                                             is a great idea! If your cable        are     correctly    entered      and
                                                                                             run to the antenna is unusu-          the receiver itself has been
                                                                                             ally long, increasing the LNB         matched       to    the     antenna
                                                                                             supply voltage by just 0.5V           system, the next step would
                                                                                             would be enough to overcome           be the channel scan. The
                                                                                             any larger-than-normal volt-          channel scan is available in
  www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1009/eng/goldenmedia.pdf
                                                                                             age drop that would occur in          three different modes: satel-
                                                                                             the cable.                            lite scan, manual transpon-
different antenna setups. As                         UNI-BOX receiver is not yet                                                   der scan and of course the
mentioned before, our test                           DVB-T2 compatible.                        An    especially      interesting   BlindScan. Even though the
receiver       came        with       DVB-T                                                  feature for those who have            receiver comes with two CI
HDTV and DVB-S2 tuners.                                  For       DVB-S/S2     reception,   older satellite systems would         slots and two integrated card
                                                     the necessary settings and              be the 0/12V programmable             readers, the channel scan can
  For      DVB-T,        the      receiver           options are far more exten-             RCA output on the back of the         be limited to only FTA (free)
comes preprogrammed with a                           sive.         The       manufacturer    receiver. It can be individually      channels. You can also fur-
list of DVB-T settings from a                        included        a    preprogrammed      activated or deactivated via          ther limit the scan to TV or
total of 17 different regions.                       list of 44 European satellites.         the settings menu for every           radio only with one button-
Most of these regions are in                         Unfortunately, Asian, Ameri-            satellite entry.                      push on the remote control.
Europe: Great Britain, Ger-                          can or Oceanic satellites are                                                 Golden Media also thought
many, Greece, Slovenia, Den-                         not to be found in the list and           In general we noticed with          ahead when it came to the
mark, Finland, Italy, Poland,                        even the included European              the UNI-BOX 9080 that the             Network scan; in our tests an
Russia, Spain, Sweden, The                           satellite       and      transponder    manufacturer at a variety of          automatic scan of the HOT-
Czech Republic and Slovakia.                         data is not all that up to date.        points in the operating con-          BIRD satellites at 13° east
There are also settings for                          On the other hand, we were              cept of the receiver incorpo-         was completed in just over six
Australia. These regional set-                       impressed with the variety of           rated some really wonderful           minutes and yielded 1427 TV
tings take into account any                          the available LOF and DiSEqC            ideas and bonus features that         channels and 395 radio chan-
differences there might be                           settings.                               make it all the more easier for       nels.
from one region to another                                                                   the end user to play with this
such as the frequency band                               The UNI-BOX 9080 sup-               box. In the case of satellite           With     that     in    mind,   we
used or the channel plan. Nat-                       ports a range of DiSEqC pro-            settings, it would be the auto-       wanted to take a closer look
urally you can manually scan                         tocols including 1.0 for the            matic DiSEqC recognition.             at the DVB-S2 tuner. There
each desired frequency in the                        classic        multifeed     antenna                                          were no hiccups whether it
UHF or VHF band with indi-                           with up to four LNBs, 1.1 for             Who hasn’t seen this prob-          was SCPC reception with very
vidual parameters. The UNI-                          the dual reflector dish with             lem? The signals of multiple          low symbolrates or whether
BOX 9080 can also supply 5V                          up to 16 LNBs as well as 1.2            satellites are delivered by a         it was reception of very weak
at the DVB-T antenna input so                        and 1.3 (USALS) for use with            DiSEqC switch with a single           signals. It easily handled our
that a signal amplifier could                         a    motorized         antenna.   The   cable to the receiver but then        SCPC test transponder with a
be used with an antenna with-                        available LOF settings were             you    can’t   quite    remember      symbolrate of 1.240 Ms/sec.
out the need of an external                          just as extensive: in addition          which satellite is connected          on INTELSAT 14 at 45° west
power supply.                                        to a universal Ku-band LNB, a           to what DiSEqC port. For the          as well as two very weak tran-
                                                     C-band LNB can also be con-             Golden Media UNI-BOX 9080             sponders on BADR at 26° east
  The red function button can                        nected. Thanks to the manual            this is no problem at all; with       while other similar receivers
be used to start a fully auto-                       LOF entry, less popular LOFs            the push of one button, the           hardly even recognized those
matic channel scan across the                        that are not preprogrammed              receiver automatically looks          signals.
entire frequency band. In our                        in the receiver can be manu-            at each port to identify which
case the scan found all avail-                       ally entered.                           port the currently selected             Over the past several years
able DVB-T channels in 84                                                                    satellite is connected to. This       we’ve tested quite a variety
seconds. Unfortunately, the                              If you want to use this             feature    functioned      quickly    of BlindScan receivers here


12 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
1

                                                                              at TELE-satellite but it’s safe          range nor can you limit the
                                                                              to say that the UNI-BOX 9080             scan to only one polarization.
                                                                              can be ranked as one of the              Nevertheless, it’s a function
                                                                              best. We started a BlindScan             that’s an absolute ‘must have’
                                                                              on HOTBIRD at 13° east and               for every DXer and feed-
                                                                              were surprised that it finished           hunter.
                                                                              the task in just about seven
                                                                              minutes. It found 1479 TV                  The entire installation pro-
                                                                              channels and 430 radio chan-             cess is rounded off by two
                                                                              nels. At first we thought the             more outstanding features:
2                                                                             receiver worked off of a pre-            the first is the sub-menu
                                                                              pared channel list; there was            “Automatic Installation”. This
                                                                              no other way to explain this             feature takes much of the
                                                                              exceptional    result     in    such     setup work away from the
                                                                              a short time. So, we then                end-user. In this mode the
                                                                              moved our roof antenna to                receiver attempts to identify
                                                                              another satellite and started            on its own what satellites –
                                                                              a new BlindScan. The UNI-                even through a DiSEqC multi-
                                                                              BOX 9080 identified 287 TV                switch – can be received with
                                                                              channels and 143 radio chan-             the available equipment. The
                                                                              nels on TÜRKSAT at 42° east;             automatic channel scan of all
                                                                              even the narrowband SCPC                 the receivable satellites can
3                                                                             transponders       were        recog-    be started with the push of
                                                                              nized and stored in the chan-            just one button. This feature
                                                                              nel list.                                worked very well in our tests
                                                                                                                       and in addition to the usual
                                                                                 To   compare,        we      then     suspects     such      as     ASTRA
                                                                              performed a channel scan                 19.2°     east   and    HOTBIRD
                                                                              without the BlindScan func-              13.0° east, ASTRA2 at 28.2°
                                                                              tion using only the prepro-              east and BADR at 26° east
                                                                              grammed transponder data                 were also recognized without
                                                                              from the manufacturer and                any problems.
                                                                              achieved very meager results:
                                                                              only 25 TV and 3 radio chan-               The second feature is an
4                                                                             nels were found on TÜRKSAT.              azimuth and elevation cal-
                                                                              Additional tests of the Blind-           culator. You have to enter in
                                                                              Scan function, for example,              your local coordinates manu-
                                                                              on EUTELSAT 36° east, con-               ally but they can easily be
                                                                              firm its incredible speed and             found with Google maps or
                                                                              precision; even the narrowest            some other Internet service.
                                                                              bandwidth SCPC transponder               In return though, you’ll get all
                                                                              was easily recognized and                the necessary parameters to
                                                                              processed. A more precise                align your satellite antenna.
                                                                              presentation of the BlindScan
                                                                              test results can be seen in                Once the UNI-BOX 9080
                                                                              Table 1. The only drawback to            has been set up with all the
5                                                                             the BlindScan function: you              local parameters, it would be
                                                                              can’t set a specific frequency            a good idea to take care of all

                                                                               HOTBIRD 13° Ost                7 Minutes 1479 TV and 430 Radio Channels
                                                                               TÜRKSAT 42° Ost                8 Minutes 287 TV and 143 Radio Channels
                                                                               EUTELSAT 36° Ost              10 Minutes 35 TV and 3 Radio Channels
                                                                               EXPRESS AM44 11° West          4 Minutes 19 TV and 1 Radio Channels
                                                                              ■ Table 1: BlindScan Results
                                                                              1. Golden Media UNI-BOX 9080 Start Screen
                                                                              2. The clear and concise Main Menu
                                                                              3. Separate settings for DVB-S/2 und DVB-T Reception
                                                                              4. Region selection for DVB-T reception
                                                                              5. The extensive settings capabilities in DVB-S/2 mode


14 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
6                                                                                     11




7                                                                                     12




8                                                                                     13




9                                                                                     14




10                                                                                    15




16 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
16                                                                                             21




17                                                                                             22




18                                                                                            23




19           6. The UNI-BOX 9080 supports SCR
             single-cable solutions
             7. Channel scan options
             8. Automatic recognition of receivable
             satellites
             9. Calculation of Azimuth and Elevation
             10. Language selection
             11. Eight timer positions are available
             12. Various settings possibilities
             13. Software update
             14. Detailed information on the free
             space of a USD device
             15. Network parameters can be set either
             via DHCP or manually
20           16. DVB-T channel scan
             17. HD channels and encrypted programs
             are identified in the channel list by their
             own icons
             18. Satellite selection
             19. Channel list restricted to Irdeto
             encrypted channels only
             20. Saving the channel list and all
             settings to a USB Stick
             21. Channel list search function
             22. Info bar with data on the current and
             upcoming program
             23. Current programs in the EPG
             overview


     www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 —
                                      1         TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine   17
the user-defined settings as             Indonesian, Slovenian, Swed-           the local time difference from            ture, some organization will
 well as matching the TV to the          ish, Slovakian as well as a few        GMT as well as activate or                be needed. For this task the
 receiver setup. The receiv-             other languages.                       deactivate    daylight          savings   UNI-BOX 9080 comes with
 er’s OSD can communicate                                                       time (summer time).                       numerous possibilities all pre-
 with you in English, German,              As you would expect with                                                       sented in a clear and easy-to-
 French,      Italian,      Russian,     any good DVB-S2 receiver,                We were surprised at the                understand menu. Just like
 Spanish, Turkish, Portuguese,           the internal real time clock           extensive on-screen display               with the EPG display and the
 Arabic, Polish, Ukrainian, Per-         (RTC)    is   automatically     set    settings     that        were    avail-   channel list, the red function
 sian, Romanian, Hungarian,              via the satellite signal. The          able. In addition to standard             button is used to limit the
 Croatian,     Bulgarian,    Czech,      user, however, needs to set            parameters such as display                number of displayed chan-
24                                                                              timeout, display position or              nels. It can be set to show
                                                                                transparency, you can also                only those channels on a spe-
                                                                                set brightness, contrast and              cific satellite, those using a
                                                                                color saturation. Be careful              specific    encryption    system
                                                                                in adjusting these settings               or those from a specific pro-
                                                                                though, as they also affect               vider. The list can also be set
                                                                                the displayed TV picture.                 to display only HD channels
                                                                                                                          as well as only those channels
                                                                                  When connected to an LCD                from one or the other tuner.
                                                                                or plasma TV, the UNI-BOX                 The remaining channels can
                                                                                9080 can present the video                be renamed, moved, deleted,
                                                                                signal via the HDMI output in             locked with a PIN code or
25                                                                              480p, 576p, 720p 50 Hz, 720p              skipped over.
                                                                                60 Hz,1080i 50 Hz and 1080i
                                                                                60 Hz. If you can’t or don’t                Especially useful is the abil-
                                                                                want to use the HDMI output,              ity to edit entire transponders
                                                                                the signal is also available in           all at once, greatly simplify-
                                                                                RGB and YUV. You can also                 ing this task. Thanks to the
                                                                                select how a 4:3 signal can be            powerful    search      function,
                                                                                displayed on a 16:9 screen.               individual channels can be
                                                                                Using a dedicated button on               found simply by entering the
                                                                                the remote control, the video             first few letters of the channel
                                                                                format can be changed to                  name. Channels can also be
                                                                                match the currently received              moved into one of 32 Favor-
26                                                                              signal.                                   ites lists for easy access later.
                                                                                                                          The channel list editing fea-
                                                                                  All of these settings capa-             tures are also available in the
                                                                                bilities are topped off with              Favorites lists.
                                                                                the ability to select a fast or
                                                                                regular standby mode. In fast               Once all the settings have
                                                                                standby mode, the receiver                been dealt with, the receiver
                                                                                uses a little more power but              has been matched to the
                                                                                comes out of standby much                 antenna    system       and   the
                                                                                more quickly than in regular              channel list has been filled,
                                                                                mode. Additionally, the VFD               you can finally leave the Main
                                                                                display    can      be    completely      Menu. The UNI-BOX 9080 will
27                                                                              turned off in standby mode if             then    automatically     switch
                                                                                desired.                                  over to the first available
                                                                                                                          channel.
                                                                                  Once the channel list has
                                                                                been filled (8000 max) with                  Every time you change a
                                                                                thousands of channels thanks              channel, a very detailed Info
                                                                                to the speedy BlindScan fea-              bar appears momentarily that
                                                                                24. The REC button can mark programs for recording directly in the EPG
                                                                                25. Display of the technical parameters of a channel with a symbolrate of
                                                                                only 1.240 Ms/sec.
                                                                                26. MP3 playback
                                                                                27. JPEG display




 18 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                          1
provides information on the            very good and were about                tion    button,   the   displayed     In the OSD settings you can
current and upcoming chan-             one second between two dif-             channels can once again be            select whether to show the
nel. The icons that appear let         ferent transponders.                    reduced to a specific satellite,       channel list in one, two or
the user know what additional                                                  package or Favorites. With            three columns. A feature that
features are included by the              The        electronic    program     the help of the yellow func-          we don’t see very often is
provider. For example, this            guide (EPG) also turned out             tion button as well as the REC        the ability to use the colored
could be teletext, subtitles,          very well. It can be accessed           button, timer entries can be          function buttons to display
various languages and EPG              from a dedicated button on              setup directly from the EPG.          the EPG data of a channel
data to name a few. As is typi-        the remote control and is               Up to eight timer settings are        directly from the channel list.
cal with every DVB receiver,           available       in   four   different   available. It is also possible        What could be better than
a push of the Info button dis-         modes:                                  to set these timers to work           skimming through the chan-
plays expanded programming                                                     on a daily, weekly, monthly,          nel list and pushing a single
information with a description            Current – the current EPG            weekday or weekend basis.             button to read more about
of the program assuming of             data from five channels is dis-          So, it really doesn’t matter          the currently selected pro-
course that this data is made          played                                  anymore when your favorite            gram? Deciding what to watch
available by the provider.                Next – the EPG data of the           TV shows are shown, this out-         couldn’t be any easier than
                                       next program is shown for               standing timer function won’t         this. The red function button
  For those more technically           five channels                            let you miss any upcoming             can also be used to reduce
oriented, even more informa-              More – EPG data in table             episodes.                             the channel list to a certain
tion is available by pressing          format for five channels                                                       satellite, provider or content.
the red function button: from             Schedule – in this mode the            If you use the receiver with-       This same button can also be
PIDs all the way to signal             channel list is shown on the            out an attached hard drive            used to switch between the
strength and quality, dozens           left side while the EPG data            and therefore can’t record            two reception modes; in our
of parameters are displayed            from the next couple of weeks           any programs, you can use             case it was DVB-T HDTV and
that would raise the pulse of          for     the    currently    selected    the timer function to provide         DVB-S2. If you want to make
any technician or DXer.                channel is shown on the right           a user-settable reminder as           a small change to the chan-
                                       side.                                   to when to switch over to the         nel list while the receiver is in
  As far as this receiver’s                                                    desired channel.                      operation, the UNI-BOX 9080
picture and audio quality are             It doesn’t matter which of                                                 provides the necessary tools
concerned,      we    were      very   the four modes you select,                The    channel    list   of   the   for this task in a somewhat
impressed during our tests             they are all put together in            Golden Media UNI-BOX 908              slimmed down graphical ver-
regardless     whether     it   was    an    organized       fashion     and   also turned out quite well.           sion. The blue function button
an HD or SD channel. Chan-             correctly       present     the   EPG   It can be displayed with the          provides order in the channel
nel switching times were also          data. Thanks to the red func-           single push of the OK button.         list. It can be used to sort the




20 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
list based on free or encrypted           Naturally, the PVR can be            be checked using the inte-        also be updated via DVB-S,
channels, encryption mode as           used with both tuners regard-           grated speed test function.       DVB-T, USB and the RS232
well as alphabetically. All of         less of what path the content           The external storage devices      interface, but in the end, the
these channel list features            uses to get into the receiver.          can be formatted in either        Internet is the most widely
are available not only in TV           If you’re not familiar with the         FAT or NTFS. Obviously the        used   update     method.    The
mode but also in radio mode.           term PVR, we’d like to take a           fact that this would delete       required    network       param-
Switching       between     modes      moment and provide a brief              any content already on them       eters can be obtained by the
is    handled      by   pushing   a    explanation.      The      received     is implied and doesn’t need to    receiver   automatically      via
button on the remote control.          DVB signal is stored digitally          be expanded on here. Since        DHPC from a local network
Thanks to the 32 Favorites             and without any signal degra-           Golden Media opted for exter-     router or they can be manu-
lists, thousands of channels           dation on an internal or, in our        nal storage devices with the      ally entered by the user.
can be properly organized.             case, external storage device.          UNI-BOX 9080, recorded con-
Each family member can cus-            During playback, all of the             tent can be easily transferred      And to top it all off, the UNI-
tomize     their    own   personal     features you have come to               to a PC where you can then,       BOX 9080 also comes with
Favorites list with their favor-       know such as Pause and Fast-            for example, convert it to a      three integrated video games
ite channels.                          Forward/Rewind        at    various     DVD.                              that you can use to pass the
                                       speeds are available. Along                                               time during those long com-
     The two internal card read-       with this is the Time Shift fea-          As with most PVR receiv-        mercial breaks.
ers and the CI slots had to            ture that lets you pause a live         ers, the Golden Media box
also prove themselves using a          transmission and then restart           can also playback MP3 music         We really enjoyed putting
variety of modules and cards.          it from the point where it was          and display your vacation pic-    the new UNI-BOX 9080 to the
Unfortunately, the card read-          stopped when you’re ready               tures that were previously        test here at our test center. It
ers are only Conax compat-             to continue watching. So, if            stored on an external storage     is an extremely user-friendly
ible and are therefore limited         for example a telephone call            device. In our tests, as with     receiver   with   every     detail
in their use.                          interrupts the movie you were           everything else so far, this      well thought out. It makes a
                                       watching, you can pause the             feature functioned perfectly.     perfect living room receiver
     As the name of the receiver       movie, carry on your tele-                                                for the entire family while its
suggests, this box becomes             phone conversation and then               These    external    storage    large selection of features,
a true PVR receiver once an            continue watching that movie            devices need not only be used     its stable operating software
external storage device such           after hanging up the phone              for the PVR function or for       and above all its outstand-
as a USB hard drive or USB             without missing a thing.                storing MP3 and picture data,     ing BlindScan function also
stick is attached. Thanks to                                                   but they can also be used to      make it very interesting for
the speedy USB 2.0 connec-                The UNI-BOX 9080 lets you            comfortably install new firm-      the professional user. Thanks
tion, high resolution content          time shift and record another           ware as well as saving the        to its BlindScan function, this
can be recorded without any            channel at the same time but            receiver   settings   and   the   receiver has found a perma-
problems.                              it would require a sufficiently          channel list. And let’s not       nent home here in our test
                                       fast storage device which can           forget that the firmware can       lab.




22 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
Expert Opinion                                                                            TECHNICAL
    +                                                                                                                       DATA
                                                                                          Distributor              Golden Media, Cynextra GmbH
     As a Combo receiver, the UNI-BOX 9080 can
                                                                                                                   Stuttgarter Straße 36, D-73635 Rudersberg
  receive DVB signals two different ways. The two
                                                                                          Tel.                     +49 (0) 7183 / 30 777-0
  integrated CI slots and card readers allow opera-
  tion with a variety of encryption systems. The                                          Fax                      +49 (0) 7183 / 30 777-20

  firmware did not give us any problems during our                                         E-Mail                   info@cynextra.com
                                                      Thomas Haring
  tests.                                                TELE-satellite                    Website                  www.golden-media.net
     Up to 8000 channels can be stored in the receiv-     Test Center
                                                              Austria                     Model                    Golden Media UNI-BOX 9080 CRCI HD PVR COMBO Plus
  er’s channel memory; this is sufficiently large
                                                                                          Function                 Digital HDTV dual tuner PVR receiver with
  enough so that this receiver can easily be connected to a motor-                                                 various Features & Blindscan,
  ized antenna system. SCR single-cable solutions are supported                                                    available tuners DVB-T HDTV, DVB-C, DVB-S/S2
  as are all the different DiSEqC protocols.                                              Channel Memory           8000
     Both the DVB-T and DVB-S2 tuners are extremely sensitive; in
                                                                                          Input range DVB-T        170-230 MHz, 470-860 MHz
  DVB-S2 mode the receiver had no trouble handling narrowband
                                                                                          RF-input level DVB-T     -70dBm to -8dBm
  SCPC signals or very weak signals.
                                                                                          Demodulation DVB-T       COFDM 2K/8K
     The outstanding BlindScan function deserves especially high
  praise!                                                                                 Input range DVB-S/2      950-2150 MHz

                                                                                          Signal level DVB-S/2     -65dBm to -25 dBm
    -                                                                                     SCPC compatible          yes
     Unfortunately, the included satellite and transponder data                           DiSEqC                   1.0 / 1.1 / 1.2 / 1.3
  is not all that up to date and there are only eight free timer
                                                                                          USALS                    yes
  positions available.
                                                                                          HDMI output              yes

                                                                                          Scart connector          yes
                                 ENERGY                                                   Audio/Video outputs      6x RCA
                                 DIAGRAM                                                  Component video output   yes

                                                                                          S-Video output           no

                                                                                          UHF modulator            no

                                                                                          0/12V connector          yes

                                                                                          Digital audio output     yes

                                                                                          EPG                      yes

                                                                                          C/Ku-band compatible     yes

                                                                                          PVR-function             yes
                                   Mode              Apparent   Active   Factor           USB 2.0 connector        yes
                                   Regular StandBy   5W         2W       0.4
                Apparent Power
                                   Active            27 W       15 W     0.55             Ethernet                 yes
                Active Power       Fast StandBy      25 W       13 W     0.52
                                                                                          E-SATA                   no

                                                                                          Power supply             100-250V AC 50/60Hz

                                                                                          Power consumption        40W max.

                                                                                          Dimensions               300x231x64mm
First 15 minutes: StandBy (regular) - Second 15 minutes: Receiver boot-up,                Weight                   2kg
then active operation with channel switching, recording, playback, etc. -
                                                                                          Operating temperature    0°C to 45°C
Third 15 minutes: Fast StandBy




                                                                                  www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 —
                                                                                                                   1      TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine   23
TEST REPORT                  IPTV Operator Software System – Part 1




NetUP IPTV Combine 4x
& Amino AmiNET130M
Professional software for
IPTV operators
Thomas Haring


• After having discussed the streaming function of the NetUP IPTV
Combine 4x in TELE-satellite issue 10-11/2010 it is now time to have
a closer look at all the features required to create a user-friendly
OSD (on-screen display) for customers and to help them use all IPTV
                                                                                      functions on the one
                                                                                      hand, as well as to assist
                                                                                      operators in maintaining
                                                                                      full control over what
                                                                                      type of content is
                                                                                      available to end users,
                                                                                      and what price they
                                                                                      have to pay.




 ■ The IPTV Combine 4x was the focus of an in-depth test report in TELE-satellite
  issue 10-11/2010.




                             ■ IPTV Combine 4x from NetUP – the core of
                              the IPTV network presented in this report.



26 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
1




                                                                                                                                           2




                                                                                                                                                   3




                                                                                                                                               4




                                                                                                                        5




                                                                                                                                                   6




                                                                    Basic configuration of the IPTV Combine 4x
  Middleware –                  channels find their way into
                                the channel list, it creates a
  interface between             user-friendly EPG (electronic
                                                                    1. The United Control Center is an integrated feature of the IPTV Combine
                                                                    4x server and can be directly downloaded from there
  end user and                  program guide) and – last           2. All IPTV receivers in the network can be provided with software updates
                                                                    from the central firmware update server
  IPTV network                  but by no means least – it          3. Various OSD themes (skins) can be created, edited and saved on the
                                packages all information into       IPTV server
  Middleware is a software
                                                                    4. IPTV operators can decide to have OSD texts translated into any
solution which takes care of    a neat OSD system on the
                                                                    required language
presenting IPTV content in      IPTV receiver.                      5. A web interface is available to launch, quit and adjust all IPTV Combine
a visually pleasing way to                                          4x services

                                  Generally, there are two          6. The IPTV Combine 4x boasts 1TB of internal hard disk capacity to store
customers of IPTV opera-
                                                                    VOD and nVOD content
tors. It makes sure the right   types of middleware that can


                                                         www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 —
                                                                                          1      TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine       27
1




be used: The more simple               trol as well as marketing.              there is the server end (IPTV
version consists of the web               Every time an IPTV network           Combine 4x Server) which
server which creates and               is set up to make money you             provides all required infor-
provides HTML pages and                need extended middleware,               mation. And then there is the
JavaScript      applications,          such as the IPTV Combine                client end (IPTV receiver)
which in turn are made                 4x from Russian company                 which receives this infor-
available to IPTV receivers            NetUP. The receiver compo-              mation, processes all data
which then display all cor-            nent of the NetUP middle-               and creates a graphic user-
responding information on              ware is written in C++, runs            interface. As these two com-
                                                                                                                                                   2
the end users‘ screens. In             directly on the IPTV receiver           ponents need to work very
such a system the middle-              and therefore allows lag-free           closely with each other all
ware takes over the role of            use of all features, even in            of the time, middleware and
                                                                                                           3
                                                                                                               Main menu of the
                                                                                                               NetUP middleware
                                                                                                               1. United Control Center main
                                                                                                               menu
                                                                                                               2. Thanks to a DNS server all
                                                                                                               services within an IPTV network
                                                                                                               can be addressed by name. While
                                                                                                               IP addresses can be used as well,
                                                                                                               they are no prerequisite.
                                                                                                               3. List of existing TV and radio
                                                                                                               channels in the middleware
                                                                                                               4. Adding a new TV channel
                                                                                                               complete with logo and station
                                                                                                               details

                                                                                                                                                   4




web server, while the IPTV
box at the client end acts as
web browser. While this is a
system that can be set up
and implemented easily, it
does not serve any commer-
cial purpose, as IPTV opera-
tors have no billing option
and no way of controlling
access to content.

  The second middleware
category is more complex,
but at the same time more              connection with a high-def-             IPTV box must be compatible     Combine 4x are partly con-
versatile and much more for            inition    on-screen       display,     with each other. If the NetUP   trolled via a web interface
useful as a business appli-            which is an important aspect            IPTV Combine 4x is the mid-     which is used to launch,
cation. It is based on IPTV            these days and – in particu-            dleware of choice operators     activate, deactivate and set
boxes that are not only capa-          lar – in future.                        can choose from a number        up individual services such
ble of displaying received                                                     of compatible IPTV boxes.       as streaming, middleware,
information, but can also                                                      For the purpose of this test    VOD, etc. More detailed set-
communicate with the mid-                 Middleware                           report we have selected the     tings of the middleware,
dleware so that they cannot               Strictly     speaking,       the     AmiNET130M from Amino.          the billing system and the
only create a nice OSD for             NetUP Combine 4x middle-                                                video-on-demand       system
end users, but also assist in          ware consists of two dis-                 All features and configu-      are accessed through the so-
billing, content and cost con-         tinct components: For one,              rations of the NetUP IPTV       called United Control Center.


28 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
5



                                                                                                                 5. Individual channels and their IP
                                                                                                                 data within the IPTV network
                                                                                                                 6. Various packages with differing
                                                                                                                 content
                                                                                                                 7. User account administration

                                                                                                                                                           6




                                                                                                                                                       7




     We already dealt with the
web interface in our first test
report in TELE-satellite issue
10-11/2010, and now we take
a closer look at the United
Control Center. It is basically
a Java application which –
thanks to this universal pro-
gramming language – can be
run on different platforms
such as MS Windows, Linux
or Apple, where it is used
to control the entire con-
tent    management            system.
The United Control Center
main menu is made up of
four elements: billing, mid-
                                           video-on-demand     content)        as well. IPTV is different in     TV and radio channels by
dleware, nVOD (near video-
                                           into packages. This allows          a fundamental way: Thanks         letting the system know the
on-demand)/VOD and DRM
                                           creating a starter package,         to   direct   communication       corresponding IP addresses
(digital rights management).
                                           for example, which includes         between end user and IPTV         and ports – after we have
The last two elements, TVOD                only limited content, or an         operator,    complete      with   configured them via the web
(TV-on-demand)              and    DRM     extended package with full-         return channel, it would be       interface of the streaming
are proprietary solutions of               range content.                      a total waste of resources        component of the IPTV Com-
NetUP, which were not part                                                     to send all content to all        bine 4x.
of our test system and which                 In order to grasp the             customers all of the time in
therefore cannot be evalu-                 underlying logics of the            the first place, only to then         In order to simulate a real-
ated in this report.                       NetUP IPTV system we have           grant or restrict access (as is   world scenario we design
                                           to put ourselves in the role        the case with terrestrial and     a package with three HD
     With     a    simple    click   on    of an IPTV operator. This           satellite TV). Instead, IPTV      channels, three SD channels
the     middleware          icon     the   begins with starting to think       operators create individual       as well as two radio chan-
NetUP United Control Center                and act like a commercial           packages for a single cus-        nels from two different sat-
(UCC) opens up access to                   operation. As most of us            tomer or a certain group of       ellites. The IPTV Combine
media groups, media con-                   come from terrestrial or sat-       customers. Let‘s take a hotel     4x is equipped with a total
tent and media streams. All                ellite reception we are used        as an example: The hotel          of four DVB/S2 tuners (see
three       items     are    intended      to the fact that all content is     owner makes a certain range       test report in TELE-satellite
to     add,       remove    or     com-    always available to all users.      of basic TV and radio chan-       10-11/2010) and so we are at
bine     media       content.      With    Even if we‘re talking about         nels available to all guests,     liberty to select content from
media groups it is possible                subscription TV we simply           the price of which is included    up to four different transpon-
to group together different                obtain a smartcard and all          in the room rate. Therefore,      ders or satellite positions.
media content (such as TV                  of a sudden encrypted con-          we use the middleware to
channels, radio channels or                tent is available on screen         group together all required         We     then     bundle     these


30 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
8



                                                                                                        8. Different rate plans can be
                                                                                                        activated and deactivated for
                                                                                                        each single customer

                                                                                                                                                9




                                                                                                  10




                                                                                                        9. Setting up and editing rate
                                                                                                        plans
                                                                                                        10. Customers are able to get
                                                                                                        access to individual channels at
                                                                                                        a set price
                                                                                                        11. A currency converter can
                                                                                                        be used to display amounts in
                                                                                                        different currencies with the IPTV
                                                                                                        set-top box
                                                                                                                                                11




eight channels into a pack-
age labelled ‚Basic‘. Next, it
is time to think about making
money. To that end, we decide
to create two additional
packages, one with current
movies, and the second with
live sports coverage. The
procedure is the same as
for the ‚Basic‘ package, with
configuring the individual
TV channels using the web
interface of the streaming
server, before determining       ried out intuitively thanks to   more or less self-explan-              nel’s logo and short station
their IP addresses and ports     the excellent user interface     atory, so that it‘s almost             description apart from the
using the UCC.                   of the United Control Center     impossible to go wrong when            channel name, which offers
                                 and the web interface. All       setting up the system. It‘s            added value to end cus-
  All these steps can be car-    options and functions are        even possible to add a chan-           tomers who are able to find


                                                          www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 —
                                                                                           1     TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine   31
More on This Manufacturer
                                                                                 Read TELE-satellite’s Company Report:



their preferred channel more           Combine 4x middleware also
                                                                                 NETUP
                                                                                 IPTV Software and Hardware Producer, Russia                             www.netup.tv
quickly.                               allows adding EPG data man-
                                       ually for each channel. When
   It goes without saying that         we tried out both features
the same is true for radio             in our test every nook and
channels as well, and for              cranny seemed to work as
video-on-demand       content          intended and as smoothly as
which can be stored on the             possible.
IPTV Combine 4x‘s internal
hard disk. Several hundred                Now that we have set up all
hours of video fit easily on            basic functions of our virtual
the built-in 1TB hard disk.            IPTV network we continue
Stored content can be added            with looking at an appropri-
to any package in the same             ate billing system for our
way as a TV channel through            offering. Simply click on the
the middleware. During spe-            ‚Billing‘ icon in the United
cial events (for example               Control Center main menu                  www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1101/eng/netup.pdf
Olympic Games and the like)            and you‘re right where you
individual channels can be             need to be.
                                                                               as on-demand content are                              even possible to unlock all
added for all to enjoy for a
                                                                               available to this guest until                         channels for 24 hours after
pre-set period of time, after
which they will automatically
                                          Billing                              all credit has been used up.                          the guest‘s arrival and then
                                          For the sake of simplic-             The IPTV Combine 4x even                              lock     extended          channels
disappear from the channel
                                       ity, let‘s stick to our idea of         does currency conversions                             again – hoping guests will
list again. This allows plan-
                                       a major sports event that               so that guests can be shown                           want to keep watching the
ning ahead so that hotel staff
                                       should be made available at             the current account credit                            full range and pay for the
(in our example) does not
                                       a hotel through IPTV. Obvi-             in their own currency, if the                         service accordingly. If guests
have to deal with technical
                                       ously, all IPTV receivers need          hotel decides to implement                            now choose to watch con-
changes and system mainte-
                                       to be hooked up to the IPTV             this feature.                                         tent that is not available with
nance under pressure.
                                       server for such a distribution                                                                the free ‚Basic‘ service they
                                       network to work. This means               The final step is custom-                            may simply use their remote
   In our test scenario we
are looking at a professional          that in theory each receiver            ising the IPTV receiver in                            control to select and acti-
IPTV system in a commer-               has access to all of content,           the guest‘s room, so that it                          vate additional content using
cial framework, so that each           unless access is restricted             actually offers and displays                          the in-room IPTV receiver,
IPTV channel also has to               by making use of the return             all content the guest has                             provided they have bought
feature program informa-               channel capability. The IPTV            paid for and/or is autho-                             enough     credit     at     recep-
tion. After all, if hotel guests       Combine 4x billing feature is           rised to watch. The obvious                           tion beforehand. Any credit
turn on their TV they want to          based on the assumption that            way would be using the indi-                          used up for such extended
know right away which event            each customer is entered in             vidual      box‘s       MAC        address            content    is       automatically
they are currently watching            the system with his or her              or serial number, but once                            deducted from their account,
and whether or not there is            full name and has an individ-           again NetUP has gone the                              with reception being able to
anything on they would be              ual customer account which              extra mile and offers a bril-                         monitor all transactions or
interested in later that day.          can be used to activate and             liant feature for generating                          even assist guests who might
In order to implement this             deactivate      access    to   cer-     an activation key for each                            prefer to order content via
feature the NetUP IPTV Com-            tain content on an individual           client on the IPTV Combine                            phone rather than working
bine 4x offer two options.             level. In our hotel setting, for        4x server. This activation key                        with the IPTV receiver.
First, it is possible to take          example, the ‚Basic‘ pack-              has to be entered in the IPTV
over program information               age would be available to all           receiver to obtain access to                             As far as the NetUP bill-
for streamed channels right            guests without extra charge.            the IPTV network in the first                          ing system is concerned, we
from the original provider via         If hotel guests then decide             place. At the same time, with                         were just as impressed with
satellite, cable or DVB-T. This        to watch additional channels            this key the IPTV becomes                             all its features and ease of
will also be the most reason-          or content, they are able to            an individually addressable                           use as with the middleware
able and practical way to go           top up their personal account           and controllable IPTV recep-                          options. Obviously, it takes a
in most situations.                    at reception with an amount             tion point, no matter where                           little time until you are able
                                       of their choosing, let‘s say            in the hotel it is located.                           to use all tools to the fullest,
  In addition, no additional           USD 50. Reception staff uses            This way the IPTV receiver                            but after only a short while
costs occur. If, however, a            the NetUP IPTV Combine 4x               is sent information about the                         everything seems as to be
TV or radio channel that is            billing system to add that              current guest, the length of                          easy as ABC and in everyday
streamed over the IPTV net-            amount to the correspond-               his or her stay at the hotel,                         use you‘ll most probably be
work does not supply pro-              ing guest account so that               and any available credit the                          in awe at how smoothly the
gram information, the IPTV             additional channels as well             guest has available. It is                            system works.


32 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
12



                                                                                           12. Every single IPTV receiver
                                                                                           across the entire network can
                                                                                           be individually addressed and
                                                                                           customised as required
                                                                                           13. An activation code is required
                                                                                           so that an IPTV box can become a
                                                                                           fully authorised member of the IPTV
                                                                                           network
                                                                                           14. nVOD content can be easily
                                                                                           organised and made available via
                                                                                           the UCC OSD of the IPTV receiver
                                                                                                                                   13




  VOD – Video On
  Demand and
                                                                                                                              14
  nVOD – near
  Video on Demand
   In our first NetUP IPTV
Combine 4x test report we
mentioned that the server is
equipped with a 1TB internal
hard disk with enough capac-
ity to store several hundred
hours of video content. The
files need to be in transport
stream format (MPEG-2 or
H.264) in SD or HD reso-
lutions and can be added
to packages much like TV
channels. If required, differ-
ent on-demand content can
even be offered at differ-
ent prices. The middleware
menu of the UCC is used




34 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
to administer on-demand          client end is displayed on             software optimised for use in                 Conclusion
content. While video-on-         screen using an OSD system.            such businesses. Of course                    With its IPTV Combine 4x
demand is a fully customised     NetUP provides three OSD               it, too, comes with all stan-
                                                                                                                    NetUP has in store a fully-
service that makes available     skins (themes): HD, SD and             dard features that are useful
                                                                                                                    fledged      IPTV       solution       for
content individually for every   simplified SD. IPTV opera-              for most applications (hos-
                                                                                                                    small      and       medium-sized
single guest at a time of the    tors can freely choose the             pitals, large yachts, cruise
                                                                                                                    IPTV networks consisting of
guest‘s own choosing, nVOD       skin that best fits their pur-          ships, education institutions,
                                                                                                                    up to 500 reception boxes.
(near video-on-demand) is a      pose and are able to adjust            etc.), but also features addi-
service that repeats certain     each of the three skins, if            tional options focusing on
                                                                                                                      Our test revealed that only
content at pre-defined times      need be. This allows offering          hotels. The hotel version is
                                                                                                                    are the range of features, the
in a loop, so that guests can    several OSD languages, for             available as an option and
                                                                                                                    absolute ease of use and the
watch a movie, for example,      example, or changing colours           connects the IPTV system to
                                                                                                                    logical concept of the IPTV
every full hour. This means      and display modes. The cre-            frequently used hotel soft-
                                                                                                                    Combine       4x     truly     impres-
that with nVOD guests are        ative potential of IPTV oper-          ware suites such as MICROS-
                                                                                                                    sive, but it is actually real
not in a position to determine   ators can be exploited to              Fidelio, for example. The
                                                                                                                    fun to work with a system
the start time of an event –     the max and we, too, simply            following additional features
                                                                                                                    that offers everything you
as opposed to true VOD. With     loved   to     try   out    various    are then available:
                                                                                                                    need in everyday use and
nVOD, on the other hand,         visual solutions. It has to be
                                                                                                                    is genuinely user-oriented.
several guests use the same      said, though, that these set-            •Individual welcome mes-
                                                                                                                    Even though we looked long
stream, using up less server     tings cannot be made with              sage in room via TV and IPTV
                                                                                                                    and hard there was hardly
and network capacity than        the help of a graphic user             receiver
                                                                          •Hotel information screen                 any aspect worth criticising.
true VOD. It makes perfect       interface but need to be pro-
                                                                        via TV and IPTV receiver                    If there is one point we would
sense for operators to push      grammed directly in the files
                                                                          •Displaying     all   hotel               like to raise it‘s the user
nVOD over VOD by offering        of the selected skin. Luckily,
lower prices for nVOD, for                                              charges via TV and IPTV                     manual, which we would have
                                 the user manual explains all
example. The NetUP IPTV                                                   •Displaying       messages                preferred to be slightly more
                                 relevant steps in detail, so
Combine 4x supports both                                                from reception via TV and                   detailed at some stages. If
                                 that it first looks trickier than
nVOD and VOD and the UCC                                                IPTV receiver                               this is the first time you deal
                                 it actually is.
has a dedicated menu item                                                 •Express checkout                         with IPTV it will be very dif-
for setting the start and end                                             •Ordering room cleaning                   ficult to set up the IPTV Com-
                                   One    of    the    benefits     of
times of nVOD events.                                                   service via IPTV receiver                   bine 4x server, even with the
                                 an IPTV system is that the
                                                                                                                    help of the manual. Then
                                 server is in direct touch with
  Here,    too,   we     were                                             This way hotel guests are                 again, we can safely assume
                                 all connected IPTV boxes at
impressed at how versatile                                              not only provided with TV,                  that anyone investing a lot of
                                 all times. This way, updates,
and user-friendly the NetUP                                             radio and VOD content via                   money in the NetUP system
                                 changes to OSD skins or any
system behaves. It didn‘t                                               IPTV right in their room, but               will also be able to afford a
                                 other configuration adjust-
take us much longer than a                                              the in-room TV and IPTV                     technician to take care of
                                 ments that will have to be
couple of minutes to set up                                             receiver also take over the                 the initial setup. Once that
                                 made from time to time can
our in-house nVOD system                                                role of multimedia control                  is completed it is virtually
                                 be sent to all IPTV receiv-
and store a number of cur-                                              panel for most hotel agen-                  child‘s play to control, ser-
                                 ers fully automatically. The
rent movies on the IPTV          NetUP     IPTV       Combine      4x   das.                                        vice and adjust the system.
Combine 4x‘s built-in hard       does not only come with a
disk. The system can process
                                                                                                  TECHNICAL
                                 DHCP server for automati-                                                    DATA
up to 50 simultaneous video-     cally assigning an IP address           Manufacturer                     NetUP Olof Palme Street 1, Floor 7 resp. Postbox 87,
on-demand streams, which         to each box, but also boasts                                             119311 Moscow Russia

means that in large set-ups      a DNS server which takes                Fax                              +7 499 143 5521

using nVOD instead of VOD        care of correctly addressing
                                                                         E-Mail                           info@netup.tv

may be a wise move in order      content, a time server for
                                                                         Model                            IPTV Combine 4x

not to push IPTV network         maintaining the right date
                                                                         Function                         IPTV Gateway for DVB Signals, Middleware,
                                                                                                          Billing, VoD, nVoD, DHCP-, Time- & DNS-Server
capacities to the limit. Inci-   and time on all IPTV boxes,             Tuners                           4
dentally, video-on-demand        and an update server for                Max. simultaneous Transponders   4
content can be transferred       providing new software and              Max. bandwidth                   240 MB/s
to the IPTV Combine 4x from      updated       settings     to   IPTV    DiSEqC                           1.0
any PC using an FTP client.      receiver.                               Ethernet ports                   6 x Gigabit Ethernet 10/100/1000 MB/s
                                                                         CI Slots                         4
  Customising the                  There is actually a reason            USB Connector                    yes (2)

  IPTV receiver to               why we have come up with a              RS232                            yes

                                 hotel scenario for our test:            Dimensions                       430x44x411mm
  individual                     NetUP     offers     a   dedicated      Power                            90 ~ 264 Volt, 47 ~ 63 Hz

  requirements                   version of its IPTV Combine             Weight                           11.5kg

  All user information at the    4x for hotels, with optimised           Consumption                      ~ 100W




                                                                 www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 —
                                                                                                  1       TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine     35
TEST REPORT                  IPTV Operator Software System – Part 2




AmiNET130M
                                                                                                      The back panel sports an HDMI output,
                                                                                                      optical audio output and network inter-
                                                                                                      face as well as USB connection.



IPTV receiver                                                                                           The box comes complete with a sort
                                                                                                      of pedestal which you may use in case

Thomas Haring




                                                      ■ The TELE-satellite website as presented via
• Now that we‘re                                      the Amino IPTV set-top box

through with the
features and potential of
the NetUP IPTV Combine
4x server it‘s time to                                     0.52
have a closer look at one
of the compatible IPTV
boxes. We have selected
the AmiNET 130M
from manufacturer
Amino. One of the most
striking characteristics
is its small size,
which measures only
114x102x35 mm, and
its solid build quality.
The chassis is made
of genuine aluminium,
which suggests the box
is built to last.

  All you can
see on the front
panel is a status
LED       indicat-
ing the current
operating mode.


36 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
1                                                                                     6




2                                                                                     7




3                                                                                     8




4                                                                                     9




5                                                                                     10




38 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
11                                                                                           16




12                                                                                           17




13                                                                                          18




14           IPTV receiver OSD
             1. Favourites list with EPG
             2. EPG overview of all available channels
             3. List with IPTV channels
             4. Additional channels can be purchased
             and added by simply using the remote
             control
             5. VOD content by genre
             6. Access to personal user account
             7. The current channel package can be
             changed directly on the set-top box using
             the remote control
             8. Customer account overview (credits /
             debits)
15           9. A PIN code can be activated to avoid
             unauthorised access to the IPTV box
             10. IP status information
             11. Available OSD skins
             12. The OSD can be translated into
             additional languages by the operator, if
             required
             13. Marking an event in the EPG overview for
             automatic channel switching
             14. Listing and editing timer entries
             15. Keying in an address in the web browser
             16. Favourites list of the web browser
             17. Info bar with details about the current
             event
             18. Language selection


     www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 —
                                      1       TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine   39
19

                                                                                you want or need to place              IPTV server takes over the
                                                                                the receiver in an upright             task of setting up your box.
                                                                                position to save valuable              All required settings and
                                                                                space. Also included in the            parameters are provided
                                                                                package are HDMI cable and             by the IPTV server, which
                                                                                remote control with a con-             means they will always be
                                                                                venient design and nicely              correct.
                                                                                laid out buttons that pro-
                                                                                vide just the feedback you               While    in   theory   this
                                                                                require. At the time of our            almost sounds to good to
                                                                                test the operating manual              be true, in actual use the
20
                                                                                was available in Russian               DHCP server of the IPTV
                                                                                only, but even with addi-              Combine 4x must be acti-
                                                                                tional languages provided              vated so that each new
                                                                                in future chances are you              IPTV box within the existing
                                                                                will never need to open it.            IPTV network is assigned
                                                                                This is because – contrary             an individual IP address
                                                                                to a satellite receiver – an           immediately and automati-
                                                                                IPTV box receives its entire           cally. This at the same time
                                                                                OSD and control interfaces             makes sure the box is able
                                                                                from the IPTV server and               to receive IP data from the
                                                                                requires no user input in              server and its DNS server.
                                                                                this regard.                           So we first have to acti-
21                                                                                                                     vate all required functions
                                                                                  Installation                         via the web interface of the
                                                                                                                       IPTV Combine 4x and define
                                                                                  Before we even begin
                                                                                                                       a range of IP addresses to
                                                                                with the first step we have
                                                                                                                       be assigned to IPTV boxes.
                                                                                to   discard    conventional
                                                                                                                       Only then can we connect
                                                                                thinking stemming by and
                                                                                                                       the AmiNET130M to our flat
                                                                                large from satellite receiv-
                                                                                                                       screen TV via HDMI and to
                                                                                ers. Terrestrial, cable or
                                                                                                                       the IPTV network with an
                                                                                satellite receivers come
                                                                                                                       RJ45 cable. Finally, we con-
                                                                                complete with pre-set soft-
                                                                                                                       nect the supplied power
                                                                                ware and all we need to
                                                                                                                       unit to the mains. The box
                                                                                do is hook up all required
                                                                                                                       powers up, immediately
                                                                                cables and press the ON
22                                                                              button. It‘s a totally differ-
                                                                                                                       detects the IPTV Combine
                                                                                                                       4x server and downloads
                                                                                ent story with an IPTV box,
                                                                                                                       all software elements. One
                                                                                which runs via middleware
                                                                                                                       minute later this process is
                                                                                and therefore has no inte-
                                                                                                                       finished and we are asked
                                                                                grated default operating
                                                                                                                       to key in a valid activation
                                                                                software. With the middle-
                                                                                                                       key.
                                                                                ware structure an IPTV box
                                                                                connects to the IPTV server
                                                                                which then provides the                  Everyday use
                                                                                user software. This is to                With regard to the IPTV
                                                                                make sure both IPTV server             Combine 4x we have men-
                                                                                and IPTV box are perfectly             tioned before that the acti-
                                                                                compatible with each other,            vation key is required to
23
                                                                                and it makes setting up a              customise the IPTV box
                                                                                new box so much easier.                and to create a tailor-made
                                                                                After all, there‘s nothing             channel list, channel avail-
                                                                                you can do wrong if the                ability and billing system for

                                                                                19. Each channel can be stored with a short station description and
                                                                                channel logo (seen here: Das Erste HD from Germany)
                                                                                20. Each channel can be stored with a short station description and
                                                                                channel logo (seen here: MBC 4 from Dubai)
                                                                                21. Changing the rate plan
                                                                                22. Radio stations can be transmitted as well via the IPTV network
                                                                                23. Selecting VOD content from the dedicated menu item using the IPTV
                                                                                set-top box software


 40 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                          1
each registered customer.                 The ‘Radio’ section is not           the solutions provided by       a favourites list for easy
As we have already created             shown right below the ‘TV               NetUP chances are custom-       access at a later stage.
a specific customer account            channels’ section, which                ers will use the on-demand
through the billing feature            presumably is for commer-               feature more readily.             During our test we noticed
of the IPTV Combine 4x we              cial reasons. We should still                                           that NetUP has also thought
can quickly key in the acti-           like to mention it at this                The ‘Personal account’        about implementing basic
vation code generated by               stage, as it is organised               section provides access to      functions in TV, radio and
the system. The code con-              just like the TV section.               user data, selected pack-       on-demand      modes.    For
sists of a total of six blocks                                                 ages and account credit.        example, the colour-coded
with five digits each.                    The second menu item                 Here, customers can also        function keys can be used
                                       deals     with    ‘Video-on-            upgrade to an extended          to change the language of
  We     did   not   specifically      demand’ content, which                  package or look at all past     the current event (in case
define     each      and    every      is organised according to               transactions (credit top-       more than one is available),
option for our test environ-           name, group or genre.                   up, used credit). With this     and a smartly designed
ment, so the AmiNET130M                Every available film is                 feature in place customers      info bar is inserted in the
first wants to know our pre-           shown on the upper area of              can change packages, buy        lower section of the screen
ferred skin and presents us            the screen complete with                on-demand content and           every time a new channel is
with all available OSD lan-            its title. The screen sec-              keep a check on purchases       selected. Apart from chan-
guages.                                tion dedicated to EPG infor-            without   requiring    assis-   nel name this info bar also
                                       mation in TV mode shows                 tance from hotel staff (as      shows program informa-
  As soon as these basic               extended information about              in our test scenario). This     tion for the current chan-
settings are determined the            each       video-on-demand              gives customers full control    nel. We were impressed at
IPTV box switches to the               (text, cover image, price,              while not wasting valuable      how quickly a new channels
                                       etc.). If you decide to buy             staff resources. In the ‘Set-   shows up on screen – it only
first available channel and
                                       content you only need to                tings’ menu it is possible to   takes about one second,
TV viewing please is about
                                       press the OK button, with               change OSD language and         and together with very fast
to begin. With a touch of
                                       the price of the film being             appearance, and for service     reaction to commands sent
the MENU button the main
                                       deducted from your credit.              technicians to call up infor-   from the remote control
menu pops up on screen
                                       Purchased on-demand con-                mation on IP data and other     zapping is real fun with the
and is divided into six sec-
                                       tent is shown in a dedicated            relevant network param-         AmiNET130M.
tions with the skin we have
                                       sub-menu that lists all con-            eters.
chosen before: TV chan-
                                       tent you have purchased                                                   During playback of on-
nels,       Video-on-demand,
                                       with your available credit.               The range of features of      demand content it is of
Radio,     Personal       account,
                                                                               the AmiNET130M is com-          course possible to rewind
Settings and Extras.
                                         This is also the menu sec-            pleted with the ‘Extras’ sec-   and fast-forward (at dif-
                                       tion you may use to select              tion of the main menu. All      ferent speeds) and pause.
  The ‘TV channels’ section
                                       and activate near-VOD con-              timer entries can be listed     A PVR system at large,
shows a list of all TV con-
                                       tent.                                   here, and a rather basic but    however, cannot be imple-
tent available to the respec-
                                                                               nonetheless very functional     mented with the IPTV
tive customer. If required,
                                         Thanks to the sheer size              web browser is available for    set-up tested by
individual     entries     can   be
                                       of the IPTV server hard                 surfing the web. To that end    us.
added to a favourites list for
                                       disk it is possible to make             a virtual keyboard is shown
quick access. EPG data is
                                       available quite an impres-              on screen, and frequently
available either for a single
                                       sive range of on-demand                 visited sites can
channel or as an overview
                                       content, and a virtual key-             even saved
so that it is easy to check
                                       board assists customers in              onto
at a glance what is cur-
                                       looking for specific content.
rently shown on available
                                       User-friendliness is the
channels. It is of course              key to success,
possible to call up EPG data           and with
for events on coming days,
and timer entries can be
created directly by mark-
ing an event so that the box
will automatically switch to
the corresponding channel
before that event starts.
The      system      we    tested,
however, does not support
a PVR feature for selecting
events to be recorded.


42 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
As far as security and             without default software,      that comes with the IPTV                       and logical control of the
access     control    are    con-    which means our conclu-        box. Apart from its high-                      box which should be self-
cerned     either    the    entire   sion covers the Amino box      quality appearance it can                      explanatory            even      to   the
IPTV box or only the pur-            as the hardware component      also be used as a universal                    technologically challenged.
chasing    function    can     be    on the one hand, and NetUP     remote to control all cur-                     If you add to that the com-
blocked by way of an access          as software provider on the    rently available TV panels
                                                                                                                   plex control module of the
code.                                other hand. To put it short,   – who could ask for more?
                                                                                                                   IPTV server for business
                                     the Amino hardware leaves
                                                                                                                   applications          the      two    are
                                     nothing to be desired.           Thanks to the fact that
  Conclusion                         What‘s more, the build         server and receiver are in
                                                                                                                   a perfect match. With a
  The     AmiNET130M         IPTV                                                                                  whole range of customis-
                                     quality achieved by Amino      perfect harmony the IPTV
box from Amino is a per-             surpasses that of many         box is in a brilliant posi-                    able settings the IPTV Com-
fectly    capable    and     well-   competitors and easily sets    tion for exploiting all fea-                   bine 4x together with the
built IPTV box. Contrary to          an example when it comes       tures provided by the IPTV                     AmiNET130M should to the
DVB-S, DVB-T and DVB-C               to workmanship. The same       Combine 4x. In particular,                     trick for almost any scope
reception IPTV boxes come            goes for the remote control    we appreciated the simple                      of application.



                                                                                                     ENERGY
                                                                                                          DIAGRAM



                                                                                           Apparent Power




                                                                                                                      Mode      Apparent Active Factor
                                                                                                                      Reception 11.4 W   6W     0.52




                                                                                           Active Power




                                                                    Active use with channel switching and watching live TV during the first 15
                                                                    minutes, standby during the second 15 minutes.



                                                                                                TECHNICAL
                                                                                                             DATA
                                                                    Manufacturer                      Amino Technologies, Buckingway Business Park,
                                                                                                      Anderson Road, Swavesey, Cambridge CB24 4UQ,
                                                                                                      United Kingdom

                                                                    Fax                               +44 (0) 1954 234 101

                                                                    Email                             info@aminocom.com

                                                                    Model                             AmiNET130M

                                                                    Function                          IPTV Set-top-Box

                                                                    HDMI connector                    yes (HDMI 1.2a with HDCP)

                                                                    Scart connector                   no

                                                                    Audio/Video output analogue       no

                                                                    YUV output                        no

                                                                    S-Video output                    no

                                                                    Digital audio output              yes (optical)

                                                                    Ehternet                          yes

                                                                    WLAN                              no

                                                                    USB connector                     yes

                                                                    Codecs                            MPEG-2 MP@HL, MPEG-4 pt10 A, VC/H.264 HP@L4

                                                                    Video resolutions                 up to 720p and 1080i

                                                                    Input Voltage                     5V DC

                                                                    Dimensions                        114x102x35mm

                                                                    Weight                            262g




                                                            www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 —
                                                                                             1             TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine   43
Breathe life into your TV




The advertisement lists some of the awards the company AB IPBox has been granted for its products | AB IPBox s.r.o. Phone: +421 38 5362 667, Email: info@abipbox.com
www.abipbox.com




                AB Linux satellite55HD
                Digital
                        IPBox receiver
                for everyone




EHD
E2HD Software
                  DISPLAY
                   4 Digits                         Eco Friendly
                  7 Segments                     Power Consumption
TEST REPORT                  Cardsplitter




Clone+ Cardsplitter
                                                                                                                                                 02-03/201
                                                                                                                                                         1
                                                                                                                             Clone+ Cardspli
                                                                                                                  Simple distributio             tter
                                                                                                                                     n of two PayTV pro
                                                                                                                        to as many as eig                 viders
                                                                                                                                            ht rec eivers
                                                                                                                               in the household




Simple Operation,
Incredibly Powerful!
• Simple Distribution of PayTV                                                   The number of TVs in the         TVs in the house with a signal
                                                                              average household is consis-        whether it was done via coax-
Channels in Your Own Home                                                     tently increasing. It all started   ial cable or wirelessly. You

• Feed Up to Eight Receivers with                                             in the living room and then         were limited to watching one
                                                                              expanded to the kid’s room all      TV channel at a time on all the
Just One Card                                                                 the way to the bedroom and          TVs but not much was needed
                                                                              the kitchen until now there’s       for an installation like this.
• Supports Numerous Systems
                                                                              hardly any room in the house
• Special Feature: Two Different                                              that doesn’t have a TV. Just           As HDTV began entering
                                                                              a few years ago, when HDTV          the picture, end users natu-
PayTV Systems are Possible
                                                                              was an unknown entity, it was       rally wanted to be able to
                                                                              enough to have one central          watch their favorite programs
                                                                              receiver that supplied all the      in the best possible quality.




46 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
Highlights 2010
                                                        www.spaun.com         Quality made in Germany




The new                  -Class
• Excellent selection:
  Terr./SAT > 40 dB and SAT/Terr. > 45 dB
• Energy saving switch-mode power supply
• High output levels between
  102 and 108 dBµV


         years
         warranty




Optical Transmitter                                     SPAROS 611 CA HD
• Frequency range of 47 ... 2200 MHz
                                                        • HD-Display (MPEG4 H.264)
• Laser output power: +6 dBm                            • Integrated Multidecryption CA-Module
Optical Receiver                                        • Return path measurement
• 4-way / 1-way in a compact housing                    • Constellationdiagram for all
• Remote power through one coax output possible           DVB standards




                           SPAUN electronic GmbH & Co. KG
                                 Byk-Gulden-Str. 22 · 78224 Singen
                       Phone: +49 (0)7731 - 8673-0 · Fax: +49 (0)7731 - 8673-17
                           Email: contact@spaun.com · www.spaun.com
TELE-satellite World                              www.TELE-satellite.com/...
                                                                                   Download this report in other languages from the Internet:
                                                                                   Arabic           ‫ﺍﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ‬     www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/ara/clone+.pdf
                                                                                   Indonesian       Indonesia   www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/bid/clone+.pdf
But this led to a problem:             course, this comes at an addi-              German           Deutsch     www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/deu/clone+.pdf
HD content could not be dis-           tional monthly charge and it                English          English     www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/clone+.pdf
                                                                                   Spanish          Español     www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/esp/clone+.pdf
tributed via coaxial cable or          really is the exception rather              French           Français    www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/fra/clone+.pdf
through a wireless system              than the rule. The end user                 Hebrew           ‫עברית‬       www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/heb/clone+.pdf
                                                                                   Chinese          中文          www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/man/clone+.pdf
and the HDMI cables link-              has the problem of deciding
                                                                                   Polish           Polski      www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/pol/clone+.pdf
ing the receiver and the TV            whether to take out multiple                Portuguese       Português   www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/por/clone+.pdf
are limited in length to a few         PayTV subscriptions at the                  Russian          Русский     www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/rus/clone+.pdf
                                                                                   Turkish          Türkçe      www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/tur/clone+.pdf
meters.                                same time – a solution that                                         Available online starting from 28 January 2011
                                       for most PayTV customers is
  For    the   average     house-      both financially and also on
hold this meant that multiple          principle a problem; who likes             and switch to an encrypted                  encryption system or the pro-
receivers would be needed              the idea of paying double or               channel,    the     Clone+       card       cessor couldn’t handle more
– one receiver for each TV.            triple? – or he has to look                communicates           with        the      than two receivers at a time.
Distributing    the    signals   of    around for another solution.               Clone+ server and receives                  In the Clone+ package we
a single satellite reception                                                      the   necessary         decryption          received there was the trans-
system to all of these receiv-            The Clone+ System from                  information so that you can                 mitter section along with two
ers is easy and as long as you         the    Polish   company       PYCH         enjoy your selected program.                reception cards. We were able
limit yourself to watching free        International     Electronics         is                                               to get to work right away.
TV, that is channels without           precisely one of those solu-                 In this way it’s possible to
any encryption, there won’t            tions and it works like this: the          use only one PayTV card and                    The       transmitter          section
be any problems. But what              original card from the PayTV               operate up to eight receiv-                 comes in a very elegant black
about PayTV?                           provider is inserted into a                ers independently from each                 housing and at 2.5 x 9.5 x
                                       card reader unit that works                other. Since the range of the               11cm was very easy to handle.
  Unfortunately,      it   doesn’t     with an integrated transmit-               transmitter       section      inside       On the front panel you imme-
look good at all; a PayTV pro-         ter. Instead of the original               the home is only about 30                   diately notice the slot for the
vider usually only supplies one        card, a special reception card             meters, the PayTV provider                  internal      card      reader       while
SmartCard to a customer and            is placed in the receivers (up             doesn’t have to worry about                 on the back a USB interface
thus PayTV content can only            to eight boxes are supported)              anyone else using the PayTV                 and a jack for DC power from
be received and decrypted on           that then creates a wireless               card illegally.                             the included external power
just one receiver. There are           link to the transmitter sec-                                                           supply could be found. The
a few PayTV providers that             tion of the Clone+ system. If                When the Clone+ system                    top side of the housing sports
offer additional cards but, of         you’re using a linked receiver             arrived at the TELE-satellite               five LEDs that show the sys-
                                                                                  test lab, we were curious how               tem’s current status as well
                                                                                  well it would work consider-                as the signal quality of the
                                                   ■ Twin Slot Interface -        ing that similar systems have               wireless link.
                                                   enables you watching
                                                                                  been around for some time
                                                   different channels
                                                   of digital pay TV of 2         now from a variety of manu-                    The reception cards are also
                                                   different subscription
                                                   cards                          facturers but as was often the              made out of black plastic and
                                                                                  case those systems had to                   come with six small status
                                                                                  deal with software bugs, they               LEDs      that     also     graphically
                                                                                  could only be used with one                 indicate       operational         status




48 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
1

                                                                              and signal strength. Because          mends that the transmitter
                                                                              of the required receiver sec-         section be connected to an
                                                                              tion as well as the neces-            MS Windows PC using the
                                                                              sary electronics to process           USB cable so that the firm-
                                                                              the incoming signals, these           ware of the system can be
                                                                              cards are somewhat longer             brought up to the most cur-
                                                                              than standard SmartCards.             rent level before the system
                                                                              They can be plugged into              is used for the first time.
2                                                                             the internal card reader of a         Just like the overall operation
                                                                              receiver or a CI module but           of the Clone+ system, this
                                                                              you probably won’t be able to         update procedure is handled
                                                                              close the front panel flap on          just as simply and problem-
                                                                              the receiver or the CI module.        free. As soon as the system
                                                                              It’s a visual disadvantage that       is connected to a PC and the
                                                                              the manufacturer recognized           software started, the current
                                                                              and because of that offers an         drivers are loaded from the
                                                                              optional Soft Interface. This         manufacturer’s server via the
                                                                              involves    using     a   standard    Internet. After that, they are
3
                                                                              format SmartCard that disap-          automatically       installed     and
                                                                              pears fully into a receiver’s         activated.
                                                                              card reader or CI slot allow-
                                                                              ing you to close the receiver              The   Clone+    system       can
                                                                              flap. The electronics from the         operate       in    two     different
                                                                              SmartCard      are    now    sepa-    modes, A and B, each with its
                                                                              rated with a single thin cable        own firmware. While mode A
                                                                              connecting the two pieces             is the normal operating mode
                                                                              together. The Soft Interface          for the Clone+, the manu-
4                                                                             was not part of the test pack-        facturer integrated a mode
                                                                              age we received so we were            B which is a form of a com-
                                                                              unable to put it to the test.         patibility    mode       that   really
                                                                                                                    should       only   be     activated
                                                                                 For our test report, Clone+        when there’s a problem with
                                                                              included a twin adapter for           the    SmartCard.         Our   tests
                                                                              the     transmitter   section   so    involved the use of a variety
                                                                              that we could use two PayTV           of PayTV cards and we found
                                                                              cards with up to eight differ-        that activating mode B wasn’t
                                                                              ent receivers. More on that           necessary. The transferring of
5
                                                                              later though.                         the latest firmware occurred
                                                                                                                    automatically without any dif-
                                                                                 We were very impressed             ficulties and was taken care of
                                                                              with the Clone+ system. The           in just a few seconds.
                                                                              included user manual provided
                                                                              information on the installation            Once the update process
                                                                              and operation of the system           is    successfully        completed,
                                                                              that was so detailed that             there’s really not much more
                                                                              every possible question was           for the end user to do since
                                                                              answered. The included CD             the system is very easy to set
                                                                              and USB cable can be used to          up and configure. The first
                                                                              upload new firmware into the           step is to insert the PayTV
                                                                              Clone+     transmitter      section   card into the slot in the trans-
                                                                              so that the manufacturer can          mitter section and then turn
1. With one mouse click the Clone+ transmitter section automatically
downloads the latest firmware from the manufacturers servers and installs      not only work on improve-             on the power. The Clone+
them in the unit.
                                                                              ments to the system but also          system automatically recog-
2. Standard mode A for operation with the most PayTV cards
                                                                              add new encryption systems            nizes the encryption system
3. Compatibility mode B for those cards that can’t be used in mode A. The
use of this mode was not necessary in our tests.                              or react to other changes in          used by the card, reads a few
4. Even the required drivers for MS Windows are downloaded automatically      the system.                           more parameters and then
with the update software.
5. The Soft Interface elegantly accommodates the reception cards even
                                                                                                                    sets up the reception cards
with the CI flap closed.                                                          PYCH     Electronics     recom-    with the necessary settings.


50 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
As soon as this job is done       “Ready” LED remains lit.
– in our tests it took a mere
one second – the “Ready” LED        This programming step is
illuminates to let you know       absolutely   necessary     since
that the Clone+ transmitter       the reception cards can only
section is ready to go.           be prepared and activated
                                  in this way. If you decide to
  The only other task that        use a different SmartCard,
needs to be done is to config-    then this programming pro-
ure the reception cards. To do    cess must be repeated since
this the original PayTV card is   every encryption system and
removed and each reception        each card type require dif-
card to be used is momen-         ferent settings. In our tests
tarily inserted into the card     the reception card was pro-
reader. The “Upgrade” LED         grammed and ready to use
on the reception card starts      in just about eight seconds.
to blink indicating that the      Once this process has been
necessary settings are being      completed for each reception
transferred to the card. Once     card to be used, the origi-
this process is successfully      nal PayTV card is once again
completed,    the   “Upgrade”     inserted into the card reader
LED goes out and only the         slot while the reception cards

                                                                     are inserted in each receiver           our test system so we were
                                                                     or CI module. At this point             able to select three receiv-
                                                                     the entire system installation          ers    for    our     testing:        two
                                                                     and setup is completed.                 receivers with CI slots and
                                                                                                             one with an integrated card
                                                                       As soon as power is applied           reader. A reception card was
                                                                     to the reception cards via the          inserted into the CI slot or
                                                                     receiver or the CI module, a            internal card reader of all
                                                                     link is created to the Clone+           three receivers and we began
                                                                     transmitter      section.      The      channel surfing through all
                                                                     signal strength is shown via            of the PayTV channels. No
                                                                     LEDs on the reception cards             matter how hard we tried, we
                                                                     as well as on the transmit-             could not disturb the Clone+
                                                                     ter section. Once the green             system as it decrypted the
                                                                     “Link” LED lights up on the             selected channels on all three
                                                                     reception cards, a successful           receivers without any prob-
                                                                     connection has been placed              lems or other interruptions.
                                                                     with the Clone+ server. Now             And it didn’t matter if it was
                                                                     you can enjoy uninterrupted             HD or SD channels.
                                                                     PayTV channels with multiple
                                                                     receivers.                                 We were impressed with
                                                                                                             the performance of the radio
                                                                       According to the manufac-             link. Depending on the type
                                                                     turer, the Clone+ system is             of building, a range of up to
                                                                     compatible with the Conax,              30 meters can be achieved
                                                                     Crptoworks,      Irdeto,       Seca     indoors. Outside the range
                                                                     Mediaguard       and   Viaccess         could be as far as 150 meters
                                                                     encryption systems. During              although 100 meters is more
                                                                     our    testing   process,       we      realistic as long as there is a
                                                                     were able to verify this with           clear line of sight from trans-
                                                                     multiple     SmartCards;       even     mitter to receiver.
                                                                     the latest generation cards
                                                                     worked     perfectly   with     the        The Clone+ system is also
                                                                     Clone+ system. The manu-                not affected by a WLAN router
                                                                     facturer included a total of            or other wireless device (such
                                                                     three reception cards with              as a wireless headset) and


                                                             www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 —
                                                                                              1      TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine   51
functions without any inter-           rest! The Clone+ system was                                      Expert Opinion
ruptions. We tested this by            easily able to handle both                     +
setting a WLAN router to its           encryption systems without                     Incredibly simple and reliable operation plus
highest possible power output          any problems using the Twin               comes with the ability to use two SmartCards at
and placing it in close proxim-        Slot Interface. Even in this              the same time. At only 1.2W, the power usage of
ity to the Clone+ system. We           mode the constant changing                the Clone+ system is negligible.
also operated two wireless             of channels and the operation                                                                              Thomas Haring

                                                                                      -
                                                                                                                                                    TELE-satellite
headsets at the same time.             of three reception cards could                                                                                 Test Center
                                                                                                                                                          Austria
                                       not disturb this system.                       The encryption systems Nagravision and
  The    icing    on   the    cake                                               NDS Videoguard are not supported.

though would have to be the               We thoroughly enjoyed put-
Twin Slot Interface with which         ting the Clone+ system from
                                                                                                        TECHNICAL
two different SmartCards can           PYCH Electronics to the test. It                                            DATA
be used at the same time.              is a sophisticated system and            Manufacturer              Pych International Electronics Sp. z.o.o.ul.
                                                                                                          Lipkowska 21, 04-801 Warsaw, Poland
We tested this feature using           functioned effortlessly with
                                                                                Phone                     +48 22 2442831
an Austrian ORF Card (Cryp-            the encryption systems speci-
                                                                                Fax                       +48 22 2442847
toworks) and a Swiss SRG               fied by the manufacturer. It is
                                                                                Email                     cok@pychinternationalelectronics.com
TV card (Viaccess). At first            so easy to install and operate
                                                                                Model                     Clone+
we really had doubts that              this system that every user
                                                                                Supported CAS systems     Irdeto, Seca Mediaguard, Viaccess, Cryptoworks, Conax
both cards could be used               should have no problems with             Max. receivers            8
at the same time especially            it. The status LEDs on the               Max. distance             outdoor: max. 150m
considering that the Clone+            reception cards and on the                                         indoor: 30m

system would have to work              transmitter section highlight            Transmission band         RF 868-915 MHz, BW 150 kHz, GFSK, NRZ 38.4 Kbps

with two entirely different            the current operational status           Transmitter power         variable from -20 to 5 dBm

                                                                                Power supply              9-12V DC
encryption systems. But our            of the system and are also a
                                                                                Power consumption         ~ 1.2W
doubts were quickly laid to            valuable guidance tool.




52 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
FEATURE               IPTV Standard OIPF




The New IPTV
Standard OIPF
■ Yun Chao Hu is president of the ‘Open IPTV Forum’. He
discussed the future of the OIPF standard with TELE-
satellite during the first OIPF workshop held in Asia.




54    TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                            1
• OIPF is the new global standard for Internet TV
• OIPF is already in use in Singapore and Taiwan
• The new standard incorporates existing
technologies and specifications
• OIPF has the same specifications world-wide,
making it THE standard for Internet-based TV
applications

   It was exactly four years ago, in March     standard is being built. Secondly, all appli-
2007, that five telecom heavyweights            cations that arise from IPTV interactivity
founded the ‘Open IPTV Forum’, with            need to be integrated into the open stand-
major players such as Sony, Samsung,           ardized application enablers. “The OIPF
Philips and Panasonic, but also with tel-      specifications will address the necessary
ecom companies focusing mainly on the          application enablers that will be the basis
Internet, like France Telecom, AT&T and        for an open application ecosystem secur-
Telecom Italia. Added to that were cor-        ing transparency towards the IPTV appli-
porations from the mobile sphere, such         cation developers. This will ensure that
as Ericsson or Nokia Siemens Networks.         the application development will be inde-
What started with nine founding members        pendent of the IPTV middleware and the
has meanwhile grown to 66 OIPF member          specific IPTV end-devices. The increased
companies, all of which have defined a          availability of IPTV applications will enrich
single goal: to establish a uniform global     the end user Quality of Experience of the
standard for TV services via Internet          standard based IPTV deployments,” Yun
(IPTV) and stimulating a horizontal retail     Chao Hu adds.
market for IPTV end devices.                      Interactivity does not only mean that
   On the journey to this goal the chal-       end users – i.e. TV viewers – select the
lenge does not lie in video and audio          channel they want to watch from a list
transmission – more than enough estab-         of offerings by using a remote control to
lished standards are used for that already.    send a request to the provider. There‘s
The tricky part is interactivity and per-      way more to it. The OIPF standard cre-
sonalization, as that is the main distin-      ates a log with information about which
guishing feature of IPTV when compared         channel is currently being watched, how
with terrestrial or satellite reception. In    many times a new channel is selected and
the past, each IPTV provider seemed to         at what time channels are switched. This
do its own thing, developing applications      way a user profile with a precise viewing
and technologies that best fit its particular   pattern can be created to provide valuable
purpose. IPTV had become a playground          information for advertisers and content
for unregulated proprietary        develop-    providers. Commercials can be inserted
ments, and that is exactly what hindered       at a time that creates most viewer atten-
further growth. Software engineers and         tion and a whole range of offerings can be
hardware manufacturers were having a           tailor-made to maximise their effect.
hard time trying to incorporate as many of        In order to collect the required data
these diverging developments as possible,      there needs to be an established and uni-
which at the same time meant too much          form standard across platforms. What’s
energy had to be wasted on developments        more, the OIPF standard defines how
and technologies that would simply come        advertisements and other offers are
and go.                                        transmitted to the viewer.
   Yun Chao Hu is the president of OIPF,          As you can see, simply watching TV
and we had the pleasure of meeting him         is already based on a rather complex
during an OIPF workshop in China. “There       technological structure. If we now con-
is a solution in sight,“ he states. „A uni-    sider pay TV or pay-per-view – both of
form standard that is accepted and imple-      which also have to be implemented in the
mented by all players and that establishes     OIPF standard – it becomes plain for all
a level playing ground for all interested      to see that establishing a new standard
parties.” The challenges that come with        involves overcoming a great many stum-
creating the new OIPF standard are two-        bling blocks. And then there’s the Inter-
fold:                                          net, which offers even more possibilities,
   For one, there is no need to start from     according to OIPF marketing director
scratch again and re-invent something          Monika Gadhammar: “Interactive EPG,
that is already available at our finger-        video calling, chatting, file sharing, online
tips. Rather, existing standards should be     voting, mobile TV and the like are only
the foundation onto which the new OIPF         some of the applications that can be real-


              www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 —
                                               1     TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine   55
■ Monika Gadhammar is marketing
manager of OIPF. Here she can be
seen in front of a presentation of all                 OIPF in
current ‘Open IPTV Forum’ member
companies.                                             Mobile
                                                       Use
ised. To give you an example: If a phone
call comes in while you are watching TV
the caller’s number and name will pop up
on the TV screen. If you decide to accept
that call the system automatically starts
                                                       ■Business
                                                       executives are
PVR recording so that you are able to con-             given a tool for
tinue watching after hanging up, without               coordinating
                                                       appointments
missing a single second.”                              while on the
   This just goes to show that the list of             go.
possible applications is virtually end-
less. Major landline phone companies
and Internet service providers are free to
implement as many features as they think
fit, and that’s one of the major draw cards            ■OIPF also
of the new OIPF standard. Yet, all these               incorporates
features that are made available to con-               specifications
                                                       for TV via
sumers are only one side of the coin. The              mobile phone
other is the fact that all features need to            networks.
be implemented at the provider’s end –
and the OIPF is the right answer for that
as well.
   OIPF president Yun Chao Hu adds that
OIPF is already being used in large-scale
test set-ups. “There’s the NIMS project in
Singapore, and another one in Taiwan.”
Both make sure OIPF can make the quan-
tum leap from developer’s playground to
real-world application. OIPF is right on
track to becoming a reality of TV viewers
in the future!

  More information available at:
  www.oipf.tv
  For the latest technical specifications
have a look at:
  www.oipf.tv/specifications.html



56    TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                            1
List of All Current OIPF Member Companies




 The New IPTV Standard



 • OIPF provides the IPTV market with open end-2-end IPTV specifications
 • OIPF includes most IPTV stakeholders
 • OIPF stimulates a go-to-market drive from the IPTV industry
 Open IPTV Forum                                                                          Tel: +33 4 92 94 43 83
 650, Route des Lucioles                                                                 Fax: +33 4 92 38 52 90
 F-06921 SOPHIA-ANTIPOLIS Cedex                                                         Email: contact@oipf.tv
 France                                                                                   Website: www.oipf.tv

58   TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                           1
A Look Behind the Scenes:
The New OIPF IPTV
Standard in The
Making                                                                                                           ■This modern office
                                                                                                                 complex in northwestern
                                                                                                                 Berlin (Germany) houses the
                                                                                                                 Fraunhofer FOKUS institute.
                                                                                                                 A range of other well-known
                                                                                                                 telecom providers also
                                                                                                                 rent office space here. The
                                                                                                                 Fraunhofer FOKUS institute
                                                                                                                 participates in exhibitions
                                                                                                                 as well and can be found
                                                                                                                 exhibiting at the CeBIT in
                                                                                                                 Hanover, IFA in Berlin, IBC
                                                                                                                 in Amsterdam and IPTV
                                                                                                                 World Forum in London.




  One of the strong technical partners              which is renting office space at this build-   schaft employs a technical workforce of
of the Open IPTV Forum is Fraunhofer-               ing, but also other well-known businesses     17,000 and generates an annual turno-
Gesellschaft from Germany, which                    from the telecom field. One of them is         ver of 1.7 billion EUR.“ We’re not talking
has been looking at IPTV since 2005.                Media Broadcast, a satellite broadcaster      about a commercial company here, but
We wanted to learn more about their                 on which TELE-satellite reported only         rather an association with an exclusive
approach to that topic and met with                 recently in issue 08-09/2010.                 focus on technical research. „Some 30%
Robert Seeliger, the OIPF project man-                                                            of Fraunhofer‘s budget are received from
ager at Fraunhofer. He occupies an office              We started out with asking Robert           the German state, with the remaining
on the fourth floor of a recently built              Seeliger about the nature of Fraunhofer-      70% being generated from commercial
office complex in northwestern Berlin                Gesellschaft. Naturally, he can fill us in     corporations with all sorts of manufac-
(Germany). Yet, it‘s not only Fraunhofer            with all the details: „Fraunhofer-Gesell-     turers. Some monies also come from the


60   TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                           1
■ Graduate engineer                                                                                receivers. „To this end we use the CE-
Robert Seeliger is OIPF                                                                            HTML programming language,“ Robert
project manager at the
Fraunhofer FOKUS institute                                                                         Seeliger explains. „It‘s the same lan-
in Berlin. Here he shows the                                                                       guage that is also used for HbbTV, for
institute‘s website on his
monitor. Apart from the new
                                                                                                   example.“ CE stands for consumer elec-
OIPF standard FOKUS also                                                                           tronics and is perfect for calling up and
looks at another interesting                                                                       displaying media content.
development: a universal
operating system that can
be implemented in mobile
phones, set-top boxes, TV
sets and so on. You can find
                                                                                                       What is CE-HTML?
out more about that project
at www.webinos.org.                                                                                     HTML is the programming language
                                                                                                     used to create web pages. You do not
                                                                                                     have to be an accomplished expert to
                                                                                                     realize that the web pages you surf
                                                                                                     on with your PC or a laptop are not
                                                                                                     so easy to navigate when displayed
                                                                                                     on the TV screen and handled with
European Union‘s research funds.“                    and developing solutions for them.
                                                                                                     a remote control. There are several
                                                     „IPTV has been around for some time,
                                                                                                     things that make reading and naviga-
  Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is divided up              which means huge efforts have already
                                                                                                     ting them difficult:
into different institutes. „We currently             been put in doing research in this field,“
                                                                                                        - sometimes simply the font is too
run 57 institutes, each of which does                Robert Seeliger continues. „Our job is
                                                                                                     small to be read from a distance by a
research on a specific field,“ Robert Seel-            to define gaps that are still around and
                                                                                                     regular TV viewer
iger goes on. One of the institutes caries           then combine all aspects to arrive at a
                                                                                                        - they often require a mouse action
the name FOKUS, which is the German                  point where all the pieces of this puzzle
                                                                                                     or keyboard entry rather than the
acronym for ‚Fraunhofer Institute for                fall into place.“
                                                                                                     directional arrows and OK button that
Open Communications Systems‘. FOKUS
                                                                                                     the regular remote control units have
consists of seven departments and one                   By the way, this particular Fraunhofer
                                                                                                        - they lack a highlight that show the
of these departments is FAME, short for              institute can proudly look back on an
                                                                                                     user what will happen when he/she
‚Future Applications and Media‘, with a              extremely successful Internet develop-
                                                                                                     presses the OK button
permanent staff of 40 employees.“                    ment: „We were the ones to come up
                                                                                                        - they use different audio/video
                                                     with the Session Initiation Protocol that
                                                                                                     object implementations
  The FAME department within FOKUS                   is being used for VoIP,“ Robert Seeliger
                                                                                                        - they use specific extensions like
deals with the new IPTV standard. It is              reveals and lends further proof to the
                                                                                                     Adobe Flash that require more soft-
headed by Dr. Stefan Arabnowski, with                fact that Fraunhofer scientist are spot
                                                                                                     ware and more powerful hardware to
Robert Seeliger running the project                  on when it comes to developing solu-
                                                                                                     be used than is available in popular
group that looks at OIPF. „Altogether                tions that are required in a real-world
                                                                                                     consumer electronics equipment
we are 15 scientists,“ Robert Seeliger               scenario.
                                                                                                        Therefore, the manufacturers of
explains, „which means employees with
                                                                                                     consumer electronics products deci-
a degree in either software development                One task on the path to the new OIPF
                                                                                                     ded to create a special version of HTML
or engineering.“ Their work consists                 standard is to design a HTML-based user
                                                                                                     and called it CE-HTML. More precisely,
mainly of looking at technological niches            interface for implementation in IPTV
                                                                                                     CE-HTML is based on XHTML and has
                                                                                                     additional extensions.
                                                                                                        The pages created with CE-HTML
                                                                                                     are well suited to be viewed from a
                                                                                                     distance and be controlled with 4
                                                                                                     arrows and an OK button. CE-HTML
                                                                                                     can be used to create the regular (on-
                                                                                                     line) pages but also to create the user
                                                                                                     interface screens of the CE devices
                                                                                                     you use at home, like digital TV recei-
                                                                                                     vers.
                                                                                                        Additionally, CE-HTML simplifies
                                                                                                     interfacing of various multimedia
                                                                                                     devices you use at home. We can say
                                                                                                     that thanks to such standardization
                                                                                                     efforts like CE-HTML, the develop-
                                                                                                     ment of new CE equipment is faster
                                                                                                     and simpler, and the compatibility
                                                                                                     between different brands and models
                                                                                                     is better.
                                                                                                        CE-HTML is already incorporated in
                                                                                                     CEA-2014, HbbTV, OpenIPTV and Digi-
                                                                                                     tal Living Network Alliance industry
■ Several monitors and boxes in the lobby of the Fraunhofer FOKUS institute display applications     standards. There are already TV-sets
that were developed at the institute.
                                                                                                     on the market which are CE-HTML
                                                                                                     compatible.
62    TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                            1
COMPANY REPORT                         IPTV Box Manufacturer Jiuzhou, China




Jiuzhou greatly expands into
IPTV Box Production
• IPTV box production
may reach 1 million
units in 2011
• Jiuzhou starts HbbTV
boxes for Europe
• Big retailers about to
launch into IPTV box
sales
• Jiuzhou to attend all
major exhibitions in                                       ■ Sales Director Huang Wei is,
2011, 10 in all                                            amongst many other tasks, in charge
                                                           of the IPTV boxes‘ development,
                                                           sales and marketing


  The Chinese large manufacturer Jiu-
zhou is very well known by our readers.
The company originated in Sichuan and
has been in existence since 1958. In
2008 they celebrated their 50th birthday
(see TELE-satellite issue 02-03/2008).
In 2009 the company expanded into
HDTV and in 2010 terrestrial TV was
the theme. In 2011 Jiuzhou is planning
on taking a huge step further into the
IPTV market with enormous production
numbers. Huang Wei is Jiuzhou’s Sales
Director and reveals to us what Jiuzhou
has planned for 2011.

  First, though, Sales Director Huang
Wei took us on a trip into the past: “The
first IPTV boxes were manufactured by
Jiuzhou in 2007; back then about 20,000
boxes were produced and involved pure
IPTV boxes.” Production numbers only
increased slowly. “In 2010 we produced
60,000 boxes”, comments Huang Wei.

  But 2011 looks to be completely dif-
ferent: “We will be manufacturing a
minimum of 200,000 boxes and it could
go as high as one million.” It all depends
on negotiations that are currently in
progress with a variety of retail chains
in North America as well as Europe.
The reason: these retail chains are in


■ Jiuzhou constructed an impressively large
building in Shenzhen’s High-Tech Park. The
engineers are here continuously working
on new products – currently they’re mostly
occupied with IPTV.


64 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
          Shenzhen




www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 —
                                 1     TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine   65
TELE-satellite World                              www.TELE-satellite.com/...
  Download this report in other languages from the Internet:
 Arabic          ‫ﺍﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ‬     www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/ara/jiuzhou.pdf
 Indonesian      Indonesia   www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/bid/jiuzhou.pdf
 German          Deutsch     www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/deu/jiuzhou.pdf
 English         English     www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/jiuzhou.pdf
 Spanish         Español     www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/esp/jiuzhou.pdf
 French          Français    www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/fra/jiuzhou.pdf
 Hebrew          ‫עברית‬       www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/heb/jiuzhou.pdf
 Chinese         中文          www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/man/jiuzhou.pdf
 Polish          Polski      www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/pol/jiuzhou.pdf
                                                                                          ■ Jimmy Zhang       delivering the programming either ter-
                                                                                          is Marketing Vice   restrially or via satellite. With IPTV
 Portuguese      Português   www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/por/jiuzhou.pdf   Manager and deals
 Russian         Русский     www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/rus/jiuzhou.pdf   with the global     comparatively simple technology using
 Turkish         Türkçe      www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/tur/jiuzhou.pdf   marketing of Set    Gateway servers is all that’s needed.
                        Available online starting from 28 January 2011                    Top Boxes
                                                                                                              But even more important, the customer
                                                                                                              no longer needs to install an antenna;
the process of becoming their own pro-                      Internet is opening up new possibili-             almost every household has an Internet
gramming providers!                                         ties; now there are programming pro-              connection.
                                                            viders that can join the bandwagon
 This is a rather interesting develop-                      that really didn’t have any interest in             Large business enterprises that have
ment: obviously transmitting via the                        doing so before since it would’ve meant           for quite some time been not only sell-




■ Marketing Specialist Zoe Liu finds
the graphics in TELE-satellite to be so
good that she pins them on her wall.


66 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
1


1. A look in the IPTV Engineers office: here the software
for the IPTV boxes is developed.

2. The functionality of test samples are checked out here.

3. This is Vice Manager Yongjun Zhang; he is responsible
for the IPTV R&D team and is in charge of 20 engineers.         2


 3




68 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
■ Jiuzhou’s Overseas Marketing Team. Third from the left is Linda Lee; she has been             HbbTV as well as a variant with DVB-T
working consistently since 2006 with TELE-satellite Editor-in-Chief Alexander Wiese             and HbbTV.” These boxes will be avail-
(behind Linda Lee) to make Jiuzhou a recognizable name in the digital TV sector
through the pages of TELE-satellite magazine. To the far right is Yang, Jiuzhou’s               able in Germany and France since HbbTV
graphic designer; he regularly updates the Jiuzhou ad that appears on the back of               is already in use there; later on they’ll
each new TELE-satellite issue.                                                                  become available in other countries as
ing products in their super stores, but             ware. “Naturally we’ll give the customer    well.
services as well, don’t want to miss                what he wants”, insists Yongyun Zhang.
out on this opportunity. In the case of                                                           Jiuzhou is fully committed to expand
IPTV, these companies could offer not                  Sales Director Huang Wei has some        this new market on a worldwide scale.
only the TV channels but the necessary              more for us: “In 2010 we delivered 50%      Not only will the company’s extensive
receivers as well. This is an enormous              of our IPTV boxes domestically within       experience in receiver production help
opportunity for manufacturers such as               China; 40% went to North America and        them, but so will their exceptional inter-
Jiuzhou to display their receiver mass              10% were shipped to the rest of Asia.       national exposure.
production competence and begin sup-                This will drastically change in 2011:
plying these new providers with the                 production for domestic shipments will        Linda Lee from their Overseas Market-
proper electronic equipment. Huang                  drop to 30% while North America will        ing Department highlights for us at what
Wei is proud that Jiuzhou is leading the            climb to 50%. 15% of our production         trade shows Jiuzhou will be attending in
pack.                                               will go to Europe with the remaining 5%     2011: “We’ll be at the CSTB in Moscow,
                                                    going to Asia.”                             CABSAT in Dubai, NAB in Las Vegas,
   The fact that Jiuzhou is so nicely set                                                       ANGA in Cologne, IBC in Amsterdam,
up for this has to do in part to the fact             This projection for 2011 clearly shows    ABTA in Sao Paulo and for the domestic
that Jiuzhou has been delivering IPTV               the strong increase in the North Ameri-     market the CCBN in Beijing. In addition,
boxes domestically for China Telecom                can market as well as the beginning of      we’ll be at the Canton Fair as an exhibi-
for quite some time now. Yongyun Zhang              the IPTV market in Europe. Huang Wei        tor as well as at the Hong Kong Electron-
is Vice manager and runs the R&D team               continues: “Jiuzhou operates an office in   ics Fair trade shows.”
with 20 engineers that is responsible               Dallas, Texas, USA where six employees
for IPTV. He explains to us: “We deliver            work to prepare our products for the          This gives you many different oppor-
IPTV boxes to the Chinese market with               North American market.”                     tunities to meet up with the team from
the IPANEL software.” For other mar-                                                            Jiuzhou and learn more about their
kets the IPTV software would of course                 Jimmy Zhang is Jiuzhou’s Marketing       product palette plus have a look at their
be matched to the region.                           Vice Manager. He tells us something         new IPTV and HbbTV boxes. Jiuzhou is
                                                    interesting regarding the European          showing that even an old company can
  For the R&D team it won’t be any                  market: “We will shortly start produc-      stay young when they consistently take
problem to develop the necessary soft-              tion on a hybrid box with DVB-S2 and        on new challenges!


70 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
COMPANY REPORT                         Digital TV Meter Manufacturer Trimax, China




New Products
from Trimax                                                                                           Shenzhen




• New from Trimax: HDTV Signal Analyzer
with HDTV Monitor
• Expansion into New Business Sectors
such as Fiber Optics
• Manufacturing on Their Own Since 2008

  Trimax’s trademark is the easy-to-use                                               explains Jerry Chu about the past,
signal analyzers with built-in monitors:                                              “Before that I was a Sales Director at a
this lets the installer set up a satellite                                            receiver manufacturer.”
system with ease and also lets him show
the customer a live satellite picture. And                                              But he wanted to realize his own
as we all know, a picture is worth a thou-                                            ideas and founded Trimax with his part-
sand words.                                                                           ner. “Trimax stands for ‘try maximum’,
                                                                                      in other words, ‘always try your best’”,
  Now Trimax is expanding their ana-                                                  comments Jerry Chu about the company
lyzer spectrum and is also offering                                                   name.
tuners for DVB-C and DVB-T; even CI+ is
in the works. We met up with Jerry Chu,                                                 Trimax was originally a dealer: “I
Trimax’s General Manager, at the head-                                                looked for and found the manufacturers
quarters in Shenzhen to find out more.                                                 in China while my partner in the USA,
“I founded Trimax in 2001 together with                                               Tim Heinrichs, sold the products from
a partner: Tim Heinrichs in the USA”,                                                 those manufacturers.” Back then Trimax




                                                                                                    ■ Jerry Chu is General
                                                                                                    Manager of the signal analyzer
                                                                                                    manufacturer Trimax. Here
                                                                                                    we see him in his office in
                                                                                                    Shenzhen, China.




72 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
TRIMAX                                                                            Company Details
                                                                        Signal Analyzer Manufacturer, China                           www.trimaxtec.com
                                                                                                                                                          Engineers in Research & Development | Total Number of Employees
                                                                                                                                                                          ▼                                              ▼
                                                                                                                                                          0................................ 25 .................................. 50
                                                                                                                                                          Average Turnover (Previous, This, Next Year Estimates)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                ▼
                                                                                                                                                          0.................................. 1 ..................... 2 Mio US$
focused on satellite receivers, LNBs and       satellite signal ana-
                                                                                                                                                          Production Certificates
multiswitches.                                 lyzer with a built-                                                                                        RoHS, FCC, DVB
                                                                                                                                                          Main Products
                                               in monitor. More                                                                                           Signal Analyzer with built-in Monitor for DVB-S/S2, DVB-T and
  In 2006 though, Jerry Chu had an             employees        were                                                                                      DVB-C

interesting experience: an old friend          quickly    added     –
                                                                        www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/trimax.pdf
from the USA acquired an apartment in          today Trimax has
Shenzhen and asked Jerry Chu to help           12 employees – and       TELE-satellite World                                                                              www.TELE-satellite.com/...

him install a satellite system so that he      Trimax was able to       Download this report in other languages from the Internet:
                                                                        Arabic                                     ‫ﺍﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ‬            www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/ara/trimax.pdf
could receive English-language program-        deliver the first units
                                                                        Indonesian                                 Indonesia          www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/bid/trimax.pdf
ming. Armed with a professional satellite      in the same year. “It    German                                     Deutsch            www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/deu/trimax.pdf
signal analyzer, Jerry Chu started the job     was less than 1000       English                                    English            www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/trimax.pdf
of aligning the antenna. But frustration       analyzers in 2007        Spanish                                    Español            www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/esp/trimax.pdf
soon set in; operating that professional       but in 2008 we sold      French                                     Français           www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/fra/trimax.pdf
                                                                        Hebrew                                     ‫עברית‬              www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/heb/trimax.pdf
unit was too complicated. And suddenly         more than 10,000
                                                                        Chinese                                    中文                 www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/man/trimax.pdf
a light bulb came on in his mind: “That’s      units”, says Jerry       Polish                                     Polski             www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/pol/trimax.pdf
when I got the idea to develop an easy-        Chu proudly regard-      Portuguese                                 Português          www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/por/trimax.pdf
to-use signal analyzer and market it.”         ing their initial suc-   Russian                                    Русский            www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/rus/trimax.pdf
                                                                        Turkish                                    Türkçe             www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/tur/trimax.pdf
                                               cess, “Our best year
                                                                                                                                    Available online starting from 28 January 2011
  In 2007 Jerry Chu hired a software           was 2009 when we
engineer who then developed the first           sold 12,000 analyz-
                                               ers.”                                                                                 the first two years, Jerry Chu started his
■ A first PCB production sample of Trimax’s                                                                                           own production in 2008: “20 employees
new HDTV signal analyzer: this sample
will soon lead to an HDTV analyzer with          While the signal analyzers were pro-                                                work there to produce the signal analyz-
swappable tuner on the international market.   duced by an independent manufacturer                                                  ers.” Trimax only ships to distributors
                                                                                                                                     but does manufacture for some pro-
                                                                                                                                     viders as an OEM. “We sell 80% of our
                                                                                                                                     signal analyzers under our own Trimax
                                                                                                                                     brand name, the other 20% are OEM
                                                                                                                                     shipments”, explains Jerry Chu.

                                                                                                                                        The first signal analyzers in 2007
                                                                                                                                     were simple DVB-S models but already
                                                                                                                                     in 2008 they came out with models that
                                                                                                                                     had software-generated spectrum ana-
                                                                                                                                     lyzers. In 2009 a model with a real-time
                                                                                                                                     spectrum analyzer was introduced and
                                                                                                                                     for 2011 Jerry Chu told us, “We will be
                                                                                                                                     introducing an HDTV model!” By the
                                                                                                                                     time this issue of TELE-satellite is pub-
                                                                                                                                     lished, the first HDTV models will have
                                                                                                                                     already been delivered and with a swap-
                                                                                                                                     pable tuner at that: “We offer a tuner for
                                                                                                                                     every application – for DVB-S2, DVB-C
                                                                                                                                     and DVB-T. The user can easily insert
                                                                                                                                     and remove the tuner; the software
                                                                                                                                     automatically recognizes the currently
                                                                                                                                     inserted tuner.” This is an exciting devel-
                                                                                                                                     opment; a TELE-satellite test report of
                                                                                                                                     this analyzer will be forthcoming.

                                                                                                                                       A CI+ version will also make its market
                                                                                                                                     appearance shortly: “The software is
                                                                                                                                     ready to go; we’re just waiting on a pro-
                                                                                                                                     duction sample”, comments Jerry Chu.

                                                                                                                                        But there’s more from Trimax:
                                                                                                                                     “Recently we entered into a coopera-
                                                                                                                                     tive agreement with the company Hill-
                                                                                                                                     ton Optoelectronics whose headquarters
                                                                                                                                     is located not too far away from us.”
                                                                                                                                     Trimax is planning to offer optical prod-
                                                                                                                                     ucts to CATV systems and cable opera-
                                                                                                                                     tors, “since the future is fiber optics.”

                                                                                                                                       But that’s still not all! In 2011 Trimax
                                                                                                                                     will be starting a completely different


                                                              www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 —
                                                                                               1                                              TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine                                         73
product division: formaldehyde analyz-
ers. “In the USA regulations require that
these values be measured”, he explains,
“We already have secured a large con-
tract from there.”

  Jerry Chu and his partner are expand-
ing their company in two directions:
the building up of the signal analyzer
segment to include chemical measure-
ments and the expansion of their prod-
ucts in the direction of fiber optics. Both
of these business sectors are in their
infancy and are therefore perfect for a
young and energetic company. The two
partners are clearly honoring the mean-
ing of their company name!


■ William is President of Hillton Optoelectronics.
Trimax is cooperating with this company in
marketing fiber optic products. President
William is gesturing towards one of the
professional units for use with large cable
systems and tells us: “From 500 to roughly
10,000 households can be provided with a cable
system’s Triple Play service using this system.
Production costs not including installation are
under US$ 200.00 per connected household for
our system.”



■ Schematic of Hillton Optoelectronics‘ fiber
optic system. Trimax prepares a smaller version
of this system for use with smaller cable
systems.




74 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
COMPANY REPORT                         Receiver Manufacturer SKYWORTH, China




■ SKYWORTH’s futuristic
headquarters located directly
on Shennan Boulevard, the main
street that runs directly through
Shenzhen.




                                      Shenzhen




                                                                                       SKYWORTH
                                                                                      is Expanding
76 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
One of the larger receiver manufacturers in China is SKYWORTH. They’ve
            consistently been in expansion mode and have managed to make a
  phenomenal entrance into the South American marketplace in 2010: a large
    contract with the government of Argentina involving 400,000 receivers for
   the terrestrial ISDB-T standard resulted in SKYWORTH’s intense production
 activity. “All these receivers have already been shipped”, we learn from Jack
Jiang, Sales Director of SKYWORTH’s receiver division. The company’s official
                     name is Shenzhen SKYWORTH Digital Technology Co., Ltd.

                              www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 —
                                                               1     TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine   77
We met up with Jack Jiang in SKY-                 SD models and only 25% were DVB-S2                                                          Brazil in 2009”, explains Jack Jiang, “in
WORTH’s futuristic headquarters located             HD models.” It’s clear from these num-                                                      2010 we shipped roughly 30,000 OEM
in Shenzhen’s High-Tech Park. He told               bers that the market for HD receivers in                                                    receivers to our partner in Brazil.”
us of some of the companies additional              this region hasn’t really picked up yet.
highlights: “Next to Europe, the Middle             The remaining 5% were twin receivers.                                                         For 2011 SKYWORTH expects that
East including Turkey are large markets                                                                                                         number to rise since more and more
for us”, he reveals, “we sold half a million          Jack Jiang has more to tell us: “Up                                                       countries in South America are starting
receivers in this region in 2010 and we’re          until now in the Middle East only Iran has                                                  regular service of terrestrial TV in the
actually expecting this number to double            made DVB-T official; SKYWORTH delivers                                                       ISDB-T standard.
for 2011.”                                          OEM DVB-T MPEG4 receivers to a local
                                                    partner in Iran.” Thousands of units have                                                     “We can offer three different models
  There’s a reason for this optimism as             already been shipped to Iran and SKY-                                                       for South America: a standard ISDB-T
can be seen by the type of receivers sold           WORTH foresees a significant increase in                                                     box, a box with ISDB-T and the Middle-
there; the Middle East still has quite a bit        these deliveries for 2011.                                                                  ware Ginga - this allows access to inter-
of potential for HD receivers. According                                                                                                        active programming content - as well as
to Jack Jiang, “70% of the receivers sold             But let’s get back to South America.                                                      a combo box with ISDB-T and DVB-S2.”
in the Middle East in 2010 were DVB-S               “We shipped our first ISDB-T receiver to                                                     SKYWORTH is quite capable of deliver-
                                                                                                                                                1. Jack Jiang is SKYWORTH’s Sales Director

1                                                                                                                                               2. A look at the large open office area with
                                                                                                                                                SKYWORTH’s software developers



                                                                                SKYWORTH                                                                            Company Details
                                                                                OEM Receiver Manufacturer, China                                 www.skyworth.com
                                                                                                                                                                    Engineers in Research & Development | Total Number of Employees
                                                                                                                                                                                ▼                                                       ▼
                                                                                                                                                                    0............................ 1250 .............................. 2500
                                                                                                                                                                    Average Turnover (Previous, This, Next Year Estimates)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          ▼
                                                                                                                                                                    0........................... 1.250 ................. 250 Mio US$

                                                                                                                                                                    Production Certificates
                                                                                                                                                                    RoHS, CE, REACH, DVB
                                                                                                                                                                    Main Products
                                                                                                                                                                    Receiver for DVB-S/S2, DVB-T, ISDB-T with single, twin and
                                                                                                                                                                    combo tuner, Receiver Sticks for USB, SCART in DVB-S and
                                                                                                                                                                    HDMI in DVB-S2

                                                                                www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/skyworth.pdf
                                                                                www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1003/eng/skyworth.pdf



                                                                                TELE-satellite World                                                                                www.TELE-satellite.com/...
                                                                                Download this report in other languages from the Internet:
                                                                                Arabic                                 ‫ﺍﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ‬                 www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/ara/skyworth.pdf
                                                                                Indonesian                             Indonesia               www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/bid/skyworth.pdf
                                                                                German                                 Deutsch                 www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/deu/skyworth.pdf
                                                                                English                                English                 www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/skyworth.pdf
                                                                                Spanish                                Español                 www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/esp/skyworth.pdf
                                                                                French                                 Français                www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/fra/skyworth.pdf
                                                                                Hebrew                                 ‫עברית‬                   www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/heb/skyworth.pdf
                                                                                Chinese                                中文                      www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/man/skyworth.pdf
                                                                                Polish                                 Polski                  www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/pol/skyworth.pdf
                                                                                Portuguese                             Português               www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/por/skyworth.pdf
                                                                                Russian                                Русский                 www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/rus/skyworth.pdf
                                                                                Turkish                                Türkçe                  www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/tur/skyworth.pdf
                                                                                                                                              Available online starting from 28 January 2011
2




78 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
ing receivers to this new and upcoming               will be an especially interesting high-      in SCART format and naturally in stan-
market!                                              light from SKYWORTH: “We will be intro-      dard definition - only the HDMI interface
                                                     ducing an HDMI stick to the market for       is qualified to be used with HDTV. “And
   As long as we’re on the subject, how              DVB-S2 and of course with a PVR func-        for the third quarter of 2011 we will also
does it look for new DVB products? Jack              tion”, explains Jack Jiang.                  offer HbbTV”, comments Jack Jiang as
Jiang has the answers: “We recently                                                               he lists SKYWORTH’s new products.
started a DVB-S2 receiver with the HDTV                SKYWORTH already has plenty of
variant CI+.” A test report on this new              experience with receivers in stick format;     Vice General Manager David Ken
receiver in TELE-satellite is forthcoming.           in TELE-satellite’s issue 04-05/2010         has more information for us: “We have
By the time you read this issue, there               we introduced a receiver stick - it was      2500 employees”, explains David Ken,
                                                                                                  “of which 400 are engineers in the R&D
                                                                                                  department.”
1
                                                                                                    An important reason for SKYWORTH’s
                                                                                                  success is their technical support. “Nine
                                                                                                  engineers are in the technical support
                                                                                                  department and are immediately there
                                                                                                  to help our customers should there be a
                                                                                                  problem with a receiver.”


                                                                                                  1. Are there technical problems? Then all you
                                                                                                  need to do is send an e-mail to SKYWORTH’s
                                                                                                  technical support team. Here we see Rock
                                                                                                  Cai; he is manager of the nine-engineer strong
                                                                                                  technical support team. He gives us insight into
                                                                                                  what kind of problems they see: “The hardware
                                                                                                  typically functions error-free. When there are
                                                                                                  problems, it’s usually with the software.” The
                                                                                                  reason for this is that the software is always
                                                                                                  being updated. “Most of the problems can be
                                                                                                  corrected with a software upgrade”, explains
                                                                                                  Rock Cai, who has succeeded thus far to track
                                                                                                  down every problem.

                                                                                                  2. SKYWORTH is currently introducing a
                                                                                                  receiver with CI+. Gong Yangno, shown here,
                                                                                                  is responsible for technical development. He
                                                                                                  runs the CI+ software development team with 22
                                                                                                  engineers.



2




80 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
In this case the customers aren’t        SKYWORTH’s receivers, you can meet            Hong Kong.” This provides many oppor-
the end users but rather the large dis-     up with Vice General Manager David Ken        tunities to take a much closer look at
tributors and trademarks that get their     and Sales Director Jack Jiang at many         SKYWORTH’s product line and to discuss
receivers from SKYWORTH as an OEM           different trade shows.
                                                                                          delivery options.
supplier. For these companies it’s espe-
cially important that the receivers func-     Jack Jiang lists the trade shows that
                                                                                            With their many innovative products
tion flawlessly since only then can they    SKYWORTH will be part of in 2011: “We’ll
stay successful in the market.              be at CABSAT in Dubai, SET in Sao Paulo,      and their extensive technical know-how,
                                            IFA in Berlin, ANGA in Cologne, IBC in        SKYWORTH’s customers are in very
  If you want to find out more about        Amsterdam and at the Fall trade show in       good hands!


1                                                                                          4




                                                                                          1. Wong Wei is responsible for the South
                                                                                          American ISDB-T receiver’s software. He’s in
                                                                                          charge of four ISDB-T engineers.

                                                                                          2. Front panel of the South American ISDB-T
                                                                                          receiver

                                                                                          3. Rear panel of the South American ISDB-T
                                                                                          receiver

                                                                                          4.A TV monitor is used to test a SKYWORTH
                                                                                          ISDB-T receiver. Country selection can be seen
                                                                                          here in the menu which for this receiver is
                           SKYWORTH ISDB-T Receiver                                       limited to South American countries that have
                                                                                          adopted the ISDB-T standard.

                                  for South America



2




3




                                                          www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 —
                                                                                           1     TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine   81
COMPANY REPORT                         PC Card Manufacturer Tenow, China




                                         Shenzhen




82 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
■ Tenow is in the process of
                setting up new offices on the
                second floor in this new office
                complex in Shenzhen’s High-
                                                        Innovative PC Cards
                                                                 from China
                Tech Park. These offices will give
                Tenow room to expand.




                                                                 One company that is fully concentrated on the
                                                        development of their products is the young firm Tenow
                                                             from Shenzhen, China. PC cards are manufactured
                                                          although the actual production process is outsourced
                                                         allowing Tenow to focus their efforts on Development
                                                          and Marketing. Also interesting to note about Tenow:
                                                     the company is run by four partners and all four of them
                                                       work together as a team to further expand their young
                                                         company. Tenow is in the process of setting up a new
                                                     office in Shenzhen’s large High-Tech Park. When we paid
                                                       them a visit, we went to their old office located directly
                                                                 next to the Shen Da Metro Station on route 1.




■ Tenow’s four partners: they
founded the company in 2005. From
left to right: Richard Zhang, Bob Liu,
Eric Deng and James Liu




  Two of the founders, James Liu,                   Eric Deng, who is also involved with          to become popular and they distributed
in charge of Marketing, and Bob Liu,                Software Devlopment. All four of them         DVB-T demodulator chips to local manu-
responsible for Software Development,               founded the new company in 2005               facturers in Shenzhen.
met each other while studying at Wuhan              using a starting capital of 500,000 RMB
University. The two other partners, both            (roughly 50,000 Euros).                         Then, as a design house, Tenow devel-
of whom previously worked at a receiver                                                           oped complete applications for manu-
manufacturer, are Richard Zhang, in                   Tenow then operated as a commer-            facturers. One success story involved
charge of Hardware Development, and                 cial enterprise: DVB-T was just starting      DVB-T USB sticks: Tenow developed the


                                                                  www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 —
                                                                                                   1     TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine   83
1




  TENOW                                                                            Company Details
  PC Card Manufacturer, China                                    www.tenower.com
                                                                                   Engineers in Research & Development | Total Number of Employees
                                                                                                                                                                    2
                                                                                                                ▼                                ▼
                                                                                   0................................ 12 .................................. 25
                                                                                   Average Turnover (Previous, This, Next Year Estimates)
                                                                                                                                        ▼
                                                                                   0............................... 1.5 .....................3 Mio €uro

                                                                                   Production Certificates
                                                                                   RoHS, DVB
                                                                                   Main Products
                                                                                   PC-Cards for DVB-S/S2, DVB-T/T2, DVB-C with single, dual and
                                                                                   quad tuner, CAM Box for DVB-S2, USB-Stick for DVB-S/S2, DVB-
                                                                                   C and ISDB-T

  www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/tenow.pdf




 TELE-satellite World                                                                              www.TELE-satellite.com/...
 Download this report in other languages from the Internet:
 Arabic                                    ‫ﺍﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ‬              www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/ara/tenow.pdf
 Indonesian                                Indonesia            www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/bid/tenow.pdf
 German                                    Deutsch              www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/deu/tenow.pdf
 English                                   English              www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/tenow.pdf
 Spanish                                   Español              www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/esp/tenow.pdf
 French                                    Français             www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/fra/tenow.pdf
 Hebrew                                    ‫עברית‬                www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/heb/tenow.pdf
 Chinese                                   中文                   www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/man/tenow.pdf
 Polish                                    Polski               www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/pol/tenow.pdf
 Portuguese                                Português            www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/por/tenow.pdf
 Russian                                   Русский              www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/rus/tenow.pdf
 Turkish                                   Türkçe               www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/tur/tenow.pdf
                                                             Available online starting from 28 January 2011                                                         3

application which was then acquired by                                                                            card in 2009 which was introduced by                  1. Irene Jiang is responsible for International
a local manufacturer who then marketed                                                                            TELE-satellite in the 12-01/2011 issue.               Sales
the completed sticks.                                                                                             But now it’s 2011 and the four partners               2. Susanna Zhao is responsible for International
                                                                                                                  are really giving it all they’ve got: by the          Sales. She speaks English and German
   That was actually the trigger that com-                                                                        time this issue reaches your hands, there
                                                                                                                                                                        3. Lucky Lu is a Software Engineer. She is
pelled the four founders to reorganize                                                                            will be a firestorm of innovative new PC               currently working on an application for DVB-T2
their business model: instead of design-                                                                          cards as well as boxes that can be con-
ing solutions for other manufacturers                                                                             nected to a laptop:                                   DXers will appear in the third quarter of
who then ended up profiting from the                                                                                                                                     2011:
sales, the four partners decided to take                                                                            - a CAM Box in DVB-S2 with the
their designs and manufacture and dis-                                                                            ST0903 chip                                             - a PCIe Card with 4 x DVB-S2 and
tribute them themselves.                                                                                            - a PCIe Card with 4 x DVB-S2 with                  the NXP 10074 chip
                                                                                                                  the CX24117 chip
  For Tenow though, the DVB-T stick was                                                                             - a PCIe Card with 1 x DVB-T2 with a                   It’s special because this chip permits
old news; the prices for this product seg-                                                                        Samsung tuner                                         Blindscanning! Bob Liu, in charge of Soft-
ment were already too low to continue                                                                               - a PCIe Card with 2 x DVB-T2                       ware Development, reveals a few other
with that product. A new idea had to                                                                                - a professional PCIe Card with the                 features to us regarding Blindscan: “Our
be found; it didn’t take long: a PCI card                                                                         ST0900 chip supporting VCM/ACM/CCM                    CAM box with the ST0903 chip comes
for DVB-S that was marketed under the                                                                             and multi-stream-input                                with the Blindscan function as does our
brand name Tenow at the end of 2006.                                                                                                                                    data card with the ST0900 chip.” But for
                                                                                                                    The second quarter of 2011 should see               feed hunters and satellite Dxers it’s the
  Then each year after that it was some-                                                                          other highlights:                                     card with the NXP 10074 chip that brings
thing new: in 2007 there was the new                                                                                                                                    with it the long-awaited all-around solu-
DVB-S2 PCI card and then in 2008 the                                                                                - a double PCIe- Card with 2 x DVB-S2               tion to Blindscanning.
time was right for cards with a PCI                                                                               and 2 x CI
Express slot. The first of those was a                                                                                                                                     Software Developer Eric Deng explains
DVB-S2 card followed by a dual DVB-S2                                                                                   An especially tasty treat for satellite         a few more features to us: “Our target


84 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
Inside Europe, 40% of sales each go to
                                                                                               Germany and England with the remain-
                                                                                               ing 20% going to countries like Poland,
                                                                                               France, Italy and Sweden.”

                                                                                                 Marketing Manager James Liu has
                                                                                               something else for us: “We’re in the
                                                                                               process of setting up a branch office in
                                                                                               Sophia, Bulgaria. We would then have
                                                                                               direct access to Europe making product
                                                                                               distribution much easier.”

                                                                                                 This new branch office would not
                                                                                               only be a storage warehouse but also
                                                                                               a sales office for Europe from which
                                                                                               Tenow could support their customers in
                                                                                               Europe. Equally important according to
                                                                                               Bob Liu, “We would also use the Sophia
                                                                                               office as a test center for our PC cards.
                                                                                               We could then check the performance
                                                                                               of our cards on actual satellite signals.”
                                                                                        1      The branch office in Bulgaria is set up for

1. Steven Liu is also a software engineer and is
working on a DVB-S2 application

2. Tenow has outsourced the actual production
process but they still perform quality control
on the finished product: here we see engineer
Zhang testing product samples.

group for the 4 x DVB-S2 cards are actu-
ally the IPTV providers. They require
simultaneous reception from as many
sources as possible. At the same time
our data card with the ST0900 chip tar-
gets the professional market; it supports
CCM, ACM, VCM and multi-stream input
- a requirement for professional satellite
data download applications.” With these
new products, that currently are or soon
will be appearing on the market, Tenow
is clearly covering every possible appli-
cation. But now we want to get an idea of
how Tenow performed at the start.

  Marketing Manager James Liu gives us
some insight: “In our first year in 2005
we were just able to cover our expenses.
We already began to show a profit in
                                                       2
2006: we managed sales of 5 million
RMB (about 500,000 Euros).” In 2010
sales reached 20 million RMB (about 2               of additional room so that Tenow could     five employees; three would be from the
million Euros). “For 2011 we are expect-            expand to 40 employees.                    local region while the other two would be
ing sales of about 30 million RMB (or 3                                                        for software and hardware developers
million Euros).”                                      If you take a closer look at Tenow’s     from the main office in Shenzhen.
                                                    product palette, you might notice that
  Software developer Bob Liu highlights             they are focusing on DVB-S2 and DVB-          This young team has managed to write
their employee numbers over the years:              T2. Hardware engineer Richard Zhang        an impressive success story in just a
“In 2005 it was just the four founders, in          confirms this: “DVB-C doesn’t play a        few years. With self-developed applica-
2006 we added two employees and now                 very big role; the sales numbers are       tions and above all a focus on innova-
in 2010 we have 18 employees.” This                 rather low.”                               tive products, that is products that don’t
includes four software engineers, four                                                         yet exist, Tenow should have no trouble
hardware engineers, three sales man-                   Irene Jiang, responsible for interna-   expanding its reach in the marketplace.
agers, one in accounting and three in               tional sales, expands on this: “80% of
administration.                                     our sales are in Europe, 15% go to the       Tenow is a private company and it’s
                                                    Middle East and the remaining 5% to the    remarkable how these four partners
  In their new office there will be plenty           rest of the world such as North America.   have managed to work so close together


86 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
over the years expanding and growing their
company and this not only in terms of prod-
uct development but also in the conquest of
new markets.

  If you want to meet the Tenow four,
simply take a trip to the upcoming ANGA
show in Cologne, Germany: there they’ll be
introducing their newest products as well as
be open to meetings with new dealers and
distributors for their products.

  Tenow is an excellent example of a com-
pany that knows how to develop exactly                            2
those products that the market is looking
for. The trick is not showing up too late
with a product when price reductions have
already begun to take place, but rather to
market a product at a point when demand is
just beginning.




  Tenow’s Newest Products
1. For connection to a laptop: a DVB-S2 CAM box
with USB. It would let you watch PayTV channels on
your laptop.

2. IPTV providers in particular are waiting for this                                  3
card: it offers 4 x DVB-S2; four channels can be
received at the same time from up to four different
satellites.

3. One card for DVB-T2 reception with in/out IEC
jacks

4. A professional card for data reception. These                      4
would be preferred by satellite data download
providers.

5. With this Samsung tuner two (!) DVB-T2 channels
can be received at the same time




                                                                                          5


1




88 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
COMPANY REPORT                         OEM Receiver Manufacturer Globalsat, China




                                                        Millions of Receivers
                                                               from Globalsat
                                                                •	GLOBALSAT	opens	a	new	production	facility	
                                                                                                           	
                                                                              in	Zhuhai	(west	of	Shenzhen)
                                                •	Production	capacity	of	up	to	8	million	units	per	year
                                                                                      •	More	than	100	engineers	in	R&D
                                                       •	New	multimedia	receiver	in	2nd	quarter	of	2011
                                                            •	Distribution	of	their	own	brand	name	by	2012
                                                                  •	Sales	numbers	expected	to	double	in	2011

                                                                 With a new production facility that   duction facility will be able to handle
                                                               will just be starting operations when   a maximum of eight million receiv-
                                                               this issue of TELE-satellite hits the   ers every year. We met up with Alvin
                                                               newsstands, Globalsat in China is       Sun, Globalsat’s Sales and Market-
                                                               launching a new offensive in 2011       ing Director, in their current office
                                                               in the manufacturing of high-quality    in Shenzhen to learn more about
                                                               receivers; and this includes boxes      what’s going.
                                                               for satellite TV, terrestrial TV and
                                                               IPTV. The export of these boxes to        Globalsat was founded in 2004
                                                               Europe and America tops the list for    by Mike Miao together with a team
                                                               this expansion.                         of investors and partners includ-
                                                                                                       ing Sales Manager Alvin Sun, R&D
                                                                  To accomplish this, Globalsat is     Hardware Manager Ian Wu and
                                                               planning on doubling their produc-      R&D Software Manager Bean Zhou.
                                                               tion capacity from the current four     In their first year 210,000 units
                                                               million boxes per year: the new pro-    were produced and were delivered




90 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
       Shenzhen




                  ■ This is the China Youse building
                  on Shennan Boulevard, the
                  main street that runs directly
                  through Shenzhen on which many
                  manufacturers in the digital TV
                  sector have their headquarters.




www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 —
                                 1     TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine   91
as OEM boxes primarily to the Middle                balsat also set up a sales team for Aus-                                        tions for almost every chip maker includ-
East. Up until 2008, the Middle East                tralia for the DVB-T receiver business                                          ing NXP/CONEXANT, BROADCOM, ST,
was their primary target market but                 there. Globalsat more than anything is a                                        FUJITSU, NATIONAL CHIP and SUNPLUS.
then the company set up a sales team                design firm. All four founders were pre-
for Europe. “Back then we concentrated              viously employed with similar receiver                                            Globalsat is an OEM manufacturer that
our efforts mostly on Germany, England,             companies in the past. In the beginning                                         produces boxes for local distributors and
Italy, Turkey as well as Russia and the             in 2004, there were six employees; in                                           name brands. The Operator business,
Ukraine’, says Alvin Sun, “We sold OEM              2005 that number increased to 20 and                                            that is, boxes for programming provid-
satellite and DVB-T receivers to local dis-         by 2010 there were 200 employees. Alvin                                         ers, was up until now not really part
tributors.”                                         Sun comments, “Half of our workforce,                                           of their business strategy. That will be
                                                    100 engineers in all, work in the Devel-                                        changing. “We already have the licenses
  Another region was added in 2009:                 opment Department.” Their far-reaching                                          for Conax, Crypton and XCrypt and are
the incorporation of the terrestrial TV             expertise in software can be seen in                                            working on acquiring the licenses for
standard ISDB-T in Brazil opened up                 the impressive number of cooperative                                            Nagra, Irdeto and NDS”, explains Alvin
this enormous market to Globalsat. Glo-             agreements: Globalsat designs applica-                                          Sun. Globalsat already has the licenses

■ Mike Miao is Globalsat’s founder. He develops the company’s strategy and is         GLOBALSAT                                                                              Company Details
consistently involved in driving the company forward. He managed in just the          Receiver Mass Manufacturer, China                               www.globalsatdvb.com
few years that the company has been in existence to elevate it into the league of                                                                                            Engineers in Research & Development | Total Number of Employees
million-unit manufacturers and is now determined to raise it to the upper-most                                                                                                                            ▼                               ▼
                                                                                                                                                                             0.............................. 125 ................................ 250
level of high-quality manufacturers.                                                                                                                                         Average Turnover (Previous, This, Next Year Estimates)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  ▼
                                                                                                                                                                             0................................ 75 ................. 150 Mio US$

                                                                                                                                                                             Production Certificates
                                                                                                                                                                             RoHS, FCC, UL, CE, DVB, ISO
                                                                                                                                                                             Main Products
                                                                                                                                                                             Receiver for HDTV and SDTV in DVB-S/S2, DVB-T, DVB-C, ISDB-
                                                                                                                                                                             T, HD+, CI+ and HbbTV, Multimedia Receiver, IPTV Boxes, Media
                                                                                                                                                                             Player

                                                                                      www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/globalsat.pdf




                                                                                      TELE-satellite World                                                                               www.TELE-satellite.com/...
                                                                                      Download this report in other languages from the Internet:
                                                                                      Arabic                                ‫ﺍﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ‬                  www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/ara/globalsat.pdf
                                                                                      Indonesian                            Indonesia                www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/bid/globalsat.pdf
                                                                                      German                                Deutsch                  www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/deu/globalsat.pdf
                                                                                      English                               English                  www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/globalsat.pdf
                                                                                      Spanish                               Español                  www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/esp/globalsat.pdf
                                                                                      French                                Français                 www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/fra/globalsat.pdf
                                                                                      Hebrew                                ‫עברית‬                    www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/heb/globalsat.pdf
                                                                                      Chinese                               中文                       www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/man/globalsat.pdf
                                                                                      Polish                                Polski                   www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/pol/globalsat.pdf
                                                                                      Portuguese                            Português                www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/por/globalsat.pdf
                                                                                      Russian                               Русский                  www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/rus/globalsat.pdf
                                                                                      Turkish                               Türkçe                   www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/tur/globalsat.pdf
                                                                                                                                                 Available online starting from 28 January 2011




92 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
for HDMI, CI+, Macrovision, Dolby and
WMV; soon DTS and DiVX will be added
to the list. This makes Globalsat fully
prepared to manufacture for all of these
markets. Alvin Sun expands on this: “In
2010 we shipped less than 5% of our
products to programming providers;
in 2011 we expect that to increase to
15%.”

   President Mike Miao gave us some
insight into their long-term strategy:
“Thus far we outsourced our production
but with our own manufacturing facility
we’ll be able to offer even better qual-
ity products as well as comply with all
the different standards.” This involves
mostly the RoHS and ISO standards and
the safety standards of the FCC, UL and
CE. Once the production facility is fully
operational, expected to be around mid
2011, Globalsat will be able to guaran-
tee all the standards placing them in the
elite circle of high-quality manufactur-
ers. Sales, which for 2010 were around
80 million US dollars, are expected to
nearly double thanks to the new produc-              ■ Alvin Sun is Globalsat’s Sales and Marketing Director and one of the founding partners. Here he is
tion facility. “We’re expecting sales of             showing us a model of a 3D TV that is currently being distributed domestically under their own label
                                                     SVC. He can easily imagine this product eventually being exported but for the time being Globalsat
around 150 million USD in 2011”, pre-                is concentrating on exporting their HD and multimedia receiver products that are manufactured in
dicts Mike Miao.                                     their own facility. Globalsat also manufactures LED and LCD TVs for the domestic market.




                            ■ Sharon Yan is at the
                            reception desk and greets
                            visitors with a smile.




94 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
Globalsat will continue its position as
                                                                                                     an OEM manufacturer. Don’t waste your
                                                                                                     time looking for receivers with the Glo-
                                                                                                     balsat logo. “Maybe in 2012 we’ll start
                                                                                                     with receivers under our own brand
                                                                                                     name”, reveals Sales and Marketing
                                                                                                     Director Alvin Sun to us.

                                                                                                        Domestically, Globalsat has been very
                                                                                                     successful with the brand name SVC:
                                                                                                     TV sets are produced under this name.
                                                                                                     A completely new field involves 3D TVs;
                                                                                                     Alvin Sun believes that it won’t be too
                                                                                                     long before they are offered interna-
                                                                                                     tionally. For now, Globalsat only exports
                                                                                                     receivers: “In 2010 we exported 70% SD
                                                                                                     receivers and 30% HD boxes.” In 2011
                                                                                                     this ratio will substantially change with
                                                                                                     their new production facility: “The por-
                                                                                                     tion of HD receivers should increase to
                                                                                                     more than 50%.”

                                                                                                       Globalsat even has a Super Receiver in
                                                                                                     development. It should become available
                                                                                                     in the second quarter of 2011 and will
                                                                                                     come with a twin tuner for DVB-S2, an
                                                                                                     IPTV receiver section, web browser and
                                                                                                     most notably 3D graphics plus games
                                                                                                     as well as WiFi support and of course a
                                                                                                     PVR. The latter feature comes with the
                                                                                                     option to record the original signal. This
                                                                                                     makes this box compatible with HD+ and
                                                                                                     CI+; HbbTV is also being worked on. The
                                                                                                     TELE-satellite test team can’t wait to get
                                                                                                     their hands on a sample receiver so that
                                                                                                     we can introduce it to you as soon as
                                                                                                     possible.

                                                                                                       The sales team provided us with some
                                                                ■ Josie Yang is Globalsat’s          numbers highlighting geographical distri-
                                                                Marketing Manager. She is standing   bution. In 2010 70% of all shipments still
                                                                here in front of a display wall
                                                                with a selection of OEM products
                                                                                                     went to the Middle East with 15% going
                                                                manufactured by Globalsat.           to Europe and the Americas. In 2011 a


96 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
■ It’s not quite ready yet but it won’t be long
substantial shift will be seen here: the          The reason for this is the startup of their       before this production facility kicks into high
Middle East, which has been their pri-            own factory that will be used to manu-            gear. Administration will also move into this
                                                                                                    building which is located in Zhuhai, west of
mary target market since the founding             facture highquality products for the              Shenzhen opposite Macao.
of the company, will be further reduced           European and North American markets
to 50% while Europe will climb to 30%,            thus greatly expanding their position in          manufacturing inexpensive boxes for the
South America will be around 15% with             the OEM market.                                   Middle East has been replaced by the
North America receiving the remaining                                                               start of a high-quality production line:
5%. For South America it will be mostly             You’ll find Globalsat at almost every           now with high-quality products the Euro-
ISDB-T receivers and in North America             appropriate trade show. Marketing Man-            pean and North American markets are in
Globalsat will be focusing on IPTV and            ager Josie Yang gives us an overview:             focus. The company Globalsat is in the
media players.                                    “For 2011 Globalsat will be at CES, CSTB,         process of taking the next step in their
                                                  CABSAT, CCBN, ANGA, SET, IBC as well              development: they are moving from a
  Globalsat has set some lofty goals for          as the two KDTC shows in the Spring and           manufacturer of inexpensive boxes to
themselves in 2011: “We’re planning               in the Fall.”                                     one of high-quality products that come
on production of seven to eight million                                                             with all the features that are expected by
receivers as well as 500,000 TV sets and            Globalsat is clearly on an expansion            today’s customers. It’s a very forward-
20,000 signal analyzers”, lists Alvin Sun.        course. The original business plan of             looking strategy!




■ One of the many new products by Globalsat: an ISDB-T + DVB-S2 HD Combo, model name IS1-19HD. Some technical specifications: ISDB-T Compliant
(MPEG-II/ MPEG-IV/ H.264), DVB-S/S2 Compliant (MPEG-II/ MPEG-IV/ H.264), SCPC & MCPC receivable from Ku and C band satellites, Universal, Single,
Single Ku & C Band Wideband LNB compatible, Sensitive Tuner with Loop-Through, DiSEq C 1.0/1.1/1.2/1.3(USALS), SCR Support, PAL/SECAM/NTSC,
Blind Search, variable aspect ratio (4:3, 16:9) with PAN&SCAN, CE, FCC, DTV compliant, supports Closed Caption (CC) function, optional Conditional
Access (e.g. Conax) embedded. This Combo model is for the Brazilian market, but a European model with DVB-T plus DVB-S2 HD has been launched
simultaneously.




                                                                   www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 —
                                                                                                    1     TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine   97
1




                                                                  2




                                                                  3


                                                                  Hardware Design at Globalsat
                                                                  1. Ian Wu is in charge of the Hardware R&D team. He is also one of Globalsat’s
                                                                  founding partners and runs a team of 22 engineers.

                                                                  2. The hardware for Globalsat’s boxes is designed here.

                                                                  3. Sample units are manually assembled and checked out here to see if they can be
                                                                  produced that way.

                                                                  4. These two employees solder sample circuit boards together for the sample units.
                                                          4       In this way the theoretical units designed by the engineers can be tested in practice
                                                                  before they go into production.


98 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                         1
1       2




                                                                           3       4




                                                                                   Globalsat Sales Team
                                                                                   1. Anna Zhang is the sales team leader for northern and eastern
                                                                                   Europe

                                                                                   2. Belinda Bi is in charge of the sales team for southern and western
                                                                                   Europe as well as for Australia.

                                                                                   3. Ryan Wang is the sales team leader for OEM customers in North
                                                                                   and South America.

                                                                                   4. The Middle Eastern team leader is Fenny Ji

                                                                           5       5. A look at the sales team: the orders from the OEM customers are
                                                                                   handled by four teams that may each consist of up to four employees.


100 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                          1
1




                                                                                       2


                                                                                   1. The design team: not only is the packaging for their
                                                                                   products fashioned here, but also the front panel as well as
                                                                                   the rear panel of the boxes. Even the chassis’ are designed
                                                                                   here.

                                                                                   2. Production samples are tested here. Five engineers work
                                                                                   here to identify production flaws as quickly as possible.
                                                                           3       3. The accounting team: customer invoices are prepared
                                                                                   here.


102 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                          1
COMPANY REPORT                         Receiver Manufacturer Sowell, China




Sowell, an Engineering Firm
that’s an OEM
• Founded by 5 Partners
• ISDB-T and DVB-T2 Receiver in 2011
• Overseas Offices in the Plan
                                                                                                  Shenzhen

• User Friendliness is Company
Philosophy
  A team of five R&D engineers are the               felt the same way and so in
founders of the OEM company Sowell.                 2004 they founded their own
The driving force and General Manager               company Sowell.
of the young company is Eagle Chain.
He was, like his four colleagues, an R&D              We met up with General Man-
employee with a large receiver manufac-             ager Eagle Chain in Sowell’s office
turer but over time didn’t feel so comfort-         in Shenzhen who started off by telling
able with that company. All too often he            us how it all began: “All we had was the                                Sowell’s■
                                                                                                                         offices with
was assigned projects that had nothing              money we had saved while employed                            their 70 employees
to do with receivers. His four colleagues           with that other company. We pooled                  are located on the seventh
                                                                                                      floor of this office building in
                                                                                                   Shenzhen. Receiver production
                                                                                                  takes place in Baoan which isn’t
                                                                                                     too far from here and close to
                                                                                               Shenzhen’s airport. 200 employees
                                                                                                    work in the production facility.
                                                                                               200,000 receivers per month can be
                                                                                                 produced by one shift; if all three
                                                                                                           shifts are used, receiver
                                                                                                               production climbs to
                                                                                                                  more than 500,000
                                                                                                                     boxes a month.




■ General Manager Eagle Chain working in his office in front of a
painting of the Great Wall.



104 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                          1
www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 —
                                 1     TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine   105
SOWELL                                                                              Company Details
 OEM Receiver Manufacturer, China                              www.sowell-tech.com
                                                                                     Engineers in Research & Development | Total Number of Employees
                                                                                                                                            ▼               ▼
                                                                                     0................................ 50 ................................ 100
                                                                                     Average Turnover (Previous, This, Next Year Estimates)
                                                                                                                                            ▼
                                                                                     0................................ 25 ................... 50 Mio US$

                                                                                     Production Certificates
                                                                                     DVB
                                                                                     Main Products
                                                                                     Receiver for DVB-S/S2, DVB-T/T2, DVB-C and ISDB-T, Receivers
                                                                                     with 3D graphics



 www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/sowell.pdf




 TELE-satellite World                                                                                www.TELE-satellite.com/...
 Download this report in other languages from the Internet:
 Arabic                                     ‫ﺍﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ‬             www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/ara/sowell.pdf
 Indonesian                                 Indonesia           www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/bid/sowell.pdf
 German                                     Deutsch             www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/deu/sowell.pdf
 English                                    English             www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/sowell.pdf
 Spanish                                    Español             www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/esp/sowell.pdf
 French                                     Français            www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/fra/sowell.pdf
 Hebrew                                     ‫עברית‬               www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/heb/sowell.pdf
 Chinese                                    中文                  www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/man/sowell.pdf
 Polish                                     Polski              www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/pol/sowell.pdf
 Portuguese                                 Português           www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/por/sowell.pdf
 Russian                                    Русский             www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/rus/sowell.pdf
 Turkish                                    Türkçe              www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/tur/sowell.pdf                                        ■ Receptionist Lisa
                                                                                                                                                                 provides a friendly           But what’s the situation with ISDB-T?
                                                             Available online starting from 28 January 2011
                                                                                                                                                                 greeting to all visitors.
                                                                                                                                                                                             Pan Smile tells us, “In the second quarter
all of our money together and came up                                                                               to Europe and 5% to Southeast Asia.                                      of 2011 we’ll be coming out with a combo
with about US$ 70,000 which we used as                                                                              “2011 will bring with it even more sig-                                  receiver with DVB-S2 and ISDB-T built on
starting capital.” The company’s name                                                                               nificant changes; we will start exporting                                 the Mstar 782X chip family.”
in Chinese is actually Shi Wei; from that                                                                           to Eastern Europe and above all to South
came the anglicized version Siwei and so                                                                            America.”                                                                   But Sowell isn’t just concentrating on
that it would sound better in English, the                                                                                                                                                   the South American market; Europe is
name became Sowell. “That name actu-                                                                                  Wait, did she just say ‘South America’?                                just as much in focus: “In the third quar-
ally matches our company philosophy”,                                                                               That could only be ISDB-T receivers! This                                ter we’ll be introducing a combo receiver
comments Eagle Chain, “we want to do                                                                                led us to Pan Smile. He is one of Sowell’s                               with DVB-S2 and DVB-T2 based on the
everything ‘so well’.”                                                                                              five founding partners and is not only                                    Mstar 785X chip family which is also
                                                                                                                    Vice General Manager but is also first and                                Linux compatible.” For the fourth quarter
  The five partners originally founded                                                                               foremost the Director of the Research                                    they’re planning on a multimedia unit: “It
Sowell as a software designing firm. “It                                                                             and Development team. Oh, and inciden-                                   will be based on the new Trident Apollo
took us only five months before we were                                                                              tally, he’s also Production Manager. He                                  series chips with which the OSD can for
able to sell our first software to a manu-                                                                           gives us the latest Sowell product news.                                 the first time be presented in 3D.” Since
facturer”, remembers Eagle Chain, “At                                                                                                                                                        it will be a multimedia receiver, it won’t
that time it was a software solution for                                                                               Up until now Sowell’s success prod-                                   necessarily be just the OSD in 3D; but
the Conexant chip.”                                                                                                 uct has been a receiver series based on                                  games can be presented in 3D as can
                                                                                                                    the ST7101 chip. The product palette                                     other applications that work with 3D
   But the days as a simple software pro-                                                                           includes a DVB-S2 receiver as well as                                    graphics.
vider lasted only a few years: Sowell                                                                               two combo variants: a DVB-S2 + C and a
started their own receiver production                                                                               DVB-S2 + T. The newest receiver series                                     If you take a closer look at Sowell’s
in 2006. Back then they manufactured                                                                                is based on the NXP chipset and is intro-                                product development, you’ll realize that
DVB-S receivers for the Middle Eastern                                                                              duced by Sowell in their TELE-satellite                                  the company is very close to the cus-
market. Sales Director Amanda gives us                                                                              ad. “The advantage of the NXP chip is                                    tomer: there’s ISDB-T in South America
some more details: “Up until 2009 we                                                                                that it’s not only more economical but                                   as well as DVB-T and 3D in Europe –
delivered most of our products to the                                                                               also sports additional features such as                                  these are segments that will very soon
Middle East but in 2010 that began to                                                                               multimedia and is also compatible with                                   become the talk of the town.
change.” Geographical product distribu-                                                                             Linux”, reveals Pan Smile the reason for
tion was 80% to the Middle East, 15%                                                                                switching chips.                                                           If you’re that close to reality, a great


106 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                          1
deal of thought must go into what fea-
tures are currently in demand. In talking
with Eagle Chain it’s clear that quite a
bit of observation and analysis is going
on. Eagle Chain cites an example: “I’m
amazed with Apple and their products.
They are precisely geared towards the
end-user and thus very successful.” The
conclusion according to Eagle Chain:
“We have a similar view with our soft-
ware development, namely a customer-
friendly operation of our products.” It is
exactly for this reason that Eagle Chain
is skeptical about how IPTV will develop;
for TELE-satellite though, it’s a subject
that is being approached very ecstati-
cally: “The large telecom providers all
have their own agenda and that is selling
their data packages to end-users; they
are focused solely on that concept.” He
                                                        1
doesn’t see that the user’s point of view
is considered regarding IPTV and wishes
there’d be an approach similar to that
of Apple: following a path based strictly
on the end user without looking back at
what the provider wants.

   Sowell’s General Manager Eagle Chain
isn’t just thinking about the further
development of IPTV. The general future
of the receiver is also on his mind. “Will
the receiver transform into a multimedia
receiver in the future”, asks Eagle Chain,
“or will the receiver’s functions gradually
shift over to the TV itself?” It’s a ques-
tion that’s on all of our minds and for
which we all don’t yet have an answer.

  But even if there aren’t any answers,
everyone at Sowell is still optimistic
about the future. Pan Smile revealed to
us that his current team of 40 engineers
                                                        2
will be expanded to 80 in 2011. “We also
employ five engineers from Europe here
in Shenzhen who are primarily respon-
sible for customer support”, comments
Pan Smile. Sales Director Amanda is
also optimistic: “Over the past several
years we were able to increase our sales
50% every year. In 2010 our sales were
around US$ 30 million and for 2011 we
expect that to rise to US$ 45 million.”
General Manager Eagle Chain added
some more optimism: “In 2011 we are
planning to open our own offices in Sao



1. Sun Guanghua is also a Software Engineer
and a founding partner.

2. Software engineer Peng Yi is one of Sowell’s
founding partners.

3. What magazine is laying there on Designer
Zoe Lee’s desk? Yes, she takes care of Sowell’s
ads in TELE-satellite. She also works on the
graphical layout of a receiver’s OSD as well as
the packaging, user manual and everything else          3
at Sowell that involves graphics.



108 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                          1
Paulo for the South American market, in
Dubai for the Middle Eastern market and
in Europe – most likely in Germany – for
the western and eastern European mar-
kets.”

  The young company Sowell, founded
more out of necessity rather than a con-
scious decision, has maybe because of
this developed itself extremely fast and
dynamically. The five partners are fix-
ated on the success of their company
and immediately invest any profits back
into the company. That’s why Sowell is
growing so fast. “We are currently look-
ing for a new and larger office here in
Shenzhen”, revealed Eagle Chain just
before we left. Sowell: a company firmly
on an expansion course that does every-
thing ‘so well’.


Sowell’s Sales Team                                     1


 2




1. Sowell’s Sales Director Amanda. You’ll run
into her at trade shows such as CABSAT in
Dubai. She says, “All of our managerial staff
have many years of experience in this area
because they all previously worked successfully
in this sector with other companies.”

2. The customer is taken care of here in the
Sales Team. For every region there’s one
responsible employee.

3. Always busy: Roger Xu is responsible for the
                                                        3
European Sales Team.


110 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                          1
Research & Development
4   at Sowell                                                                             7




5




                                     4. Pan Smile is not only one of Sowell’s
                                     founders and partners, he is also Vice General
                                     Manager. But above all else he’s in charge of the
                                     R&D team and is also a Production Manager on
                                     the side.

                                     5. Sowell’s software engineers work here.

                                     6. Six test engineers check out the software
                                     here in the Test Center. Liu Xiongzi is seen here
                                     testing the functions of a receiver’s OSD.

                                     7. Even the hardware has to be tested. Six
                                     engineers work in the Hardware Test Center.
                                     Satellite antennas are also available here; one
                                     is pointed to AGILA at 146E, another is aligned
                                     to TELSTAR at 138E with a third one pointing to
                                     CHINASAT at 115E.
6


    www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 —
                                     1     TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine   111
COMPANIES OVERVIEW                                             Best Digital TV Companies of the World




                                                                 DISHPOINTER
                                                                      
                                                                          EESHOP
                                                        HORIZON 
                                                                          WORLDWIDE SATELLITE
                                                 GLOBAL INVACOM          SMARTINNOVATIONS

                                                         SEATEL       CLARK    SATSHOP24
                                                                        SATBEAMS


BEST DIGITAL TV
COMPANIES in
W EUROPE

SATSHOP24                                                                        SATBEAMS
Satellite Shop, Germany                                                          Software Programming, Belgium                                      www.satbeams.com




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1101/eng/satshop24.pdf                     www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1011/eng/satbeams.pdf




SMARTINNOVATIONS                                                                 GLOBALINVACOM
Satellite Distributor, Netherlands                                               Fibre Optic Products, UK                                       www.globalinvacom.com




                                                                                 www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1009/eng/globalinvacom.pdf
www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1011/eng/smartinnovations.pdf              www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1005/eng/globalinvacom.pdf
                                                                                 www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0909/eng/globalinvacom.pdf
                                                                                 www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0805/eng/globalinvacom.pdf


112 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                          1                                                                                           – Operator Market Qualified
EESHOP                                                                           DISHPOINTER
Satellite Shop, Netherlands                                                      Software Programming, UK                                         www.dishpointer.com




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1005/eng/eeshop.pdf                        www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0803/eng/dishpointer.pdf




WORLDWIDE SATELLITE                                                              SEATEL
Satellite Shop, Netherlands                                                      Maritime 3-Axis Dish Manufacture, UK                               www.cobham.com




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0903/eng/worldwidesatellite.pdf            www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0803/eng/seatel.pdf




CLARK                                                                            HORIZON
Distributor, Netherlands                                                         Manufacturer of Measuring Instruments, UK                        www.horizonhge.com




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/eng/clark.pdf                         www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0801/eng/horizon.pdf
                                                                                 www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0701/eng/horizon.pdf



           – Operator Market Qualified                                   www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine
                                                                                                         1                                                      113
COMPANIES OVERVIEW                                          Best Digital TV Companies of the World




                                                                                               SMARTWI

                                                                                         TECHNISAT
                                                                               DOEBIS   NANOXX
                                                                         GOLDEN MEDIA   MEDIA BROADCAST
                                                                               SMART   SPAUN POWER
                                                                               GT SAT   SPAUN



BEST DIGITAL TV
COMPANIES in
N EUROPE
DOEBIS                                                                            SMARTWI
Satellite Wholesaler, Germany                                     www.doebis.de   Wireless Card Reader Producer, Denmark                            www.smartwi.net




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1011/eng/doebis.pdf                         www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1011/eng/smartwi.pdf
                                                                                  www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0709/eng/smartwi.pdf




SPAUN POWER                                                                       GOLDEN MEDIA
Power Supply Manufacturer, Germany                               www.spaun.com    Manufacturer and Distributor, Germany                            www.cynextra.com




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1011/eng/spaun.pdf                          www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1009/eng/goldenmedia.pdf




114 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                          1                                                                                         – Operator Market Qualified
MEDIA BROADCAST                                                              SPAUN
Broadcasting Services, Germany                                               High Quality Accessory Manufacturer, Germany                   www.spaun.com




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1009/eng/mediabroadcast.pdf            www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/eng/spaun.pdf




SMART                                                                        GT SAT
Receiver Manufacturer, Germany                                               LNB Distributor, Luxembourg




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0901/eng/smart.pdf                     www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0805/eng/gtsat.pdf




NANOXX                                                                       TECHNISAT
Wholesaler and Receiver Manufacturer, Germany                                TV Manufacturer, Germany




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0901/eng/nanoxx.pdf                    www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0709/eng/technisat.pdf




           – Operator Market Qualified                               www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine
                                                                                                     1                                                 115
COMPANIES OVERVIEW                                           Best Digital TV Companies of the World

                                                                                                                                                   NETUP




                                                                                                        AB IPBOX 
                                                                                                                          ABC BIZNIS


                                                                                                              STAB

                                                                      AZBOX 
                                                                                         PROMAX
                                                                                                                  ANTECH




BEST DIGITAL TV                                                      PULSTAR


COMPANIES in
                                                                     MENNYFIX




S/E EUROPE
NETUP                                                                                Company Details
IPTV Software and Hardware Producer, Russia                           www.netup.tv
                                                                                     Engineers in Research & Development | Total Number of Employees
                                                                                                                  ▼              ▼
                                                                                     0................................ 25 ...................................50
                                                                                     Average Turnover (Previous, This, Next Year Estimates)
                                                                                                                                      ▼
                                                                                     0.................................. 5 ................... 10 Mio US$

                                                                                     Production Certificates
                                                                                     ISO, RoHS, PCI SIG, IEEE, DVB
                                                                                     Production Categories
                                                                                     OEM, ODM
                                                                                     Main Products
                                                                                     Professional PC Cards for DVB-S/S2, DVB-T/MPEG-4, DVB-C,
                                                                                     ASI, IPTV Gateway/Streamer, IPTV Middleware, IPTV Conditional
www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1101/eng/netup.pdf                             Access Systems, IPTV Billing Systems, Video on Demand


AB IPBOX                                                                             AZBOX
Satellite Receiver Manufacturer, Slovakia                        www.abipbox.com     Satellite Receiver Manufacturer, Portugal                       www.azbox.com




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1009/eng/abipbox.pdf                           www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1001/eng/azbox.pdf




116 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                          1                                                                                         – Operator Market Qualified
PULSTAR                                                                            MENNYFIX
Satellite Installer, Spain                                                         Satellite Shop, Spain




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0911/eng/pulstar.pdf                         www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0903/eng/mennyfix.pdf




PROMAX                                                                             ANTECH
Accessory Manufacturer, Spain                                                      Uplink Technology, Italy




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0909/eng/promax.pdf                          www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0809/eng/antech.pdf




ABC BIZNIS                                                                         STAB
Satellite Receiver Manufacturer, Slovakia                      www.abcbiznis.sk    Antenna Motor Manufacturer, Italy




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0903/eng/abcbiznis.pdf                       www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0809/eng/stab.pdf




           – Operator Market Qualified                                     www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine
                                                                                                           1                                                 117
COMPANIES OVERVIEW                                           Best Digital TV Companies of the World




                                                                                                 ATLANTA
                                                                            YAHYA
                                                                                                 COMINTOUCH


BEST DIGITAL TV
                                                                                                 ECHOLINK




COMPANIES in
MIDDLE EAST

ATLANTA                                                                          ECHOLINK
Satellite Wholesaler, UAE                                                        Satellite Wholesaler, UAE




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1007/eng/atlanta.pdf                       www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1007/eng/echolink.pdf




COMINTOUCH                                                                       YAHYA
Satellite Wholesaler, UAE                                                        Software Programming, KSA




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1007/eng/comintouch.pdf                    www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0911/eng/yahya.pdf




118 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                          1                                                                                    – Operator Market Qualified
Best Digital TV Companies of the World                               COMPANIES OVERVIEW




                                                                                                               BEST DIGITAL TV
                                                                                                                 COMPANIES in
                                                 
                                                 
                                                 
                                                     SQUARE PLAN
                                                     SAMMEG
                                                     CNBC
                                                                                                                       AFRICA
                                                    TELEMEDIA




SQUARE PLAN                                                                   CNBC
Satellite Dealer, South Africa                                                Satellite Channel, South Africa




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/eng/squareplan.pdf                 www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0709/eng/cnbc.pdf




SAMMEG                                                                        TELEMEDIA
Satellite Wholesaler, South Africa                                            Satellite Uplink, South Africa




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0801/eng/sammeg.pdf                     www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0709/eng/telemedia.pdf




           – Operator Market Qualified                                www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine
                                                                                                      1                                                 119
COMPANIES OVERVIEW                                             Best Digital TV Companies of the World




                                                                                                               YONGSAN   TOPFIELD
                                                                                                               NASA CNS   ARION
                                                                                                                           SEKISAT




                                                                                                    INFOSAT
                                                                                                    FASHION TV


BEST DIGITAL TV
COMPANIES in
                                                                                                        CISS




ASIA
                                                                                                            SUBUR SEMESTA




CISS                                                                                  TOPFIELD
Satellite Wholesaler, Singapore                                                       High-End Receiver Manufacturer, Korea




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1007/eng/singapore.pdf                          www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0905/eng/topfield.pdf
                                                                                      www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0801/eng/topfield.pdf




INFOSAT                                                                               ARION
Dish Manufacturer, Thailand                                        www.infosats.com   High Quality Receiver Manufacturer, Korea




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0907/eng/infosat.pdf                            www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0903/eng/arion.pdf
www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0803/eng/infosat.pdf                            www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0801/eng/arion.pdf
www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0705/eng/infosat.pdf                            www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0701/eng/arion.pdf


120 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                          1                                                                                        – Operator Market Qualified
OPERATOR MARKET Qualified                                          NASA CNS
                  Classification for Best Digital TV Companies              Satellite Wholesaler, Korea




                        Attributes of Qualified Company:
                ■ High Production Volume ■ Quality Controlled
      ■ Customized Product Case ■ Customized Product Software
                                    ■ Aftersale Service
                                                                           www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0805/eng/nasacns.pdf




FASHION TV                                                                 SUBUR SEMESTA
Satellite Channel, Thailand                                                Dish Manufacturer, Indonesia




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/eng/fashiontv.pdf               www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0805/eng/subursemesta.pdf




YONGSAN                                                                    SEKISAT
Satellite Shop, Korea                                                      Satellite Wholesaler, Korea




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0807/eng/koreasatshop.pdf            www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0801/eng/sekisat.pdf




           – Operator Market Qualified                             www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine
                                                                                                   1                                                 121
COMPANIES OVERVIEW                                          Best Digital TV Companies of the World



                                                                                             SHALOM




                                                                   CHANGHONG
                                                                                                           YINHE
                                                                   SVEC


BEST DIGITAL TV
                                                                   SKYWORTH                              BOXSAM




COMPANIES in                                                                              MOTECK        
                                                                                                               TEVII


CHINA
                                                                                     AZURESHINE        




TEVII                                                                                 Company Details
PC Card & Receiver Manufacturer, Taiwan                              www.tevii.com
                                                                                      Engineers in Research & Development | Total Number of Employees
                                                                                                                   ▼            ▼
                                                                                      0................................ 25 ...................................50
                                                                                      Average Turnover (Previous, This, Next Year Estimates)
                                                                                                                            ▼
                                                                                      0............................... 2.5 ..................... 5 Mio US$

                                                                                      Production Certificates
                                                                                      RoHS
                                                                                      Production Categories
                                                                                      OEM, ODM
                                                                                      Main Products
                                                                                      PC Cards for DVB-S/S2 and DVB-T/MPEG-4, Boxes for DVB-S/S2,
                                                                                      DVB-T/MPEG-4, PC Sticks for DVB-S/S2
www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1101/eng/tevii.pdf




BOXSAM                                                                                YINHE
Receiver Manufacturer, China                                    www.boxsam.com        High Volume Receiver Manufacturer, China                     www.yinhe.com




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1009/eng/boxsam.pdf                             www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1007/eng/yinhe.pdf




122 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                          1                                                                                      – Operator Market Qualified
SVEC                                                                              AZURESHINE
Professional Dish Manufacturer, China                          www.svec.com.cn    Professional Dish Manufacturer, Taiwan                          www.azureshine.com.tw




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1003/eng/svec.pdf                           www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0707/eng/azureshine.pdf




CHANGHONG                                                                         MOTECK
Receiver and TV Manufacturer, China                                               Antenna Motor Manufacturer, Taiwan                                   www.moteck.com




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1003/eng/changhong.pdf                      www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0707/eng/moteck.pdf




SHALOM                                                                                     OPERATOR MARKET Qualified
Satellite Installer, China                                                                          Classification for Best Digital TV Companies




                                                                                                          Attributes of Qualified Company:
                                                                                                  ■ High Production Volume ■ Quality Controlled
                                                                                        ■ Customized Product Case ■ Customized Product Software
                                                                                                                     ■ Aftersale Service
www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0911/eng/shalom.pdf




           – Operator Market Qualified                                    www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine
                                                                                                          1                                                       123
COMPANIES OVERVIEW                                            Best Digital TV Companies of the World




                                                                                                        TENOW          GLOBALSAT
                                                                                                     SKYWORTH          TRIMAX
                                                                                                                        SOWELL




BEST DIGITAL TV
COMPANIES in
S CHINA

TENOW                                                                                Company Details
PC Card Manufacturer, China                                        www.tenower.com
                                                                                     Engineers in Research & Development | Total Number of Employees
                                                                                                                  ▼                                ▼
                                                                                     0................................ 12 ...................................25
                                                                                     Average Turnover (Previous, This, Next Year Estimates)
                                                                                                                                          ▼
                                                                                     0............................... 1.5 .....................3 Mio €uro

                                                                                     Production Certificates
                                                                                     RoHS, DVB
                                                                                     Main Products
                                                                                     PC-Cards for DVB-S/S2, DVB-T/T2, DVB-C with single, dual and
                                                                                     quad tuner, CAM Box for DVB-S2, USB-Stick for DVB-S/S2, DVB-
                                                                                     C and ISDB-T

www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/tenow.pdf




SKYWORTH                                                                             Company Details
OEM Receiver Manufacturer, China                                  www.skyworth.com
                                                                                     Engineers in Research & Development | Total Number of Employees
                                                                                                 ▼                                                       ▼
                                                                                     0............................ 1250 ...............................2500
                                                                                     Average Turnover (Previous, This, Next Year Estimates)
                                                                                                                                           ▼
                                                                                     0........................... 1.250 ................. 250 Mio US$

                                                                                     Production Certificates
                                                                                     RoHS, CE, REACH, DVB
                                                                                     Main Products
                                                                                     Receiver for DVB-S/S2, DVB-T, ISDB-T with single, twin and
                                                                                     combo tuner, Receiver Sticks for USB, SCART in DVB-S and
                                                                                     HDMI in DVB-S2

www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/skyworth.pdf
www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1003/eng/skyworth.pdf



124 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                          1                                                                                   – Operator Market Qualified
GLOBALSAT                                                                              Company Details
Receiver Mass Manufacturer, China                              www.globalsatdvb.com
                                                                                       Engineers in Research & Development | Total Number of Employees
                                                                                                                    ▼                               ▼
                                                                                       0.............................. 125 .................................250
                                                                                       Average Turnover (Previous, This, Next Year Estimates)
                                                                                                                                            ▼
                                                                                       0................................ 75 ................. 150 Mio US$

                                                                                       Production Certificates
                                                                                       RoHS, FCC, UL, CE, DVB, ISO
                                                                                       Main Products
                                                                                       Receiver for HDTV and SDTV in DVB-S/S2, DVB-T, DVB-C, ISDB-
                                                                                       T, HD+, CI+ and HbbTV, Multimedia Receiver, IPTV Boxes, Media
                                                                                       Player

www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/globalsat.pdf




TRIMAX                                                                                 Company Details
Signal Analyzer Manufacturer, China                              www.trimaxtec.com
                                                                                       Engineers in Research & Development | Total Number of Employees
                                                                                                       ▼                                              ▼
                                                                                       0................................ 25 ...................................50
                                                                                       Average Turnover (Previous, This, Next Year Estimates)
                                                                                                                                             ▼
                                                                                       0.................................. 1 ..................... 2 Mio US$

                                                                                       Production Certificates
                                                                                       RoHS, FCC, DVB
                                                                                       Main Products
                                                                                       Signal Analyzer with built-in Monitor for DVB-S/S2, DVB-T and
                                                                                       DVB-C



www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/trimax.pdf




SOWELL                                                                                 Company Details
OEM Receiver Manufacturer, China                                www.sowell-tech.com
                                                                                       Engineers in Research & Development | Total Number of Employees
                                                                                                                                              ▼               ▼
                                                                                       0................................ 50 .................................100
                                                                                       Average Turnover (Previous, This, Next Year Estimates)
                                                                                                                                              ▼
                                                                                       0................................ 25 ................... 50 Mio US$

                                                                                       Production Certificates
                                                                                       DVB
                                                                                       Main Products
                                                                                       Receiver for DVB-S/S2, DVB-T/T2, DVB-C and ISDB-T, Receivers
                                                                                       with 3D graphics



www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/sowell.pdf




           – Operator Market Qualified                                         www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine
                                                                                                               1                                                 125
COMPANIES OVERVIEW                                              Best Digital TV Companies of the World




                                                                                SATMAN

                                                                          FORTECSTAR   WORLDWIDE SATELLITES
                                                                                       MFC
                                               SEATEL                       SADOUN 

                                        SONICVIEW                       COWMIX
                                 QUALITY SATELLITE 
                                                                                              GLOBAL SATELLITE

BEST DIGITAL TV
                                                                                          
                                                                                             SEATEL




COMPANIES in
AMERICA
GLOBAL SATELLITE                                                                                  COWMIX
Satellite Dealer, USA                                                                             Satellite Dealer, USA




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1007/eng/globalsatellite.pdf                                www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1003/eng/cowmix.pdf




QUALITY SATELLITE                                                                                 SEATEL
Satellite Dealer, USA                                                                             Maritime 3-Axis Dish Manufacturer, USA                      www.cobham.com




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1005/eng/qualitysatellite.pdf                               www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0911/eng/seatel.pdf
                                                                                                  www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0901/eng/seatel.pdf



126 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                          1                                                                                                   – Operator Market Qualified
WORLDWIDE SATELLITES                                                                     SADOUN
Satellite Wholesaler, Canada                                                             Satellite Dealer, USA




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0905/eng/worldwidesatellites.pdf                   www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0707/eng/sadoun.pdf




SONICVIEW                                                                                SATMAN
Satellite Receiver Manufacturer, USA                                                     Satellite Dealer, Canada




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0903/eng/sonicview.pdf                             www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0705/eng/satman.pdf




MFC                                                                                      FORTECSTAR
Satellite Filter Manufacturer, USA                             www.microwavefilter.com    Receiver Manufacturer, Canada




www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0903/eng/mfc.pdf                                   www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0705/eng/fortecstar.pdf




           – Operator Market Qualified                                           www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine
                                                                                                                 1                                                 127
FEATURE               New Generation Tuners




Silicon Tuners
                                                                                                  of 54dB and a noise figure better than
                                                                                                  6dB. These numbers significantly exceed
                                                                                                  the parameters of a typical can tuner.
                                                                                                  Also, other characteristics, like uniform-
Jacek Pawlowski                                                                                   ity of gain, are very constant across
                                                                                                  the entire frequency band – something
                                                                                                  that is very difficult to achieve with can
                                                                                                  tuners.
•	Miniature	tuners	with	great	advantages
                                                                                                     There are already ICs available that
•	More	sensitive                                                                                  offer additional very exciting features
                                                                                                  – like a complete channel scan of more
•	Extremely	fast	BlindScan                                                                        than 100 channels in less than two sec-
                                                                                                  onds (chip makers claim that the chan-
•	Economical                                                                                      nel lock is a mere 5 ms as opposed to
                                                                                                  150 ms for the can tuner) or advanced
                                                                                                  picture-in-picture (PIP) television tech-
   There seems to be consistent pro-                can tuners. Can tuners are built using a      nology providing multiple PIP capabili-
gress in digital TV technology; features            number of discrete components. Natu-          ties that let the viewer watch up to 12
like HD, PVR, upscaling or BlindScan                rally, the more components there are,         video channels simultaneously around
were not available a few years ago. In              the more it will cost to assemble it. Sil-    the main channel.
most cases this progress is only possi-             icon tuners are based on a single chip
ble when a new generation of integrated             and require a minimal number of exter-           The key success factor in this case is
circuits is developed. This is especially           nal components – for example they don’t       the innovative internal design architec-
obvious when we consider, for example,              need expensive SAW filters as are used        ture that enables spur-free reception of
the migration from SDTV to HDTV. Other              in can tuners. A higher level of circuit      analog and digital signals. Many silicon
times, these advances in technology are             integration enables a 75% reduction in        tuners include internal digital signal
less obvious and harder to detect from              space and a 25% reduction in the cost         processors (DSP). These are special
the end user’s perspective. This is the             over can tuners.                              purpose processing units (i.e., comput-
case with the so-called “silicon tuners”.                                                         ers) optimized to do very fast calcula-
This term was coined to distinguish the                Moreover, the integrated circuits of       tions on real world signals. It enables
new generation of tuners from the classi-           modern silicon tuners are compatible          implementation of many functions and
cal tuners made of discrete components.             with many TV standards. This is impor-        features not possible or very, very dif-
The classical tuners are referred today             tant for the manufacturers because it         ficult to obtain without DSP. With DSP,
as “can tuners”. That’s because they                enables them to offer just one multi-         it’s quite easy to configure on-board
require electromagnetic shields – metal             standard receiver model in different          filters that meet all television standard
enclosures surrounding the electronic               regions of the world. There’s no need to      requirements.
components that look a little bit like tin          keep stock of several models to match
cans.                                               various digital and analog standards. You       To use DSP, the analog signal at the
                                                    can now offer just one set-top box or TV      input of the tuner has to be converted
   But what is a tuner? According to Wiki-          set model for cable, terrestrial, analog      into digital form using an analog-to-
pedia, the definition of “TV tuner” is: “A          and digital TV. The versatility of the chip   digital converter (ADC). After the DSP
television tuner converts an RF televi-             results in increased software common-         has done its job, the signal is converted
sion transmission into audio and video              ality between regional receiver designs       back to analog using a digital-to-analog
signals which can be further processed              and this in turn significantly decreases      converter (DAC). So, silicon tuners con-
to produce sound and a picture. Differ-             development costs.                            tain not only DSPs but also ADC and
ent tuners are used for different televi-                                                         DAC subcircuits. The architecture varies
sion standards such as PAL, NTSC, ATSC,                Silicon  tuners    guarantee    better     from manufacturer to manufacturer and
SECAM, DVB-C, DVB-T, ISDB, T-DMB,                   repeatability of their parameters and         from type to type and the available fea-
open cable.” We will see that while the             this means that when testing receiver         tures will also vary with different silicon
first part of the definition is absolutely          after receiver, there’s hardly any dif-       tuners, but one thing’s for sure: they all
true, the second part is not necessarily            ference in their performance. They do         outperform can tuners.
valid for the silicon tuner.                        not require manual tuning or adjust-
                                                    ments. Consistent performance and                Naturally, the smaller overall size of
  Many difficult hurdles had to be                  quality is one thing but superior specifi-    silicon tuners and the ability to mount
jumped before a practical silicon tuner             cations over can tuners is another. And       them directly on the audio/video moth-
could be manufactured at a reasonable               we’re not talking about just secondary        erboards of set-top boxes or TV sets
cost. However, once it happened, sili-              parameters but better sensitivity, adja-      is another important feature. In this
con tuners began gaining rapid accept-              cent channel rejection, phase noise and       case, printed circuit boards need to be
ance among manufacturers because of                 dynamic range. For example, a modern          designed with greater care and expertise
their advantages compared to traditional            silicon tuner has a signal-to-noise ratio     in order to avoid radio interference. For-


128 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                          1
tunately, the silicon tuner vendors help     come as no surprise that the silicon tuner     We, the end users, should only wel-
the designers with reference layouts         market has expanded rapidly since they       come this change. Our future products
making their job easier. And the tuners      first became available back near the turn    will perform better, will be smaller and
are extremely small. For example, one        of the century. Nearly every chip pro-       more universal, will offer more features
type of tuner is encapsulated in a plastic   vider that is involved with the digital TV   and be less expensive. This is very excit-
package 5x5 mm (0.2”x0.2”) while some        market today is offering silicon tuner       ing for set-top box fans, but let’s not
can tuners can be as large as 50x100         solutions. Although can tuners have been     forget that silicon tuners will also be
mm (2”x4”).                                  the standard since the beginning of the      used on a larger and larger scale in PCs
                                             small screen, set-top box and TV makers      and mobile phones. The silicon tuner is
  Silicon tuners also generate far less      will eventually abandon the can tuner        poised to unseat the can tuner in vir-
heat than can tuners. Because of this,       and switch to single chip silicon tuners.    tually every application. In a couple of
they are not only more eco-friendly but      Business analysts predict that over 60       years almost everything having a screen
consume less energy; that makes them         percent of the units produced worldwide      (PC, tablet, cell phone) will have a built-
suitable for use in battery operated         are expected to rely on the single-chip      in TV tuner by default.
devices like mobile phones.                  silicon tuner by 2014. Why not 100%?
                                             Well, some TV OEMs are vertically inte-        So, to reiterate the explanation quoted
  For TVs and receivers, silicon tuners      grated with can tuner producers; they        at the beginning of this article: with a sil-
lower their production costs, simplify       may prefer to keep them in business for      icon tuner you only need one single tuner
the manufacturing process and improve        now, however, the days of the can tuner      for every standard. Now that’s what we
their quality and reliability. It should     are numbered.                                call progress!
FEATURE                Transmission Technology




Single- and Multi
Frequency Networks
in Digital Terrestrial
Television
Jacek Pawlowski



DVB-T/T2 and DVB-H standards for digital terrestrial                                      Before the digital era, the analog TV
                                                                                       transmitters located in neighboring
TV use COFDM modulation. COFDM stands for Coded                                        areas had to use different frequencies
Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing and is a quite                              to avoid interference. It is intuitively
                                                                                       understandable that using the same
complex sort of digital modulation developed to ensure                                 frequency to transmit channel A from
high bit rate capacity along with interference immunity.                               transmitter 1 and channel B from
                                                                                       transmitter 2 is not a good solution.
The latter feature is what makes single frequency                                      There would always be a location where
networks (SFN) practically possible.                                                   the reception antenna would not only
                                                                                       receive the desired signal (say, channel
                                                                                       A) but also the undesired signal. The
    ■ Fig. 1. Different signal                                                         undesired signal (channel B), even if
    paths in terrestrial TV.                                                           transmitted from a completely differ-
                                                                                       ent direction, could interfere because
                                                                                       of electromagnetic wave reflections or
                                                                                       scattering on various obstacles (like
                                                                                       buildings, masts, etc.). So the recep-
                                                                                       tion antenna properly directed to
                                                                                       receive channel A from transmitter 1
                                                                                       has always a chance to pick up some
                                                                                       signal from transmitter 2.

                                                                                          But what if the two transmitter broad-
                                                                                       cast the same channel? If they use the
                                                                                       same frequency to transmit the same
                                                                                       analog channel, the reception antenna
                                                                                       could again receive signals from both
                                                                                       transmitters simultaneously. In prac-
                                                                                       tice, one of the signals would always
                                                                                       be delayed in relation to the other one.
                                                                                       That’s because the distance between
                                                                                       the reception antenna and any of
                                                                                       the transmitters would be different.
                                                                                       Time delays cause phase shifts what
                                                                                       in turn leads either to constructive or


130 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                          1
If such digital signal is transmitted
                                                                                                        from two transmitters on the same
                                                                                                        frequency, the signal originating from
                                                                                                        the more distant transmitter is seen
                                                                                                        as a long delay echo. And this is the
                                                                                                        important factor for designing single
                                                                                                        frequency network (SFN): if we used
                                                                                                        powerful transmitters located far away
                                                                                                        from one another, we would have long
                                                                                                        echoes – at least in some areas. There-
                                                                                                        fore, it is usually assumed that SFN
                                                                                                        requires a dense grid of small power
                                                                                                        transmitters. For a medium sized Euro-
                                                                                                        pean country like Poland, it is assumed
                                                                                                        that some 350 transmitters with 40 m
                                                                                                        high antenna masts would be required.
                                                                                                        Creating such dense grid of transmit-
                                                                                                        ters is costly and takes time.

                                                                                                          On the other hand, MFN can use
                                                                                                        the existing infrastructure of analog
  ■ Fig. 2. In a Multi-Frequency Network the neighboring transmitters must use different                transmitters and antennae. In such
   frequencies. Only those separated by larger distance may use the same frequency. The                 configuration, the channels are trans-
   transmitters can broadcast the same or different digital or analog content
                                                                                                        mitted on different frequencies and we
                                                                                                        do not have to care about the echoes
destructive interference. This would                less useful data we can send in the                 from neighboring transmitters. We still
lead to signal fading. Additionally, due            same unit of time. To compensate for                have echoes resulting from the same
to time delays the “ghost” effect would             that, the number of carriers must be                transmitter (self interference) because
be visible on the TV screen. The mul-               increased.                                          there are still signal reflections from
tipath effect resulting from reflections
and scattering also would take place.
Since analog TV used simple ampli-
tude modulation for video, there was
no other way to avoid interference
but to ensure that the transmitters
which cover overlapping areas had to
use different frequencies. The same
frequency channel is re-used only in
regions separated by a large distance,
to avoid harmful co-channel interfer-
ence. Such arrangement is called Multi
Frequency Network or MFN.

  In COFDM modulation digital data is
not transmitted continuously but with
pauses among the symbols. These
pauses are called the guard intervals.
The guard interval should be chosen
long enough to allow all symbol echoes
to reach the receiver. So that when the
next symbol comes there are no longer
echoes from the previous one. If all
delayed signals (symbol echoes) come
to the receiver within the guard inter-
vals, it is possible to process the sig-
nals so smartly to avoid fading. DVB-T
permits to choose one of the follow-
ing values for guard interval: 1/4, 1/8,              ■ Fig. 3. SFN uses a grid of low power transmitters for more uniform field strength. All
                                                      transmitters are perfectly synchronized, operate on the same frequency and broadcast the
1/16, 1/32. The longer the interval                   same digital data (multiplex).
the more echoes we can cancel but


132 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                          1
different objects. But those echoes are          much more uniform signal level what                   As usually, it is not so easy to
shorter and do not pose serious prob-            is important for reception on the                   say which arrangement is better. It
lems for COFDM modulation.                       move. Moreover, if we use the same                  depends on the circumstances in a
                                                 frequency, the receiver can switch                  given country. One of the reasonable
  Another advantage of MFN is the fact           from cell to cell smoothly (handover).              approaches could be to use MFN in
that it is convenient to use it in the           For MFN networks a second tuner is                  the intermediate period and once the
interim period when analog and digital           required in the receiver to check sig-              digital switch over is over and analog
TV are broadcast concurrently. That’s            nals from the neighboring cells. SFN                channels no longer exist, start building
because the viewers do not have to               is also the better choice if we need to             SFN. SFN will not only release band-
rotate their antennae to catch new               ensure the reception inside the build-              width but also enable DVB-H recep-
digital signal nor do they have to install       ings or in those places were it is dif-             tion almost everywhere. To become
new antennas. Analog and digital sig-            ficult or impossible to install a roof-top           really popular, portable DVB-H devices
nals come from the same location.                antenna.                                            should be operational everywhere
                                                                                                     where a mobile phone is used today.
  In SFN arrangements one multiplex                It is not difficult to figure out that              There are even some proposals to use
is transmitted on the same frequency             SFN is more demanding from techno-                  the existing GSM infrastructure for
all over the country. So SFN has one             logical point of view. It requires very             DVB-T/H SFN transmitters.
tremendous advantage over MFN – it               good synchronization of all transmit-
spares a lot of precious bandwidth               ters both in time domain and in fre-                  Another approach, justified espe-
released after the analog transmission           quency domain. Usually, GPS is used                 cially in large countries, could be a
is completely switched off. This band-           to synchronize all transmitters.                    mixed solution: MFN and SFN together.
width can be either used to transmit                                                                 In this way, one could have different
many more digital channels or used                 Technology experts when compar-                   local multiplexes delivered to different
for other purposes. Except for better            ing both solutions sometimes overlook               regions, and nationwide digital multi-
spectral efficiency described above,              non-technical aspects. For example,                 plexes delivered all over the country.
SFN has better power efficiency. In               in some countries there are many
other words, the electric energy con-            regions that transmit local content to                Before we conclude this article, a
sumed by all SFN transmitters is lower           local viewers. Such local broadcasts                word about North America. COFDM
than that in MFN system with the same            are of little interest to the people living         modulation has been chosen for the
reception area. SFN uses more trans-             at the other side of the country. One               terrestrial transmissions by DVB and
mitters, but these are the low power             can not split networks into regional                ISDB, but the American standardiza-
units.                                           or local area networks with different               tion body ATSC has opted for 8VSB.
                                                 content using SFN. This is particularly             Although 8VSB has not been designed
  SFN is also much more desired for              a challenge for geographically large                with SFN in mind, this modulation is
DVB-H signals, especially if SFN is              countries. Practically, SFN network                 also good in ghost cancellation. So, at
built with a dense grid of small power           requires everything be transmitted                  least theoretically, it is also possible to
transmitters. Such grid creates a                throughout the whole country.                       build SFN networks in North America.


                                                       SFN                                                            MFN
                               » Excellent spectral efficiency=                             » No change in user antenna systems
                               = low bandwidth consumption                                 required
                               » Good power efficiency=                                     » Easy coexistence with analog channels
                               = lower electric energy consumption                         » Can re-use existing infrastructure of
     Advantages                » More homogeneous field strength                            analog TV transmitters and antennae
                               distribution for portable and mobile reception              » Network splitting is easy=
                               (DVB-H)                                                     = different multiplexes in different regions
                               » Suitable for indoor reception
                               » Network splitting for local content is                    » Not effective in spectral occupancy
                               difficult                                                    (though much better than analog)
                               » Excellent synchronization required=                       » Not so good for DVB-H
                               =extra cost                                                 » Cannot assure indoor reception
   Disadvantages               » Costly infrastructure of dense grid                       » Lower power efficiency
                               of transmitters needed to avoid self
                               interference
                               » New aerials often required on the user's
                               side

■ Table 1. A comparison of pro’s and con’s of SFN and MFN networks

                                                                     www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 —
                                                                                                      1     TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine   133
COMPANY REPORT                         AZBox Distributor, Russia




Two Buddies from School Days
Found AZBox Russia
The two first met at the tender age of seven when they went to the
same school. They embarked on different journeys afterwards, with
one of them deciding to study economics while the other obtained
a degree in electronics and software programming. Later on, their
paths crossed again in the year 2006 when they together founded
the company SatDream as exclusive distributor of AZBox products in
Russia. Andrej Dolgopolov took on the role of Sales Manager, while
Ruslan Rozanov became Technical Manager of the company. TELE-
satellite met both founders in Moscow.

  Technical Manager Ruslan Rozanov can
justifiably be called a satellite enthusiast.
“It was in 2001 when my interest in satel-
lite reception awoke,” he tells us. He used
to repair satellite receivers for friends and
family in his spare time, and he soon dis-
covered that “it was the software aspect
that I was really addicted to.” This even
went so far as to turn to receiver program-
ming from 2004 onward. Looking at ways to
turn hobby into profession he finally deci-
ded to start up a business. Together with
his school-day friend Andrej Dolgopolov he
raised an initial capital of USD 2,000 to get
going. Right from the start the two have
focused on repairing satellite receivers.
  By and by they had gained an expert
reputation for servicing receivers of a par-
ticular Korean brand, but unfortunately
that manufacturer completely missed the
leap from SDTV to HDTV, so they had to
look elsewhere. “The option of customised
receiver programming was a driving force
behind that search,” Ruslan Rozanov exp-
lains. “One day we came across the AZBox
and immediately got in touch with Hugo
Condessa, the founder of AZBox.” The two
have been exchanging thoughts and ideas
via e-mail or skype ever since.
  “Our first move was the Russian transla-
tion of the AZBox on-screen menus.” Even
more important, however, was the adapta-

■ Looking up the façade of this inconspicuous
apartment building you can spot two satellite
antennas. Right, next to the dishes are the office
windows of AZBox Russia on the fifth floor.
This building is only one block from the nearest
metro station, which is called Kakhovskaya and
is served by metro line 11. The company also
makes use of a warehouse for storage, which is
located elsewhere.



134 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                          1
1                                                                                     2



tion of the AZBox to accept major smart-            note of the serial number for every single
cards used in Russia, like those of provider        customer of ours. This allows us to instantly
Tricolor. “It only took us three weeks to           look up the features and equipment level of     4
write the software so that the internal card        every box ever sold by us.” By the way, cus-
reader of the AZBox was able to work with           tomers may even enter the serial number
those smartcards,” Ruslan Rozanov proudly           of their box at www.azbox.su themselves
remembers.                                          and check whether they have obtained their
  That happened in October 2009 and                 receiver through legal channels.
things really got moving from there. In                Currently, the young company employs a
November 2009 the first shipment of boxes           workforce of 15: Four work in administra-
arrived. “It consisted of 100 Elite boxes           tion, three are repair technicians, three are
and 100 Premium boxes,” Ruslan Rozanov              software developers and four are installers
recalls how it all began. And that pace has         who set up complete reception systems all
constantly increased up until today: For            over Moscow and beyond. Added to that are
2010 shipments totalled 1,000 units.                the two owners.
  However the SatDream team was not at                 “Our top-selling product right now is the
the end with after the on-screen display            AZBox HD Plus with two DVB-S2 tuners,”
texts had been localised. “We wanted our            Sales Manager Andrej Dolgopolov reveals.
customers to get the best,” Ruslan Rozanov          “We generate approximately 70% of AZBox
notes and mentions a CD-ROM which is                sales with this model alone.” The question
shipped with every AZBox in Russia. The             that arises in this context refers to DVB-T.
CD-ROM features a comprehensive FAQ                 After all, AZBox does offer its receivers as
covering all AZBox functions, as well as            DVB-T variants as well. Technical Manager
assistance for downloading new software             Ruslan Rozanov has the answer: “While
versions. “We also cover the initial instal-        there have been some test transmissions
lation procedure of the AZBox receiver so           in Moscow we don’t expect a real DVB-T
that all channels demanded from a Russian           breakthrough in our market before 2012.
audience can actually be received,” Ruslan          By that time we’ll be ready and prepared to
Rozanov adds.                                       jump on that bandwagon.”
  Incidentally, he compiled the complete               Our visit has clearly confirmed the gene-
CD-ROM almost all by himself. Still, Sat-           ral impression that AZBox Russia seeks
Dream service does not stop there. “All             to offer excellent customer service. Its
AZBox receivers we sell come with a two-            employees are in a position to solve soft-
year warranty,” Ruslan Rozanov explains             ware problems in a timely manner, as well
and details the processes that have been            as address any hardware issues that might
set up in the background: “Each AZBox is            arise. This makes AZBox Russia very well
labelled with a unique serial number right          placed for keeping up its steady expansion
at the manufacturing premises and we take           pace.



136 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                          1
Russia




                                                 1. Irina Vitrenko is the receptionist
                                                 at AZBox Russia. She’s the first to
                                                 pick up all incoming calls and for this
                                                 photo she has placed an AZBox on
                                                 the counter.

                                                 2. Always in touch: Sales Manager
                                                 Andrej Dolgopolov is the co-founder
                                                 of AZBox Russia and is in charge of
                                                 sales to retail customers.

                                                 3. Technical Manager Ruslan Rozanov
                                                 is one of the two founders of AZBox
                                                 Russia. Here he shows us on his
                                                 laptop PC part of the FAQ which he
                                                 has compiled for the AZBox and
                                                 which all AZBox customers receive on
                                                 a CD together with their box.

                                                 4. View of the technicians’ room. This
                                                 is where malfunctioning boxes are
3                                                repaired. Technican Igor Radvogin
                                                 can be seen on the right.




    www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 —
                                     1     TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine   137
CITY REPORT                  Satellite Dealers in Algeria




The Satellite Dealer
from Sidi Bel-Abbes
If you travel roughly 80km south of Oran you’d
find the city of Sidi Bel-Abbes in western Algeria
                                                                                                    Sidi Bel-Abbes
                                                                                                     (Algeria)
with its 500,000 inhabitants located about
150km from the Moroccan border. The city was
named after its founder Sidi Bel-Abbes. We set
out for this city in an effort to find out how easy
it is to buy satellite components such as dishes,
LNBs and receivers in a city like this. Is it possible
to find these items here or do you have to travel to
a big city in order to find what you need?


                                               ■ A look at the beginning of the Rue Mascara in     Well, no need to fill the gas tank in
                                                Sidi Bel-Abbes in western Algeria. Here you’ll
                                                find a large number of satellite dealers.
                                                                                                 your car! As soon as we found the Rue
                                                                                                 Mascara (also known as Boulevard
                                                                                                 Zabana), we could not escape all of the
                                                                                                 electronic shops. One store after ano-
                                                                                                 ther offered everything under the sun
                                                                                                 that came attached with a power cord.

                                                                                                    Several of these shops focused a
                                                                                                 little more on satellite components
                                                                                                 but mostly also sold other items such




                                                                                                 as TV sets and household electronics.
                                                                                                 Because of the ever-dropping prices in
                                                                                                 the satellite industry, many of these
                                                                                                 dealers have no choice but to expand to
                                                                                                 neighboring regions.

                                                                                                  One of the first satellite dealers in Sidi


138 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                          1
Bel-Abbes was Morsli Hallam. He thinks
                                                                                                           back: “When I started in 1994, there
                                                                                                           were only two other satellite dealers.”

                                                                                                             His best year was 1997 when more
                                                                                                           than 1000 receivers crossed his shop’s
                                                                                                           counter. In the meantime he gave up his
                                                                                                           business but still knows many of his old
                                                                                                           competitors. He introduced us to a few
                                                                                                           of them; for example, the team from ‘Le
                                                                                                           Bleu’. In their electronic shop back in the
                                                                                                           corner you’ll find a 90cm dish along with
                                                                                                           an assortment of satellite receivers.
                                                                                                           The manager is Benfreha Becheikh; he
                                                                                                           explains to us: “We sell about 50 HD
                                                                                                           receivers a month and still about 100
                                                                                                           SD receivers.” It’s obvious that it won’t
                                                                                                           be long before more HD receivers will
                                                                                                           be sold than SD boxes. Most of the cus-
                                                                                                           tomers want to use their new satellite
                                                                                                           equipment to receive NILESAT.

                                                                                                             One of the only shops that deals exclu-
                                                                                                           sively with satellite reception is ‘Magh-
                                                                                                           reb Sat’. Chafi Abdelhamid is the owner
                                                                                                           and explains to us: “I started my busi-
                                                                                                           ness in 1993. But today I only deal with
                                                                                                           repairs and software updates.” With two
                                                                                                           technicians and an assistant he repairs
                                                                                                           defective receivers and uploads new
                                                                                                           software to these boxes.

                                                                                                             Larger manufacturers can also be
                                                                                                           found with a branch office along the
                                                                                                           Rue Mascara. One of these companies is
                                                                                                           Condor, an Algerian manufacturer that
                                                                                                           not only produces household goods but
                                                                                                           also offers all the necessary compo-
                                                                                                           nents for satellite reception.

                                                                                                             One of the salesmen is B. Chaouchi
                                                                                                  1        and he shows us the new HD recei-


                                                                              2                                                                          3




                                                                                       1. Morsli Hallam (left) in front of his shop that he now only uses
                                                                                       as an office. His former colleague Boudera Kada (right) recently
                                                                                       became self-employed and installs satellite systems.

                                                                                       2. Entrance to the ‘Le Bleu’ electronic shop with owner Benfreha
                                                                                       Becheikh (left) and colleague Berrabah Bouzian (right).

                                                                                       3. In between the washing machines in ‘Le Bleu’ you’ll find the
                                                                                       satellite dishes.


140 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                          1
1. In a small shop salesman Benbadaismat shows us a 90cm
dish. He explains: “An HD receiver with this dish and an LNB
will run you about 200 Euros here. The same setup in SD
would cost about 60 Euros.”

2. Satellite shop ‘Maghreb Sat’s’ company logo.

3. In the technicians room, Chafi Abdelhamid, Manager of
‚Maghreb Sat‘, points out used or defective receivers.




  2                                                                1

ver from Condor: “This box costs only                  3
11,500 DA (about 115 Euros).”

  Just before we left, we met up with
Boudera Kada. He learned his trade with
Morsli Hallam and became self-employed
a few years ago. He installs satellite sys-
tems. He explains to us: “I install about
500 systems a year.” He charges about
8 Euros for a fixed antenna system and
about 20 Euros for a motorized system.
Of course this only pertains to the labor
performed.

   “Most of my customers use an 80cm
dish but that just barely cuts it; for HD
reception I always recommend using a
120cm antenna”, explains Kada to us
from his experience. “Most of the cus-
tomers want to receive NILESAT at 7
west and ATLANTIC BIRD at 5 west so
I install the antenna as close as possi-
ble to 6 west so that both satellites can
be received!” Other popular satellites
for this region include HOTBIRD at 13E,
ASTRA at 19.2E, BADR at 26E and ARA-
BSAT at 30E.

  Kada also gave us an idea what the
more popular channels are. In addition
to French channels, there are Arabic
channels such as Al Jazeera Sports, MBC
1 (with programming geared towards
women) and MBC 3 (Children’s TV),
Teletoon Arabic, National Geographic
from Abu Dhabi, Al Jazeera Documen-
tary, Algeria 3 (Family TV) and 2M from
Morocco. Also included in this list are
the religious channels IQRA and MAJD
as well as the pan-Maghrebish channel
El Maghribia 1.

  According to Kada, “Algerian Arabic
is closely related to the Arabic spoken
in Morroco and Tunesia and is therefore
easy for us to understand.”

  It becomes a little more difficult with
channels from places like Egypt that


142 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                          1
1   2

                                                                                       3   speak in an Arabic variant that isn’t so
                                                                                           easy to understand. “Only the informa-
                                                                                           tion channels are transmitted in high-
                                                                                           Arabic”, says Kada.

                                                                                              Our tour through all of the electronic
                                                                                           shops along the Rue Mascara in Sidi Bel-
                                                                                           Abbes shows that even in smaller cities
                                                                                           in a country like Algeria you can still find
                                                                                           a large selection of satellite shops where
                                                                                           you can get whatever you need for your
                                                                                           satellite reception pleasure.




                                                                                       4




                                                                                           5

                                                                                           1. HD receivers are among the items in Condor’s
                                                                                           display window.

                                                                                           2. Condor’s salesman shows us an HD receiver.
                                                                                           Condor also sells LNBs and HD TVs.

                                                                                           3. Belarbi Adel is the owner of this well-stocked
                                                                                           shop along the Rue Mascara in Sidi Bel-Abbes.

                                                                                           4. One of the few shops that use ‘satellite’
                                                                                           in their name: Kamel Mancer is one of the
                                                                                           salesmen and can offer anything that a satellite
                                                                                           friend would need.

                                                                                           5. Satellite installer Boudra Kada at work: here
                                                                                           he can be seen installing a satellite dish on the
                                                                                           roof of one of his customers.




144 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                          1
DXer REPORT                   Satellite Enthusiasts in Japan




Satellite TV in Tokyo
                                                                                          Takao Kameda is already 61 years of
                                                                                       age and has been a very busy satellite
                                                                                       enthusiast for some 17 years now. He‘s
Aluo                                                                                   a well-known figure in the Japanese sat-
                                                                                       ellite world and has written numerous
                                                                                       articles about satellite reception. Most of
                                                                                       them were published in ‚Radio Life‘ maga-
                                                                                       zine which sheds light on all aspects of
• Japan's most prominent satellite enthusiasts are
                                                                                       radio and TV reception. „Young people in
Keito Takahashi and Takao Kameda, both of whom                                         Japan these days don‘t watch a whole lot
live in Tokyo. We paid a visit to them and found out                                   of live TV,“ he explains. „Most use PVRs to
                                                                                       record particular events and watch them
about their tricks of the trade.                                                       whenever their busy schedule allows




                                             Tokyo




                                                                                                                ■ Three of Eastern Asia’s
                                                                                                                most influential satellite
                                                                                                                enthusiasts: Keito
                                                                                                                Takahashi (left) from Tokyo,
                                                                                                                TELE-satellite author Aluo
                                                                                                                (centre) from Shenzhen/
                                                                                                                China and Takao Kameda
                                                                                                                (right), also from Tokyo.
                                                                                                                The trio stands in front of
                                                                                                                Keito Takahashi’s house.




   The World of Satellite DXers
 DXers
            Previous TELE-satellite DXer Reports can be Read Here:
 World      http://www.SatcoDX.net




146 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                          1
some time to be spent in front of the
                                                                                       TV.“ Unfortunately, the entire magic of
                                                                                       receiving foreign satellite channels from
                                                                                       far-away corners of the world is lost in
                                                                                       the process. „When ASIASAT 1 started
                                                                                       we all got very excited, as channels from
        ■ Keito Takahashi has
        mounted his rotatable C                                                        that position were transmitted in NTSC,“
        band mesh antenna on a                                                         Takao Kameda remembers. NTSC was
        professional pole with a
        height of 7 metres.                                                            the analog colour system used in Japan,
                                                                                       so DXers were able to watch channels
                                                                                       from ASIASAT 1 with their existing TV.
                                                                                       Over the course of so many years Takao
                                                                                       Kameda has steadily enlarged his collec-
                                                                                       tion of satellite receivers using all sorts
                                                                                       of CA systems. Right now he is having
                                                                                       an in-depth look at the iCool G2 DVB-S2
                                                                                       receiver.

                                                                                          Keito Takahashi is a similarly commit-
                                                                                       ted satellite enthusiast. He even speaks
                                                                                       Chinese and is a regular viewer of the
                                                                                       Chinese satellite channels by CCTV. He
                                                                                       joined the satellite community more than
                                                                                       ten years ago when he bought his first
                                                                                       satellite antenna: It was a 3-metre KTI
                                                                                       mesh antenna imported from the USA.
                                                                                       Today he operates a 2.4m mesh antenna
                                                                                       for the C band and a smaller 1.2m dish
                                                                                       for the Ku band. Keito Takahashi is a true
                                                                                       celebrity and a popular interview partner
                                                                                       for Japanese TV stations and newspapers
                                                                                       when it comes to experience and exper-
                                                                                       tise in the satellite field. He also loves
                                                                                       China and even sent his son over to China
                                                                                       to learn the language. „I watch Chinese
                                                                                       TV and learn the language from watching
                                                                                       and listening.“ Another worthwhile reason
                                                                                       for becoming a satellite enthusiast!




                                                                                           ■ Hardly noticeable
                                                                                            from outside: Keito
                                                                                            Takahashi’s two
                                                                                            antennas in Tokyo (C
                                                                                            band in front, Ku band
                                                                                            in the back).




148 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                          1
NEWS              HDTV & 3D Programmes




                                 Edited by
                      Branislav Pekic


EUROPE                                                  frame. The reconstructed right and left images
                                                        maintain their original resolution, preventing an
                                                                                                                of UK households now have a HD set, just ahead
                                                                                                                of the US with 57%. In the US, 44% of households
                                                        unbalancing of the vertical or horizontal resolution.   receive up to 404 HD channels, followed by Japan
                                                                                                                with 43% accessing up to 103 channels, France
FRANCE                                                  PORTUGAL                                                with 42% enjoying up to 55 channels and the UK
                                                                                                                with just 13% accessing up to 50 channels.
MARC DORCEL LAUNCHES                                    PORTUGUESE BROADCASTERS
3D ADULT TV SERVICE                                     INVEST €17 MILLION IN HDTV
Marc Dorcel Television has launched the first 3D
adult entertainment subscription VoD service in
                                                        The Portuguese national TV channels have started        NORTH AMERICA
                                                        investing in HD as part of preparations for the
Europe. The company is initially making the channel     analogue switch-off (ASO) due to take place on 26
available via French IPTV platform Free, but plans                                                              UNITED STATES
                                                        April 2012. SIC has announced it will invest up to
to roll it out with other partners in the country and   €12 million in HD, in both equipment and content.
elsewhere in Europe. The programming has been                                                                   SONY MOVIE CHANNEL
                                                        Rival TVI estimates investments at €3-5 million,        LAUNCHES HD SERVICE
produced together with French firm 3DLized.              mainly for the acquisition of transmission equip-       The Sony Movie Channel is dedicated to show-
                                                        ment. Public broadcaster RTP is already commis-         ing Sony movies in HD and in uncut and uninter-
FASHION TV BOOSTS 3D CONTENT                            sioning all Portuguese and foreign TV series in HD.     rupted states. Programming will be selected
The Fashion TV channel has announced that it is
                                                                                                                from over 3,500 Sony films which have won
ramping up its 3D content. The broadcaster, which       SERBIA                                                  184 Academy Awards. The channel is avail-
has just finished filming the fashion weeks in Milan
                                                                                                                able the Dish, DirecTV and U-verse platforms.
and Paris in high-definition 3D, plans to make more      TELEKOM SRBIJA LAUNCHES HDTV OFFER
than 40 hours a year of 3D content for its FTV HD       Telekom Srbija has launched a HDTV package
channel and its video-on-demand service. A full
                                                                                                                VERIZON BROADCASTS LIVE
                                                        for subscribers of its IPTV service Open ITV.           COLLEGE FOOTBALL IN 3D
3D HD service is slated for launch next autumn.         The package, costing RSD 400 a month, offers            Verizon has started broadcasting college American
                                                        a total of seven channels: Discovery Showcase           football games live in 3D on its pay-TV platform
GERMANY                                                 HD, National Geographic HD, FoodNetwork                 FiOS TV, making it available to all subscribers
                                                        Channel as well as four Arena Sport channels in         across the country. The 3D transmissions are
NINE HD CHANNELS AVAILABLE                              HD. The installation of a set-top box required for      available to all FiOS TV subscribers who have a
ON HD+ PLATFORM                                         watching HDTV channels costs RSD 2034 and               3D television set, 3D glasses and a HD set-top
sixx HD and RTL II HD launched in high-definition        the monthly subscription costs RSD 338.98.              box. The games are also being made available in
(HD) quality on the HD+ platform in December.
                                                                                                                HD and SD. Verizon is also offering access to 3D
sixx HD is the fourth channel of the ProSie-            SPAIN                                                   feature films on-demand on its pay-TV platform.
benSat.1 group to join the technical platform.
Other channels to launch on HD+ include RTL             LA SEXTA LAUNCHES HD CHANNEL
group’s RTL HD, VOX HD, RTL II HD, as well as
                                                                                                                LATIN AMERICA
                                                        La Sexta has launched a pair of new chan-
SPORT1 HD, a channel owned by Constantin                nels and overhauled the programming line-up
Medien. Since its launch a year ago, 1.5 mil-           at its existing second channel La Sexta 2. The
lion HD+ smart cards have been delivered to             first is La Sexta 3, a classic scripted series           BRAZIL
manufacturers and 400,000 HD+ set-top boxes             and movies channel, while La Sexta HD is a
have been sold. TV viewers can chose between            high-definition version of its main channel.             SKY BRASIL TO REDUCE
38 different kinds of set-top boxes that have                                                                   COST OF HD PACKAGES
been brought to market by 22 manufacturers.             SWITZERLAND                                             The president of DTH operator Sky Brasil, Luis
                                                                                                                Eduardo Baptista, has said there must be a price
IRELAND                                                 SWISSCOM TO EXPAND HD OFFERING                          reduction for HD packages in Brazil. According to
                                                        Swisscom has added two free new HD channels for         him, when the threshold of 250,000 subscribers
IRELAND GETS FIRST HD CHANNEL                           all subscribers - Arte D HD and France 2 HD - bring-    is reached, programming costs have significant
UTV became the first broadcaster in Ireland to           ing the total number of free HD channels available      discounts. His expectation is that in 2-3 years
launch a high-definition (HD) TV service. Public         to ten. Swisscom is also introducing two new HD         there will be no more differences in costs between
broadcaster RTE has proposed a HD channel to be         packages for customers - ‘HD Deutsche+’ and ‘HD         HD and SD packages. Sky Brasil in Septem-
carried by free-to-air DTT platform Saorview that       Français+’, each offering nine HD channels, and         ber had 302,000 HD subscribers, with the base
is pending a review by the Broadcasting Authority       each costing CHF 9 (US$ 9.26) per month. Games          growing at a rate of about 30,000 per month.
of Ireland. The plan is to show “HD light” coverage     from the Swiss Axpo Super League, Italian Serie A,
of live sporting events such as GAA matches, Six        Spanish La Liga and Portuguese Liga Zon Sagres          TVA LAUNCHES HD DECODER
Nations rugby and international football. However,      will be broadcast in HD quality, costing CHF 2.50       TVA has launched a new digital decoder, the TVA
RTE has no plans to launch a national service,          per month. Swisscom TV subscribers with a Tel-          HD+, developed in partnership with Unicoba/
as upgrading RTE’s infrastructure to support HD         eclub Sport subscription will also benefit from eight    Topfield and Nagravision. It has two tuners and
channels would cost over €25 million, money             additional HD sports channels at no extra cost.         universal remote control and also lets users to
that is simply not available to the broadcaster.                                                                schedule recordings and automatically records the
                                                        UNITED KINGDOM                                          content being viewed. At the launch, new custom-
ITALY                                                                                                           ers who take the TVA HD packages will be able
                                                        BBC LAUNCHES BBC ONE HD                                 to test the TVA HD+ for a year without charge.
PIEDMONT FIRST IN ITALY FOR                             The BBC has launched the BBC One HD channel
BACKWARD COMPATIBLE 3D                                  which is available on Freesat, Freeview, Virgin
Italy’s Piedmont Region has initiated the first          Media and Sky. The One Show, Holby City, Film           ASIA & PACIFIC
free-to-air terrestrial 3D HDTV broadcasts, with a      2010, Eastenders and Children in Need are some of
system for backwards compatibility with 2D TV sets.     the other programs that will be aired on the channel.   SKY NEWS HD DISTRIBUTED VIA MEASAT 3
The initiative is the result of a partnership between                                                           RRsat Global Communications Network and BT
public and private bodies operating in the area,        UK WORLD LEADER IN HD TV OWNERSHIP                      Wholesale’s Media and Broadcast team have
including Sisvel, Quartarete TV and CSP Innovazi-       The UK leads the world in HD TV set ownership,          worked together to support the launch of Sky News
one nelle ICT. The broadcasts rely on an innova-        but lags far behind in take-up of HD digital TV         HD on the Measat 3A satellite BT and RRsat are
tive technique for formatting stereoscopic images,      services, a new report by Ofcom has revealed. The       providing an end-to-end managed fibre and satellite
known as 3D Tile Format, which makes it possible        UK and Spain have the highest digital TV takeup,        service. A fibre network from the BT Global Media
to integrate two 720p frames within a single 1080p      at 91% of their respective populations, while 59%       Network carries Sky News HD from the Sky News


150 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com
                                                          1
Centre in Osterley, UK, to RRsat’s Global Network and teleport
facility, where it is uplinked onto the Measat 3A satellite and
distributed to customers throughout the Middle East and Asia.

CHINA

HDTV SUBSCRIBERS IN CHINA TOP 2 MILLION
Total HDTV subscribers in China passed 2 million subscribers in
the fourth quarter of 2010, up from 2 million in July 2010. Several
factors are expecting to accelerate the HDTV take-up in 2011. First,
an increasing number of cable operators are expected to roll-out
HDTV over the next year. Second, the government will expand
the number of HDTV channels from the current 12 to 42 by the
end of 2011. Finally, cable operators in China are utilizing “mass
market” upgrade pricing packages for migration to HDTV services.

INDIA

DOORDARSHAN FAILS TO DELIVER HD CHANNEL
Prasar Bharati’s promise to deliver a channel on HD has
fallen flat, with Doordarshan’s sports channel now back on
standard definition, according to a report in The Hindustan
Times. The broadcaster had spent over R300 crore to ensure
that the Commonwealth Games were shown on HD. The
entire production was outsourced to UK-company SISLive,
which has now been accused of tax evasion and outsourc-
ing over 70% of the work to Zoom Communications.

JAPAN

NHK PRESENTS ULTRA HIGH-DEF TV PLANS
NHK is planning public previews of its developing Ultra High
Definition (UHDTV) television system, which promises images
that contain roughly 16 times more picture information that
that which is found in today’s HDTV systems. NHK plans to
expose the public to its system in 2012, by shooting some of
the London Olympics in Ultra High Definition, which is also
referred to as Super Hi-Vision. The footage would be transmit-
ted to public viewing sites in the U.K., U.S. and Japan. Plans call
for trials of UHDTV broadcasting to begin in Japan in 2020.

SKYPERFECTV BROADCASTS FIRST 3D DRAMA
Sky PerfecTV started broadcasting Japan’s first 3D drama series
on its 3D specialty channel starting in January. “Tokyo Con-
trol” airs every Wednesday from 23:00 to 00:00 for 10 weeks,
preceded by a 2D version in the hour earlier. Produced by Fuji
TV with technical assistance from Sony and Sony PCL, the
show is set in an air traffic control tower. Satellite station BS
Fuji and Sony partnered to launch “3D*3D” on January 1. The
30-minute show airs weekly and includes sports and live music.


MIDDLE EAST
OSN FIRST IN MIDDLE EAST FOR 3D
OSN made history in December by becoming the first TV
network in the Middle East to bring its viewers 3D movies.
The launch follows on from the huge success of its HD ser-
vice which now has an estimated 5 million viewers.

OMAN

OMAN SIGNS HD CONTRACT WITH SONY MIDDLE EAST
Oman’s information ministry has signed an OR 26.55 million
contract with Sony Middle East to prepare for the Sultanate’s TV
shift to HD transmission in 2011 by setting up a new complex
to replace the present studios, Times of Oman has reported.
When completed in November 2011, the Salalah complex is to be
equipped with HD digital technologies and will include four digital
studios for drama production, a news department and three other
digital studios for news-related programmes, among other facilities.
NEWS                IPTV & Cable


                                                              SCANDINAVIA                                                 analyse and learn user preferences, to record things it
                                                                                                                          thinks the user will like. The box can also access BBC
                                                              VIASAT CONTENT TO BE                                        iPlayer, YouTube, eBay, Twitter and Facebook, with more
                                     Edited by                AVAILABLE ON LG TV SETS                                     sites set to follow. Its arrival in the UK comes ahead of
                                                              Modern Times Group (MTG) has signed an agree-               BBC-backed IPTV initiative YouView and Google TV,
                         Branislav Pekic                                                                                  both of which are due to debut in the market in 2011.
                                                              ment with LG Electronics in the Nordic region for
                                                              its Viasat OnDemand pay-TV services to be avail-
EUROPE                                                        able directly on all LG TV sets enabled with NetCast
                                                              functionality. The online on-demand pay-TV service          NORTH AMERICA
                                                              features live sports content, hundreds of episodes
GERMANY                                                       of hit shows—with programming from TV3, TV6 and             CANADA
                                                              TV8 in Sweden; TV3 and Viasat4 in Norway; and TV3
T-HOME ADDS HDTV CHANNELS                                     and TV3+ in Denmark—and some 200 feature films.              BELL FIBE TV ADDS 7 START CHANNELS
TO IPTV OFFERING                                                                                                          Bell Fibe TV has added 4 South Asian Star channels
Deutsche Telekom launched a new HD package for its            TURKEY                                                      and three Star Mandarin-language channels to its IPTV
IPTV service T-Home Entertain in December. The new                                                                        line-up. The channels launched include Star One, Star
package initially offers six channels: TNT Film HD, TNT HD    TTNET ROLLS OUT IPTV                                        India Gold, Star India News, Star Vijay, Star Chinese
Series, Syfy HD, HD SPORT1, Classica HD and Planet HD.        SERVICE NATIONWIDE                                          Channel, Star Chinese Movies 2 and Channel V Taiwan.
A seventh channel, AXN HD, will be added to the package       TTNET has started the rollout of a new IPTV service
in February 2011. The channel will be available to all cus-   called IPtivibu nationwide across 81 cities, using          UNITED STATES
tomers with a VDSL connection for €9.95 per month. At the     HD set-top boxes and wireless ADSL gateways from
end of 3Q, the IPTV service had 1.04 million subscribers.     AirTies. The ISP has opted for AirTies Air 7120 set-top     DISH NETWORK EXPANDS DISH WORLD IPTV
                                                              boxes and WAV-275, an all-in-one ADSL2 modem and            The Dish World IPTV service now offers access to the
PORTUGAL                                                      VoIP residential gateway solution capable of stream-        largest Arabic-speaking channel line-up in the U.S. The
                                                              ing personal media including photos, music and video        service distributes select Dish Network international
ZON LAUNCHES NEW ZON                                          wirelessly to devices on the home network. The Air          programming via broadband to the television without
FIBRE 360 MBPS SERVICE                                        7120 set-top box also comes with NAND flash storage          the need for a satellite dish. Its line-up of popular Arabic
Zon has launched its new service Zon Fibra 360,               and offers pause-live TV functionality as standard.         channels includes Al Jazeera, MBC, ART America,
which includes download speeds of 360 Mbps and                                                                            Dream 2, Murr TV, with packages start at just $29.99.
upload speeds of 24 Mbps. These speeds are being              UNITED KINGDOM
sold only in packages that also include the TV pack-
age with more than 120 channels and fixed telephony            VIRGIN MEDIA PRESENTS TIVO STB                              LATIN AMERICA
with unlimited calls. According to the operator,              Virgin Media has unveiled details of its new TiVo-powered
this is first global launch of a commercial service            set-top box, featuring access to an app store and 1TB       ARGENTINA
supported by the EuroDOCSIS 3.0 standard.                     hard drive, capable of holding some 500 hours of SD
                                                              programming. It uses TiVo’s recommendation engine to        TDA LAUNCHES VOD SERVICE OVER ADSL
Telefonica de Argentina (TdA) has launched a VOD
service over its Speedy ADSL broadband network.
                                                              INDIA                                                           AFRICA
On Demand subscribers have unlimited access to                BHARTI AIRTEL LAUNCHES
a library of content, including a wide variety of TV          IPTV IN BANGALORE                                               EGYPT
programmes and movies. The service is priced at ARS           Bharti Airtel has launched IPTV services in Bangalore, fol-
39.90 (USD 10.20) per month, with no activation fee;          lowing a successful run in the Delhi NCR region. The oper-      ERTU TO LAUNCH VOD SERVICE
subscribers must have a minimum broadband con-                ator currently offers 42 linear channels on its IPTV service,   ERTU is preparing to launch its first internet TV and
nection speed of 1Mbps to access the VOD offering.            as well as time-shift capabilities and interactive services.    VOD service. The broadcaster operates a bouquet of
                                                                                                                              channels in the region, will make its content avail-
BRAZIL                                                        SAUDI ARABIA                                                    able through internet-connected TVs, computers and
                                                                                                                              mobile devices. The service will be accessed by a
GVT TEAMS UP WITH ERICSSON FOR IPTV                           SAUDI TELECOM SELECTS ALCATEL-LUCENT                            home hub set-top box, which will also allow viewers
GVT has signed a contract with Ericsson to deploy             Saudi Telecom Company (STC) has selected Alcatel-
                                                                                                                              to surf the web and buy entertainment applications.
the platform for its pay-TV service to be launched in         Lucent as a technology partner in its plans for a
2011. The operator’s plan is to launch a program grid         major expansion of its broadband access network.
including linear channels, interactive services such          The operator has deployed Alcatel-Lucent’s Intel-
as remote recording of programs, watching programs            ligence Services Access Manager (ISAM) platform,                WORLD
up to 30 days, on-demand video along with access to           which enables the delivery of high-speed broadband
internet content like YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.          multimedia services including data, IPTV, VoIP and              GLOBAL IPTV SUBSCRIBERS
                                                              video-on-demand. The large-scale project will leverage
GVT has yet to select the supplier of set-top boxes.                                                                          TOP 40 MILLION
                                                              Alcatel-Lucent’s VDSL2 and GPON technologies.
                                                                                                                              At the end of September 2010 IPTV subscribers globally
                                                              SOUTH KOREA                                                     stood at 40.5 million, having increased by almost 8%
ASIA & PACIFIC                                                                                                                from the previous quarter and by 37% over the last four
                                                              IPTV OPERATORS REACH 3                                          quarters. TeleGeography’s database now counts IPTV
CHINA                                                         MILLION SUBSCRIBERS                                             subscribers at 160 service providers in 74 countries, with
                                                              IPTV has grown to take up about 30% of the pay-TV market        at least 15 more operators about to join the list, which
CHINA BUILDS NATIONAL IPTV NETWORK                            with subscribers surpassing 3 million in December 2010.         will boost the country count to 78. The lead country for
China has built a national platform network for online TV     KT, which has the largest number of subscribers (over           subscribers remains France, accounting for no fewer than
broadcasts. The IPTV platform is divided into two tiers,      1.64 million), provides 119 different channels, 90,000          24% of global subscribers. It is followed by the US (16%),
namely the central level, which will provide programmes       episodes of VOD as well as 3D content. SK Broadband,
                                                                                                                              China (16%), South Korea (8%), Japan (4%), Germany (3%)
catering to all audiences throughout the country, and         which comes in second with 691,025 subscribers, features
the local level, which will provide more programmes                                                                           and Hong Kong (3%). China has by far the highest growth
                                                              89 channels and 60,000 VOD episodes on its B tv, but dif-
designed for audiences in specific regions. It has capacity   ferentiates itself by providing real-time broadcast on IPTV.    rate and China Telecom is already the service provider
for 100 SD channels, 15 HD channels and 20,000 hours of       LG Uplus has 597,905 subscribes for its U+ TV Smart 7           with the highest number of IPTV subscribers. Second is
VOD services. It is already available in five pilot regions   service which offers 91 different channels and allows sub-      Iliad (France), followed by Verizon (US), France Telecom,
in Sichuan, Hubei, Beijing, Shenzhen and Shandong.            scribers to browse the Internet and TV application store.       AT&T (US), SFR (France), Korea Telecom and NTT (Japan).


                                                                                  www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 —
                                                                                                                   1               TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine    153
INTELSAT 10-02 - Europe, Middle East, North India ◄ 359.2 East (000.8 West)
                                                                                                                                C-Band: INTELSAT 10-02 - Europe, Africa, South East Asia ◄ 359.2 East (000.8 West)
                                                                                                                                                       THOR 5, 6 - Europe ◄ 359.2 East (000.8 West)
                                                                                                                                AMOS 2, 3 - Europe, Middle East ◄ 356.0 East (004.0 West)
                                                                                                                                      THOR 3 - Europe ◄ 356.0 East (004.0 West)
                                                                                                                      ATLANTIC BIRD 3 - Europe ◄ 355.0 East (005.0 West)
                                                                               C-Band: ATLANTIC BIRD 3 - Africa, Europe, Middle America ◄ 355.0 East (005.0 West)
                                                                            NILESAT 101, 102, 201, ATLANTIC BIRD 4A - Middle East ◄ 353.0 East (007.0 West)
                                                                             ATLANTIC BIRD 2 - Europe, America, Middle East ◄ 352.0 East (008.0 West)
                                                                                             EXPRESS AM44 - Middle East ◄ 349.0 East (011.0 West)
                                                          C-Band: EXPRESS AM44 - Europe, North Africa, Middle East ◄ 349.0 East (011.0 West)
                                                                            ATLANTIC BIRD 1 - Europe, America ◄ 347.5 East (012.5 West)
                                                                     TELSTAR 12 - Europe, South Africa, Am. ◄ 345.0 East (015.0 West)
                                                                     INTELSAT 901 - Europe, Middle East ◄ 342.0 East (018.0 West)
                                        C-Band: INTELSAT 901 - Europe, Africa, Atlantic Ocean Region ◄ 342.0 East (018.0 West)
                                                                          C-Band: NSS 5 - Africa ◄ 340.0 East (020.0 West)
                                                   NSS 7 - Europe, MIddle East, Africa, America ◄ 338.0 East (022.0 West)
                                                    C-Band: NSS 7 - Europe, Africa, America ◄ 338.0 East (022.0 West)
                                                                  INTELSAT 905 - Europe ◄ 335.5 East (024.5 West)
                                      C-Band: INTELSAT 905 - Europe, Africa, America ◄ 335.5 East (024.5 West)
                                                            INTELSAT 907 - Europe ◄ 332.5 East (027.5 West)
                                 C-Band: INTELSAT 907 - Europe, Africa, America ◄ 332.5 East (027.5 West)
                                           HISPASAT 1C, 1D - Europe, America ◄ 330.0 East (030.0 West)
                                                     INTELSAT 903 - Europe ◄ 325.5 East (034.5 West)
                                           C-Band: INTELSAT 903 - Europe ◄ 325.5 East (034.5 West)
                                          TELSTAR 11N - Europe, Africa ◄ 322.5 East (037.5 West)
                            C-Band: NSS 10 - Europe, Africa, America ◄ 322.5 East (037.5 West)




                                                                                                             Satellites
                                                   NSS 806 - Europe ◄ 319.5 East (040.5 West)
                               C-Band: NSS 806 - America, Europe ◄ 319.5 East (040.5 West)
                                            INTELSAT 11 - Brazil ◄ 317.0 East (043.0 West)
                                  C-Band: INTELSAT 11 - Brazil ◄ 315.0 East (043.0 West)
          INTELSAT 14 - Europe, North Africa, South America ◄ 315.0 East (045.0 West)
                            C-Band: INTELSAT 14 - America ◄ 315.0 East (045.0 West)
                                    INTELSAT 1R - America ◄ 315.0 East (050.0 West)
                         C-Band: INTELSAT 1R - America ◄ 315.0 East (045.0 West)




                                                                                                     World
                               INTELSAT 707 - America ◄ 307.0 East (053.0 West)
               C-Band: INTELSAT 707 - America, Africa ◄ 307.0 East (053.0 West)
                    C-Band: INTELSAT 805 - America ◄ 304.5 East (055.5 West)
                INTELSAT 9 - Mexico, Brazil, Europe ◄ 302.0 East (058.0 West)




                                                                                                                of the
                     C-Band: INTELSAT 9 - America ◄ 302.0 East (058.0 West)
                   C-Band: INTELSAT 16 - America ◄ 302.0 East (058.0 West)
            AMAZONAS 1 - Brazil, South America ◄ 299.0 East (061.0 West)
                C-Band: AMAZONAS 1 - America ◄ 299.0 East (061.0 West)
                  AMAZONAS 2 - North America ◄ 299.0 East (061.0 West)
                     ECHOSTAR 12,15 - Conus ◄ 298.5 East (061.5 West)
                TELSTAR 14 - Brazil, Mercosul ◄ 297.0 East (063.0 West)
                         STARONE C1 - Brazil ◄ 295.0 East (065.0 West)
      C-Band: STARONE C1 - South America ◄ 295.0 East (065.0 West)
                        STARONE C2 - Brazil ◄ 290.0 East (070.0 West)
     C-Band: STARONE C2 - South America ◄ 290.0 East (070.0 West)
                     AMC 6 - North America ◄ 288.0 East (072.0 West)
            C-Band: AMC 6 - North America ◄ 288.0 East (072.0 West)
             DIRECTV 1R, NIMIQ 5 - Conus ◄ 287.5 East (072.5 West)
              HORIZONS 2 - North America ◄ 286.0 East (074.0 West)
            C-Band: BRASILSAT B3 - Brazil ◄ 285.0 East (075.0 West)
        ECHOSTAR 4, 8 - America, Mexico ◄ 283.0 East (077.0 West)
         SIMON BOLIVAR - South America ◄ 282.0 East (078.0 West)
 C-Band: SIMON BOLIVAR - South America ◄ 282.0 East (078.0 West)
                  AMC 2,5 - North America ◄ 281.0 East (079.0 West)
                          NIMIQ 4 - Canada ◄ 278.0 East (082.0 West)
                    AMC 9 - North America ◄ 277.0 East (083.0 West)
            C-Band: BRASILSAT B4 - Brazil ◄ 276.0 East (084.0 West)
                   AMC 16 - North America ◄ 275.0 East (085.0 West)
                     AMC 3 - North America ◄ 273.0 East (087.0 West)
             C-Band: AMC 3 - North America ◄ 273.0 East (087.0 West)
                       GALAXY 28 - America ◄ 271.0 East (089.0 West)
              C-Band: GALAXY 28 - America ◄ 271.0 East (089.0 West)
                            NIMIQ 1 - Canada ◄ 269.0 East (091.0 West)
                  GALAXY 17 - North America ◄ 269.0 East (091.0 West)
         C-Band: GALAXY 17 - North America ◄ 269.0 East (091.0 West)
                   GALAXY 25 - North America ◄ 266.9 East (093.1 West)
                    GALAXY 3C - North America ◄ 265.0 East (095.0 West)
            C-Band: GALAXY 3C - North America ◄ 265.0 East (095.0 West)
                      GALAXY 19 - North America ◄ 263.0 East (097.0 West)
              C-Band: GALAXY 19 - North America ◄ 263.0 East (097.0 West)
                       GALAXY 16 - North America ◄ 261.0 East (099.0 West)
                C-Band: GALAXY 16 - North America ◄ 261.0 East (099.0 West)
                             DIRECTV 4S, 8 - America ◄ 259.0 East (101.0 West)
                                 SES 1 - North America ◄ 259.0 East (101.0 West)
                         C-Band: SES 1 - North America ◄ 259.0 East (101.0 West)
                                   AMC 1 - North America ◄ 257.0 East (103.0 West)
                           C-Band: AMC 1 - North America ◄ 257.0 East (103.0 West)
                                     AMC 15 - North America ◄ 255.0 East (105.0 West)
                             C-Band: AMC 18 - North America ◄ 255.0 East (105.0 West)
                                      ANIK F1R - North America ◄ 252.7 East (107.3 West)
                              C-Band: ANIK F1R - North America ◄ 252.7 East (107.3 West)
                                  C-Band: ANIK F1 - South America ◄ 252.7 East (107.3 West)
                                         ECHOSTAR 10, 11 - America ◄ 250.0 East (110.0 West)
                                                  DIRECTV 5 - America ◄ 250.0 East (110.0 West)
                                                ANIK F2 - North America ◄ 248.9 East (111.1 West)
                                          C-Band: ANIK F2 - North America ◄ 248.9 East (111.1 West)
                                                        SATMEX 6 - America ◄ 247.0 East (113.0 West)
                                                  C-Band: SATMEX 6 - America ◄ 247.0 East (113.0 West)
                                                             SATMEX 5 - America ◄ 243.2 East (116.8 West)
                                                       C-Band: SATMEX 5 - America ◄ 243.2 East (116.8 West)
                                                                      ANIK F3 - Conus ◄ 241.0 East (119.0 West)
                                                               C-Band: ANIK F3 - America ◄ 241.0 East (119.0 West)
                                                                     ECHOSTAR 14 - Conus ◄ 241.0 East (119.0 West)
                                                                          DIRECTV 7S - Conus ◄ 241.0 East (119.0 West)
                                                        ECHOSTAR 9, GALAXY 23 - North America ◄ 239.0 East (121.0 West)
                                                   C-Band: ECHOSTAR 9, GALAXY 23 - North America ◄ 239.0 East (121.0 West)
                                                                             GALAXY 18 - North America ◄ 237.0 East (123.0 West)
                                                                        C-Band: GALAXY 18 - North America ◄ 237.0 East (123.0 West)
                                                                             C-Band: GALAXY 14 - North America ◄ 235.0 East (125.0 West)
                                                                                              AMC 21 - North America ◄ 235.0 East (125.0 West)
                                                                                 GALAXY 13, HORIZONS 1 - North America ◄ 233.0 East (127.0 West)
                                                                            C-Band: GALAXY 13, HORIZONS 1 - North America ◄ 233.0 East (127.0 West)
                                                                                                                    CIEL 2 - America ◄ 231.0 East (129.0 West)


TELE
                                                                                                         C-Band: AMC 11 - North America ◄ 229.0 East (131.0 West)
                                 GLOBAL                                                                     C-Band: GALAXY 12 - North America ◄ 227.0 East (133.0 West)
                                 DIGITAL TV
satellite
                                                                                                                        C-Band: AMC 10 - North America ◄ 225.0 East (135.0 West)
                                 MAGAZINE                                                                                         C-Band: AMC 7 - North America ◄ 223.0 East (137.0 West)
                                                                                                                                            C-Band: AMC 8 - North America ◄ 221.0 East (139.0 West)
002.0 East ► ASTRA 1C - Europe
                 002.8 East ► C-Band: Rascom QAF 1 - Africa
                               004.0 East ► EUROBIRD 4A - Europe, Asia
                                          004.8 East ► ASTRA 4A, 1E - Europe
                                                  007.0 East ► EUTELSAT W3A - Europe, Africa
                                                         009.0 East ► EUROBIRD 9A - Europe
                                                               010.0 East ► EUTELSAT W2A - Europe
                                                                     010.0 East ► C-Band: EUTELSAT W2A - Global
                                                                           013.0 East ► HOTBIRD 6,8,9 - Europe, Middle East
                                                                                015.8 East ► EUTELSAT W2M - Europe, Madagascar
                                                                                    015.8 East ► EUROBIRD 16 - Europe, Madagascar
                                                                                         015.8 East ► EUTELSAT SESAT 1 - Europe
                                                                                             017.0 East ► Amos 5I - North Africa, Middle East
                                                                                                 017.0 East ► C-Band: Amos 5I - Africa, Middle East
                                                                                                    019.2 East ► ASTRA 1H,1KR,1L,1M - Europe
                                                                                                        020.0 East ► C-Band: ARABSAT 2B - Africa, Middle East
                                                                                                           021.6 East ► EUTELSAT W6 - Europe, Asia, West Africa
                                                                                                              023.5 East ► ASTRA 3A,3B - Europe
                                                                                                                 025.5 East ► EUROBIRD 2 - Europe, Asia
                                                                                                                    026.0 East ► BADR 4,5,6 - North Africa, Middle East
                                                                                                                       028.2 East ► EUROBIRD 1 - Europe
                                                                                                                         028.2 East ► ASTRA 2B - Europe, Nigeria
                                                                                                                            028.2 East ► ASTRA 2A,2D - Europe
                                                                                                                               030.5 East ► ARABSAT 5A - Middle East
                                                                                                                                 030.5 East ► C-Band: ARABSAT 5A - Asia,Middle East
                                                                                                                                   031.5 East ► ASTRA 1G - Europe
                                                                                                                                     033.0 East ► EUROBIRD 3- Europe
                                                                                                                                       036.0 East ► EUTELSAT W7 - Europe , South Africa, Asia, Russia
                                                                                                                                         036.0 East ► EUTELSAT W4 - Russia, Nigeria, Africa
                                                                                                                                           038.0 East ► PAKSAT 1 - Pakistan, North India
                                                                                                                                             038.0 East ► C-Band: PAKSAT 1 - Pakistan, India, Middle East, Africa
                                                                                                                                              039.0 East ► HELLAS SAT 2 - Europe, Middle East, Asia
                                                                                                                                                040.0 East ► EXPRESS AM1 - Europe, Russia
                                                                                                                                                  040.0 East ► C-Band: EXPRESS AM1 - Europe, Russia
                                                                                                                                                   042.0 East ► TURKSAT 2A - Europe, Russia
                                                                                                                                                     042.0 East ► TURKSAT 3A - Europe, Russia, North India
                                                                                                                                                      045.0 East ► INTELSAT 12 - India, South Africa, Middle East, Europe
                                                                                                                                                        049.0 East ► C-Band: YAMAL 202 - Global
                                                                                                                                                         053.0 East ► EXPRESS AM22 -Europe, Middle East, North India
                                                                                                                                                          055.0 East ► C-Band: INSAT 3E - India
                                                                                                                                                           056.0 East ► BONUM 1 - East Russia
                                                                                                                                                             057.0 East ► NSS 12 - Europe, Russia, Africa, India
                                                                                                                                                              057.0 East ► C-Band: NSS 12 - Europe, Russia, Africa, India, Global
                                                                                                                                                               060.0 East ► INTELSAT 904 - Europe
                                                                                                                                                                060.0 East ► C-Band: INTELSAT 904 - Europe, Africa, Global
                                                                                                                                                                 062.0 East ► INTELSAT 902 - Europe, Middle East
                                                                                                                                                                 062.0 East ► C-Band: INTELSAT 902 - Europe, China, Australia, South Africa, Global
                                                                                                                                                                  064.2 East ► INTELSAT 906 - India, Nepal
                                                                                                                                                                   064.2 East ► C-Band: INTELSAT 906 - Europe, Africa, South India, Global
                                                                                                                                                                    066.0 East ► INTELSAT 702 -Europe,Russia
                                                                                                                                                                     068.5 East ► INTELSAT 7 - South Africa
                                                                                                                                                                     068.5 East ► INTELSAT 10 - Africa, Europe, Middle East
                                                                                                                                                                      068.5 East ► C-Band: INTELSAT 10 - Global
                                                                                                                                                                      070.5 East ► EUTELSAT W5 - Europe,Middle East, India
                                                                                                                                                                       074.0 East ► INSAT 4CR - India
                                                                                                                                                                       074.0 East ► C-Band: INSAT 3C - India
                                                                                                                                                                        075.0 East ► ABS-1 - Europe, Asia, Middle East
                                                                                                                                                                        075.0 East ► C-Band: ABS-1 - Global
                                                                                                                                                                        075.0 East ► EUTELSAT W75 - Middle East, North India, China
                                                                                                                                                                        076.5 East ► APSTAR 2R - North East Asia
                                                                                                                                                                         076.5 East ► C-Band: APSTAR 2R - Global
                                                                                                                                                                         078.5 East ► THAICOM 5 - Thailand
                                                                                                                                                                         078.5 East ► C-Band: THAICOM 5 - India,China,Thailand, Global
                                                                                                                                                                         080.0 East ► C-Band: EXPRESS MD1 - Russia, North India
                                                                                                                                                                         083.0 East ► INSAT 4A - India
                                                                                                                                                                         083.0 East ► C-Band: INSAT 4A - India, Middle East
                                                                                                                                                                         083.0 East ► INSAT 3B - India
                                                                                                                                                                         083.0 East ► C-Band: INSAT 2E - Asia, Middle East, Europe
                                                                                                                                                                         085.2 East ► INTELSAT 15 - Middle East
                                                                                                                                                                         087.5 East ► C-Band: CHINASAT 5A - China, India, Midle East
                                                                                                                                                                         088.0 East ► ST 1 - India, Malaysia
                                                                                                                                                                        088.0 East ► C-Band: ST 1 - India, Thailand
                                                                                                                                                                        090.0 East ► YAMAL 201 - Russia, North India
                                                                                                                                                                        090.0 East ► C-Band: YAMAL 201 - Russia, North India
                                                                                                                                                                       091.5 East ► MEASAT 3 - Malaysia, South Asia
                                                                                                                                                                       091.5 East ► C-Band: MEASAT 3 -Global, Thailand, Australia, East Asia
                                                                                                                                                                      091.5 East ► C-Band: MEASAT 3A -Global
                                                                                                                                                                      092.2 East ► CHINASAT 9 - China
                                                                                                                                                                     093.5 East ► INSAT 3A,4B - India
                                                                                                                                                                     093.5 East ► C-Band: INSAT 3A,4B - India, Middle East
                                                                                                                                                                    095.0 East ► NSS 6 - India, Middle East, South Africa, North East & East Asia, Australia
                                                                                                                                                                   096.5 East ► C-Band: EXPRESS AM 33 - Asia, Russia,China
                                                                                                                                                                  100.5 East ► ASIASAT 5 - East Asia, India, Middle East, Thailand
                                                                                                                                                                  100.5 East ► C-Band: ASIASAT 5 - Global
                                                                                                                                                                 103.0 East ► C-Band: EXPRESS A2 - Russia, China
                                                                                                                                                                105.5 East ► ASIASAT 3S - East Asia, South Asia, Australia
                                                                                                                                                               105.5 East ► C-Band: ASIASAT 3S - Global
                                                                                                                                                              108.0 East ► NSS 11 - South Asia, North East Asia, China
                                                                                                                                                             108.0 East ► C-Band: TELKOM 1 - Indonesia
                                                                                                                                                           108.0 East ► SES 7 - South Asia, Australia
                                                                                                                                                          110.0 East ► BSAT 2A,3A, N-SAT 110 - Japan
                                                                                                                                                         110.5 East ► C-Band: CHINASAT 5B - China, Asia Pacific
                                                                                                                                                        113.0 East ► KOREASAT 5 - South Korea, North East Asia
                                                                                                                                                      113.0 East ► C-Band: PALAPA D - Asia, Australia
                                                                                                                                                     115.5 East ► C-Band: CHINASAT 6B - Global
                                                                                                                                                   116.0 East ► ABS 7 - South Korea
                                                                                                                                                  122.0 East ► ASIASAT 4 - East Asia, Australia
                                                                                                                                                122.0 East ► C-Band: ASIASAT 4 - Global
                                                                                                                                              124.0 East ► JCSAT 4A - Japan
                                                                                                                                             125.0 East ► C-Band: CHINASAT 6A - China
                                                                                                                                           128.0 East ► JCSAT 3A - Japan
                                                                                                                                         128.0 East ► C-Band: JCSAT 3A - Asia
                                                                                                                                       132.0 East ► VINASAT 1 - Vietnam
                                                                                                                                     132.0 East ► C-Band:VINASAT 1 - Asia, Australia
                                                                                                                                   132.0 East ► JCSAT 5A - Japan
                                                                                                                                 134.0 East ► APSTAR 6 - China
                                                                                                                               134.0 East ► C-Band: APSTAR 6 - Asia, Australia
                                                                                                                            138.0 East ► TELSTAR 18 - India, China
                                                                                                                          138.0 East ► C-Band: TELSTAR 18 - Asia, Australia
                                                                                                                       140.0 East ► EXPRESS AM3 - Russia, China
                                                                                                                    140.0 East ► C-Band: EXPRESS AM3 - Russia, China
                                                                                                                 144.0 East ► SUPERBIRD C2 - Japan
                                                                                                              146.0 East ► ABS 5- Myanamar
                                                                                                           146.0 East ► C-Band: ABS 5 - India, China
                                                                                                        150.0 East ► JCSAT 1B - Asia
                                                                                                     152.0 East ► OPTUS D2 - Australia, Newzealand
                                                                                                 154.0 East ► JCSAT 2A - Japan
                                                                                             154.0 East ► C-Band: JCSAT 2A - Asia&Oceania&Hawaii
                                                                                         156.0 East ► OPTUS C1,D3 - Australia, Newzealand
                                                                                     160.0 East ► OPTUS D1 - Australia, Newzealand
                                                                                162.0 East ► SUPERBIRD B2 - Japan
                                                                           166.0 East ► INTELSAT 8 - Australia, Newzealand, North East Asia
                                                                      166.0 East ► C-Band: INTELSAT 8 - Pacific
                                                                169.0 East ► C-Band: INTELSAT 5 - Pacific
                                                          172.0 East ► GE 23 - South Pacific, South East Pacific
                                                   172.0 East ► C-Band: GE 23 - Pacific                                                                    Copyright 2011 by TELE-satellite Magazine
                                          180.0 East ► INTELSAT 701 - Australia, Pacific
                                180.0 East ► C-Band: INTELSAT 701 - Pacific                                                                                                  www.TELE-satellite.com
INTERNATIONAL   TELE-satellite Magazine




    sed tellite?
Mis -sa
T ELE




Read
Previous Issues ONLINE
www.TELE-satellite.com
TELE-satellite Deadlines & Exhibitions
Number             Issue          Deadline           Hardcopies   Available Online


   1103    02-03/2011      3 December 2010      14 January 2011   28 January 2011
TELE-satellite Magazine 02-03/2011 will be displayed at these exhibitions:
8 - 10 February 2011
CABSAT Middle East North Africa MENA 2011
The Leading International Digital Media Event
for Middle East, Africa & South Asia
Sheikh Saeed Halls, Dubai International Convention
and Exhibition Centre, Dubai, UAE
www.cabsat.com


7 - 9 March 2011
DVB World 2011 - International Conference & Exhibition
The essential annual conference and exhibition dedicated
to DVB standards and their implementation
Hotel Le Méridien, Promenade des Anglais, Nice, France
www.dvbworld.org


23 - 25 March 2011
CCBN 2011
Asia-Pacific’s Largest Broadcasting Show
China International Exhibition Center, Beijing, China
www.ccbn.tv


   1105    04-05/2011      4 February 2011       18 March 2011        1 April 2011
TELE-satellite Magazine 04-05/2011 will be dispalyed at these exhibitions:
11 - 14 April 2011
NAB Show 2011
Where Content Comes to Life - The Essential Destination
for Broader-casting® Professionals
Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
www.nabshow.com


3 - 5 May 2011
ANGA Cable 2011
Trade Fair for Cable, Broadband and Satellite
Exhibitions & Congress Center, Cologne, Germany
www.angacable.com
eng TELE-satellite-1103
eng TELE-satellite-1103

eng TELE-satellite-1103

  • 1.
    TELE Published worldwide since 1981 in all major languages 1 03 1 satellite GLOBAL DIGITAL TV MAGAZINE IIIIIIII II II IIIIIIII B 9318 E 02-03/2011 Company Report SKYWORTH Jack Jiang Managed a Highly Successful South American Market Expansion Company Report JIUZHOU Huang Wei Makes a Big Move Into IPTV Production Company Report TRIMAX  DXer Report Jerry Chu’s Expansion Into Satellites in Tokyo New Sectors: A Smart Decision Big Dishes in Tokyo, An Uncommon Hobby in Japan Company Report SOWELL 30 TELE-satellite Eagle Chain and His Four Partners Built an OEM Out of an Engineering Firm Years of Digital TV Business Reporting 02-03/201 1 Test Report Golden Media UNI-BOX Perfect Family Receiver IPTV  Fiber Optics  Broadband
  • 3.
    TELE satellite Dear Readers, Address TELE-satellite Magazine Once again we are – as we have so often been lately – at a turning point: TV manufacturers PO Box 1234 are making a change and are looking to decide which tuner they should integrate into 85766 Munich-Ufg their TVs. For the past several decades the answer was obvious; an analog tuner had to GERMANY/EUROPA UNION be installed in every TV. But with the arrival of digital terrestrial TV, the answer wasn’t so clear anymore. A rather logical solution might have been to not install any kind of Editor-in-Chief Alexander Wiese tuner in the TV and let the customer simply decide what receiver to use. But this idea alex@TELE-satellite.com wouldn’t work. How can a manufacturer offer a TV set without a tuner to the customers? “HDMI Published by connectors and nothing else”? TV manufacturers TELE-satellite Medien GmbH could even do away with remote controls since Aschheimer Weg 19 85774 Unterfoehring they already come with every receiver. GERMANY/EUROPA UNION The truth is customers simply wouldn’t buy Hard Copy Subscription TVs like that even if the idea makes sense. It’s www.TELE-satellite.com/secure/eng/ the same with mobile telephones; they must Design include numerous features or else no one would Németi Barna Attila buy them even though these extra features have nothing to do with making a telephone Advertising call. TVs must also have a long list of features www.TELE-satellite.com/ads/ otherwise they’d never leave the store shelves. Printer TV manufacturers have no other choice but to Litografia Rosés integrate a TV tuner in their TVs and why not 08850 Gavà then a digital tuner for terrestrial TV. And while SPAIN/EUROPA UNION we’re at it, why not add a satellite TV tuner and on top of that, why not include IPTV? This would Copyright © 2011 by TELE-satellite eliminate the need for a receiver. ISSN 1435-7003 Not so fast, receivers won’t become obsolete that quickly, it’s actually quite the opposite. TV manufacturers first and foremost have to do what the customers want and that is to install tuners for digital terrestrial TV. Every buyer of a TV would be able to receive these signals and that’s exactly what they’d expect from a TV. But does this buyer also have a satellite system or a high speed Internet connection for IPTV? That’s a question unique to each individual situation. A TV will never include all of these different possibilities. Receiver manufacturers are far too innovative for that and are continuously expanding and modifying the receivers functions in every possible direction. Here’s only one example: radio reception will never be included in a TV yet every receiver is capable of radio reception. A media player or PVR are functions that TV manufacturers rarely have anything to do with since these functions really have nothing to do with what a TV is supposed to do. But they definitely are features that a customer would expect to find in a receiver. The chance that a TV will one day have all the features that a receiver has today is very unlikely. TVs will always include only basic features while all the extra functions will only be found in the external receiver now and in the future. The receiver is and will always be the focal point of your TV and media reception! TELE-satellite was established in 1981 and today is the oldest, largest and most-read digital tv trade magazine in the world. TELE-satellite is seen by more than 350,000 digital tv professionals around the world Alexander Wiese and is available both in printed Editor-in-Chief TELE-satellite form and online. www.TELE-satellite.com
  • 6.
    CONTENT GOLDEN MEDIA UNI-BOX 9080 CRCI HD PVR COMBO PLUS Digital HDTV PVR receiver with BlindScan Function ..................... 10 NETUP IPTV COMBINE 4X & AMINO AMINET130M IPTV Operator Software System & IPTV receiver....... 26 CLONE+ CARDSPLITTER Simple Distribution of PayTV Channels in Your Own Home.......... 46 Feature: The New IPTV Standard OIPF ...........54 Company Report: Receiver Manufacturer Company Report: SOWELL, China ............................. 104 IPTV Box Manufacturer JIUZHOU, China ..............................64 Company Overview: Best Digital TV Companies Company Report: of the World.................................. 112 Digital TV Meter Manufacturer TRIMAX, China ................................72 Feature: Silicon Tuners .............................. 128 DXer Report: Company Report: Satellite Enthusiasts in Japan .......... 146 Receiver Manufacturer Feature: SKYWORTH, China ...........................76 Single- and Multi Frequency Networks News: in Digital Terrestrial Television ......... 130 HDTV & 3D Programmes ................. 150 Company Report: PC Card Manufacturer Company Report: DTT of the World ........................ 154 TENOW, China .................................82 AZBox Distributor, Russia ............... 134 World Satellites .......................... 156 Company Report: City Report: OEM Receiver Manufacturer The Satellite Dealer from TELE-satellite Magazine GLOBALSAT, China ...........................90 Sidi Bel-Abbes ............................... 138 Worldwide .................................. 160 ADVERTISERS 8DTEK ........................................37 DVB-WORLD 2011 .................... 103 SATCATCHER ..............................89 ABC-BIZNIS ...............................33 FULAN ELECTRONICS .................. 5 SATELLITE GUYS ...................... 152 AB IPBOX ..............................44-45 GLOBALINVACOM .......................61 SATFINDER............................... 147 ALUOSAT .................................. 107 GLOBALSAT ................................49 SEATEL .......................................21 AMIKO ........................................71 GOLDENMEDIA ........................... 41 SKYWORTH ................................. 7 ANGA 2011 .................................69 HORIZON ...................................85 SMARTWI ...................................15 AZBOX ...................................... 163 HUBER+SUHNER ........................ 2 SOWELL......................................29 AZURE SHINE ........................... 135 ICECRYPT ................................... 4 SPAUN ........................................47 BOIINGSAT ................................53 INFOSAT................................... 103 STREAM ......................................87 BOXSAM .....................................75 INPAX ........................................63 SVEC ..........................................13 BYA ELECTRONIC...................... 131 JIUZHOU .................................. 164 TEHNICB .................................. 145 CABSAT 2011 ..............................79 MFC .......................................... 135 CCBN 2011 .................................93 MOTECK.................................... 143 TENOW .......................................19 COMMUNICASIA 2011 ................99 NABSHOW 2011 .................. 57, 139 TEVII ....................................... 109 CNBROADCASTING................... 153 NETUP ........................................95 TOPREAL .................................. 101 CONVERGENCE INDIA 2011...... 159 PYCH ........................................ 141 TOOWAY ................................... 147 DISHPOINTER .......................... 145 PREVAIL ................................ 24-25 TRIMAX .................................... 109 DOEBIS .................................... 8-9 ROGETECH................................ 151 WEISS ...................................... 131 DOEBIS-JAEGER .........................59 SATBEAMS ................................ 143 YINHE ........................................67 6 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 10.
    TEST REPORT HDTV Receiver Golden Media UNI-BOX 9080 CRCI HD PVR COMBO Plus A PVR Receiver with an Exceptional BlindScan Function • Whoever designed the housing of Golden Media’s UNI-BOX 9080 deserves a pat on the back. It’s very pleasing to the eye and would nicely adorn any TV rack or living room cabinet. The front panel sports an elegant black see-through Plexiglas flap behind which you’ll find eight buttons that can be used to fully control the UNI-BOX 9080 should the remote control go missing. You’ll also find two integrated card readers as well as a CI slot behind this flap. While the card reader is only compatible with the Conax encryption system, the CI slot can communicate with every type of module, for example, Irdeto, Cryptoworks, Seca or Viaccess. 02-03/201 1 Golden Media UNI-BOX 9080 CRCI HD PVR COMBO Plus Perfect family receiver but also a top choice for the satellite DXer thanks to its high-speed BlindScan function 10 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 11.
    TELE-satellite World www.TELE-satellite.com/... Download this report in other languages from the Internet: Arabic ‫ﺍﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ‬ www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/ara/goldenmedia.pdf Indonesian Indonesia www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/bid/goldenmedia.pdf A VFD display can be found fit your needs. DVB-S2 and German Deutsch www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/deu/goldenmedia.pdf in the middle of the front DVB-C as well as DVB-T and English English www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/goldenmedia.pdf Spanish Español www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/esp/goldenmedia.pdf panel and is very easy to read DVB-C combinations are French Français www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/fra/goldenmedia.pdf even if the front panel flap is available from the manufac- Hebrew ‫עברית‬ www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/heb/goldenmedia.pdf Chinese 中文 www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/man/goldenmedia.pdf closed. When the receiver is turer. Polish Polski www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/pol/goldenmedia.pdf on, it shows information on Portuguese Português www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/por/goldenmedia.pdf the currently selected chan- An absolute must for any Russian Русский www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/rus/goldenmedia.pdf Turkish Türkçe www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/tur/goldenmedia.pdf nel, the time as well as tech- HDTV receiver is an HDMI Available online starting from 28 January 2011 nical parameters using small output that can provide icons. the best possible audio and video quality to the TV. In grammable 0/12V output as trol’s plastic housing, the but- Looking at the rear panel addition the manufacturer well as a main power switch tons themselves are covered of this new Golden Media included Scart jacks (for use so that the receiver can be with a slip-free surface that receiver is also a joy. The in Europe), six RCA jacks for completely disconnected makes the entire remote con- first thing you notice is the YUV, stereo audio and com- from the power source. trol comfortable to use. The two tuners; our test receiver posite video plus an RJ45 excellent multi-language user came equipped with DVB-S2 jack, an optical digital audio We were also very pleased manual also included in the and DVB-T HDTV tuners. output, an RS232 serial inter- with the included remote con- package must also be men- Since these tuners are plug- face and since this is a PVR trol. It sits comfortable in your tioned. Even though at first in modules, it is possible to box you’ll also find a USB 2.0 hand plus all the buttons are glance it seemed to be some- customize the receiver with port. To top it all off, the rear legibly labeled and organized what unorganized, in the end a combination of tuners that panel also comes with a pro- in a very logical manner. In the user manual was able to contrast to the remote con- answer every question that popped up during our tests and should therefore be an outstanding source of infor- mation for the user at home. 0.55 All in all, we were very happy with the receiver’s quality; we were impressed with its design and even with the remote control and user manual Golden Media did not spare any expense. When the UNI-BOX 9080 is turned on for the first time, an Installation Assistant did not appear as is the case with many other receivers. But it didn’t really matter; a single push of the Menu button immediately takes you to the Main Menu. And just like the elegant design of the receiv- er’s housing, the Main Menu is just as elegant and orga- nized. It consists of eight sub- menus that let you take care of all of the receiver’s settings and also let you access all of the receiver’s functions. Since this is a Combo receiver with two different tuners, the receiver naturally needs to be matched to two www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — 1 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 11
  • 12.
    More on ThisManufacturer Read TELE-satellite’s Company Report: GOLDEN MEDIA Manufacturer and Distributor, Germany www.cynextra.com receiver with an SCR system, and reliably during our tests. you’re in luck: the UNI-BOX An especially useful feature 9080 supports single-cable is the audible signal tone that solutions and lets you define can be activated so that it all its required parameters. isn’t necessary to repeatedly The extensive LNB settings look at the TV screen while are expanded even more with aligning the antenna. the ability to increase the LNB supply voltage by 0.5V. This Once all of the settings is a great idea! If your cable are correctly entered and run to the antenna is unusu- the receiver itself has been ally long, increasing the LNB matched to the antenna supply voltage by just 0.5V system, the next step would would be enough to overcome be the channel scan. The any larger-than-normal volt- channel scan is available in www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1009/eng/goldenmedia.pdf age drop that would occur in three different modes: satel- the cable. lite scan, manual transpon- different antenna setups. As UNI-BOX receiver is not yet der scan and of course the mentioned before, our test DVB-T2 compatible. An especially interesting BlindScan. Even though the receiver came with DVB-T feature for those who have receiver comes with two CI HDTV and DVB-S2 tuners. For DVB-S/S2 reception, older satellite systems would slots and two integrated card the necessary settings and be the 0/12V programmable readers, the channel scan can For DVB-T, the receiver options are far more exten- RCA output on the back of the be limited to only FTA (free) comes preprogrammed with a sive. The manufacturer receiver. It can be individually channels. You can also fur- list of DVB-T settings from a included a preprogrammed activated or deactivated via ther limit the scan to TV or total of 17 different regions. list of 44 European satellites. the settings menu for every radio only with one button- Most of these regions are in Unfortunately, Asian, Ameri- satellite entry. push on the remote control. Europe: Great Britain, Ger- can or Oceanic satellites are Golden Media also thought many, Greece, Slovenia, Den- not to be found in the list and In general we noticed with ahead when it came to the mark, Finland, Italy, Poland, even the included European the UNI-BOX 9080 that the Network scan; in our tests an Russia, Spain, Sweden, The satellite and transponder manufacturer at a variety of automatic scan of the HOT- Czech Republic and Slovakia. data is not all that up to date. points in the operating con- BIRD satellites at 13° east There are also settings for On the other hand, we were cept of the receiver incorpo- was completed in just over six Australia. These regional set- impressed with the variety of rated some really wonderful minutes and yielded 1427 TV tings take into account any the available LOF and DiSEqC ideas and bonus features that channels and 395 radio chan- differences there might be settings. make it all the more easier for nels. from one region to another the end user to play with this such as the frequency band The UNI-BOX 9080 sup- box. In the case of satellite With that in mind, we used or the channel plan. Nat- ports a range of DiSEqC pro- settings, it would be the auto- wanted to take a closer look urally you can manually scan tocols including 1.0 for the matic DiSEqC recognition. at the DVB-S2 tuner. There each desired frequency in the classic multifeed antenna were no hiccups whether it UHF or VHF band with indi- with up to four LNBs, 1.1 for Who hasn’t seen this prob- was SCPC reception with very vidual parameters. The UNI- the dual reflector dish with lem? The signals of multiple low symbolrates or whether BOX 9080 can also supply 5V up to 16 LNBs as well as 1.2 satellites are delivered by a it was reception of very weak at the DVB-T antenna input so and 1.3 (USALS) for use with DiSEqC switch with a single signals. It easily handled our that a signal amplifier could a motorized antenna. The cable to the receiver but then SCPC test transponder with a be used with an antenna with- available LOF settings were you can’t quite remember symbolrate of 1.240 Ms/sec. out the need of an external just as extensive: in addition which satellite is connected on INTELSAT 14 at 45° west power supply. to a universal Ku-band LNB, a to what DiSEqC port. For the as well as two very weak tran- C-band LNB can also be con- Golden Media UNI-BOX 9080 sponders on BADR at 26° east The red function button can nected. Thanks to the manual this is no problem at all; with while other similar receivers be used to start a fully auto- LOF entry, less popular LOFs the push of one button, the hardly even recognized those matic channel scan across the that are not preprogrammed receiver automatically looks signals. entire frequency band. In our in the receiver can be manu- at each port to identify which case the scan found all avail- ally entered. port the currently selected Over the past several years able DVB-T channels in 84 satellite is connected to. This we’ve tested quite a variety seconds. Unfortunately, the If you want to use this feature functioned quickly of BlindScan receivers here 12 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 14.
    1 at TELE-satellite but it’s safe range nor can you limit the to say that the UNI-BOX 9080 scan to only one polarization. can be ranked as one of the Nevertheless, it’s a function best. We started a BlindScan that’s an absolute ‘must have’ on HOTBIRD at 13° east and for every DXer and feed- were surprised that it finished hunter. the task in just about seven minutes. It found 1479 TV The entire installation pro- channels and 430 radio chan- cess is rounded off by two nels. At first we thought the more outstanding features: 2 receiver worked off of a pre- the first is the sub-menu pared channel list; there was “Automatic Installation”. This no other way to explain this feature takes much of the exceptional result in such setup work away from the a short time. So, we then end-user. In this mode the moved our roof antenna to receiver attempts to identify another satellite and started on its own what satellites – a new BlindScan. The UNI- even through a DiSEqC multi- BOX 9080 identified 287 TV switch – can be received with channels and 143 radio chan- the available equipment. The nels on TÜRKSAT at 42° east; automatic channel scan of all even the narrowband SCPC the receivable satellites can 3 transponders were recog- be started with the push of nized and stored in the chan- just one button. This feature nel list. worked very well in our tests and in addition to the usual To compare, we then suspects such as ASTRA performed a channel scan 19.2° east and HOTBIRD without the BlindScan func- 13.0° east, ASTRA2 at 28.2° tion using only the prepro- east and BADR at 26° east grammed transponder data were also recognized without from the manufacturer and any problems. achieved very meager results: only 25 TV and 3 radio chan- The second feature is an 4 nels were found on TÜRKSAT. azimuth and elevation cal- Additional tests of the Blind- culator. You have to enter in Scan function, for example, your local coordinates manu- on EUTELSAT 36° east, con- ally but they can easily be firm its incredible speed and found with Google maps or precision; even the narrowest some other Internet service. bandwidth SCPC transponder In return though, you’ll get all was easily recognized and the necessary parameters to processed. A more precise align your satellite antenna. presentation of the BlindScan test results can be seen in Once the UNI-BOX 9080 Table 1. The only drawback to has been set up with all the 5 the BlindScan function: you local parameters, it would be can’t set a specific frequency a good idea to take care of all HOTBIRD 13° Ost 7 Minutes 1479 TV and 430 Radio Channels TÜRKSAT 42° Ost 8 Minutes 287 TV and 143 Radio Channels EUTELSAT 36° Ost 10 Minutes 35 TV and 3 Radio Channels EXPRESS AM44 11° West 4 Minutes 19 TV and 1 Radio Channels ■ Table 1: BlindScan Results 1. Golden Media UNI-BOX 9080 Start Screen 2. The clear and concise Main Menu 3. Separate settings for DVB-S/2 und DVB-T Reception 4. Region selection for DVB-T reception 5. The extensive settings capabilities in DVB-S/2 mode 14 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 16.
    6 11 7 12 8 13 9 14 10 15 16 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 17.
    16 21 17 22 18 23 19 6. The UNI-BOX 9080 supports SCR single-cable solutions 7. Channel scan options 8. Automatic recognition of receivable satellites 9. Calculation of Azimuth and Elevation 10. Language selection 11. Eight timer positions are available 12. Various settings possibilities 13. Software update 14. Detailed information on the free space of a USD device 15. Network parameters can be set either via DHCP or manually 20 16. DVB-T channel scan 17. HD channels and encrypted programs are identified in the channel list by their own icons 18. Satellite selection 19. Channel list restricted to Irdeto encrypted channels only 20. Saving the channel list and all settings to a USB Stick 21. Channel list search function 22. Info bar with data on the current and upcoming program 23. Current programs in the EPG overview www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — 1 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 17
  • 18.
    the user-defined settingsas Indonesian, Slovenian, Swed- the local time difference from ture, some organization will well as matching the TV to the ish, Slovakian as well as a few GMT as well as activate or be needed. For this task the receiver setup. The receiv- other languages. deactivate daylight savings UNI-BOX 9080 comes with er’s OSD can communicate time (summer time). numerous possibilities all pre- with you in English, German, As you would expect with sented in a clear and easy-to- French, Italian, Russian, any good DVB-S2 receiver, We were surprised at the understand menu. Just like Spanish, Turkish, Portuguese, the internal real time clock extensive on-screen display with the EPG display and the Arabic, Polish, Ukrainian, Per- (RTC) is automatically set settings that were avail- channel list, the red function sian, Romanian, Hungarian, via the satellite signal. The able. In addition to standard button is used to limit the Croatian, Bulgarian, Czech, user, however, needs to set parameters such as display number of displayed chan- 24 timeout, display position or nels. It can be set to show transparency, you can also only those channels on a spe- set brightness, contrast and cific satellite, those using a color saturation. Be careful specific encryption system in adjusting these settings or those from a specific pro- though, as they also affect vider. The list can also be set the displayed TV picture. to display only HD channels as well as only those channels When connected to an LCD from one or the other tuner. or plasma TV, the UNI-BOX The remaining channels can 9080 can present the video be renamed, moved, deleted, signal via the HDMI output in locked with a PIN code or 25 480p, 576p, 720p 50 Hz, 720p skipped over. 60 Hz,1080i 50 Hz and 1080i 60 Hz. If you can’t or don’t Especially useful is the abil- want to use the HDMI output, ity to edit entire transponders the signal is also available in all at once, greatly simplify- RGB and YUV. You can also ing this task. Thanks to the select how a 4:3 signal can be powerful search function, displayed on a 16:9 screen. individual channels can be Using a dedicated button on found simply by entering the the remote control, the video first few letters of the channel format can be changed to name. Channels can also be match the currently received moved into one of 32 Favor- 26 signal. ites lists for easy access later. The channel list editing fea- All of these settings capa- tures are also available in the bilities are topped off with Favorites lists. the ability to select a fast or regular standby mode. In fast Once all the settings have standby mode, the receiver been dealt with, the receiver uses a little more power but has been matched to the comes out of standby much antenna system and the more quickly than in regular channel list has been filled, mode. Additionally, the VFD you can finally leave the Main display can be completely Menu. The UNI-BOX 9080 will 27 turned off in standby mode if then automatically switch desired. over to the first available channel. Once the channel list has been filled (8000 max) with Every time you change a thousands of channels thanks channel, a very detailed Info to the speedy BlindScan fea- bar appears momentarily that 24. The REC button can mark programs for recording directly in the EPG 25. Display of the technical parameters of a channel with a symbolrate of only 1.240 Ms/sec. 26. MP3 playback 27. JPEG display 18 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 20.
    provides information onthe very good and were about tion button, the displayed In the OSD settings you can current and upcoming chan- one second between two dif- channels can once again be select whether to show the nel. The icons that appear let ferent transponders. reduced to a specific satellite, channel list in one, two or the user know what additional package or Favorites. With three columns. A feature that features are included by the The electronic program the help of the yellow func- we don’t see very often is provider. For example, this guide (EPG) also turned out tion button as well as the REC the ability to use the colored could be teletext, subtitles, very well. It can be accessed button, timer entries can be function buttons to display various languages and EPG from a dedicated button on setup directly from the EPG. the EPG data of a channel data to name a few. As is typi- the remote control and is Up to eight timer settings are directly from the channel list. cal with every DVB receiver, available in four different available. It is also possible What could be better than a push of the Info button dis- modes: to set these timers to work skimming through the chan- plays expanded programming on a daily, weekly, monthly, nel list and pushing a single information with a description Current – the current EPG weekday or weekend basis. button to read more about of the program assuming of data from five channels is dis- So, it really doesn’t matter the currently selected pro- course that this data is made played anymore when your favorite gram? Deciding what to watch available by the provider. Next – the EPG data of the TV shows are shown, this out- couldn’t be any easier than next program is shown for standing timer function won’t this. The red function button For those more technically five channels let you miss any upcoming can also be used to reduce oriented, even more informa- More – EPG data in table episodes. the channel list to a certain tion is available by pressing format for five channels satellite, provider or content. the red function button: from Schedule – in this mode the If you use the receiver with- This same button can also be PIDs all the way to signal channel list is shown on the out an attached hard drive used to switch between the strength and quality, dozens left side while the EPG data and therefore can’t record two reception modes; in our of parameters are displayed from the next couple of weeks any programs, you can use case it was DVB-T HDTV and that would raise the pulse of for the currently selected the timer function to provide DVB-S2. If you want to make any technician or DXer. channel is shown on the right a user-settable reminder as a small change to the chan- side. to when to switch over to the nel list while the receiver is in As far as this receiver’s desired channel. operation, the UNI-BOX 9080 picture and audio quality are It doesn’t matter which of provides the necessary tools concerned, we were very the four modes you select, The channel list of the for this task in a somewhat impressed during our tests they are all put together in Golden Media UNI-BOX 908 slimmed down graphical ver- regardless whether it was an organized fashion and also turned out quite well. sion. The blue function button an HD or SD channel. Chan- correctly present the EPG It can be displayed with the provides order in the channel nel switching times were also data. Thanks to the red func- single push of the OK button. list. It can be used to sort the 20 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 22.
    list based onfree or encrypted Naturally, the PVR can be be checked using the inte- also be updated via DVB-S, channels, encryption mode as used with both tuners regard- grated speed test function. DVB-T, USB and the RS232 well as alphabetically. All of less of what path the content The external storage devices interface, but in the end, the these channel list features uses to get into the receiver. can be formatted in either Internet is the most widely are available not only in TV If you’re not familiar with the FAT or NTFS. Obviously the used update method. The mode but also in radio mode. term PVR, we’d like to take a fact that this would delete required network param- Switching between modes moment and provide a brief any content already on them eters can be obtained by the is handled by pushing a explanation. The received is implied and doesn’t need to receiver automatically via button on the remote control. DVB signal is stored digitally be expanded on here. Since DHPC from a local network Thanks to the 32 Favorites and without any signal degra- Golden Media opted for exter- router or they can be manu- lists, thousands of channels dation on an internal or, in our nal storage devices with the ally entered by the user. can be properly organized. case, external storage device. UNI-BOX 9080, recorded con- Each family member can cus- During playback, all of the tent can be easily transferred And to top it all off, the UNI- tomize their own personal features you have come to to a PC where you can then, BOX 9080 also comes with Favorites list with their favor- know such as Pause and Fast- for example, convert it to a three integrated video games ite channels. Forward/Rewind at various DVD. that you can use to pass the speeds are available. Along time during those long com- The two internal card read- with this is the Time Shift fea- As with most PVR receiv- mercial breaks. ers and the CI slots had to ture that lets you pause a live ers, the Golden Media box also prove themselves using a transmission and then restart can also playback MP3 music We really enjoyed putting variety of modules and cards. it from the point where it was and display your vacation pic- the new UNI-BOX 9080 to the Unfortunately, the card read- stopped when you’re ready tures that were previously test here at our test center. It ers are only Conax compat- to continue watching. So, if stored on an external storage is an extremely user-friendly ible and are therefore limited for example a telephone call device. In our tests, as with receiver with every detail in their use. interrupts the movie you were everything else so far, this well thought out. It makes a watching, you can pause the feature functioned perfectly. perfect living room receiver As the name of the receiver movie, carry on your tele- for the entire family while its suggests, this box becomes phone conversation and then These external storage large selection of features, a true PVR receiver once an continue watching that movie devices need not only be used its stable operating software external storage device such after hanging up the phone for the PVR function or for and above all its outstand- as a USB hard drive or USB without missing a thing. storing MP3 and picture data, ing BlindScan function also stick is attached. Thanks to but they can also be used to make it very interesting for the speedy USB 2.0 connec- The UNI-BOX 9080 lets you comfortably install new firm- the professional user. Thanks tion, high resolution content time shift and record another ware as well as saving the to its BlindScan function, this can be recorded without any channel at the same time but receiver settings and the receiver has found a perma- problems. it would require a sufficiently channel list. And let’s not nent home here in our test fast storage device which can forget that the firmware can lab. 22 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 23.
    Expert Opinion TECHNICAL + DATA Distributor Golden Media, Cynextra GmbH As a Combo receiver, the UNI-BOX 9080 can Stuttgarter Straße 36, D-73635 Rudersberg receive DVB signals two different ways. The two Tel. +49 (0) 7183 / 30 777-0 integrated CI slots and card readers allow opera- tion with a variety of encryption systems. The Fax +49 (0) 7183 / 30 777-20 firmware did not give us any problems during our E-Mail info@cynextra.com Thomas Haring tests. TELE-satellite Website www.golden-media.net Up to 8000 channels can be stored in the receiv- Test Center Austria Model Golden Media UNI-BOX 9080 CRCI HD PVR COMBO Plus er’s channel memory; this is sufficiently large Function Digital HDTV dual tuner PVR receiver with enough so that this receiver can easily be connected to a motor- various Features & Blindscan, ized antenna system. SCR single-cable solutions are supported available tuners DVB-T HDTV, DVB-C, DVB-S/S2 as are all the different DiSEqC protocols. Channel Memory 8000 Both the DVB-T and DVB-S2 tuners are extremely sensitive; in Input range DVB-T 170-230 MHz, 470-860 MHz DVB-S2 mode the receiver had no trouble handling narrowband RF-input level DVB-T -70dBm to -8dBm SCPC signals or very weak signals. Demodulation DVB-T COFDM 2K/8K The outstanding BlindScan function deserves especially high praise! Input range DVB-S/2 950-2150 MHz Signal level DVB-S/2 -65dBm to -25 dBm - SCPC compatible yes Unfortunately, the included satellite and transponder data DiSEqC 1.0 / 1.1 / 1.2 / 1.3 is not all that up to date and there are only eight free timer USALS yes positions available. HDMI output yes Scart connector yes ENERGY Audio/Video outputs 6x RCA DIAGRAM Component video output yes S-Video output no UHF modulator no 0/12V connector yes Digital audio output yes EPG yes C/Ku-band compatible yes PVR-function yes Mode Apparent Active Factor USB 2.0 connector yes Regular StandBy 5W 2W 0.4 Apparent Power Active 27 W 15 W 0.55 Ethernet yes Active Power Fast StandBy 25 W 13 W 0.52 E-SATA no Power supply 100-250V AC 50/60Hz Power consumption 40W max. Dimensions 300x231x64mm First 15 minutes: StandBy (regular) - Second 15 minutes: Receiver boot-up, Weight 2kg then active operation with channel switching, recording, playback, etc. - Operating temperature 0°C to 45°C Third 15 minutes: Fast StandBy www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — 1 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 23
  • 26.
    TEST REPORT IPTV Operator Software System – Part 1 NetUP IPTV Combine 4x & Amino AmiNET130M Professional software for IPTV operators Thomas Haring • After having discussed the streaming function of the NetUP IPTV Combine 4x in TELE-satellite issue 10-11/2010 it is now time to have a closer look at all the features required to create a user-friendly OSD (on-screen display) for customers and to help them use all IPTV functions on the one hand, as well as to assist operators in maintaining full control over what type of content is available to end users, and what price they have to pay. ■ The IPTV Combine 4x was the focus of an in-depth test report in TELE-satellite issue 10-11/2010. ■ IPTV Combine 4x from NetUP – the core of the IPTV network presented in this report. 26 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 27.
    1 2 3 4 5 6 Basic configuration of the IPTV Combine 4x Middleware – channels find their way into the channel list, it creates a interface between user-friendly EPG (electronic 1. The United Control Center is an integrated feature of the IPTV Combine 4x server and can be directly downloaded from there end user and program guide) and – last 2. All IPTV receivers in the network can be provided with software updates from the central firmware update server IPTV network but by no means least – it 3. Various OSD themes (skins) can be created, edited and saved on the packages all information into IPTV server Middleware is a software 4. IPTV operators can decide to have OSD texts translated into any solution which takes care of a neat OSD system on the required language presenting IPTV content in IPTV receiver. 5. A web interface is available to launch, quit and adjust all IPTV Combine a visually pleasing way to 4x services Generally, there are two 6. The IPTV Combine 4x boasts 1TB of internal hard disk capacity to store customers of IPTV opera- VOD and nVOD content tors. It makes sure the right types of middleware that can www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — 1 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 27
  • 28.
    1 be used: Themore simple trol as well as marketing. there is the server end (IPTV version consists of the web Every time an IPTV network Combine 4x Server) which server which creates and is set up to make money you provides all required infor- provides HTML pages and need extended middleware, mation. And then there is the JavaScript applications, such as the IPTV Combine client end (IPTV receiver) which in turn are made 4x from Russian company which receives this infor- available to IPTV receivers NetUP. The receiver compo- mation, processes all data which then display all cor- nent of the NetUP middle- and creates a graphic user- responding information on ware is written in C++, runs interface. As these two com- 2 the end users‘ screens. In directly on the IPTV receiver ponents need to work very such a system the middle- and therefore allows lag-free closely with each other all ware takes over the role of use of all features, even in of the time, middleware and 3 Main menu of the NetUP middleware 1. United Control Center main menu 2. Thanks to a DNS server all services within an IPTV network can be addressed by name. While IP addresses can be used as well, they are no prerequisite. 3. List of existing TV and radio channels in the middleware 4. Adding a new TV channel complete with logo and station details 4 web server, while the IPTV box at the client end acts as web browser. While this is a system that can be set up and implemented easily, it does not serve any commer- cial purpose, as IPTV opera- tors have no billing option and no way of controlling access to content. The second middleware category is more complex, but at the same time more connection with a high-def- IPTV box must be compatible Combine 4x are partly con- versatile and much more for inition on-screen display, with each other. If the NetUP trolled via a web interface useful as a business appli- which is an important aspect IPTV Combine 4x is the mid- which is used to launch, cation. It is based on IPTV these days and – in particu- dleware of choice operators activate, deactivate and set boxes that are not only capa- lar – in future. can choose from a number up individual services such ble of displaying received of compatible IPTV boxes. as streaming, middleware, information, but can also For the purpose of this test VOD, etc. More detailed set- communicate with the mid- Middleware report we have selected the tings of the middleware, dleware so that they cannot Strictly speaking, the AmiNET130M from Amino. the billing system and the only create a nice OSD for NetUP Combine 4x middle- video-on-demand system end users, but also assist in ware consists of two dis- All features and configu- are accessed through the so- billing, content and cost con- tinct components: For one, rations of the NetUP IPTV called United Control Center. 28 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 30.
    5 5. Individual channels and their IP data within the IPTV network 6. Various packages with differing content 7. User account administration 6 7 We already dealt with the web interface in our first test report in TELE-satellite issue 10-11/2010, and now we take a closer look at the United Control Center. It is basically a Java application which – thanks to this universal pro- gramming language – can be run on different platforms such as MS Windows, Linux or Apple, where it is used to control the entire con- tent management system. The United Control Center main menu is made up of four elements: billing, mid- video-on-demand content) as well. IPTV is different in TV and radio channels by dleware, nVOD (near video- into packages. This allows a fundamental way: Thanks letting the system know the on-demand)/VOD and DRM creating a starter package, to direct communication corresponding IP addresses (digital rights management). for example, which includes between end user and IPTV and ports – after we have The last two elements, TVOD only limited content, or an operator, complete with configured them via the web (TV-on-demand) and DRM extended package with full- return channel, it would be interface of the streaming are proprietary solutions of range content. a total waste of resources component of the IPTV Com- NetUP, which were not part to send all content to all bine 4x. of our test system and which In order to grasp the customers all of the time in therefore cannot be evalu- underlying logics of the the first place, only to then In order to simulate a real- ated in this report. NetUP IPTV system we have grant or restrict access (as is world scenario we design to put ourselves in the role the case with terrestrial and a package with three HD With a simple click on of an IPTV operator. This satellite TV). Instead, IPTV channels, three SD channels the middleware icon the begins with starting to think operators create individual as well as two radio chan- NetUP United Control Center and act like a commercial packages for a single cus- nels from two different sat- (UCC) opens up access to operation. As most of us tomer or a certain group of ellites. The IPTV Combine media groups, media con- come from terrestrial or sat- customers. Let‘s take a hotel 4x is equipped with a total tent and media streams. All ellite reception we are used as an example: The hotel of four DVB/S2 tuners (see three items are intended to the fact that all content is owner makes a certain range test report in TELE-satellite to add, remove or com- always available to all users. of basic TV and radio chan- 10-11/2010) and so we are at bine media content. With Even if we‘re talking about nels available to all guests, liberty to select content from media groups it is possible subscription TV we simply the price of which is included up to four different transpon- to group together different obtain a smartcard and all in the room rate. Therefore, ders or satellite positions. media content (such as TV of a sudden encrypted con- we use the middleware to channels, radio channels or tent is available on screen group together all required We then bundle these 30 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 31.
    8 8. Different rate plans can be activated and deactivated for each single customer 9 10 9. Setting up and editing rate plans 10. Customers are able to get access to individual channels at a set price 11. A currency converter can be used to display amounts in different currencies with the IPTV set-top box 11 eight channels into a pack- age labelled ‚Basic‘. Next, it is time to think about making money. To that end, we decide to create two additional packages, one with current movies, and the second with live sports coverage. The procedure is the same as for the ‚Basic‘ package, with configuring the individual TV channels using the web interface of the streaming server, before determining ried out intuitively thanks to more or less self-explan- nel’s logo and short station their IP addresses and ports the excellent user interface atory, so that it‘s almost description apart from the using the UCC. of the United Control Center impossible to go wrong when channel name, which offers and the web interface. All setting up the system. It‘s added value to end cus- All these steps can be car- options and functions are even possible to add a chan- tomers who are able to find www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — 1 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 31
  • 32.
    More on ThisManufacturer Read TELE-satellite’s Company Report: their preferred channel more Combine 4x middleware also NETUP IPTV Software and Hardware Producer, Russia www.netup.tv quickly. allows adding EPG data man- ually for each channel. When It goes without saying that we tried out both features the same is true for radio in our test every nook and channels as well, and for cranny seemed to work as video-on-demand content intended and as smoothly as which can be stored on the possible. IPTV Combine 4x‘s internal hard disk. Several hundred Now that we have set up all hours of video fit easily on basic functions of our virtual the built-in 1TB hard disk. IPTV network we continue Stored content can be added with looking at an appropri- to any package in the same ate billing system for our way as a TV channel through offering. Simply click on the the middleware. During spe- ‚Billing‘ icon in the United cial events (for example Control Center main menu www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1101/eng/netup.pdf Olympic Games and the like) and you‘re right where you individual channels can be need to be. as on-demand content are even possible to unlock all added for all to enjoy for a available to this guest until channels for 24 hours after pre-set period of time, after which they will automatically Billing all credit has been used up. the guest‘s arrival and then For the sake of simplic- The IPTV Combine 4x even lock extended channels disappear from the channel ity, let‘s stick to our idea of does currency conversions again – hoping guests will list again. This allows plan- a major sports event that so that guests can be shown want to keep watching the ning ahead so that hotel staff should be made available at the current account credit full range and pay for the (in our example) does not a hotel through IPTV. Obvi- in their own currency, if the service accordingly. If guests have to deal with technical ously, all IPTV receivers need hotel decides to implement now choose to watch con- changes and system mainte- to be hooked up to the IPTV this feature. tent that is not available with nance under pressure. server for such a distribution the free ‚Basic‘ service they network to work. This means The final step is custom- may simply use their remote In our test scenario we are looking at a professional that in theory each receiver ising the IPTV receiver in control to select and acti- IPTV system in a commer- has access to all of content, the guest‘s room, so that it vate additional content using cial framework, so that each unless access is restricted actually offers and displays the in-room IPTV receiver, IPTV channel also has to by making use of the return all content the guest has provided they have bought feature program informa- channel capability. The IPTV paid for and/or is autho- enough credit at recep- tion. After all, if hotel guests Combine 4x billing feature is rised to watch. The obvious tion beforehand. Any credit turn on their TV they want to based on the assumption that way would be using the indi- used up for such extended know right away which event each customer is entered in vidual box‘s MAC address content is automatically they are currently watching the system with his or her or serial number, but once deducted from their account, and whether or not there is full name and has an individ- again NetUP has gone the with reception being able to anything on they would be ual customer account which extra mile and offers a bril- monitor all transactions or interested in later that day. can be used to activate and liant feature for generating even assist guests who might In order to implement this deactivate access to cer- an activation key for each prefer to order content via feature the NetUP IPTV Com- tain content on an individual client on the IPTV Combine phone rather than working bine 4x offer two options. level. In our hotel setting, for 4x server. This activation key with the IPTV receiver. First, it is possible to take example, the ‚Basic‘ pack- has to be entered in the IPTV over program information age would be available to all receiver to obtain access to As far as the NetUP bill- for streamed channels right guests without extra charge. the IPTV network in the first ing system is concerned, we from the original provider via If hotel guests then decide place. At the same time, with were just as impressed with satellite, cable or DVB-T. This to watch additional channels this key the IPTV becomes all its features and ease of will also be the most reason- or content, they are able to an individually addressable use as with the middleware able and practical way to go top up their personal account and controllable IPTV recep- options. Obviously, it takes a in most situations. at reception with an amount tion point, no matter where little time until you are able of their choosing, let‘s say in the hotel it is located. to use all tools to the fullest, In addition, no additional USD 50. Reception staff uses This way the IPTV receiver but after only a short while costs occur. If, however, a the NetUP IPTV Combine 4x is sent information about the everything seems as to be TV or radio channel that is billing system to add that current guest, the length of easy as ABC and in everyday streamed over the IPTV net- amount to the correspond- his or her stay at the hotel, use you‘ll most probably be work does not supply pro- ing guest account so that and any available credit the in awe at how smoothly the gram information, the IPTV additional channels as well guest has available. It is system works. 32 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 34.
    12 12. Every single IPTV receiver across the entire network can be individually addressed and customised as required 13. An activation code is required so that an IPTV box can become a fully authorised member of the IPTV network 14. nVOD content can be easily organised and made available via the UCC OSD of the IPTV receiver 13 VOD – Video On Demand and 14 nVOD – near Video on Demand In our first NetUP IPTV Combine 4x test report we mentioned that the server is equipped with a 1TB internal hard disk with enough capac- ity to store several hundred hours of video content. The files need to be in transport stream format (MPEG-2 or H.264) in SD or HD reso- lutions and can be added to packages much like TV channels. If required, differ- ent on-demand content can even be offered at differ- ent prices. The middleware menu of the UCC is used 34 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 35.
    to administer on-demand client end is displayed on software optimised for use in Conclusion content. While video-on- screen using an OSD system. such businesses. Of course With its IPTV Combine 4x demand is a fully customised NetUP provides three OSD it, too, comes with all stan- NetUP has in store a fully- service that makes available skins (themes): HD, SD and dard features that are useful fledged IPTV solution for content individually for every simplified SD. IPTV opera- for most applications (hos- small and medium-sized single guest at a time of the tors can freely choose the pitals, large yachts, cruise IPTV networks consisting of guest‘s own choosing, nVOD skin that best fits their pur- ships, education institutions, up to 500 reception boxes. (near video-on-demand) is a pose and are able to adjust etc.), but also features addi- service that repeats certain each of the three skins, if tional options focusing on Our test revealed that only content at pre-defined times need be. This allows offering hotels. The hotel version is are the range of features, the in a loop, so that guests can several OSD languages, for available as an option and absolute ease of use and the watch a movie, for example, example, or changing colours connects the IPTV system to logical concept of the IPTV every full hour. This means and display modes. The cre- frequently used hotel soft- Combine 4x truly impres- that with nVOD guests are ative potential of IPTV oper- ware suites such as MICROS- sive, but it is actually real not in a position to determine ators can be exploited to Fidelio, for example. The fun to work with a system the start time of an event – the max and we, too, simply following additional features that offers everything you as opposed to true VOD. With loved to try out various are then available: need in everyday use and nVOD, on the other hand, visual solutions. It has to be is genuinely user-oriented. several guests use the same said, though, that these set- •Individual welcome mes- Even though we looked long stream, using up less server tings cannot be made with sage in room via TV and IPTV and hard there was hardly and network capacity than the help of a graphic user receiver •Hotel information screen any aspect worth criticising. true VOD. It makes perfect interface but need to be pro- via TV and IPTV receiver If there is one point we would sense for operators to push grammed directly in the files •Displaying all hotel like to raise it‘s the user nVOD over VOD by offering of the selected skin. Luckily, lower prices for nVOD, for charges via TV and IPTV manual, which we would have the user manual explains all example. The NetUP IPTV •Displaying messages preferred to be slightly more relevant steps in detail, so Combine 4x supports both from reception via TV and detailed at some stages. If that it first looks trickier than nVOD and VOD and the UCC IPTV receiver this is the first time you deal it actually is. has a dedicated menu item •Express checkout with IPTV it will be very dif- for setting the start and end •Ordering room cleaning ficult to set up the IPTV Com- One of the benefits of times of nVOD events. service via IPTV receiver bine 4x server, even with the an IPTV system is that the help of the manual. Then server is in direct touch with Here, too, we were This way hotel guests are again, we can safely assume all connected IPTV boxes at impressed at how versatile not only provided with TV, that anyone investing a lot of all times. This way, updates, and user-friendly the NetUP radio and VOD content via money in the NetUP system changes to OSD skins or any system behaves. It didn‘t IPTV right in their room, but will also be able to afford a other configuration adjust- take us much longer than a the in-room TV and IPTV technician to take care of ments that will have to be couple of minutes to set up receiver also take over the the initial setup. Once that made from time to time can our in-house nVOD system role of multimedia control is completed it is virtually be sent to all IPTV receiv- and store a number of cur- panel for most hotel agen- child‘s play to control, ser- ers fully automatically. The rent movies on the IPTV NetUP IPTV Combine 4x das. vice and adjust the system. Combine 4x‘s built-in hard does not only come with a disk. The system can process TECHNICAL DHCP server for automati- DATA up to 50 simultaneous video- cally assigning an IP address Manufacturer NetUP Olof Palme Street 1, Floor 7 resp. Postbox 87, on-demand streams, which to each box, but also boasts 119311 Moscow Russia means that in large set-ups a DNS server which takes Fax +7 499 143 5521 using nVOD instead of VOD care of correctly addressing E-Mail info@netup.tv may be a wise move in order content, a time server for Model IPTV Combine 4x not to push IPTV network maintaining the right date Function IPTV Gateway for DVB Signals, Middleware, Billing, VoD, nVoD, DHCP-, Time- & DNS-Server capacities to the limit. Inci- and time on all IPTV boxes, Tuners 4 dentally, video-on-demand and an update server for Max. simultaneous Transponders 4 content can be transferred providing new software and Max. bandwidth 240 MB/s to the IPTV Combine 4x from updated settings to IPTV DiSEqC 1.0 any PC using an FTP client. receiver. Ethernet ports 6 x Gigabit Ethernet 10/100/1000 MB/s CI Slots 4 Customising the There is actually a reason USB Connector yes (2) IPTV receiver to why we have come up with a RS232 yes hotel scenario for our test: Dimensions 430x44x411mm individual NetUP offers a dedicated Power 90 ~ 264 Volt, 47 ~ 63 Hz requirements version of its IPTV Combine Weight 11.5kg All user information at the 4x for hotels, with optimised Consumption ~ 100W www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — 1 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 35
  • 36.
    TEST REPORT IPTV Operator Software System – Part 2 AmiNET130M The back panel sports an HDMI output, optical audio output and network inter- face as well as USB connection. IPTV receiver The box comes complete with a sort of pedestal which you may use in case Thomas Haring ■ The TELE-satellite website as presented via • Now that we‘re the Amino IPTV set-top box through with the features and potential of the NetUP IPTV Combine 4x server it‘s time to 0.52 have a closer look at one of the compatible IPTV boxes. We have selected the AmiNET 130M from manufacturer Amino. One of the most striking characteristics is its small size, which measures only 114x102x35 mm, and its solid build quality. The chassis is made of genuine aluminium, which suggests the box is built to last. All you can see on the front panel is a status LED indicat- ing the current operating mode. 36 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 38.
    1 6 2 7 3 8 4 9 5 10 38 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 39.
    11 16 12 17 13 18 14 IPTV receiver OSD 1. Favourites list with EPG 2. EPG overview of all available channels 3. List with IPTV channels 4. Additional channels can be purchased and added by simply using the remote control 5. VOD content by genre 6. Access to personal user account 7. The current channel package can be changed directly on the set-top box using the remote control 8. Customer account overview (credits / debits) 15 9. A PIN code can be activated to avoid unauthorised access to the IPTV box 10. IP status information 11. Available OSD skins 12. The OSD can be translated into additional languages by the operator, if required 13. Marking an event in the EPG overview for automatic channel switching 14. Listing and editing timer entries 15. Keying in an address in the web browser 16. Favourites list of the web browser 17. Info bar with details about the current event 18. Language selection www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — 1 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 39
  • 40.
    19 you want or need to place IPTV server takes over the the receiver in an upright task of setting up your box. position to save valuable All required settings and space. Also included in the parameters are provided package are HDMI cable and by the IPTV server, which remote control with a con- means they will always be venient design and nicely correct. laid out buttons that pro- vide just the feedback you While in theory this require. At the time of our almost sounds to good to test the operating manual be true, in actual use the 20 was available in Russian DHCP server of the IPTV only, but even with addi- Combine 4x must be acti- tional languages provided vated so that each new in future chances are you IPTV box within the existing will never need to open it. IPTV network is assigned This is because – contrary an individual IP address to a satellite receiver – an immediately and automati- IPTV box receives its entire cally. This at the same time OSD and control interfaces makes sure the box is able from the IPTV server and to receive IP data from the requires no user input in server and its DNS server. this regard. So we first have to acti- 21 vate all required functions Installation via the web interface of the IPTV Combine 4x and define Before we even begin a range of IP addresses to with the first step we have be assigned to IPTV boxes. to discard conventional Only then can we connect thinking stemming by and the AmiNET130M to our flat large from satellite receiv- screen TV via HDMI and to ers. Terrestrial, cable or the IPTV network with an satellite receivers come RJ45 cable. Finally, we con- complete with pre-set soft- nect the supplied power ware and all we need to unit to the mains. The box do is hook up all required powers up, immediately cables and press the ON 22 button. It‘s a totally differ- detects the IPTV Combine 4x server and downloads ent story with an IPTV box, all software elements. One which runs via middleware minute later this process is and therefore has no inte- finished and we are asked grated default operating to key in a valid activation software. With the middle- key. ware structure an IPTV box connects to the IPTV server which then provides the Everyday use user software. This is to With regard to the IPTV make sure both IPTV server Combine 4x we have men- and IPTV box are perfectly tioned before that the acti- compatible with each other, vation key is required to 23 and it makes setting up a customise the IPTV box new box so much easier. and to create a tailor-made After all, there‘s nothing channel list, channel avail- you can do wrong if the ability and billing system for 19. Each channel can be stored with a short station description and channel logo (seen here: Das Erste HD from Germany) 20. Each channel can be stored with a short station description and channel logo (seen here: MBC 4 from Dubai) 21. Changing the rate plan 22. Radio stations can be transmitted as well via the IPTV network 23. Selecting VOD content from the dedicated menu item using the IPTV set-top box software 40 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 42.
    each registered customer. The ‘Radio’ section is not the solutions provided by a favourites list for easy As we have already created shown right below the ‘TV NetUP chances are custom- access at a later stage. a specific customer account channels’ section, which ers will use the on-demand through the billing feature presumably is for commer- feature more readily. During our test we noticed of the IPTV Combine 4x we cial reasons. We should still that NetUP has also thought can quickly key in the acti- like to mention it at this The ‘Personal account’ about implementing basic vation code generated by stage, as it is organised section provides access to functions in TV, radio and the system. The code con- just like the TV section. user data, selected pack- on-demand modes. For sists of a total of six blocks ages and account credit. example, the colour-coded with five digits each. The second menu item Here, customers can also function keys can be used deals with ‘Video-on- upgrade to an extended to change the language of We did not specifically demand’ content, which package or look at all past the current event (in case define each and every is organised according to transactions (credit top- more than one is available), option for our test environ- name, group or genre. up, used credit). With this and a smartly designed ment, so the AmiNET130M Every available film is feature in place customers info bar is inserted in the first wants to know our pre- shown on the upper area of can change packages, buy lower section of the screen ferred skin and presents us the screen complete with on-demand content and every time a new channel is with all available OSD lan- its title. The screen sec- keep a check on purchases selected. Apart from chan- guages. tion dedicated to EPG infor- without requiring assis- nel name this info bar also mation in TV mode shows tance from hotel staff (as shows program informa- As soon as these basic extended information about in our test scenario). This tion for the current chan- settings are determined the each video-on-demand gives customers full control nel. We were impressed at IPTV box switches to the (text, cover image, price, while not wasting valuable how quickly a new channels etc.). If you decide to buy staff resources. In the ‘Set- shows up on screen – it only first available channel and content you only need to tings’ menu it is possible to takes about one second, TV viewing please is about press the OK button, with change OSD language and and together with very fast to begin. With a touch of the price of the film being appearance, and for service reaction to commands sent the MENU button the main deducted from your credit. technicians to call up infor- from the remote control menu pops up on screen Purchased on-demand con- mation on IP data and other zapping is real fun with the and is divided into six sec- tent is shown in a dedicated relevant network param- AmiNET130M. tions with the skin we have sub-menu that lists all con- eters. chosen before: TV chan- tent you have purchased During playback of on- nels, Video-on-demand, with your available credit. The range of features of demand content it is of Radio, Personal account, the AmiNET130M is com- course possible to rewind Settings and Extras. This is also the menu sec- pleted with the ‘Extras’ sec- and fast-forward (at dif- tion you may use to select tion of the main menu. All ferent speeds) and pause. The ‘TV channels’ section and activate near-VOD con- timer entries can be listed A PVR system at large, shows a list of all TV con- tent. here, and a rather basic but however, cannot be imple- tent available to the respec- nonetheless very functional mented with the IPTV tive customer. If required, Thanks to the sheer size web browser is available for set-up tested by individual entries can be of the IPTV server hard surfing the web. To that end us. added to a favourites list for disk it is possible to make a virtual keyboard is shown quick access. EPG data is available quite an impres- on screen, and frequently available either for a single sive range of on-demand visited sites can channel or as an overview content, and a virtual key- even saved so that it is easy to check board assists customers in onto at a glance what is cur- looking for specific content. rently shown on available User-friendliness is the channels. It is of course key to success, possible to call up EPG data and with for events on coming days, and timer entries can be created directly by mark- ing an event so that the box will automatically switch to the corresponding channel before that event starts. The system we tested, however, does not support a PVR feature for selecting events to be recorded. 42 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 43.
    As far assecurity and without default software, that comes with the IPTV and logical control of the access control are con- which means our conclu- box. Apart from its high- box which should be self- cerned either the entire sion covers the Amino box quality appearance it can explanatory even to the IPTV box or only the pur- as the hardware component also be used as a universal technologically challenged. chasing function can be on the one hand, and NetUP remote to control all cur- If you add to that the com- blocked by way of an access as software provider on the rently available TV panels plex control module of the code. other hand. To put it short, – who could ask for more? IPTV server for business the Amino hardware leaves applications the two are nothing to be desired. Thanks to the fact that Conclusion What‘s more, the build server and receiver are in a perfect match. With a The AmiNET130M IPTV whole range of customis- quality achieved by Amino perfect harmony the IPTV box from Amino is a per- surpasses that of many box is in a brilliant posi- able settings the IPTV Com- fectly capable and well- competitors and easily sets tion for exploiting all fea- bine 4x together with the built IPTV box. Contrary to an example when it comes tures provided by the IPTV AmiNET130M should to the DVB-S, DVB-T and DVB-C to workmanship. The same Combine 4x. In particular, trick for almost any scope reception IPTV boxes come goes for the remote control we appreciated the simple of application. ENERGY DIAGRAM Apparent Power Mode Apparent Active Factor Reception 11.4 W 6W 0.52 Active Power Active use with channel switching and watching live TV during the first 15 minutes, standby during the second 15 minutes. TECHNICAL DATA Manufacturer Amino Technologies, Buckingway Business Park, Anderson Road, Swavesey, Cambridge CB24 4UQ, United Kingdom Fax +44 (0) 1954 234 101 Email info@aminocom.com Model AmiNET130M Function IPTV Set-top-Box HDMI connector yes (HDMI 1.2a with HDCP) Scart connector no Audio/Video output analogue no YUV output no S-Video output no Digital audio output yes (optical) Ehternet yes WLAN no USB connector yes Codecs MPEG-2 MP@HL, MPEG-4 pt10 A, VC/H.264 HP@L4 Video resolutions up to 720p and 1080i Input Voltage 5V DC Dimensions 114x102x35mm Weight 262g www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — 1 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 43
  • 44.
    Breathe life intoyour TV The advertisement lists some of the awards the company AB IPBox has been granted for its products | AB IPBox s.r.o. Phone: +421 38 5362 667, Email: info@abipbox.com
  • 45.
    www.abipbox.com AB Linux satellite55HD Digital IPBox receiver for everyone EHD E2HD Software DISPLAY 4 Digits Eco Friendly 7 Segments Power Consumption
  • 46.
    TEST REPORT Cardsplitter Clone+ Cardsplitter 02-03/201 1 Clone+ Cardspli Simple distributio tter n of two PayTV pro to as many as eig viders ht rec eivers in the household Simple Operation, Incredibly Powerful! • Simple Distribution of PayTV The number of TVs in the TVs in the house with a signal average household is consis- whether it was done via coax- Channels in Your Own Home tently increasing. It all started ial cable or wirelessly. You • Feed Up to Eight Receivers with in the living room and then were limited to watching one expanded to the kid’s room all TV channel at a time on all the Just One Card the way to the bedroom and TVs but not much was needed the kitchen until now there’s for an installation like this. • Supports Numerous Systems hardly any room in the house • Special Feature: Two Different that doesn’t have a TV. Just As HDTV began entering a few years ago, when HDTV the picture, end users natu- PayTV Systems are Possible was an unknown entity, it was rally wanted to be able to enough to have one central watch their favorite programs receiver that supplied all the in the best possible quality. 46 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 47.
    Highlights 2010 www.spaun.com Quality made in Germany The new -Class • Excellent selection: Terr./SAT > 40 dB and SAT/Terr. > 45 dB • Energy saving switch-mode power supply • High output levels between 102 and 108 dBµV years warranty Optical Transmitter SPAROS 611 CA HD • Frequency range of 47 ... 2200 MHz • HD-Display (MPEG4 H.264) • Laser output power: +6 dBm • Integrated Multidecryption CA-Module Optical Receiver • Return path measurement • 4-way / 1-way in a compact housing • Constellationdiagram for all • Remote power through one coax output possible DVB standards SPAUN electronic GmbH & Co. KG Byk-Gulden-Str. 22 · 78224 Singen Phone: +49 (0)7731 - 8673-0 · Fax: +49 (0)7731 - 8673-17 Email: contact@spaun.com · www.spaun.com
  • 48.
    TELE-satellite World www.TELE-satellite.com/... Download this report in other languages from the Internet: Arabic ‫ﺍﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ‬ www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/ara/clone+.pdf Indonesian Indonesia www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/bid/clone+.pdf But this led to a problem: course, this comes at an addi- German Deutsch www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/deu/clone+.pdf HD content could not be dis- tional monthly charge and it English English www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/clone+.pdf Spanish Español www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/esp/clone+.pdf tributed via coaxial cable or really is the exception rather French Français www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/fra/clone+.pdf through a wireless system than the rule. The end user Hebrew ‫עברית‬ www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/heb/clone+.pdf Chinese 中文 www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/man/clone+.pdf and the HDMI cables link- has the problem of deciding Polish Polski www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/pol/clone+.pdf ing the receiver and the TV whether to take out multiple Portuguese Português www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/por/clone+.pdf are limited in length to a few PayTV subscriptions at the Russian Русский www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/rus/clone+.pdf Turkish Türkçe www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/tur/clone+.pdf meters. same time – a solution that Available online starting from 28 January 2011 for most PayTV customers is For the average house- both financially and also on hold this meant that multiple principle a problem; who likes and switch to an encrypted encryption system or the pro- receivers would be needed the idea of paying double or channel, the Clone+ card cessor couldn’t handle more – one receiver for each TV. triple? – or he has to look communicates with the than two receivers at a time. Distributing the signals of around for another solution. Clone+ server and receives In the Clone+ package we a single satellite reception the necessary decryption received there was the trans- system to all of these receiv- The Clone+ System from information so that you can mitter section along with two ers is easy and as long as you the Polish company PYCH enjoy your selected program. reception cards. We were able limit yourself to watching free International Electronics is to get to work right away. TV, that is channels without precisely one of those solu- In this way it’s possible to any encryption, there won’t tions and it works like this: the use only one PayTV card and The transmitter section be any problems. But what original card from the PayTV operate up to eight receiv- comes in a very elegant black about PayTV? provider is inserted into a ers independently from each housing and at 2.5 x 9.5 x card reader unit that works other. Since the range of the 11cm was very easy to handle. Unfortunately, it doesn’t with an integrated transmit- transmitter section inside On the front panel you imme- look good at all; a PayTV pro- ter. Instead of the original the home is only about 30 diately notice the slot for the vider usually only supplies one card, a special reception card meters, the PayTV provider internal card reader while SmartCard to a customer and is placed in the receivers (up doesn’t have to worry about on the back a USB interface thus PayTV content can only to eight boxes are supported) anyone else using the PayTV and a jack for DC power from be received and decrypted on that then creates a wireless card illegally. the included external power just one receiver. There are link to the transmitter sec- supply could be found. The a few PayTV providers that tion of the Clone+ system. If When the Clone+ system top side of the housing sports offer additional cards but, of you’re using a linked receiver arrived at the TELE-satellite five LEDs that show the sys- test lab, we were curious how tem’s current status as well well it would work consider- as the signal quality of the ■ Twin Slot Interface - ing that similar systems have wireless link. enables you watching been around for some time different channels of digital pay TV of 2 now from a variety of manu- The reception cards are also different subscription cards facturers but as was often the made out of black plastic and case those systems had to come with six small status deal with software bugs, they LEDs that also graphically could only be used with one indicate operational status 48 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 50.
    1 and signal strength. Because mends that the transmitter of the required receiver sec- section be connected to an tion as well as the neces- MS Windows PC using the sary electronics to process USB cable so that the firm- the incoming signals, these ware of the system can be cards are somewhat longer brought up to the most cur- than standard SmartCards. rent level before the system They can be plugged into is used for the first time. 2 the internal card reader of a Just like the overall operation receiver or a CI module but of the Clone+ system, this you probably won’t be able to update procedure is handled close the front panel flap on just as simply and problem- the receiver or the CI module. free. As soon as the system It’s a visual disadvantage that is connected to a PC and the the manufacturer recognized software started, the current and because of that offers an drivers are loaded from the optional Soft Interface. This manufacturer’s server via the involves using a standard Internet. After that, they are 3 format SmartCard that disap- automatically installed and pears fully into a receiver’s activated. card reader or CI slot allow- ing you to close the receiver The Clone+ system can flap. The electronics from the operate in two different SmartCard are now sepa- modes, A and B, each with its rated with a single thin cable own firmware. While mode A connecting the two pieces is the normal operating mode together. The Soft Interface for the Clone+, the manu- 4 was not part of the test pack- facturer integrated a mode age we received so we were B which is a form of a com- unable to put it to the test. patibility mode that really should only be activated For our test report, Clone+ when there’s a problem with included a twin adapter for the SmartCard. Our tests the transmitter section so involved the use of a variety that we could use two PayTV of PayTV cards and we found cards with up to eight differ- that activating mode B wasn’t ent receivers. More on that necessary. The transferring of 5 later though. the latest firmware occurred automatically without any dif- We were very impressed ficulties and was taken care of with the Clone+ system. The in just a few seconds. included user manual provided information on the installation Once the update process and operation of the system is successfully completed, that was so detailed that there’s really not much more every possible question was for the end user to do since answered. The included CD the system is very easy to set and USB cable can be used to up and configure. The first upload new firmware into the step is to insert the PayTV Clone+ transmitter section card into the slot in the trans- so that the manufacturer can mitter section and then turn 1. With one mouse click the Clone+ transmitter section automatically downloads the latest firmware from the manufacturers servers and installs not only work on improve- on the power. The Clone+ them in the unit. ments to the system but also system automatically recog- 2. Standard mode A for operation with the most PayTV cards add new encryption systems nizes the encryption system 3. Compatibility mode B for those cards that can’t be used in mode A. The use of this mode was not necessary in our tests. or react to other changes in used by the card, reads a few 4. Even the required drivers for MS Windows are downloaded automatically the system. more parameters and then with the update software. 5. The Soft Interface elegantly accommodates the reception cards even sets up the reception cards with the CI flap closed. PYCH Electronics recom- with the necessary settings. 50 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 51.
    As soon asthis job is done “Ready” LED remains lit. – in our tests it took a mere one second – the “Ready” LED This programming step is illuminates to let you know absolutely necessary since that the Clone+ transmitter the reception cards can only section is ready to go. be prepared and activated in this way. If you decide to The only other task that use a different SmartCard, needs to be done is to config- then this programming pro- ure the reception cards. To do cess must be repeated since this the original PayTV card is every encryption system and removed and each reception each card type require dif- card to be used is momen- ferent settings. In our tests tarily inserted into the card the reception card was pro- reader. The “Upgrade” LED grammed and ready to use on the reception card starts in just about eight seconds. to blink indicating that the Once this process has been necessary settings are being completed for each reception transferred to the card. Once card to be used, the origi- this process is successfully nal PayTV card is once again completed, the “Upgrade” inserted into the card reader LED goes out and only the slot while the reception cards are inserted in each receiver our test system so we were or CI module. At this point able to select three receiv- the entire system installation ers for our testing: two and setup is completed. receivers with CI slots and one with an integrated card As soon as power is applied reader. A reception card was to the reception cards via the inserted into the CI slot or receiver or the CI module, a internal card reader of all link is created to the Clone+ three receivers and we began transmitter section. The channel surfing through all signal strength is shown via of the PayTV channels. No LEDs on the reception cards matter how hard we tried, we as well as on the transmit- could not disturb the Clone+ ter section. Once the green system as it decrypted the “Link” LED lights up on the selected channels on all three reception cards, a successful receivers without any prob- connection has been placed lems or other interruptions. with the Clone+ server. Now And it didn’t matter if it was you can enjoy uninterrupted HD or SD channels. PayTV channels with multiple receivers. We were impressed with the performance of the radio According to the manufac- link. Depending on the type turer, the Clone+ system is of building, a range of up to compatible with the Conax, 30 meters can be achieved Crptoworks, Irdeto, Seca indoors. Outside the range Mediaguard and Viaccess could be as far as 150 meters encryption systems. During although 100 meters is more our testing process, we realistic as long as there is a were able to verify this with clear line of sight from trans- multiple SmartCards; even mitter to receiver. the latest generation cards worked perfectly with the The Clone+ system is also Clone+ system. The manu- not affected by a WLAN router facturer included a total of or other wireless device (such three reception cards with as a wireless headset) and www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — 1 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 51
  • 52.
    functions without anyinter- rest! The Clone+ system was Expert Opinion ruptions. We tested this by easily able to handle both + setting a WLAN router to its encryption systems without Incredibly simple and reliable operation plus highest possible power output any problems using the Twin comes with the ability to use two SmartCards at and placing it in close proxim- Slot Interface. Even in this the same time. At only 1.2W, the power usage of ity to the Clone+ system. We mode the constant changing the Clone+ system is negligible. also operated two wireless of channels and the operation Thomas Haring - TELE-satellite headsets at the same time. of three reception cards could Test Center Austria not disturb this system. The encryption systems Nagravision and The icing on the cake NDS Videoguard are not supported. though would have to be the We thoroughly enjoyed put- Twin Slot Interface with which ting the Clone+ system from TECHNICAL two different SmartCards can PYCH Electronics to the test. It DATA be used at the same time. is a sophisticated system and Manufacturer Pych International Electronics Sp. z.o.o.ul. Lipkowska 21, 04-801 Warsaw, Poland We tested this feature using functioned effortlessly with Phone +48 22 2442831 an Austrian ORF Card (Cryp- the encryption systems speci- Fax +48 22 2442847 toworks) and a Swiss SRG fied by the manufacturer. It is Email cok@pychinternationalelectronics.com TV card (Viaccess). At first so easy to install and operate Model Clone+ we really had doubts that this system that every user Supported CAS systems Irdeto, Seca Mediaguard, Viaccess, Cryptoworks, Conax both cards could be used should have no problems with Max. receivers 8 at the same time especially it. The status LEDs on the Max. distance outdoor: max. 150m considering that the Clone+ reception cards and on the indoor: 30m system would have to work transmitter section highlight Transmission band RF 868-915 MHz, BW 150 kHz, GFSK, NRZ 38.4 Kbps with two entirely different the current operational status Transmitter power variable from -20 to 5 dBm Power supply 9-12V DC encryption systems. But our of the system and are also a Power consumption ~ 1.2W doubts were quickly laid to valuable guidance tool. 52 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 54.
    FEATURE IPTV Standard OIPF The New IPTV Standard OIPF ■ Yun Chao Hu is president of the ‘Open IPTV Forum’. He discussed the future of the OIPF standard with TELE- satellite during the first OIPF workshop held in Asia. 54 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 55.
    • OIPF isthe new global standard for Internet TV • OIPF is already in use in Singapore and Taiwan • The new standard incorporates existing technologies and specifications • OIPF has the same specifications world-wide, making it THE standard for Internet-based TV applications It was exactly four years ago, in March standard is being built. Secondly, all appli- 2007, that five telecom heavyweights cations that arise from IPTV interactivity founded the ‘Open IPTV Forum’, with need to be integrated into the open stand- major players such as Sony, Samsung, ardized application enablers. “The OIPF Philips and Panasonic, but also with tel- specifications will address the necessary ecom companies focusing mainly on the application enablers that will be the basis Internet, like France Telecom, AT&T and for an open application ecosystem secur- Telecom Italia. Added to that were cor- ing transparency towards the IPTV appli- porations from the mobile sphere, such cation developers. This will ensure that as Ericsson or Nokia Siemens Networks. the application development will be inde- What started with nine founding members pendent of the IPTV middleware and the has meanwhile grown to 66 OIPF member specific IPTV end-devices. The increased companies, all of which have defined a availability of IPTV applications will enrich single goal: to establish a uniform global the end user Quality of Experience of the standard for TV services via Internet standard based IPTV deployments,” Yun (IPTV) and stimulating a horizontal retail Chao Hu adds. market for IPTV end devices. Interactivity does not only mean that On the journey to this goal the chal- end users – i.e. TV viewers – select the lenge does not lie in video and audio channel they want to watch from a list transmission – more than enough estab- of offerings by using a remote control to lished standards are used for that already. send a request to the provider. There‘s The tricky part is interactivity and per- way more to it. The OIPF standard cre- sonalization, as that is the main distin- ates a log with information about which guishing feature of IPTV when compared channel is currently being watched, how with terrestrial or satellite reception. In many times a new channel is selected and the past, each IPTV provider seemed to at what time channels are switched. This do its own thing, developing applications way a user profile with a precise viewing and technologies that best fit its particular pattern can be created to provide valuable purpose. IPTV had become a playground information for advertisers and content for unregulated proprietary develop- providers. Commercials can be inserted ments, and that is exactly what hindered at a time that creates most viewer atten- further growth. Software engineers and tion and a whole range of offerings can be hardware manufacturers were having a tailor-made to maximise their effect. hard time trying to incorporate as many of In order to collect the required data these diverging developments as possible, there needs to be an established and uni- which at the same time meant too much form standard across platforms. What’s energy had to be wasted on developments more, the OIPF standard defines how and technologies that would simply come advertisements and other offers are and go. transmitted to the viewer. Yun Chao Hu is the president of OIPF, As you can see, simply watching TV and we had the pleasure of meeting him is already based on a rather complex during an OIPF workshop in China. “There technological structure. If we now con- is a solution in sight,“ he states. „A uni- sider pay TV or pay-per-view – both of form standard that is accepted and imple- which also have to be implemented in the mented by all players and that establishes OIPF standard – it becomes plain for all a level playing ground for all interested to see that establishing a new standard parties.” The challenges that come with involves overcoming a great many stum- creating the new OIPF standard are two- bling blocks. And then there’s the Inter- fold: net, which offers even more possibilities, For one, there is no need to start from according to OIPF marketing director scratch again and re-invent something Monika Gadhammar: “Interactive EPG, that is already available at our finger- video calling, chatting, file sharing, online tips. Rather, existing standards should be voting, mobile TV and the like are only the foundation onto which the new OIPF some of the applications that can be real- www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — 1 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 55
  • 56.
    ■ Monika Gadhammaris marketing manager of OIPF. Here she can be seen in front of a presentation of all OIPF in current ‘Open IPTV Forum’ member companies. Mobile Use ised. To give you an example: If a phone call comes in while you are watching TV the caller’s number and name will pop up on the TV screen. If you decide to accept that call the system automatically starts ■Business executives are PVR recording so that you are able to con- given a tool for tinue watching after hanging up, without coordinating appointments missing a single second.” while on the This just goes to show that the list of go. possible applications is virtually end- less. Major landline phone companies and Internet service providers are free to implement as many features as they think fit, and that’s one of the major draw cards ■OIPF also of the new OIPF standard. Yet, all these incorporates features that are made available to con- specifications for TV via sumers are only one side of the coin. The mobile phone other is the fact that all features need to networks. be implemented at the provider’s end – and the OIPF is the right answer for that as well. OIPF president Yun Chao Hu adds that OIPF is already being used in large-scale test set-ups. “There’s the NIMS project in Singapore, and another one in Taiwan.” Both make sure OIPF can make the quan- tum leap from developer’s playground to real-world application. OIPF is right on track to becoming a reality of TV viewers in the future! More information available at: www.oipf.tv For the latest technical specifications have a look at: www.oipf.tv/specifications.html 56 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 58.
    List of AllCurrent OIPF Member Companies The New IPTV Standard • OIPF provides the IPTV market with open end-2-end IPTV specifications • OIPF includes most IPTV stakeholders • OIPF stimulates a go-to-market drive from the IPTV industry Open IPTV Forum Tel: +33 4 92 94 43 83 650, Route des Lucioles Fax: +33 4 92 38 52 90 F-06921 SOPHIA-ANTIPOLIS Cedex Email: contact@oipf.tv France Website: www.oipf.tv 58 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 60.
    A Look Behindthe Scenes: The New OIPF IPTV Standard in The Making ■This modern office complex in northwestern Berlin (Germany) houses the Fraunhofer FOKUS institute. A range of other well-known telecom providers also rent office space here. The Fraunhofer FOKUS institute participates in exhibitions as well and can be found exhibiting at the CeBIT in Hanover, IFA in Berlin, IBC in Amsterdam and IPTV World Forum in London. One of the strong technical partners which is renting office space at this build- schaft employs a technical workforce of of the Open IPTV Forum is Fraunhofer- ing, but also other well-known businesses 17,000 and generates an annual turno- Gesellschaft from Germany, which from the telecom field. One of them is ver of 1.7 billion EUR.“ We’re not talking has been looking at IPTV since 2005. Media Broadcast, a satellite broadcaster about a commercial company here, but We wanted to learn more about their on which TELE-satellite reported only rather an association with an exclusive approach to that topic and met with recently in issue 08-09/2010. focus on technical research. „Some 30% Robert Seeliger, the OIPF project man- of Fraunhofer‘s budget are received from ager at Fraunhofer. He occupies an office We started out with asking Robert the German state, with the remaining on the fourth floor of a recently built Seeliger about the nature of Fraunhofer- 70% being generated from commercial office complex in northwestern Berlin Gesellschaft. Naturally, he can fill us in corporations with all sorts of manufac- (Germany). Yet, it‘s not only Fraunhofer with all the details: „Fraunhofer-Gesell- turers. Some monies also come from the 60 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 62.
    ■ Graduate engineer receivers. „To this end we use the CE- Robert Seeliger is OIPF HTML programming language,“ Robert project manager at the Fraunhofer FOKUS institute Seeliger explains. „It‘s the same lan- in Berlin. Here he shows the guage that is also used for HbbTV, for institute‘s website on his monitor. Apart from the new example.“ CE stands for consumer elec- OIPF standard FOKUS also tronics and is perfect for calling up and looks at another interesting displaying media content. development: a universal operating system that can be implemented in mobile phones, set-top boxes, TV sets and so on. You can find What is CE-HTML? out more about that project at www.webinos.org. HTML is the programming language used to create web pages. You do not have to be an accomplished expert to realize that the web pages you surf on with your PC or a laptop are not so easy to navigate when displayed on the TV screen and handled with European Union‘s research funds.“ and developing solutions for them. a remote control. There are several „IPTV has been around for some time, things that make reading and naviga- Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is divided up which means huge efforts have already ting them difficult: into different institutes. „We currently been put in doing research in this field,“ - sometimes simply the font is too run 57 institutes, each of which does Robert Seeliger continues. „Our job is small to be read from a distance by a research on a specific field,“ Robert Seel- to define gaps that are still around and regular TV viewer iger goes on. One of the institutes caries then combine all aspects to arrive at a - they often require a mouse action the name FOKUS, which is the German point where all the pieces of this puzzle or keyboard entry rather than the acronym for ‚Fraunhofer Institute for fall into place.“ directional arrows and OK button that Open Communications Systems‘. FOKUS the regular remote control units have consists of seven departments and one By the way, this particular Fraunhofer - they lack a highlight that show the of these departments is FAME, short for institute can proudly look back on an user what will happen when he/she ‚Future Applications and Media‘, with a extremely successful Internet develop- presses the OK button permanent staff of 40 employees.“ ment: „We were the ones to come up - they use different audio/video with the Session Initiation Protocol that object implementations The FAME department within FOKUS is being used for VoIP,“ Robert Seeliger - they use specific extensions like deals with the new IPTV standard. It is reveals and lends further proof to the Adobe Flash that require more soft- headed by Dr. Stefan Arabnowski, with fact that Fraunhofer scientist are spot ware and more powerful hardware to Robert Seeliger running the project on when it comes to developing solu- be used than is available in popular group that looks at OIPF. „Altogether tions that are required in a real-world consumer electronics equipment we are 15 scientists,“ Robert Seeliger scenario. Therefore, the manufacturers of explains, „which means employees with consumer electronics products deci- a degree in either software development One task on the path to the new OIPF ded to create a special version of HTML or engineering.“ Their work consists standard is to design a HTML-based user and called it CE-HTML. More precisely, mainly of looking at technological niches interface for implementation in IPTV CE-HTML is based on XHTML and has additional extensions. The pages created with CE-HTML are well suited to be viewed from a distance and be controlled with 4 arrows and an OK button. CE-HTML can be used to create the regular (on- line) pages but also to create the user interface screens of the CE devices you use at home, like digital TV recei- vers. Additionally, CE-HTML simplifies interfacing of various multimedia devices you use at home. We can say that thanks to such standardization efforts like CE-HTML, the develop- ment of new CE equipment is faster and simpler, and the compatibility between different brands and models is better. CE-HTML is already incorporated in CEA-2014, HbbTV, OpenIPTV and Digi- tal Living Network Alliance industry ■ Several monitors and boxes in the lobby of the Fraunhofer FOKUS institute display applications standards. There are already TV-sets that were developed at the institute. on the market which are CE-HTML compatible. 62 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 64.
    COMPANY REPORT IPTV Box Manufacturer Jiuzhou, China Jiuzhou greatly expands into IPTV Box Production • IPTV box production may reach 1 million units in 2011 • Jiuzhou starts HbbTV boxes for Europe • Big retailers about to launch into IPTV box sales • Jiuzhou to attend all major exhibitions in ■ Sales Director Huang Wei is, 2011, 10 in all amongst many other tasks, in charge of the IPTV boxes‘ development, sales and marketing The Chinese large manufacturer Jiu- zhou is very well known by our readers. The company originated in Sichuan and has been in existence since 1958. In 2008 they celebrated their 50th birthday (see TELE-satellite issue 02-03/2008). In 2009 the company expanded into HDTV and in 2010 terrestrial TV was the theme. In 2011 Jiuzhou is planning on taking a huge step further into the IPTV market with enormous production numbers. Huang Wei is Jiuzhou’s Sales Director and reveals to us what Jiuzhou has planned for 2011. First, though, Sales Director Huang Wei took us on a trip into the past: “The first IPTV boxes were manufactured by Jiuzhou in 2007; back then about 20,000 boxes were produced and involved pure IPTV boxes.” Production numbers only increased slowly. “In 2010 we produced 60,000 boxes”, comments Huang Wei. But 2011 looks to be completely dif- ferent: “We will be manufacturing a minimum of 200,000 boxes and it could go as high as one million.” It all depends on negotiations that are currently in progress with a variety of retail chains in North America as well as Europe. The reason: these retail chains are in ■ Jiuzhou constructed an impressively large building in Shenzhen’s High-Tech Park. The engineers are here continuously working on new products – currently they’re mostly occupied with IPTV. 64 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 65.
    Shenzhen www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — 1 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 65
  • 66.
    TELE-satellite World www.TELE-satellite.com/... Download this report in other languages from the Internet: Arabic ‫ﺍﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ‬ www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/ara/jiuzhou.pdf Indonesian Indonesia www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/bid/jiuzhou.pdf German Deutsch www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/deu/jiuzhou.pdf English English www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/jiuzhou.pdf Spanish Español www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/esp/jiuzhou.pdf French Français www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/fra/jiuzhou.pdf Hebrew ‫עברית‬ www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/heb/jiuzhou.pdf Chinese 中文 www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/man/jiuzhou.pdf Polish Polski www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/pol/jiuzhou.pdf ■ Jimmy Zhang delivering the programming either ter- is Marketing Vice restrially or via satellite. With IPTV Portuguese Português www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/por/jiuzhou.pdf Manager and deals Russian Русский www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/rus/jiuzhou.pdf with the global comparatively simple technology using Turkish Türkçe www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/tur/jiuzhou.pdf marketing of Set Gateway servers is all that’s needed. Available online starting from 28 January 2011 Top Boxes But even more important, the customer no longer needs to install an antenna; the process of becoming their own pro- Internet is opening up new possibili- almost every household has an Internet gramming providers! ties; now there are programming pro- connection. viders that can join the bandwagon This is a rather interesting develop- that really didn’t have any interest in Large business enterprises that have ment: obviously transmitting via the doing so before since it would’ve meant for quite some time been not only sell- ■ Marketing Specialist Zoe Liu finds the graphics in TELE-satellite to be so good that she pins them on her wall. 66 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 68.
    1 1. A lookin the IPTV Engineers office: here the software for the IPTV boxes is developed. 2. The functionality of test samples are checked out here. 3. This is Vice Manager Yongjun Zhang; he is responsible for the IPTV R&D team and is in charge of 20 engineers. 2 3 68 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 70.
    ■ Jiuzhou’s OverseasMarketing Team. Third from the left is Linda Lee; she has been HbbTV as well as a variant with DVB-T working consistently since 2006 with TELE-satellite Editor-in-Chief Alexander Wiese and HbbTV.” These boxes will be avail- (behind Linda Lee) to make Jiuzhou a recognizable name in the digital TV sector through the pages of TELE-satellite magazine. To the far right is Yang, Jiuzhou’s able in Germany and France since HbbTV graphic designer; he regularly updates the Jiuzhou ad that appears on the back of is already in use there; later on they’ll each new TELE-satellite issue. become available in other countries as ing products in their super stores, but ware. “Naturally we’ll give the customer well. services as well, don’t want to miss what he wants”, insists Yongyun Zhang. out on this opportunity. In the case of Jiuzhou is fully committed to expand IPTV, these companies could offer not Sales Director Huang Wei has some this new market on a worldwide scale. only the TV channels but the necessary more for us: “In 2010 we delivered 50% Not only will the company’s extensive receivers as well. This is an enormous of our IPTV boxes domestically within experience in receiver production help opportunity for manufacturers such as China; 40% went to North America and them, but so will their exceptional inter- Jiuzhou to display their receiver mass 10% were shipped to the rest of Asia. national exposure. production competence and begin sup- This will drastically change in 2011: plying these new providers with the production for domestic shipments will Linda Lee from their Overseas Market- proper electronic equipment. Huang drop to 30% while North America will ing Department highlights for us at what Wei is proud that Jiuzhou is leading the climb to 50%. 15% of our production trade shows Jiuzhou will be attending in pack. will go to Europe with the remaining 5% 2011: “We’ll be at the CSTB in Moscow, going to Asia.” CABSAT in Dubai, NAB in Las Vegas, The fact that Jiuzhou is so nicely set ANGA in Cologne, IBC in Amsterdam, up for this has to do in part to the fact This projection for 2011 clearly shows ABTA in Sao Paulo and for the domestic that Jiuzhou has been delivering IPTV the strong increase in the North Ameri- market the CCBN in Beijing. In addition, boxes domestically for China Telecom can market as well as the beginning of we’ll be at the Canton Fair as an exhibi- for quite some time now. Yongyun Zhang the IPTV market in Europe. Huang Wei tor as well as at the Hong Kong Electron- is Vice manager and runs the R&D team continues: “Jiuzhou operates an office in ics Fair trade shows.” with 20 engineers that is responsible Dallas, Texas, USA where six employees for IPTV. He explains to us: “We deliver work to prepare our products for the This gives you many different oppor- IPTV boxes to the Chinese market with North American market.” tunities to meet up with the team from the IPANEL software.” For other mar- Jiuzhou and learn more about their kets the IPTV software would of course Jimmy Zhang is Jiuzhou’s Marketing product palette plus have a look at their be matched to the region. Vice Manager. He tells us something new IPTV and HbbTV boxes. Jiuzhou is interesting regarding the European showing that even an old company can For the R&D team it won’t be any market: “We will shortly start produc- stay young when they consistently take problem to develop the necessary soft- tion on a hybrid box with DVB-S2 and on new challenges! 70 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 72.
    COMPANY REPORT Digital TV Meter Manufacturer Trimax, China New Products from Trimax  Shenzhen • New from Trimax: HDTV Signal Analyzer with HDTV Monitor • Expansion into New Business Sectors such as Fiber Optics • Manufacturing on Their Own Since 2008 Trimax’s trademark is the easy-to-use explains Jerry Chu about the past, signal analyzers with built-in monitors: “Before that I was a Sales Director at a this lets the installer set up a satellite receiver manufacturer.” system with ease and also lets him show the customer a live satellite picture. And But he wanted to realize his own as we all know, a picture is worth a thou- ideas and founded Trimax with his part- sand words. ner. “Trimax stands for ‘try maximum’, in other words, ‘always try your best’”, Now Trimax is expanding their ana- comments Jerry Chu about the company lyzer spectrum and is also offering name. tuners for DVB-C and DVB-T; even CI+ is in the works. We met up with Jerry Chu, Trimax was originally a dealer: “I Trimax’s General Manager, at the head- looked for and found the manufacturers quarters in Shenzhen to find out more. in China while my partner in the USA, “I founded Trimax in 2001 together with Tim Heinrichs, sold the products from a partner: Tim Heinrichs in the USA”, those manufacturers.” Back then Trimax ■ Jerry Chu is General Manager of the signal analyzer manufacturer Trimax. Here we see him in his office in Shenzhen, China. 72 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 73.
    TRIMAX Company Details Signal Analyzer Manufacturer, China www.trimaxtec.com Engineers in Research & Development | Total Number of Employees ▼ ▼ 0................................ 25 .................................. 50 Average Turnover (Previous, This, Next Year Estimates) ▼ 0.................................. 1 ..................... 2 Mio US$ focused on satellite receivers, LNBs and satellite signal ana- Production Certificates multiswitches. lyzer with a built- RoHS, FCC, DVB Main Products in monitor. More Signal Analyzer with built-in Monitor for DVB-S/S2, DVB-T and In 2006 though, Jerry Chu had an employees were DVB-C interesting experience: an old friend quickly added – www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/trimax.pdf from the USA acquired an apartment in today Trimax has Shenzhen and asked Jerry Chu to help 12 employees – and TELE-satellite World www.TELE-satellite.com/... him install a satellite system so that he Trimax was able to Download this report in other languages from the Internet: Arabic ‫ﺍﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ‬ www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/ara/trimax.pdf could receive English-language program- deliver the first units Indonesian Indonesia www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/bid/trimax.pdf ming. Armed with a professional satellite in the same year. “It German Deutsch www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/deu/trimax.pdf signal analyzer, Jerry Chu started the job was less than 1000 English English www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/trimax.pdf of aligning the antenna. But frustration analyzers in 2007 Spanish Español www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/esp/trimax.pdf soon set in; operating that professional but in 2008 we sold French Français www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/fra/trimax.pdf Hebrew ‫עברית‬ www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/heb/trimax.pdf unit was too complicated. And suddenly more than 10,000 Chinese 中文 www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/man/trimax.pdf a light bulb came on in his mind: “That’s units”, says Jerry Polish Polski www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/pol/trimax.pdf when I got the idea to develop an easy- Chu proudly regard- Portuguese Português www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/por/trimax.pdf to-use signal analyzer and market it.” ing their initial suc- Russian Русский www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/rus/trimax.pdf Turkish Türkçe www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/tur/trimax.pdf cess, “Our best year Available online starting from 28 January 2011 In 2007 Jerry Chu hired a software was 2009 when we engineer who then developed the first sold 12,000 analyz- ers.” the first two years, Jerry Chu started his ■ A first PCB production sample of Trimax’s own production in 2008: “20 employees new HDTV signal analyzer: this sample will soon lead to an HDTV analyzer with While the signal analyzers were pro- work there to produce the signal analyz- swappable tuner on the international market. duced by an independent manufacturer ers.” Trimax only ships to distributors but does manufacture for some pro- viders as an OEM. “We sell 80% of our signal analyzers under our own Trimax brand name, the other 20% are OEM shipments”, explains Jerry Chu. The first signal analyzers in 2007 were simple DVB-S models but already in 2008 they came out with models that had software-generated spectrum ana- lyzers. In 2009 a model with a real-time spectrum analyzer was introduced and for 2011 Jerry Chu told us, “We will be introducing an HDTV model!” By the time this issue of TELE-satellite is pub- lished, the first HDTV models will have already been delivered and with a swap- pable tuner at that: “We offer a tuner for every application – for DVB-S2, DVB-C and DVB-T. The user can easily insert and remove the tuner; the software automatically recognizes the currently inserted tuner.” This is an exciting devel- opment; a TELE-satellite test report of this analyzer will be forthcoming. A CI+ version will also make its market appearance shortly: “The software is ready to go; we’re just waiting on a pro- duction sample”, comments Jerry Chu. But there’s more from Trimax: “Recently we entered into a coopera- tive agreement with the company Hill- ton Optoelectronics whose headquarters is located not too far away from us.” Trimax is planning to offer optical prod- ucts to CATV systems and cable opera- tors, “since the future is fiber optics.” But that’s still not all! In 2011 Trimax will be starting a completely different www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — 1 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 73
  • 74.
    product division: formaldehydeanalyz- ers. “In the USA regulations require that these values be measured”, he explains, “We already have secured a large con- tract from there.” Jerry Chu and his partner are expand- ing their company in two directions: the building up of the signal analyzer segment to include chemical measure- ments and the expansion of their prod- ucts in the direction of fiber optics. Both of these business sectors are in their infancy and are therefore perfect for a young and energetic company. The two partners are clearly honoring the mean- ing of their company name! ■ William is President of Hillton Optoelectronics. Trimax is cooperating with this company in marketing fiber optic products. President William is gesturing towards one of the professional units for use with large cable systems and tells us: “From 500 to roughly 10,000 households can be provided with a cable system’s Triple Play service using this system. Production costs not including installation are under US$ 200.00 per connected household for our system.” ■ Schematic of Hillton Optoelectronics‘ fiber optic system. Trimax prepares a smaller version of this system for use with smaller cable systems. 74 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 76.
    COMPANY REPORT Receiver Manufacturer SKYWORTH, China ■ SKYWORTH’s futuristic headquarters located directly on Shennan Boulevard, the main street that runs directly through Shenzhen.  Shenzhen SKYWORTH is Expanding 76 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 77.
    One of thelarger receiver manufacturers in China is SKYWORTH. They’ve consistently been in expansion mode and have managed to make a phenomenal entrance into the South American marketplace in 2010: a large contract with the government of Argentina involving 400,000 receivers for the terrestrial ISDB-T standard resulted in SKYWORTH’s intense production activity. “All these receivers have already been shipped”, we learn from Jack Jiang, Sales Director of SKYWORTH’s receiver division. The company’s official name is Shenzhen SKYWORTH Digital Technology Co., Ltd. www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — 1 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 77
  • 78.
    We met upwith Jack Jiang in SKY- SD models and only 25% were DVB-S2 Brazil in 2009”, explains Jack Jiang, “in WORTH’s futuristic headquarters located HD models.” It’s clear from these num- 2010 we shipped roughly 30,000 OEM in Shenzhen’s High-Tech Park. He told bers that the market for HD receivers in receivers to our partner in Brazil.” us of some of the companies additional this region hasn’t really picked up yet. highlights: “Next to Europe, the Middle The remaining 5% were twin receivers. For 2011 SKYWORTH expects that East including Turkey are large markets number to rise since more and more for us”, he reveals, “we sold half a million Jack Jiang has more to tell us: “Up countries in South America are starting receivers in this region in 2010 and we’re until now in the Middle East only Iran has regular service of terrestrial TV in the actually expecting this number to double made DVB-T official; SKYWORTH delivers ISDB-T standard. for 2011.” OEM DVB-T MPEG4 receivers to a local partner in Iran.” Thousands of units have “We can offer three different models There’s a reason for this optimism as already been shipped to Iran and SKY- for South America: a standard ISDB-T can be seen by the type of receivers sold WORTH foresees a significant increase in box, a box with ISDB-T and the Middle- there; the Middle East still has quite a bit these deliveries for 2011. ware Ginga - this allows access to inter- of potential for HD receivers. According active programming content - as well as to Jack Jiang, “70% of the receivers sold But let’s get back to South America. a combo box with ISDB-T and DVB-S2.” in the Middle East in 2010 were DVB-S “We shipped our first ISDB-T receiver to SKYWORTH is quite capable of deliver- 1. Jack Jiang is SKYWORTH’s Sales Director 1 2. A look at the large open office area with SKYWORTH’s software developers SKYWORTH Company Details OEM Receiver Manufacturer, China www.skyworth.com Engineers in Research & Development | Total Number of Employees ▼ ▼ 0............................ 1250 .............................. 2500 Average Turnover (Previous, This, Next Year Estimates) ▼ 0........................... 1.250 ................. 250 Mio US$ Production Certificates RoHS, CE, REACH, DVB Main Products Receiver for DVB-S/S2, DVB-T, ISDB-T with single, twin and combo tuner, Receiver Sticks for USB, SCART in DVB-S and HDMI in DVB-S2 www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/skyworth.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1003/eng/skyworth.pdf TELE-satellite World www.TELE-satellite.com/... Download this report in other languages from the Internet: Arabic ‫ﺍﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ‬ www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/ara/skyworth.pdf Indonesian Indonesia www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/bid/skyworth.pdf German Deutsch www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/deu/skyworth.pdf English English www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/skyworth.pdf Spanish Español www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/esp/skyworth.pdf French Français www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/fra/skyworth.pdf Hebrew ‫עברית‬ www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/heb/skyworth.pdf Chinese 中文 www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/man/skyworth.pdf Polish Polski www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/pol/skyworth.pdf Portuguese Português www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/por/skyworth.pdf Russian Русский www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/rus/skyworth.pdf Turkish Türkçe www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/tur/skyworth.pdf Available online starting from 28 January 2011 2 78 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 80.
    ing receivers tothis new and upcoming will be an especially interesting high- in SCART format and naturally in stan- market! light from SKYWORTH: “We will be intro- dard definition - only the HDMI interface ducing an HDMI stick to the market for is qualified to be used with HDTV. “And As long as we’re on the subject, how DVB-S2 and of course with a PVR func- for the third quarter of 2011 we will also does it look for new DVB products? Jack tion”, explains Jack Jiang. offer HbbTV”, comments Jack Jiang as Jiang has the answers: “We recently he lists SKYWORTH’s new products. started a DVB-S2 receiver with the HDTV SKYWORTH already has plenty of variant CI+.” A test report on this new experience with receivers in stick format; Vice General Manager David Ken receiver in TELE-satellite is forthcoming. in TELE-satellite’s issue 04-05/2010 has more information for us: “We have By the time you read this issue, there we introduced a receiver stick - it was 2500 employees”, explains David Ken, “of which 400 are engineers in the R&D department.” 1 An important reason for SKYWORTH’s success is their technical support. “Nine engineers are in the technical support department and are immediately there to help our customers should there be a problem with a receiver.” 1. Are there technical problems? Then all you need to do is send an e-mail to SKYWORTH’s technical support team. Here we see Rock Cai; he is manager of the nine-engineer strong technical support team. He gives us insight into what kind of problems they see: “The hardware typically functions error-free. When there are problems, it’s usually with the software.” The reason for this is that the software is always being updated. “Most of the problems can be corrected with a software upgrade”, explains Rock Cai, who has succeeded thus far to track down every problem. 2. SKYWORTH is currently introducing a receiver with CI+. Gong Yangno, shown here, is responsible for technical development. He runs the CI+ software development team with 22 engineers. 2 80 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 81.
    In this casethe customers aren’t SKYWORTH’s receivers, you can meet Hong Kong.” This provides many oppor- the end users but rather the large dis- up with Vice General Manager David Ken tunities to take a much closer look at tributors and trademarks that get their and Sales Director Jack Jiang at many SKYWORTH’s product line and to discuss receivers from SKYWORTH as an OEM different trade shows. delivery options. supplier. For these companies it’s espe- cially important that the receivers func- Jack Jiang lists the trade shows that With their many innovative products tion flawlessly since only then can they SKYWORTH will be part of in 2011: “We’ll stay successful in the market. be at CABSAT in Dubai, SET in Sao Paulo, and their extensive technical know-how, IFA in Berlin, ANGA in Cologne, IBC in SKYWORTH’s customers are in very If you want to find out more about Amsterdam and at the Fall trade show in good hands! 1 4 1. Wong Wei is responsible for the South American ISDB-T receiver’s software. He’s in charge of four ISDB-T engineers. 2. Front panel of the South American ISDB-T receiver 3. Rear panel of the South American ISDB-T receiver 4.A TV monitor is used to test a SKYWORTH ISDB-T receiver. Country selection can be seen here in the menu which for this receiver is SKYWORTH ISDB-T Receiver limited to South American countries that have adopted the ISDB-T standard. for South America 2 3 www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — 1 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 81
  • 82.
    COMPANY REPORT PC Card Manufacturer Tenow, China  Shenzhen 82 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 83.
    ■ Tenow isin the process of setting up new offices on the second floor in this new office complex in Shenzhen’s High- Innovative PC Cards from China Tech Park. These offices will give Tenow room to expand. One company that is fully concentrated on the development of their products is the young firm Tenow from Shenzhen, China. PC cards are manufactured although the actual production process is outsourced allowing Tenow to focus their efforts on Development and Marketing. Also interesting to note about Tenow: the company is run by four partners and all four of them work together as a team to further expand their young company. Tenow is in the process of setting up a new office in Shenzhen’s large High-Tech Park. When we paid them a visit, we went to their old office located directly next to the Shen Da Metro Station on route 1. ■ Tenow’s four partners: they founded the company in 2005. From left to right: Richard Zhang, Bob Liu, Eric Deng and James Liu Two of the founders, James Liu, Eric Deng, who is also involved with to become popular and they distributed in charge of Marketing, and Bob Liu, Software Devlopment. All four of them DVB-T demodulator chips to local manu- responsible for Software Development, founded the new company in 2005 facturers in Shenzhen. met each other while studying at Wuhan using a starting capital of 500,000 RMB University. The two other partners, both (roughly 50,000 Euros). Then, as a design house, Tenow devel- of whom previously worked at a receiver oped complete applications for manu- manufacturer, are Richard Zhang, in Tenow then operated as a commer- facturers. One success story involved charge of Hardware Development, and cial enterprise: DVB-T was just starting DVB-T USB sticks: Tenow developed the www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — 1 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 83
  • 84.
    1 TENOW Company Details PC Card Manufacturer, China www.tenower.com Engineers in Research & Development | Total Number of Employees 2 ▼ ▼ 0................................ 12 .................................. 25 Average Turnover (Previous, This, Next Year Estimates) ▼ 0............................... 1.5 .....................3 Mio €uro Production Certificates RoHS, DVB Main Products PC-Cards for DVB-S/S2, DVB-T/T2, DVB-C with single, dual and quad tuner, CAM Box for DVB-S2, USB-Stick for DVB-S/S2, DVB- C and ISDB-T www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/tenow.pdf TELE-satellite World www.TELE-satellite.com/... Download this report in other languages from the Internet: Arabic ‫ﺍﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ‬ www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/ara/tenow.pdf Indonesian Indonesia www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/bid/tenow.pdf German Deutsch www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/deu/tenow.pdf English English www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/tenow.pdf Spanish Español www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/esp/tenow.pdf French Français www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/fra/tenow.pdf Hebrew ‫עברית‬ www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/heb/tenow.pdf Chinese 中文 www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/man/tenow.pdf Polish Polski www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/pol/tenow.pdf Portuguese Português www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/por/tenow.pdf Russian Русский www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/rus/tenow.pdf Turkish Türkçe www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/tur/tenow.pdf Available online starting from 28 January 2011 3 application which was then acquired by card in 2009 which was introduced by 1. Irene Jiang is responsible for International a local manufacturer who then marketed TELE-satellite in the 12-01/2011 issue. Sales the completed sticks. But now it’s 2011 and the four partners 2. Susanna Zhao is responsible for International are really giving it all they’ve got: by the Sales. She speaks English and German That was actually the trigger that com- time this issue reaches your hands, there 3. Lucky Lu is a Software Engineer. She is pelled the four founders to reorganize will be a firestorm of innovative new PC currently working on an application for DVB-T2 their business model: instead of design- cards as well as boxes that can be con- ing solutions for other manufacturers nected to a laptop: DXers will appear in the third quarter of who then ended up profiting from the 2011: sales, the four partners decided to take - a CAM Box in DVB-S2 with the their designs and manufacture and dis- ST0903 chip - a PCIe Card with 4 x DVB-S2 and tribute them themselves. - a PCIe Card with 4 x DVB-S2 with the NXP 10074 chip the CX24117 chip For Tenow though, the DVB-T stick was - a PCIe Card with 1 x DVB-T2 with a It’s special because this chip permits old news; the prices for this product seg- Samsung tuner Blindscanning! Bob Liu, in charge of Soft- ment were already too low to continue - a PCIe Card with 2 x DVB-T2 ware Development, reveals a few other with that product. A new idea had to - a professional PCIe Card with the features to us regarding Blindscan: “Our be found; it didn’t take long: a PCI card ST0900 chip supporting VCM/ACM/CCM CAM box with the ST0903 chip comes for DVB-S that was marketed under the and multi-stream-input with the Blindscan function as does our brand name Tenow at the end of 2006. data card with the ST0900 chip.” But for The second quarter of 2011 should see feed hunters and satellite Dxers it’s the Then each year after that it was some- other highlights: card with the NXP 10074 chip that brings thing new: in 2007 there was the new with it the long-awaited all-around solu- DVB-S2 PCI card and then in 2008 the - a double PCIe- Card with 2 x DVB-S2 tion to Blindscanning. time was right for cards with a PCI and 2 x CI Express slot. The first of those was a Software Developer Eric Deng explains DVB-S2 card followed by a dual DVB-S2 An especially tasty treat for satellite a few more features to us: “Our target 84 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 86.
    Inside Europe, 40%of sales each go to Germany and England with the remain- ing 20% going to countries like Poland, France, Italy and Sweden.” Marketing Manager James Liu has something else for us: “We’re in the process of setting up a branch office in Sophia, Bulgaria. We would then have direct access to Europe making product distribution much easier.” This new branch office would not only be a storage warehouse but also a sales office for Europe from which Tenow could support their customers in Europe. Equally important according to Bob Liu, “We would also use the Sophia office as a test center for our PC cards. We could then check the performance of our cards on actual satellite signals.” 1 The branch office in Bulgaria is set up for 1. Steven Liu is also a software engineer and is working on a DVB-S2 application 2. Tenow has outsourced the actual production process but they still perform quality control on the finished product: here we see engineer Zhang testing product samples. group for the 4 x DVB-S2 cards are actu- ally the IPTV providers. They require simultaneous reception from as many sources as possible. At the same time our data card with the ST0900 chip tar- gets the professional market; it supports CCM, ACM, VCM and multi-stream input - a requirement for professional satellite data download applications.” With these new products, that currently are or soon will be appearing on the market, Tenow is clearly covering every possible appli- cation. But now we want to get an idea of how Tenow performed at the start. Marketing Manager James Liu gives us some insight: “In our first year in 2005 we were just able to cover our expenses. We already began to show a profit in 2 2006: we managed sales of 5 million RMB (about 500,000 Euros).” In 2010 sales reached 20 million RMB (about 2 of additional room so that Tenow could five employees; three would be from the million Euros). “For 2011 we are expect- expand to 40 employees. local region while the other two would be ing sales of about 30 million RMB (or 3 for software and hardware developers million Euros).” If you take a closer look at Tenow’s from the main office in Shenzhen. product palette, you might notice that Software developer Bob Liu highlights they are focusing on DVB-S2 and DVB- This young team has managed to write their employee numbers over the years: T2. Hardware engineer Richard Zhang an impressive success story in just a “In 2005 it was just the four founders, in confirms this: “DVB-C doesn’t play a few years. With self-developed applica- 2006 we added two employees and now very big role; the sales numbers are tions and above all a focus on innova- in 2010 we have 18 employees.” This rather low.” tive products, that is products that don’t includes four software engineers, four yet exist, Tenow should have no trouble hardware engineers, three sales man- Irene Jiang, responsible for interna- expanding its reach in the marketplace. agers, one in accounting and three in tional sales, expands on this: “80% of administration. our sales are in Europe, 15% go to the Tenow is a private company and it’s Middle East and the remaining 5% to the remarkable how these four partners In their new office there will be plenty rest of the world such as North America. have managed to work so close together 86 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 88.
    over the yearsexpanding and growing their company and this not only in terms of prod- uct development but also in the conquest of new markets. If you want to meet the Tenow four, simply take a trip to the upcoming ANGA show in Cologne, Germany: there they’ll be introducing their newest products as well as be open to meetings with new dealers and distributors for their products. Tenow is an excellent example of a com- pany that knows how to develop exactly 2 those products that the market is looking for. The trick is not showing up too late with a product when price reductions have already begun to take place, but rather to market a product at a point when demand is just beginning. Tenow’s Newest Products 1. For connection to a laptop: a DVB-S2 CAM box with USB. It would let you watch PayTV channels on your laptop. 2. IPTV providers in particular are waiting for this 3 card: it offers 4 x DVB-S2; four channels can be received at the same time from up to four different satellites. 3. One card for DVB-T2 reception with in/out IEC jacks 4. A professional card for data reception. These 4 would be preferred by satellite data download providers. 5. With this Samsung tuner two (!) DVB-T2 channels can be received at the same time 5 1 88 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 90.
    COMPANY REPORT OEM Receiver Manufacturer Globalsat, China Millions of Receivers from Globalsat • GLOBALSAT opens a new production facility in Zhuhai (west of Shenzhen) • Production capacity of up to 8 million units per year • More than 100 engineers in R&D • New multimedia receiver in 2nd quarter of 2011 • Distribution of their own brand name by 2012 • Sales numbers expected to double in 2011 With a new production facility that duction facility will be able to handle will just be starting operations when a maximum of eight million receiv- this issue of TELE-satellite hits the ers every year. We met up with Alvin newsstands, Globalsat in China is Sun, Globalsat’s Sales and Market- launching a new offensive in 2011 ing Director, in their current office in the manufacturing of high-quality in Shenzhen to learn more about receivers; and this includes boxes what’s going. for satellite TV, terrestrial TV and IPTV. The export of these boxes to Globalsat was founded in 2004 Europe and America tops the list for by Mike Miao together with a team this expansion. of investors and partners includ- ing Sales Manager Alvin Sun, R&D To accomplish this, Globalsat is Hardware Manager Ian Wu and planning on doubling their produc- R&D Software Manager Bean Zhou. tion capacity from the current four In their first year 210,000 units million boxes per year: the new pro- were produced and were delivered 90 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 91.
    Shenzhen ■ This is the China Youse building on Shennan Boulevard, the main street that runs directly through Shenzhen on which many manufacturers in the digital TV sector have their headquarters. www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — 1 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 91
  • 92.
    as OEM boxesprimarily to the Middle balsat also set up a sales team for Aus- tions for almost every chip maker includ- East. Up until 2008, the Middle East tralia for the DVB-T receiver business ing NXP/CONEXANT, BROADCOM, ST, was their primary target market but there. Globalsat more than anything is a FUJITSU, NATIONAL CHIP and SUNPLUS. then the company set up a sales team design firm. All four founders were pre- for Europe. “Back then we concentrated viously employed with similar receiver Globalsat is an OEM manufacturer that our efforts mostly on Germany, England, companies in the past. In the beginning produces boxes for local distributors and Italy, Turkey as well as Russia and the in 2004, there were six employees; in name brands. The Operator business, Ukraine’, says Alvin Sun, “We sold OEM 2005 that number increased to 20 and that is, boxes for programming provid- satellite and DVB-T receivers to local dis- by 2010 there were 200 employees. Alvin ers, was up until now not really part tributors.” Sun comments, “Half of our workforce, of their business strategy. That will be 100 engineers in all, work in the Devel- changing. “We already have the licenses Another region was added in 2009: opment Department.” Their far-reaching for Conax, Crypton and XCrypt and are the incorporation of the terrestrial TV expertise in software can be seen in working on acquiring the licenses for standard ISDB-T in Brazil opened up the impressive number of cooperative Nagra, Irdeto and NDS”, explains Alvin this enormous market to Globalsat. Glo- agreements: Globalsat designs applica- Sun. Globalsat already has the licenses ■ Mike Miao is Globalsat’s founder. He develops the company’s strategy and is GLOBALSAT Company Details consistently involved in driving the company forward. He managed in just the Receiver Mass Manufacturer, China www.globalsatdvb.com few years that the company has been in existence to elevate it into the league of Engineers in Research & Development | Total Number of Employees million-unit manufacturers and is now determined to raise it to the upper-most ▼ ▼ 0.............................. 125 ................................ 250 level of high-quality manufacturers. Average Turnover (Previous, This, Next Year Estimates) ▼ 0................................ 75 ................. 150 Mio US$ Production Certificates RoHS, FCC, UL, CE, DVB, ISO Main Products Receiver for HDTV and SDTV in DVB-S/S2, DVB-T, DVB-C, ISDB- T, HD+, CI+ and HbbTV, Multimedia Receiver, IPTV Boxes, Media Player www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/globalsat.pdf TELE-satellite World www.TELE-satellite.com/... Download this report in other languages from the Internet: Arabic ‫ﺍﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ‬ www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/ara/globalsat.pdf Indonesian Indonesia www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/bid/globalsat.pdf German Deutsch www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/deu/globalsat.pdf English English www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/globalsat.pdf Spanish Español www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/esp/globalsat.pdf French Français www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/fra/globalsat.pdf Hebrew ‫עברית‬ www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/heb/globalsat.pdf Chinese 中文 www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/man/globalsat.pdf Polish Polski www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/pol/globalsat.pdf Portuguese Português www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/por/globalsat.pdf Russian Русский www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/rus/globalsat.pdf Turkish Türkçe www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/tur/globalsat.pdf Available online starting from 28 January 2011 92 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 94.
    for HDMI, CI+,Macrovision, Dolby and WMV; soon DTS and DiVX will be added to the list. This makes Globalsat fully prepared to manufacture for all of these markets. Alvin Sun expands on this: “In 2010 we shipped less than 5% of our products to programming providers; in 2011 we expect that to increase to 15%.” President Mike Miao gave us some insight into their long-term strategy: “Thus far we outsourced our production but with our own manufacturing facility we’ll be able to offer even better qual- ity products as well as comply with all the different standards.” This involves mostly the RoHS and ISO standards and the safety standards of the FCC, UL and CE. Once the production facility is fully operational, expected to be around mid 2011, Globalsat will be able to guaran- tee all the standards placing them in the elite circle of high-quality manufactur- ers. Sales, which for 2010 were around 80 million US dollars, are expected to nearly double thanks to the new produc- ■ Alvin Sun is Globalsat’s Sales and Marketing Director and one of the founding partners. Here he is tion facility. “We’re expecting sales of showing us a model of a 3D TV that is currently being distributed domestically under their own label SVC. He can easily imagine this product eventually being exported but for the time being Globalsat around 150 million USD in 2011”, pre- is concentrating on exporting their HD and multimedia receiver products that are manufactured in dicts Mike Miao. their own facility. Globalsat also manufactures LED and LCD TVs for the domestic market. ■ Sharon Yan is at the reception desk and greets visitors with a smile. 94 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 96.
    Globalsat will continueits position as an OEM manufacturer. Don’t waste your time looking for receivers with the Glo- balsat logo. “Maybe in 2012 we’ll start with receivers under our own brand name”, reveals Sales and Marketing Director Alvin Sun to us. Domestically, Globalsat has been very successful with the brand name SVC: TV sets are produced under this name. A completely new field involves 3D TVs; Alvin Sun believes that it won’t be too long before they are offered interna- tionally. For now, Globalsat only exports receivers: “In 2010 we exported 70% SD receivers and 30% HD boxes.” In 2011 this ratio will substantially change with their new production facility: “The por- tion of HD receivers should increase to more than 50%.” Globalsat even has a Super Receiver in development. It should become available in the second quarter of 2011 and will come with a twin tuner for DVB-S2, an IPTV receiver section, web browser and most notably 3D graphics plus games as well as WiFi support and of course a PVR. The latter feature comes with the option to record the original signal. This makes this box compatible with HD+ and CI+; HbbTV is also being worked on. The TELE-satellite test team can’t wait to get their hands on a sample receiver so that we can introduce it to you as soon as possible. The sales team provided us with some ■ Josie Yang is Globalsat’s numbers highlighting geographical distri- Marketing Manager. She is standing bution. In 2010 70% of all shipments still here in front of a display wall with a selection of OEM products went to the Middle East with 15% going manufactured by Globalsat. to Europe and the Americas. In 2011 a 96 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 97.
    ■ It’s notquite ready yet but it won’t be long substantial shift will be seen here: the The reason for this is the startup of their before this production facility kicks into high Middle East, which has been their pri- own factory that will be used to manu- gear. Administration will also move into this building which is located in Zhuhai, west of mary target market since the founding facture highquality products for the Shenzhen opposite Macao. of the company, will be further reduced European and North American markets to 50% while Europe will climb to 30%, thus greatly expanding their position in manufacturing inexpensive boxes for the South America will be around 15% with the OEM market. Middle East has been replaced by the North America receiving the remaining start of a high-quality production line: 5%. For South America it will be mostly You’ll find Globalsat at almost every now with high-quality products the Euro- ISDB-T receivers and in North America appropriate trade show. Marketing Man- pean and North American markets are in Globalsat will be focusing on IPTV and ager Josie Yang gives us an overview: focus. The company Globalsat is in the media players. “For 2011 Globalsat will be at CES, CSTB, process of taking the next step in their CABSAT, CCBN, ANGA, SET, IBC as well development: they are moving from a Globalsat has set some lofty goals for as the two KDTC shows in the Spring and manufacturer of inexpensive boxes to themselves in 2011: “We’re planning in the Fall.” one of high-quality products that come on production of seven to eight million with all the features that are expected by receivers as well as 500,000 TV sets and Globalsat is clearly on an expansion today’s customers. It’s a very forward- 20,000 signal analyzers”, lists Alvin Sun. course. The original business plan of looking strategy! ■ One of the many new products by Globalsat: an ISDB-T + DVB-S2 HD Combo, model name IS1-19HD. Some technical specifications: ISDB-T Compliant (MPEG-II/ MPEG-IV/ H.264), DVB-S/S2 Compliant (MPEG-II/ MPEG-IV/ H.264), SCPC & MCPC receivable from Ku and C band satellites, Universal, Single, Single Ku & C Band Wideband LNB compatible, Sensitive Tuner with Loop-Through, DiSEq C 1.0/1.1/1.2/1.3(USALS), SCR Support, PAL/SECAM/NTSC, Blind Search, variable aspect ratio (4:3, 16:9) with PAN&SCAN, CE, FCC, DTV compliant, supports Closed Caption (CC) function, optional Conditional Access (e.g. Conax) embedded. This Combo model is for the Brazilian market, but a European model with DVB-T plus DVB-S2 HD has been launched simultaneously. www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — 1 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 97
  • 98.
    1 2 3 Hardware Design at Globalsat 1. Ian Wu is in charge of the Hardware R&D team. He is also one of Globalsat’s founding partners and runs a team of 22 engineers. 2. The hardware for Globalsat’s boxes is designed here. 3. Sample units are manually assembled and checked out here to see if they can be produced that way. 4. These two employees solder sample circuit boards together for the sample units. 4 In this way the theoretical units designed by the engineers can be tested in practice before they go into production. 98 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 100.
    1 2 3 4 Globalsat Sales Team 1. Anna Zhang is the sales team leader for northern and eastern Europe 2. Belinda Bi is in charge of the sales team for southern and western Europe as well as for Australia. 3. Ryan Wang is the sales team leader for OEM customers in North and South America. 4. The Middle Eastern team leader is Fenny Ji 5 5. A look at the sales team: the orders from the OEM customers are handled by four teams that may each consist of up to four employees. 100 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 102.
    1 2 1. The design team: not only is the packaging for their products fashioned here, but also the front panel as well as the rear panel of the boxes. Even the chassis’ are designed here. 2. Production samples are tested here. Five engineers work here to identify production flaws as quickly as possible. 3 3. The accounting team: customer invoices are prepared here. 102 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 104.
    COMPANY REPORT Receiver Manufacturer Sowell, China Sowell, an Engineering Firm that’s an OEM • Founded by 5 Partners • ISDB-T and DVB-T2 Receiver in 2011 • Overseas Offices in the Plan  Shenzhen • User Friendliness is Company Philosophy A team of five R&D engineers are the felt the same way and so in founders of the OEM company Sowell. 2004 they founded their own The driving force and General Manager company Sowell. of the young company is Eagle Chain. He was, like his four colleagues, an R&D We met up with General Man- employee with a large receiver manufac- ager Eagle Chain in Sowell’s office turer but over time didn’t feel so comfort- in Shenzhen who started off by telling able with that company. All too often he us how it all began: “All we had was the Sowell’s■ offices with was assigned projects that had nothing money we had saved while employed their 70 employees to do with receivers. His four colleagues with that other company. We pooled are located on the seventh floor of this office building in Shenzhen. Receiver production takes place in Baoan which isn’t too far from here and close to Shenzhen’s airport. 200 employees work in the production facility. 200,000 receivers per month can be produced by one shift; if all three shifts are used, receiver production climbs to more than 500,000 boxes a month. ■ General Manager Eagle Chain working in his office in front of a painting of the Great Wall. 104 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 105.
    www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201— 1 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 105
  • 106.
    SOWELL Company Details OEM Receiver Manufacturer, China www.sowell-tech.com Engineers in Research & Development | Total Number of Employees ▼ ▼ 0................................ 50 ................................ 100 Average Turnover (Previous, This, Next Year Estimates) ▼ 0................................ 25 ................... 50 Mio US$ Production Certificates DVB Main Products Receiver for DVB-S/S2, DVB-T/T2, DVB-C and ISDB-T, Receivers with 3D graphics www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/sowell.pdf TELE-satellite World www.TELE-satellite.com/... Download this report in other languages from the Internet: Arabic ‫ﺍﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ‬ www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/ara/sowell.pdf Indonesian Indonesia www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/bid/sowell.pdf German Deutsch www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/deu/sowell.pdf English English www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/sowell.pdf Spanish Español www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/esp/sowell.pdf French Français www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/fra/sowell.pdf Hebrew ‫עברית‬ www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/heb/sowell.pdf Chinese 中文 www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/man/sowell.pdf Polish Polski www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/pol/sowell.pdf Portuguese Português www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/por/sowell.pdf Russian Русский www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/rus/sowell.pdf Turkish Türkçe www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/tur/sowell.pdf ■ Receptionist Lisa provides a friendly But what’s the situation with ISDB-T? Available online starting from 28 January 2011 greeting to all visitors. Pan Smile tells us, “In the second quarter all of our money together and came up to Europe and 5% to Southeast Asia. of 2011 we’ll be coming out with a combo with about US$ 70,000 which we used as “2011 will bring with it even more sig- receiver with DVB-S2 and ISDB-T built on starting capital.” The company’s name nificant changes; we will start exporting the Mstar 782X chip family.” in Chinese is actually Shi Wei; from that to Eastern Europe and above all to South came the anglicized version Siwei and so America.” But Sowell isn’t just concentrating on that it would sound better in English, the the South American market; Europe is name became Sowell. “That name actu- Wait, did she just say ‘South America’? just as much in focus: “In the third quar- ally matches our company philosophy”, That could only be ISDB-T receivers! This ter we’ll be introducing a combo receiver comments Eagle Chain, “we want to do led us to Pan Smile. He is one of Sowell’s with DVB-S2 and DVB-T2 based on the everything ‘so well’.” five founding partners and is not only Mstar 785X chip family which is also Vice General Manager but is also first and Linux compatible.” For the fourth quarter The five partners originally founded foremost the Director of the Research they’re planning on a multimedia unit: “It Sowell as a software designing firm. “It and Development team. Oh, and inciden- will be based on the new Trident Apollo took us only five months before we were tally, he’s also Production Manager. He series chips with which the OSD can for able to sell our first software to a manu- gives us the latest Sowell product news. the first time be presented in 3D.” Since facturer”, remembers Eagle Chain, “At it will be a multimedia receiver, it won’t that time it was a software solution for Up until now Sowell’s success prod- necessarily be just the OSD in 3D; but the Conexant chip.” uct has been a receiver series based on games can be presented in 3D as can the ST7101 chip. The product palette other applications that work with 3D But the days as a simple software pro- includes a DVB-S2 receiver as well as graphics. vider lasted only a few years: Sowell two combo variants: a DVB-S2 + C and a started their own receiver production DVB-S2 + T. The newest receiver series If you take a closer look at Sowell’s in 2006. Back then they manufactured is based on the NXP chipset and is intro- product development, you’ll realize that DVB-S receivers for the Middle Eastern duced by Sowell in their TELE-satellite the company is very close to the cus- market. Sales Director Amanda gives us ad. “The advantage of the NXP chip is tomer: there’s ISDB-T in South America some more details: “Up until 2009 we that it’s not only more economical but as well as DVB-T and 3D in Europe – delivered most of our products to the also sports additional features such as these are segments that will very soon Middle East but in 2010 that began to multimedia and is also compatible with become the talk of the town. change.” Geographical product distribu- Linux”, reveals Pan Smile the reason for tion was 80% to the Middle East, 15% switching chips. If you’re that close to reality, a great 106 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 108.
    deal of thoughtmust go into what fea- tures are currently in demand. In talking with Eagle Chain it’s clear that quite a bit of observation and analysis is going on. Eagle Chain cites an example: “I’m amazed with Apple and their products. They are precisely geared towards the end-user and thus very successful.” The conclusion according to Eagle Chain: “We have a similar view with our soft- ware development, namely a customer- friendly operation of our products.” It is exactly for this reason that Eagle Chain is skeptical about how IPTV will develop; for TELE-satellite though, it’s a subject that is being approached very ecstati- cally: “The large telecom providers all have their own agenda and that is selling their data packages to end-users; they are focused solely on that concept.” He 1 doesn’t see that the user’s point of view is considered regarding IPTV and wishes there’d be an approach similar to that of Apple: following a path based strictly on the end user without looking back at what the provider wants. Sowell’s General Manager Eagle Chain isn’t just thinking about the further development of IPTV. The general future of the receiver is also on his mind. “Will the receiver transform into a multimedia receiver in the future”, asks Eagle Chain, “or will the receiver’s functions gradually shift over to the TV itself?” It’s a ques- tion that’s on all of our minds and for which we all don’t yet have an answer. But even if there aren’t any answers, everyone at Sowell is still optimistic about the future. Pan Smile revealed to us that his current team of 40 engineers 2 will be expanded to 80 in 2011. “We also employ five engineers from Europe here in Shenzhen who are primarily respon- sible for customer support”, comments Pan Smile. Sales Director Amanda is also optimistic: “Over the past several years we were able to increase our sales 50% every year. In 2010 our sales were around US$ 30 million and for 2011 we expect that to rise to US$ 45 million.” General Manager Eagle Chain added some more optimism: “In 2011 we are planning to open our own offices in Sao 1. Sun Guanghua is also a Software Engineer and a founding partner. 2. Software engineer Peng Yi is one of Sowell’s founding partners. 3. What magazine is laying there on Designer Zoe Lee’s desk? Yes, she takes care of Sowell’s ads in TELE-satellite. She also works on the graphical layout of a receiver’s OSD as well as the packaging, user manual and everything else 3 at Sowell that involves graphics. 108 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 110.
    Paulo for theSouth American market, in Dubai for the Middle Eastern market and in Europe – most likely in Germany – for the western and eastern European mar- kets.” The young company Sowell, founded more out of necessity rather than a con- scious decision, has maybe because of this developed itself extremely fast and dynamically. The five partners are fix- ated on the success of their company and immediately invest any profits back into the company. That’s why Sowell is growing so fast. “We are currently look- ing for a new and larger office here in Shenzhen”, revealed Eagle Chain just before we left. Sowell: a company firmly on an expansion course that does every- thing ‘so well’. Sowell’s Sales Team 1 2 1. Sowell’s Sales Director Amanda. You’ll run into her at trade shows such as CABSAT in Dubai. She says, “All of our managerial staff have many years of experience in this area because they all previously worked successfully in this sector with other companies.” 2. The customer is taken care of here in the Sales Team. For every region there’s one responsible employee. 3. Always busy: Roger Xu is responsible for the 3 European Sales Team. 110 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 111.
    Research & Development 4 at Sowell 7 5 4. Pan Smile is not only one of Sowell’s founders and partners, he is also Vice General Manager. But above all else he’s in charge of the R&D team and is also a Production Manager on the side. 5. Sowell’s software engineers work here. 6. Six test engineers check out the software here in the Test Center. Liu Xiongzi is seen here testing the functions of a receiver’s OSD. 7. Even the hardware has to be tested. Six engineers work in the Hardware Test Center. Satellite antennas are also available here; one is pointed to AGILA at 146E, another is aligned to TELSTAR at 138E with a third one pointing to CHINASAT at 115E. 6 www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — 1 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 111
  • 112.
    COMPANIES OVERVIEW Best Digital TV Companies of the World DISHPOINTER   EESHOP HORIZON   WORLDWIDE SATELLITE GLOBAL INVACOM   SMARTINNOVATIONS SEATEL   CLARK  SATSHOP24  SATBEAMS BEST DIGITAL TV COMPANIES in W EUROPE SATSHOP24 SATBEAMS Satellite Shop, Germany Software Programming, Belgium www.satbeams.com www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1101/eng/satshop24.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1011/eng/satbeams.pdf SMARTINNOVATIONS GLOBALINVACOM Satellite Distributor, Netherlands Fibre Optic Products, UK www.globalinvacom.com www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1009/eng/globalinvacom.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1011/eng/smartinnovations.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1005/eng/globalinvacom.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0909/eng/globalinvacom.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0805/eng/globalinvacom.pdf 112 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1 – Operator Market Qualified
  • 113.
    EESHOP DISHPOINTER Satellite Shop, Netherlands Software Programming, UK www.dishpointer.com www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1005/eng/eeshop.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0803/eng/dishpointer.pdf WORLDWIDE SATELLITE SEATEL Satellite Shop, Netherlands Maritime 3-Axis Dish Manufacture, UK www.cobham.com www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0903/eng/worldwidesatellite.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0803/eng/seatel.pdf CLARK HORIZON Distributor, Netherlands Manufacturer of Measuring Instruments, UK www.horizonhge.com www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/eng/clark.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0801/eng/horizon.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0701/eng/horizon.pdf – Operator Market Qualified www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 1 113
  • 114.
    COMPANIES OVERVIEW Best Digital TV Companies of the World  SMARTWI  TECHNISAT DOEBIS   NANOXX GOLDEN MEDIA   MEDIA BROADCAST SMART   SPAUN POWER GT SAT   SPAUN BEST DIGITAL TV COMPANIES in N EUROPE DOEBIS SMARTWI Satellite Wholesaler, Germany www.doebis.de Wireless Card Reader Producer, Denmark www.smartwi.net www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1011/eng/doebis.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1011/eng/smartwi.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0709/eng/smartwi.pdf SPAUN POWER GOLDEN MEDIA Power Supply Manufacturer, Germany www.spaun.com Manufacturer and Distributor, Germany www.cynextra.com www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1011/eng/spaun.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1009/eng/goldenmedia.pdf 114 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1 – Operator Market Qualified
  • 115.
    MEDIA BROADCAST SPAUN Broadcasting Services, Germany High Quality Accessory Manufacturer, Germany www.spaun.com www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1009/eng/mediabroadcast.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/eng/spaun.pdf SMART GT SAT Receiver Manufacturer, Germany LNB Distributor, Luxembourg www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0901/eng/smart.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0805/eng/gtsat.pdf NANOXX TECHNISAT Wholesaler and Receiver Manufacturer, Germany TV Manufacturer, Germany www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0901/eng/nanoxx.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0709/eng/technisat.pdf – Operator Market Qualified www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 1 115
  • 116.
    COMPANIES OVERVIEW Best Digital TV Companies of the World  NETUP AB IPBOX   ABC BIZNIS  STAB AZBOX   PROMAX  ANTECH BEST DIGITAL TV  PULSTAR COMPANIES in  MENNYFIX S/E EUROPE NETUP Company Details IPTV Software and Hardware Producer, Russia www.netup.tv Engineers in Research & Development | Total Number of Employees ▼ ▼ 0................................ 25 ...................................50 Average Turnover (Previous, This, Next Year Estimates) ▼ 0.................................. 5 ................... 10 Mio US$ Production Certificates ISO, RoHS, PCI SIG, IEEE, DVB Production Categories OEM, ODM Main Products Professional PC Cards for DVB-S/S2, DVB-T/MPEG-4, DVB-C, ASI, IPTV Gateway/Streamer, IPTV Middleware, IPTV Conditional www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1101/eng/netup.pdf Access Systems, IPTV Billing Systems, Video on Demand AB IPBOX AZBOX Satellite Receiver Manufacturer, Slovakia www.abipbox.com Satellite Receiver Manufacturer, Portugal www.azbox.com www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1009/eng/abipbox.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1001/eng/azbox.pdf 116 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1 – Operator Market Qualified
  • 117.
    PULSTAR MENNYFIX Satellite Installer, Spain Satellite Shop, Spain www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0911/eng/pulstar.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0903/eng/mennyfix.pdf PROMAX ANTECH Accessory Manufacturer, Spain Uplink Technology, Italy www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0909/eng/promax.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0809/eng/antech.pdf ABC BIZNIS STAB Satellite Receiver Manufacturer, Slovakia www.abcbiznis.sk Antenna Motor Manufacturer, Italy www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0903/eng/abcbiznis.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0809/eng/stab.pdf – Operator Market Qualified www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 1 117
  • 118.
    COMPANIES OVERVIEW Best Digital TV Companies of the World  ATLANTA  YAHYA  COMINTOUCH BEST DIGITAL TV  ECHOLINK COMPANIES in MIDDLE EAST ATLANTA ECHOLINK Satellite Wholesaler, UAE Satellite Wholesaler, UAE www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1007/eng/atlanta.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1007/eng/echolink.pdf COMINTOUCH YAHYA Satellite Wholesaler, UAE Software Programming, KSA www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1007/eng/comintouch.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0911/eng/yahya.pdf 118 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1 – Operator Market Qualified
  • 119.
    Best Digital TVCompanies of the World COMPANIES OVERVIEW BEST DIGITAL TV COMPANIES in    SQUARE PLAN SAMMEG CNBC AFRICA  TELEMEDIA SQUARE PLAN CNBC Satellite Dealer, South Africa Satellite Channel, South Africa www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/eng/squareplan.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0709/eng/cnbc.pdf SAMMEG TELEMEDIA Satellite Wholesaler, South Africa Satellite Uplink, South Africa www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0801/eng/sammeg.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0709/eng/telemedia.pdf – Operator Market Qualified www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 1 119
  • 120.
    COMPANIES OVERVIEW Best Digital TV Companies of the World YONGSAN   TOPFIELD NASA CNS   ARION  SEKISAT  INFOSAT  FASHION TV BEST DIGITAL TV COMPANIES in  CISS ASIA  SUBUR SEMESTA CISS TOPFIELD Satellite Wholesaler, Singapore High-End Receiver Manufacturer, Korea www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1007/eng/singapore.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0905/eng/topfield.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0801/eng/topfield.pdf INFOSAT ARION Dish Manufacturer, Thailand www.infosats.com High Quality Receiver Manufacturer, Korea www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0907/eng/infosat.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0903/eng/arion.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0803/eng/infosat.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0801/eng/arion.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0705/eng/infosat.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0701/eng/arion.pdf 120 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1 – Operator Market Qualified
  • 121.
    OPERATOR MARKET Qualified NASA CNS Classification for Best Digital TV Companies Satellite Wholesaler, Korea Attributes of Qualified Company: ■ High Production Volume ■ Quality Controlled ■ Customized Product Case ■ Customized Product Software ■ Aftersale Service www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0805/eng/nasacns.pdf FASHION TV SUBUR SEMESTA Satellite Channel, Thailand Dish Manufacturer, Indonesia www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/eng/fashiontv.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0805/eng/subursemesta.pdf YONGSAN SEKISAT Satellite Shop, Korea Satellite Wholesaler, Korea www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0807/eng/koreasatshop.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0801/eng/sekisat.pdf – Operator Market Qualified www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 1 121
  • 122.
    COMPANIES OVERVIEW Best Digital TV Companies of the World  SHALOM  CHANGHONG  YINHE  SVEC BEST DIGITAL TV  SKYWORTH  BOXSAM COMPANIES in MOTECK   TEVII CHINA AZURESHINE  TEVII Company Details PC Card & Receiver Manufacturer, Taiwan www.tevii.com Engineers in Research & Development | Total Number of Employees ▼ ▼ 0................................ 25 ...................................50 Average Turnover (Previous, This, Next Year Estimates) ▼ 0............................... 2.5 ..................... 5 Mio US$ Production Certificates RoHS Production Categories OEM, ODM Main Products PC Cards for DVB-S/S2 and DVB-T/MPEG-4, Boxes for DVB-S/S2, DVB-T/MPEG-4, PC Sticks for DVB-S/S2 www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1101/eng/tevii.pdf BOXSAM YINHE Receiver Manufacturer, China www.boxsam.com High Volume Receiver Manufacturer, China www.yinhe.com www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1009/eng/boxsam.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1007/eng/yinhe.pdf 122 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1 – Operator Market Qualified
  • 123.
    SVEC AZURESHINE Professional Dish Manufacturer, China www.svec.com.cn Professional Dish Manufacturer, Taiwan www.azureshine.com.tw www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1003/eng/svec.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0707/eng/azureshine.pdf CHANGHONG MOTECK Receiver and TV Manufacturer, China Antenna Motor Manufacturer, Taiwan www.moteck.com www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1003/eng/changhong.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0707/eng/moteck.pdf SHALOM OPERATOR MARKET Qualified Satellite Installer, China Classification for Best Digital TV Companies Attributes of Qualified Company: ■ High Production Volume ■ Quality Controlled ■ Customized Product Case ■ Customized Product Software ■ Aftersale Service www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0911/eng/shalom.pdf – Operator Market Qualified www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 1 123
  • 124.
    COMPANIES OVERVIEW Best Digital TV Companies of the World TENOW   GLOBALSAT SKYWORTH   TRIMAX  SOWELL BEST DIGITAL TV COMPANIES in S CHINA TENOW Company Details PC Card Manufacturer, China www.tenower.com Engineers in Research & Development | Total Number of Employees ▼ ▼ 0................................ 12 ...................................25 Average Turnover (Previous, This, Next Year Estimates) ▼ 0............................... 1.5 .....................3 Mio €uro Production Certificates RoHS, DVB Main Products PC-Cards for DVB-S/S2, DVB-T/T2, DVB-C with single, dual and quad tuner, CAM Box for DVB-S2, USB-Stick for DVB-S/S2, DVB- C and ISDB-T www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/tenow.pdf SKYWORTH Company Details OEM Receiver Manufacturer, China www.skyworth.com Engineers in Research & Development | Total Number of Employees ▼ ▼ 0............................ 1250 ...............................2500 Average Turnover (Previous, This, Next Year Estimates) ▼ 0........................... 1.250 ................. 250 Mio US$ Production Certificates RoHS, CE, REACH, DVB Main Products Receiver for DVB-S/S2, DVB-T, ISDB-T with single, twin and combo tuner, Receiver Sticks for USB, SCART in DVB-S and HDMI in DVB-S2 www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/skyworth.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1003/eng/skyworth.pdf 124 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1 – Operator Market Qualified
  • 125.
    GLOBALSAT Company Details Receiver Mass Manufacturer, China www.globalsatdvb.com Engineers in Research & Development | Total Number of Employees ▼ ▼ 0.............................. 125 .................................250 Average Turnover (Previous, This, Next Year Estimates) ▼ 0................................ 75 ................. 150 Mio US$ Production Certificates RoHS, FCC, UL, CE, DVB, ISO Main Products Receiver for HDTV and SDTV in DVB-S/S2, DVB-T, DVB-C, ISDB- T, HD+, CI+ and HbbTV, Multimedia Receiver, IPTV Boxes, Media Player www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/globalsat.pdf TRIMAX Company Details Signal Analyzer Manufacturer, China www.trimaxtec.com Engineers in Research & Development | Total Number of Employees ▼ ▼ 0................................ 25 ...................................50 Average Turnover (Previous, This, Next Year Estimates) ▼ 0.................................. 1 ..................... 2 Mio US$ Production Certificates RoHS, FCC, DVB Main Products Signal Analyzer with built-in Monitor for DVB-S/S2, DVB-T and DVB-C www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/trimax.pdf SOWELL Company Details OEM Receiver Manufacturer, China www.sowell-tech.com Engineers in Research & Development | Total Number of Employees ▼ ▼ 0................................ 50 .................................100 Average Turnover (Previous, This, Next Year Estimates) ▼ 0................................ 25 ................... 50 Mio US$ Production Certificates DVB Main Products Receiver for DVB-S/S2, DVB-T/T2, DVB-C and ISDB-T, Receivers with 3D graphics www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1103/eng/sowell.pdf – Operator Market Qualified www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 1 125
  • 126.
    COMPANIES OVERVIEW Best Digital TV Companies of the World  SATMAN FORTECSTAR   WORLDWIDE SATELLITES  MFC SEATEL  SADOUN  SONICVIEW   COWMIX QUALITY SATELLITE  GLOBAL SATELLITE BEST DIGITAL TV   SEATEL COMPANIES in AMERICA GLOBAL SATELLITE COWMIX Satellite Dealer, USA Satellite Dealer, USA www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1007/eng/globalsatellite.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1003/eng/cowmix.pdf QUALITY SATELLITE SEATEL Satellite Dealer, USA Maritime 3-Axis Dish Manufacturer, USA www.cobham.com www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-1005/eng/qualitysatellite.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0911/eng/seatel.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0901/eng/seatel.pdf 126 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1 – Operator Market Qualified
  • 127.
    WORLDWIDE SATELLITES SADOUN Satellite Wholesaler, Canada Satellite Dealer, USA www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0905/eng/worldwidesatellites.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0707/eng/sadoun.pdf SONICVIEW SATMAN Satellite Receiver Manufacturer, USA Satellite Dealer, Canada www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0903/eng/sonicview.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0705/eng/satman.pdf MFC FORTECSTAR Satellite Filter Manufacturer, USA www.microwavefilter.com Receiver Manufacturer, Canada www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0903/eng/mfc.pdf www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0705/eng/fortecstar.pdf – Operator Market Qualified www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 1 127
  • 128.
    FEATURE New Generation Tuners Silicon Tuners of 54dB and a noise figure better than 6dB. These numbers significantly exceed the parameters of a typical can tuner. Also, other characteristics, like uniform- Jacek Pawlowski ity of gain, are very constant across the entire frequency band – something that is very difficult to achieve with can tuners. • Miniature tuners with great advantages There are already ICs available that • More sensitive offer additional very exciting features – like a complete channel scan of more • Extremely fast BlindScan than 100 channels in less than two sec- onds (chip makers claim that the chan- • Economical nel lock is a mere 5 ms as opposed to 150 ms for the can tuner) or advanced picture-in-picture (PIP) television tech- There seems to be consistent pro- can tuners. Can tuners are built using a nology providing multiple PIP capabili- gress in digital TV technology; features number of discrete components. Natu- ties that let the viewer watch up to 12 like HD, PVR, upscaling or BlindScan rally, the more components there are, video channels simultaneously around were not available a few years ago. In the more it will cost to assemble it. Sil- the main channel. most cases this progress is only possi- icon tuners are based on a single chip ble when a new generation of integrated and require a minimal number of exter- The key success factor in this case is circuits is developed. This is especially nal components – for example they don’t the innovative internal design architec- obvious when we consider, for example, need expensive SAW filters as are used ture that enables spur-free reception of the migration from SDTV to HDTV. Other in can tuners. A higher level of circuit analog and digital signals. Many silicon times, these advances in technology are integration enables a 75% reduction in tuners include internal digital signal less obvious and harder to detect from space and a 25% reduction in the cost processors (DSP). These are special the end user’s perspective. This is the over can tuners. purpose processing units (i.e., comput- case with the so-called “silicon tuners”. ers) optimized to do very fast calcula- This term was coined to distinguish the Moreover, the integrated circuits of tions on real world signals. It enables new generation of tuners from the classi- modern silicon tuners are compatible implementation of many functions and cal tuners made of discrete components. with many TV standards. This is impor- features not possible or very, very dif- The classical tuners are referred today tant for the manufacturers because it ficult to obtain without DSP. With DSP, as “can tuners”. That’s because they enables them to offer just one multi- it’s quite easy to configure on-board require electromagnetic shields – metal standard receiver model in different filters that meet all television standard enclosures surrounding the electronic regions of the world. There’s no need to requirements. components that look a little bit like tin keep stock of several models to match cans. various digital and analog standards. You To use DSP, the analog signal at the can now offer just one set-top box or TV input of the tuner has to be converted But what is a tuner? According to Wiki- set model for cable, terrestrial, analog into digital form using an analog-to- pedia, the definition of “TV tuner” is: “A and digital TV. The versatility of the chip digital converter (ADC). After the DSP television tuner converts an RF televi- results in increased software common- has done its job, the signal is converted sion transmission into audio and video ality between regional receiver designs back to analog using a digital-to-analog signals which can be further processed and this in turn significantly decreases converter (DAC). So, silicon tuners con- to produce sound and a picture. Differ- development costs. tain not only DSPs but also ADC and ent tuners are used for different televi- DAC subcircuits. The architecture varies sion standards such as PAL, NTSC, ATSC, Silicon tuners guarantee better from manufacturer to manufacturer and SECAM, DVB-C, DVB-T, ISDB, T-DMB, repeatability of their parameters and from type to type and the available fea- open cable.” We will see that while the this means that when testing receiver tures will also vary with different silicon first part of the definition is absolutely after receiver, there’s hardly any dif- tuners, but one thing’s for sure: they all true, the second part is not necessarily ference in their performance. They do outperform can tuners. valid for the silicon tuner. not require manual tuning or adjust- ments. Consistent performance and Naturally, the smaller overall size of Many difficult hurdles had to be quality is one thing but superior specifi- silicon tuners and the ability to mount jumped before a practical silicon tuner cations over can tuners is another. And them directly on the audio/video moth- could be manufactured at a reasonable we’re not talking about just secondary erboards of set-top boxes or TV sets cost. However, once it happened, sili- parameters but better sensitivity, adja- is another important feature. In this con tuners began gaining rapid accept- cent channel rejection, phase noise and case, printed circuit boards need to be ance among manufacturers because of dynamic range. For example, a modern designed with greater care and expertise their advantages compared to traditional silicon tuner has a signal-to-noise ratio in order to avoid radio interference. For- 128 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 129.
    tunately, the silicontuner vendors help come as no surprise that the silicon tuner We, the end users, should only wel- the designers with reference layouts market has expanded rapidly since they come this change. Our future products making their job easier. And the tuners first became available back near the turn will perform better, will be smaller and are extremely small. For example, one of the century. Nearly every chip pro- more universal, will offer more features type of tuner is encapsulated in a plastic vider that is involved with the digital TV and be less expensive. This is very excit- package 5x5 mm (0.2”x0.2”) while some market today is offering silicon tuner ing for set-top box fans, but let’s not can tuners can be as large as 50x100 solutions. Although can tuners have been forget that silicon tuners will also be mm (2”x4”). the standard since the beginning of the used on a larger and larger scale in PCs small screen, set-top box and TV makers and mobile phones. The silicon tuner is Silicon tuners also generate far less will eventually abandon the can tuner poised to unseat the can tuner in vir- heat than can tuners. Because of this, and switch to single chip silicon tuners. tually every application. In a couple of they are not only more eco-friendly but Business analysts predict that over 60 years almost everything having a screen consume less energy; that makes them percent of the units produced worldwide (PC, tablet, cell phone) will have a built- suitable for use in battery operated are expected to rely on the single-chip in TV tuner by default. devices like mobile phones. silicon tuner by 2014. Why not 100%? Well, some TV OEMs are vertically inte- So, to reiterate the explanation quoted For TVs and receivers, silicon tuners grated with can tuner producers; they at the beginning of this article: with a sil- lower their production costs, simplify may prefer to keep them in business for icon tuner you only need one single tuner the manufacturing process and improve now, however, the days of the can tuner for every standard. Now that’s what we their quality and reliability. It should are numbered. call progress!
  • 130.
    FEATURE Transmission Technology Single- and Multi Frequency Networks in Digital Terrestrial Television Jacek Pawlowski DVB-T/T2 and DVB-H standards for digital terrestrial Before the digital era, the analog TV transmitters located in neighboring TV use COFDM modulation. COFDM stands for Coded areas had to use different frequencies Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing and is a quite to avoid interference. It is intuitively understandable that using the same complex sort of digital modulation developed to ensure frequency to transmit channel A from high bit rate capacity along with interference immunity. transmitter 1 and channel B from transmitter 2 is not a good solution. The latter feature is what makes single frequency There would always be a location where networks (SFN) practically possible. the reception antenna would not only receive the desired signal (say, channel A) but also the undesired signal. The ■ Fig. 1. Different signal undesired signal (channel B), even if paths in terrestrial TV. transmitted from a completely differ- ent direction, could interfere because of electromagnetic wave reflections or scattering on various obstacles (like buildings, masts, etc.). So the recep- tion antenna properly directed to receive channel A from transmitter 1 has always a chance to pick up some signal from transmitter 2. But what if the two transmitter broad- cast the same channel? If they use the same frequency to transmit the same analog channel, the reception antenna could again receive signals from both transmitters simultaneously. In prac- tice, one of the signals would always be delayed in relation to the other one. That’s because the distance between the reception antenna and any of the transmitters would be different. Time delays cause phase shifts what in turn leads either to constructive or 130 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 132.
    If such digitalsignal is transmitted from two transmitters on the same frequency, the signal originating from the more distant transmitter is seen as a long delay echo. And this is the important factor for designing single frequency network (SFN): if we used powerful transmitters located far away from one another, we would have long echoes – at least in some areas. There- fore, it is usually assumed that SFN requires a dense grid of small power transmitters. For a medium sized Euro- pean country like Poland, it is assumed that some 350 transmitters with 40 m high antenna masts would be required. Creating such dense grid of transmit- ters is costly and takes time. On the other hand, MFN can use the existing infrastructure of analog ■ Fig. 2. In a Multi-Frequency Network the neighboring transmitters must use different transmitters and antennae. In such frequencies. Only those separated by larger distance may use the same frequency. The configuration, the channels are trans- transmitters can broadcast the same or different digital or analog content mitted on different frequencies and we do not have to care about the echoes destructive interference. This would less useful data we can send in the from neighboring transmitters. We still lead to signal fading. Additionally, due same unit of time. To compensate for have echoes resulting from the same to time delays the “ghost” effect would that, the number of carriers must be transmitter (self interference) because be visible on the TV screen. The mul- increased. there are still signal reflections from tipath effect resulting from reflections and scattering also would take place. Since analog TV used simple ampli- tude modulation for video, there was no other way to avoid interference but to ensure that the transmitters which cover overlapping areas had to use different frequencies. The same frequency channel is re-used only in regions separated by a large distance, to avoid harmful co-channel interfer- ence. Such arrangement is called Multi Frequency Network or MFN. In COFDM modulation digital data is not transmitted continuously but with pauses among the symbols. These pauses are called the guard intervals. The guard interval should be chosen long enough to allow all symbol echoes to reach the receiver. So that when the next symbol comes there are no longer echoes from the previous one. If all delayed signals (symbol echoes) come to the receiver within the guard inter- vals, it is possible to process the sig- nals so smartly to avoid fading. DVB-T permits to choose one of the follow- ing values for guard interval: 1/4, 1/8, ■ Fig. 3. SFN uses a grid of low power transmitters for more uniform field strength. All transmitters are perfectly synchronized, operate on the same frequency and broadcast the 1/16, 1/32. The longer the interval same digital data (multiplex). the more echoes we can cancel but 132 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 133.
    different objects. Butthose echoes are much more uniform signal level what As usually, it is not so easy to shorter and do not pose serious prob- is important for reception on the say which arrangement is better. It lems for COFDM modulation. move. Moreover, if we use the same depends on the circumstances in a frequency, the receiver can switch given country. One of the reasonable Another advantage of MFN is the fact from cell to cell smoothly (handover). approaches could be to use MFN in that it is convenient to use it in the For MFN networks a second tuner is the intermediate period and once the interim period when analog and digital required in the receiver to check sig- digital switch over is over and analog TV are broadcast concurrently. That’s nals from the neighboring cells. SFN channels no longer exist, start building because the viewers do not have to is also the better choice if we need to SFN. SFN will not only release band- rotate their antennae to catch new ensure the reception inside the build- width but also enable DVB-H recep- digital signal nor do they have to install ings or in those places were it is dif- tion almost everywhere. To become new antennas. Analog and digital sig- ficult or impossible to install a roof-top really popular, portable DVB-H devices nals come from the same location. antenna. should be operational everywhere where a mobile phone is used today. In SFN arrangements one multiplex It is not difficult to figure out that There are even some proposals to use is transmitted on the same frequency SFN is more demanding from techno- the existing GSM infrastructure for all over the country. So SFN has one logical point of view. It requires very DVB-T/H SFN transmitters. tremendous advantage over MFN – it good synchronization of all transmit- spares a lot of precious bandwidth ters both in time domain and in fre- Another approach, justified espe- released after the analog transmission quency domain. Usually, GPS is used cially in large countries, could be a is completely switched off. This band- to synchronize all transmitters. mixed solution: MFN and SFN together. width can be either used to transmit In this way, one could have different many more digital channels or used Technology experts when compar- local multiplexes delivered to different for other purposes. Except for better ing both solutions sometimes overlook regions, and nationwide digital multi- spectral efficiency described above, non-technical aspects. For example, plexes delivered all over the country. SFN has better power efficiency. In in some countries there are many other words, the electric energy con- regions that transmit local content to Before we conclude this article, a sumed by all SFN transmitters is lower local viewers. Such local broadcasts word about North America. COFDM than that in MFN system with the same are of little interest to the people living modulation has been chosen for the reception area. SFN uses more trans- at the other side of the country. One terrestrial transmissions by DVB and mitters, but these are the low power can not split networks into regional ISDB, but the American standardiza- units. or local area networks with different tion body ATSC has opted for 8VSB. content using SFN. This is particularly Although 8VSB has not been designed SFN is also much more desired for a challenge for geographically large with SFN in mind, this modulation is DVB-H signals, especially if SFN is countries. Practically, SFN network also good in ghost cancellation. So, at built with a dense grid of small power requires everything be transmitted least theoretically, it is also possible to transmitters. Such grid creates a throughout the whole country. build SFN networks in North America. SFN MFN » Excellent spectral efficiency= » No change in user antenna systems = low bandwidth consumption required » Good power efficiency= » Easy coexistence with analog channels = lower electric energy consumption » Can re-use existing infrastructure of Advantages » More homogeneous field strength analog TV transmitters and antennae distribution for portable and mobile reception » Network splitting is easy= (DVB-H) = different multiplexes in different regions » Suitable for indoor reception » Network splitting for local content is » Not effective in spectral occupancy difficult (though much better than analog) » Excellent synchronization required= » Not so good for DVB-H =extra cost » Cannot assure indoor reception Disadvantages » Costly infrastructure of dense grid » Lower power efficiency of transmitters needed to avoid self interference » New aerials often required on the user's side ■ Table 1. A comparison of pro’s and con’s of SFN and MFN networks www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — 1 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 133
  • 134.
    COMPANY REPORT AZBox Distributor, Russia Two Buddies from School Days Found AZBox Russia The two first met at the tender age of seven when they went to the same school. They embarked on different journeys afterwards, with one of them deciding to study economics while the other obtained a degree in electronics and software programming. Later on, their paths crossed again in the year 2006 when they together founded the company SatDream as exclusive distributor of AZBox products in Russia. Andrej Dolgopolov took on the role of Sales Manager, while Ruslan Rozanov became Technical Manager of the company. TELE- satellite met both founders in Moscow. Technical Manager Ruslan Rozanov can justifiably be called a satellite enthusiast. “It was in 2001 when my interest in satel- lite reception awoke,” he tells us. He used to repair satellite receivers for friends and family in his spare time, and he soon dis- covered that “it was the software aspect that I was really addicted to.” This even went so far as to turn to receiver program- ming from 2004 onward. Looking at ways to turn hobby into profession he finally deci- ded to start up a business. Together with his school-day friend Andrej Dolgopolov he raised an initial capital of USD 2,000 to get going. Right from the start the two have focused on repairing satellite receivers. By and by they had gained an expert reputation for servicing receivers of a par- ticular Korean brand, but unfortunately that manufacturer completely missed the leap from SDTV to HDTV, so they had to look elsewhere. “The option of customised receiver programming was a driving force behind that search,” Ruslan Rozanov exp- lains. “One day we came across the AZBox and immediately got in touch with Hugo Condessa, the founder of AZBox.” The two have been exchanging thoughts and ideas via e-mail or skype ever since. “Our first move was the Russian transla- tion of the AZBox on-screen menus.” Even more important, however, was the adapta- ■ Looking up the façade of this inconspicuous apartment building you can spot two satellite antennas. Right, next to the dishes are the office windows of AZBox Russia on the fifth floor. This building is only one block from the nearest metro station, which is called Kakhovskaya and is served by metro line 11. The company also makes use of a warehouse for storage, which is located elsewhere. 134 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 136.
    1 2 tion of the AZBox to accept major smart- note of the serial number for every single cards used in Russia, like those of provider customer of ours. This allows us to instantly Tricolor. “It only took us three weeks to look up the features and equipment level of 4 write the software so that the internal card every box ever sold by us.” By the way, cus- reader of the AZBox was able to work with tomers may even enter the serial number those smartcards,” Ruslan Rozanov proudly of their box at www.azbox.su themselves remembers. and check whether they have obtained their That happened in October 2009 and receiver through legal channels. things really got moving from there. In Currently, the young company employs a November 2009 the first shipment of boxes workforce of 15: Four work in administra- arrived. “It consisted of 100 Elite boxes tion, three are repair technicians, three are and 100 Premium boxes,” Ruslan Rozanov software developers and four are installers recalls how it all began. And that pace has who set up complete reception systems all constantly increased up until today: For over Moscow and beyond. Added to that are 2010 shipments totalled 1,000 units. the two owners. However the SatDream team was not at “Our top-selling product right now is the the end with after the on-screen display AZBox HD Plus with two DVB-S2 tuners,” texts had been localised. “We wanted our Sales Manager Andrej Dolgopolov reveals. customers to get the best,” Ruslan Rozanov “We generate approximately 70% of AZBox notes and mentions a CD-ROM which is sales with this model alone.” The question shipped with every AZBox in Russia. The that arises in this context refers to DVB-T. CD-ROM features a comprehensive FAQ After all, AZBox does offer its receivers as covering all AZBox functions, as well as DVB-T variants as well. Technical Manager assistance for downloading new software Ruslan Rozanov has the answer: “While versions. “We also cover the initial instal- there have been some test transmissions lation procedure of the AZBox receiver so in Moscow we don’t expect a real DVB-T that all channels demanded from a Russian breakthrough in our market before 2012. audience can actually be received,” Ruslan By that time we’ll be ready and prepared to Rozanov adds. jump on that bandwagon.” Incidentally, he compiled the complete Our visit has clearly confirmed the gene- CD-ROM almost all by himself. Still, Sat- ral impression that AZBox Russia seeks Dream service does not stop there. “All to offer excellent customer service. Its AZBox receivers we sell come with a two- employees are in a position to solve soft- year warranty,” Ruslan Rozanov explains ware problems in a timely manner, as well and details the processes that have been as address any hardware issues that might set up in the background: “Each AZBox is arise. This makes AZBox Russia very well labelled with a unique serial number right placed for keeping up its steady expansion at the manufacturing premises and we take pace. 136 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 137.
    Russia 1. Irina Vitrenko is the receptionist at AZBox Russia. She’s the first to pick up all incoming calls and for this photo she has placed an AZBox on the counter. 2. Always in touch: Sales Manager Andrej Dolgopolov is the co-founder of AZBox Russia and is in charge of sales to retail customers. 3. Technical Manager Ruslan Rozanov is one of the two founders of AZBox Russia. Here he shows us on his laptop PC part of the FAQ which he has compiled for the AZBox and which all AZBox customers receive on a CD together with their box. 4. View of the technicians’ room. This is where malfunctioning boxes are 3 repaired. Technican Igor Radvogin can be seen on the right. www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — 1 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 137
  • 138.
    CITY REPORT Satellite Dealers in Algeria The Satellite Dealer from Sidi Bel-Abbes If you travel roughly 80km south of Oran you’d find the city of Sidi Bel-Abbes in western Algeria  Sidi Bel-Abbes (Algeria) with its 500,000 inhabitants located about 150km from the Moroccan border. The city was named after its founder Sidi Bel-Abbes. We set out for this city in an effort to find out how easy it is to buy satellite components such as dishes, LNBs and receivers in a city like this. Is it possible to find these items here or do you have to travel to a big city in order to find what you need? ■ A look at the beginning of the Rue Mascara in Well, no need to fill the gas tank in Sidi Bel-Abbes in western Algeria. Here you’ll find a large number of satellite dealers. your car! As soon as we found the Rue Mascara (also known as Boulevard Zabana), we could not escape all of the electronic shops. One store after ano- ther offered everything under the sun that came attached with a power cord. Several of these shops focused a little more on satellite components but mostly also sold other items such as TV sets and household electronics. Because of the ever-dropping prices in the satellite industry, many of these dealers have no choice but to expand to neighboring regions. One of the first satellite dealers in Sidi 138 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 140.
    Bel-Abbes was MorsliHallam. He thinks back: “When I started in 1994, there were only two other satellite dealers.” His best year was 1997 when more than 1000 receivers crossed his shop’s counter. In the meantime he gave up his business but still knows many of his old competitors. He introduced us to a few of them; for example, the team from ‘Le Bleu’. In their electronic shop back in the corner you’ll find a 90cm dish along with an assortment of satellite receivers. The manager is Benfreha Becheikh; he explains to us: “We sell about 50 HD receivers a month and still about 100 SD receivers.” It’s obvious that it won’t be long before more HD receivers will be sold than SD boxes. Most of the cus- tomers want to use their new satellite equipment to receive NILESAT. One of the only shops that deals exclu- sively with satellite reception is ‘Magh- reb Sat’. Chafi Abdelhamid is the owner and explains to us: “I started my busi- ness in 1993. But today I only deal with repairs and software updates.” With two technicians and an assistant he repairs defective receivers and uploads new software to these boxes. Larger manufacturers can also be found with a branch office along the Rue Mascara. One of these companies is Condor, an Algerian manufacturer that not only produces household goods but also offers all the necessary compo- nents for satellite reception. One of the salesmen is B. Chaouchi 1 and he shows us the new HD recei- 2 3 1. Morsli Hallam (left) in front of his shop that he now only uses as an office. His former colleague Boudera Kada (right) recently became self-employed and installs satellite systems. 2. Entrance to the ‘Le Bleu’ electronic shop with owner Benfreha Becheikh (left) and colleague Berrabah Bouzian (right). 3. In between the washing machines in ‘Le Bleu’ you’ll find the satellite dishes. 140 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 142.
    1. In asmall shop salesman Benbadaismat shows us a 90cm dish. He explains: “An HD receiver with this dish and an LNB will run you about 200 Euros here. The same setup in SD would cost about 60 Euros.” 2. Satellite shop ‘Maghreb Sat’s’ company logo. 3. In the technicians room, Chafi Abdelhamid, Manager of ‚Maghreb Sat‘, points out used or defective receivers. 2 1 ver from Condor: “This box costs only 3 11,500 DA (about 115 Euros).” Just before we left, we met up with Boudera Kada. He learned his trade with Morsli Hallam and became self-employed a few years ago. He installs satellite sys- tems. He explains to us: “I install about 500 systems a year.” He charges about 8 Euros for a fixed antenna system and about 20 Euros for a motorized system. Of course this only pertains to the labor performed. “Most of my customers use an 80cm dish but that just barely cuts it; for HD reception I always recommend using a 120cm antenna”, explains Kada to us from his experience. “Most of the cus- tomers want to receive NILESAT at 7 west and ATLANTIC BIRD at 5 west so I install the antenna as close as possi- ble to 6 west so that both satellites can be received!” Other popular satellites for this region include HOTBIRD at 13E, ASTRA at 19.2E, BADR at 26E and ARA- BSAT at 30E. Kada also gave us an idea what the more popular channels are. In addition to French channels, there are Arabic channels such as Al Jazeera Sports, MBC 1 (with programming geared towards women) and MBC 3 (Children’s TV), Teletoon Arabic, National Geographic from Abu Dhabi, Al Jazeera Documen- tary, Algeria 3 (Family TV) and 2M from Morocco. Also included in this list are the religious channels IQRA and MAJD as well as the pan-Maghrebish channel El Maghribia 1. According to Kada, “Algerian Arabic is closely related to the Arabic spoken in Morroco and Tunesia and is therefore easy for us to understand.” It becomes a little more difficult with channels from places like Egypt that 142 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 144.
    1 2 3 speak in an Arabic variant that isn’t so easy to understand. “Only the informa- tion channels are transmitted in high- Arabic”, says Kada. Our tour through all of the electronic shops along the Rue Mascara in Sidi Bel- Abbes shows that even in smaller cities in a country like Algeria you can still find a large selection of satellite shops where you can get whatever you need for your satellite reception pleasure. 4 5 1. HD receivers are among the items in Condor’s display window. 2. Condor’s salesman shows us an HD receiver. Condor also sells LNBs and HD TVs. 3. Belarbi Adel is the owner of this well-stocked shop along the Rue Mascara in Sidi Bel-Abbes. 4. One of the few shops that use ‘satellite’ in their name: Kamel Mancer is one of the salesmen and can offer anything that a satellite friend would need. 5. Satellite installer Boudra Kada at work: here he can be seen installing a satellite dish on the roof of one of his customers. 144 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 146.
    DXer REPORT Satellite Enthusiasts in Japan Satellite TV in Tokyo Takao Kameda is already 61 years of age and has been a very busy satellite enthusiast for some 17 years now. He‘s Aluo a well-known figure in the Japanese sat- ellite world and has written numerous articles about satellite reception. Most of them were published in ‚Radio Life‘ maga- zine which sheds light on all aspects of • Japan's most prominent satellite enthusiasts are radio and TV reception. „Young people in Keito Takahashi and Takao Kameda, both of whom Japan these days don‘t watch a whole lot live in Tokyo. We paid a visit to them and found out of live TV,“ he explains. „Most use PVRs to record particular events and watch them about their tricks of the trade. whenever their busy schedule allows  Tokyo ■ Three of Eastern Asia’s most influential satellite enthusiasts: Keito Takahashi (left) from Tokyo, TELE-satellite author Aluo (centre) from Shenzhen/ China and Takao Kameda (right), also from Tokyo. The trio stands in front of Keito Takahashi’s house.  The World of Satellite DXers DXers Previous TELE-satellite DXer Reports can be Read Here: World http://www.SatcoDX.net 146 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 148.
    some time tobe spent in front of the TV.“ Unfortunately, the entire magic of receiving foreign satellite channels from far-away corners of the world is lost in the process. „When ASIASAT 1 started we all got very excited, as channels from ■ Keito Takahashi has mounted his rotatable C that position were transmitted in NTSC,“ band mesh antenna on a Takao Kameda remembers. NTSC was professional pole with a height of 7 metres. the analog colour system used in Japan, so DXers were able to watch channels from ASIASAT 1 with their existing TV. Over the course of so many years Takao Kameda has steadily enlarged his collec- tion of satellite receivers using all sorts of CA systems. Right now he is having an in-depth look at the iCool G2 DVB-S2 receiver. Keito Takahashi is a similarly commit- ted satellite enthusiast. He even speaks Chinese and is a regular viewer of the Chinese satellite channels by CCTV. He joined the satellite community more than ten years ago when he bought his first satellite antenna: It was a 3-metre KTI mesh antenna imported from the USA. Today he operates a 2.4m mesh antenna for the C band and a smaller 1.2m dish for the Ku band. Keito Takahashi is a true celebrity and a popular interview partner for Japanese TV stations and newspapers when it comes to experience and exper- tise in the satellite field. He also loves China and even sent his son over to China to learn the language. „I watch Chinese TV and learn the language from watching and listening.“ Another worthwhile reason for becoming a satellite enthusiast! ■ Hardly noticeable from outside: Keito Takahashi’s two antennas in Tokyo (C band in front, Ku band in the back). 148 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 150.
    NEWS HDTV & 3D Programmes Edited by Branislav Pekic EUROPE frame. The reconstructed right and left images maintain their original resolution, preventing an of UK households now have a HD set, just ahead of the US with 57%. In the US, 44% of households unbalancing of the vertical or horizontal resolution. receive up to 404 HD channels, followed by Japan with 43% accessing up to 103 channels, France FRANCE PORTUGAL with 42% enjoying up to 55 channels and the UK with just 13% accessing up to 50 channels. MARC DORCEL LAUNCHES PORTUGUESE BROADCASTERS 3D ADULT TV SERVICE INVEST €17 MILLION IN HDTV Marc Dorcel Television has launched the first 3D adult entertainment subscription VoD service in The Portuguese national TV channels have started NORTH AMERICA investing in HD as part of preparations for the Europe. The company is initially making the channel analogue switch-off (ASO) due to take place on 26 available via French IPTV platform Free, but plans UNITED STATES April 2012. SIC has announced it will invest up to to roll it out with other partners in the country and €12 million in HD, in both equipment and content. elsewhere in Europe. The programming has been SONY MOVIE CHANNEL Rival TVI estimates investments at €3-5 million, LAUNCHES HD SERVICE produced together with French firm 3DLized. mainly for the acquisition of transmission equip- The Sony Movie Channel is dedicated to show- ment. Public broadcaster RTP is already commis- ing Sony movies in HD and in uncut and uninter- FASHION TV BOOSTS 3D CONTENT sioning all Portuguese and foreign TV series in HD. rupted states. Programming will be selected The Fashion TV channel has announced that it is from over 3,500 Sony films which have won ramping up its 3D content. The broadcaster, which SERBIA 184 Academy Awards. The channel is avail- has just finished filming the fashion weeks in Milan able the Dish, DirecTV and U-verse platforms. and Paris in high-definition 3D, plans to make more TELEKOM SRBIJA LAUNCHES HDTV OFFER than 40 hours a year of 3D content for its FTV HD Telekom Srbija has launched a HDTV package channel and its video-on-demand service. A full VERIZON BROADCASTS LIVE for subscribers of its IPTV service Open ITV. COLLEGE FOOTBALL IN 3D 3D HD service is slated for launch next autumn. The package, costing RSD 400 a month, offers Verizon has started broadcasting college American a total of seven channels: Discovery Showcase football games live in 3D on its pay-TV platform GERMANY HD, National Geographic HD, FoodNetwork FiOS TV, making it available to all subscribers Channel as well as four Arena Sport channels in across the country. The 3D transmissions are NINE HD CHANNELS AVAILABLE HD. The installation of a set-top box required for available to all FiOS TV subscribers who have a ON HD+ PLATFORM watching HDTV channels costs RSD 2034 and 3D television set, 3D glasses and a HD set-top sixx HD and RTL II HD launched in high-definition the monthly subscription costs RSD 338.98. box. The games are also being made available in (HD) quality on the HD+ platform in December. HD and SD. Verizon is also offering access to 3D sixx HD is the fourth channel of the ProSie- SPAIN feature films on-demand on its pay-TV platform. benSat.1 group to join the technical platform. Other channels to launch on HD+ include RTL LA SEXTA LAUNCHES HD CHANNEL group’s RTL HD, VOX HD, RTL II HD, as well as LATIN AMERICA La Sexta has launched a pair of new chan- SPORT1 HD, a channel owned by Constantin nels and overhauled the programming line-up Medien. Since its launch a year ago, 1.5 mil- at its existing second channel La Sexta 2. The lion HD+ smart cards have been delivered to first is La Sexta 3, a classic scripted series BRAZIL manufacturers and 400,000 HD+ set-top boxes and movies channel, while La Sexta HD is a have been sold. TV viewers can chose between high-definition version of its main channel. SKY BRASIL TO REDUCE 38 different kinds of set-top boxes that have COST OF HD PACKAGES been brought to market by 22 manufacturers. SWITZERLAND The president of DTH operator Sky Brasil, Luis Eduardo Baptista, has said there must be a price IRELAND SWISSCOM TO EXPAND HD OFFERING reduction for HD packages in Brazil. According to Swisscom has added two free new HD channels for him, when the threshold of 250,000 subscribers IRELAND GETS FIRST HD CHANNEL all subscribers - Arte D HD and France 2 HD - bring- is reached, programming costs have significant UTV became the first broadcaster in Ireland to ing the total number of free HD channels available discounts. His expectation is that in 2-3 years launch a high-definition (HD) TV service. Public to ten. Swisscom is also introducing two new HD there will be no more differences in costs between broadcaster RTE has proposed a HD channel to be packages for customers - ‘HD Deutsche+’ and ‘HD HD and SD packages. Sky Brasil in Septem- carried by free-to-air DTT platform Saorview that Français+’, each offering nine HD channels, and ber had 302,000 HD subscribers, with the base is pending a review by the Broadcasting Authority each costing CHF 9 (US$ 9.26) per month. Games growing at a rate of about 30,000 per month. of Ireland. The plan is to show “HD light” coverage from the Swiss Axpo Super League, Italian Serie A, of live sporting events such as GAA matches, Six Spanish La Liga and Portuguese Liga Zon Sagres TVA LAUNCHES HD DECODER Nations rugby and international football. However, will be broadcast in HD quality, costing CHF 2.50 TVA has launched a new digital decoder, the TVA RTE has no plans to launch a national service, per month. Swisscom TV subscribers with a Tel- HD+, developed in partnership with Unicoba/ as upgrading RTE’s infrastructure to support HD eclub Sport subscription will also benefit from eight Topfield and Nagravision. It has two tuners and channels would cost over €25 million, money additional HD sports channels at no extra cost. universal remote control and also lets users to that is simply not available to the broadcaster. schedule recordings and automatically records the UNITED KINGDOM content being viewed. At the launch, new custom- ITALY ers who take the TVA HD packages will be able BBC LAUNCHES BBC ONE HD to test the TVA HD+ for a year without charge. PIEDMONT FIRST IN ITALY FOR The BBC has launched the BBC One HD channel BACKWARD COMPATIBLE 3D which is available on Freesat, Freeview, Virgin Italy’s Piedmont Region has initiated the first Media and Sky. The One Show, Holby City, Film ASIA & PACIFIC free-to-air terrestrial 3D HDTV broadcasts, with a 2010, Eastenders and Children in Need are some of system for backwards compatibility with 2D TV sets. the other programs that will be aired on the channel. SKY NEWS HD DISTRIBUTED VIA MEASAT 3 The initiative is the result of a partnership between RRsat Global Communications Network and BT public and private bodies operating in the area, UK WORLD LEADER IN HD TV OWNERSHIP Wholesale’s Media and Broadcast team have including Sisvel, Quartarete TV and CSP Innovazi- The UK leads the world in HD TV set ownership, worked together to support the launch of Sky News one nelle ICT. The broadcasts rely on an innova- but lags far behind in take-up of HD digital TV HD on the Measat 3A satellite BT and RRsat are tive technique for formatting stereoscopic images, services, a new report by Ofcom has revealed. The providing an end-to-end managed fibre and satellite known as 3D Tile Format, which makes it possible UK and Spain have the highest digital TV takeup, service. A fibre network from the BT Global Media to integrate two 720p frames within a single 1080p at 91% of their respective populations, while 59% Network carries Sky News HD from the Sky News 150 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/201 — www.TELE-satellite.com 1
  • 151.
    Centre in Osterley,UK, to RRsat’s Global Network and teleport facility, where it is uplinked onto the Measat 3A satellite and distributed to customers throughout the Middle East and Asia. CHINA HDTV SUBSCRIBERS IN CHINA TOP 2 MILLION Total HDTV subscribers in China passed 2 million subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2010, up from 2 million in July 2010. Several factors are expecting to accelerate the HDTV take-up in 2011. First, an increasing number of cable operators are expected to roll-out HDTV over the next year. Second, the government will expand the number of HDTV channels from the current 12 to 42 by the end of 2011. Finally, cable operators in China are utilizing “mass market” upgrade pricing packages for migration to HDTV services. INDIA DOORDARSHAN FAILS TO DELIVER HD CHANNEL Prasar Bharati’s promise to deliver a channel on HD has fallen flat, with Doordarshan’s sports channel now back on standard definition, according to a report in The Hindustan Times. The broadcaster had spent over R300 crore to ensure that the Commonwealth Games were shown on HD. The entire production was outsourced to UK-company SISLive, which has now been accused of tax evasion and outsourc- ing over 70% of the work to Zoom Communications. JAPAN NHK PRESENTS ULTRA HIGH-DEF TV PLANS NHK is planning public previews of its developing Ultra High Definition (UHDTV) television system, which promises images that contain roughly 16 times more picture information that that which is found in today’s HDTV systems. NHK plans to expose the public to its system in 2012, by shooting some of the London Olympics in Ultra High Definition, which is also referred to as Super Hi-Vision. The footage would be transmit- ted to public viewing sites in the U.K., U.S. and Japan. Plans call for trials of UHDTV broadcasting to begin in Japan in 2020. SKYPERFECTV BROADCASTS FIRST 3D DRAMA Sky PerfecTV started broadcasting Japan’s first 3D drama series on its 3D specialty channel starting in January. “Tokyo Con- trol” airs every Wednesday from 23:00 to 00:00 for 10 weeks, preceded by a 2D version in the hour earlier. Produced by Fuji TV with technical assistance from Sony and Sony PCL, the show is set in an air traffic control tower. Satellite station BS Fuji and Sony partnered to launch “3D*3D” on January 1. The 30-minute show airs weekly and includes sports and live music. MIDDLE EAST OSN FIRST IN MIDDLE EAST FOR 3D OSN made history in December by becoming the first TV network in the Middle East to bring its viewers 3D movies. The launch follows on from the huge success of its HD ser- vice which now has an estimated 5 million viewers. OMAN OMAN SIGNS HD CONTRACT WITH SONY MIDDLE EAST Oman’s information ministry has signed an OR 26.55 million contract with Sony Middle East to prepare for the Sultanate’s TV shift to HD transmission in 2011 by setting up a new complex to replace the present studios, Times of Oman has reported. When completed in November 2011, the Salalah complex is to be equipped with HD digital technologies and will include four digital studios for drama production, a news department and three other digital studios for news-related programmes, among other facilities.
  • 152.
    NEWS IPTV & Cable SCANDINAVIA analyse and learn user preferences, to record things it thinks the user will like. The box can also access BBC VIASAT CONTENT TO BE iPlayer, YouTube, eBay, Twitter and Facebook, with more Edited by AVAILABLE ON LG TV SETS sites set to follow. Its arrival in the UK comes ahead of Modern Times Group (MTG) has signed an agree- BBC-backed IPTV initiative YouView and Google TV, Branislav Pekic both of which are due to debut in the market in 2011. ment with LG Electronics in the Nordic region for its Viasat OnDemand pay-TV services to be avail- EUROPE able directly on all LG TV sets enabled with NetCast functionality. The online on-demand pay-TV service NORTH AMERICA features live sports content, hundreds of episodes GERMANY of hit shows—with programming from TV3, TV6 and CANADA TV8 in Sweden; TV3 and Viasat4 in Norway; and TV3 T-HOME ADDS HDTV CHANNELS and TV3+ in Denmark—and some 200 feature films. BELL FIBE TV ADDS 7 START CHANNELS TO IPTV OFFERING Bell Fibe TV has added 4 South Asian Star channels Deutsche Telekom launched a new HD package for its TURKEY and three Star Mandarin-language channels to its IPTV IPTV service T-Home Entertain in December. The new line-up. The channels launched include Star One, Star package initially offers six channels: TNT Film HD, TNT HD TTNET ROLLS OUT IPTV India Gold, Star India News, Star Vijay, Star Chinese Series, Syfy HD, HD SPORT1, Classica HD and Planet HD. SERVICE NATIONWIDE Channel, Star Chinese Movies 2 and Channel V Taiwan. A seventh channel, AXN HD, will be added to the package TTNET has started the rollout of a new IPTV service in February 2011. The channel will be available to all cus- called IPtivibu nationwide across 81 cities, using UNITED STATES tomers with a VDSL connection for €9.95 per month. At the HD set-top boxes and wireless ADSL gateways from end of 3Q, the IPTV service had 1.04 million subscribers. AirTies. The ISP has opted for AirTies Air 7120 set-top DISH NETWORK EXPANDS DISH WORLD IPTV boxes and WAV-275, an all-in-one ADSL2 modem and The Dish World IPTV service now offers access to the PORTUGAL VoIP residential gateway solution capable of stream- largest Arabic-speaking channel line-up in the U.S. The ing personal media including photos, music and video service distributes select Dish Network international ZON LAUNCHES NEW ZON wirelessly to devices on the home network. The Air programming via broadband to the television without FIBRE 360 MBPS SERVICE 7120 set-top box also comes with NAND flash storage the need for a satellite dish. Its line-up of popular Arabic Zon has launched its new service Zon Fibra 360, and offers pause-live TV functionality as standard. channels includes Al Jazeera, MBC, ART America, which includes download speeds of 360 Mbps and Dream 2, Murr TV, with packages start at just $29.99. upload speeds of 24 Mbps. These speeds are being UNITED KINGDOM sold only in packages that also include the TV pack- age with more than 120 channels and fixed telephony VIRGIN MEDIA PRESENTS TIVO STB LATIN AMERICA with unlimited calls. According to the operator, Virgin Media has unveiled details of its new TiVo-powered this is first global launch of a commercial service set-top box, featuring access to an app store and 1TB ARGENTINA supported by the EuroDOCSIS 3.0 standard. hard drive, capable of holding some 500 hours of SD programming. It uses TiVo’s recommendation engine to TDA LAUNCHES VOD SERVICE OVER ADSL
  • 153.
    Telefonica de Argentina(TdA) has launched a VOD service over its Speedy ADSL broadband network. INDIA AFRICA On Demand subscribers have unlimited access to BHARTI AIRTEL LAUNCHES a library of content, including a wide variety of TV IPTV IN BANGALORE EGYPT programmes and movies. The service is priced at ARS Bharti Airtel has launched IPTV services in Bangalore, fol- 39.90 (USD 10.20) per month, with no activation fee; lowing a successful run in the Delhi NCR region. The oper- ERTU TO LAUNCH VOD SERVICE subscribers must have a minimum broadband con- ator currently offers 42 linear channels on its IPTV service, ERTU is preparing to launch its first internet TV and nection speed of 1Mbps to access the VOD offering. as well as time-shift capabilities and interactive services. VOD service. The broadcaster operates a bouquet of channels in the region, will make its content avail- BRAZIL SAUDI ARABIA able through internet-connected TVs, computers and mobile devices. The service will be accessed by a GVT TEAMS UP WITH ERICSSON FOR IPTV SAUDI TELECOM SELECTS ALCATEL-LUCENT home hub set-top box, which will also allow viewers GVT has signed a contract with Ericsson to deploy Saudi Telecom Company (STC) has selected Alcatel- to surf the web and buy entertainment applications. the platform for its pay-TV service to be launched in Lucent as a technology partner in its plans for a 2011. The operator’s plan is to launch a program grid major expansion of its broadband access network. including linear channels, interactive services such The operator has deployed Alcatel-Lucent’s Intel- as remote recording of programs, watching programs ligence Services Access Manager (ISAM) platform, WORLD up to 30 days, on-demand video along with access to which enables the delivery of high-speed broadband internet content like YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. multimedia services including data, IPTV, VoIP and GLOBAL IPTV SUBSCRIBERS video-on-demand. The large-scale project will leverage GVT has yet to select the supplier of set-top boxes. TOP 40 MILLION Alcatel-Lucent’s VDSL2 and GPON technologies. At the end of September 2010 IPTV subscribers globally SOUTH KOREA stood at 40.5 million, having increased by almost 8% ASIA & PACIFIC from the previous quarter and by 37% over the last four IPTV OPERATORS REACH 3 quarters. TeleGeography’s database now counts IPTV CHINA MILLION SUBSCRIBERS subscribers at 160 service providers in 74 countries, with IPTV has grown to take up about 30% of the pay-TV market at least 15 more operators about to join the list, which CHINA BUILDS NATIONAL IPTV NETWORK with subscribers surpassing 3 million in December 2010. will boost the country count to 78. The lead country for China has built a national platform network for online TV KT, which has the largest number of subscribers (over subscribers remains France, accounting for no fewer than broadcasts. The IPTV platform is divided into two tiers, 1.64 million), provides 119 different channels, 90,000 24% of global subscribers. It is followed by the US (16%), namely the central level, which will provide programmes episodes of VOD as well as 3D content. SK Broadband, China (16%), South Korea (8%), Japan (4%), Germany (3%) catering to all audiences throughout the country, and which comes in second with 691,025 subscribers, features the local level, which will provide more programmes and Hong Kong (3%). China has by far the highest growth 89 channels and 60,000 VOD episodes on its B tv, but dif- designed for audiences in specific regions. It has capacity ferentiates itself by providing real-time broadcast on IPTV. rate and China Telecom is already the service provider for 100 SD channels, 15 HD channels and 20,000 hours of LG Uplus has 597,905 subscribes for its U+ TV Smart 7 with the highest number of IPTV subscribers. Second is VOD services. It is already available in five pilot regions service which offers 91 different channels and allows sub- Iliad (France), followed by Verizon (US), France Telecom, in Sichuan, Hubei, Beijing, Shenzhen and Shandong. scribers to browse the Internet and TV application store. AT&T (US), SFR (France), Korea Telecom and NTT (Japan). www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/201 — 1 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 153
  • 156.
    INTELSAT 10-02 -Europe, Middle East, North India ◄ 359.2 East (000.8 West) C-Band: INTELSAT 10-02 - Europe, Africa, South East Asia ◄ 359.2 East (000.8 West) THOR 5, 6 - Europe ◄ 359.2 East (000.8 West) AMOS 2, 3 - Europe, Middle East ◄ 356.0 East (004.0 West) THOR 3 - Europe ◄ 356.0 East (004.0 West) ATLANTIC BIRD 3 - Europe ◄ 355.0 East (005.0 West) C-Band: ATLANTIC BIRD 3 - Africa, Europe, Middle America ◄ 355.0 East (005.0 West) NILESAT 101, 102, 201, ATLANTIC BIRD 4A - Middle East ◄ 353.0 East (007.0 West) ATLANTIC BIRD 2 - Europe, America, Middle East ◄ 352.0 East (008.0 West) EXPRESS AM44 - Middle East ◄ 349.0 East (011.0 West) C-Band: EXPRESS AM44 - Europe, North Africa, Middle East ◄ 349.0 East (011.0 West) ATLANTIC BIRD 1 - Europe, America ◄ 347.5 East (012.5 West) TELSTAR 12 - Europe, South Africa, Am. ◄ 345.0 East (015.0 West) INTELSAT 901 - Europe, Middle East ◄ 342.0 East (018.0 West) C-Band: INTELSAT 901 - Europe, Africa, Atlantic Ocean Region ◄ 342.0 East (018.0 West) C-Band: NSS 5 - Africa ◄ 340.0 East (020.0 West) NSS 7 - Europe, MIddle East, Africa, America ◄ 338.0 East (022.0 West) C-Band: NSS 7 - Europe, Africa, America ◄ 338.0 East (022.0 West) INTELSAT 905 - Europe ◄ 335.5 East (024.5 West) C-Band: INTELSAT 905 - Europe, Africa, America ◄ 335.5 East (024.5 West) INTELSAT 907 - Europe ◄ 332.5 East (027.5 West) C-Band: INTELSAT 907 - Europe, Africa, America ◄ 332.5 East (027.5 West) HISPASAT 1C, 1D - Europe, America ◄ 330.0 East (030.0 West) INTELSAT 903 - Europe ◄ 325.5 East (034.5 West) C-Band: INTELSAT 903 - Europe ◄ 325.5 East (034.5 West) TELSTAR 11N - Europe, Africa ◄ 322.5 East (037.5 West) C-Band: NSS 10 - Europe, Africa, America ◄ 322.5 East (037.5 West) Satellites NSS 806 - Europe ◄ 319.5 East (040.5 West) C-Band: NSS 806 - America, Europe ◄ 319.5 East (040.5 West) INTELSAT 11 - Brazil ◄ 317.0 East (043.0 West) C-Band: INTELSAT 11 - Brazil ◄ 315.0 East (043.0 West) INTELSAT 14 - Europe, North Africa, South America ◄ 315.0 East (045.0 West) C-Band: INTELSAT 14 - America ◄ 315.0 East (045.0 West) INTELSAT 1R - America ◄ 315.0 East (050.0 West) C-Band: INTELSAT 1R - America ◄ 315.0 East (045.0 West) World INTELSAT 707 - America ◄ 307.0 East (053.0 West) C-Band: INTELSAT 707 - America, Africa ◄ 307.0 East (053.0 West) C-Band: INTELSAT 805 - America ◄ 304.5 East (055.5 West) INTELSAT 9 - Mexico, Brazil, Europe ◄ 302.0 East (058.0 West) of the C-Band: INTELSAT 9 - America ◄ 302.0 East (058.0 West) C-Band: INTELSAT 16 - America ◄ 302.0 East (058.0 West) AMAZONAS 1 - Brazil, South America ◄ 299.0 East (061.0 West) C-Band: AMAZONAS 1 - America ◄ 299.0 East (061.0 West) AMAZONAS 2 - North America ◄ 299.0 East (061.0 West) ECHOSTAR 12,15 - Conus ◄ 298.5 East (061.5 West) TELSTAR 14 - Brazil, Mercosul ◄ 297.0 East (063.0 West) STARONE C1 - Brazil ◄ 295.0 East (065.0 West) C-Band: STARONE C1 - South America ◄ 295.0 East (065.0 West) STARONE C2 - Brazil ◄ 290.0 East (070.0 West) C-Band: STARONE C2 - South America ◄ 290.0 East (070.0 West) AMC 6 - North America ◄ 288.0 East (072.0 West) C-Band: AMC 6 - North America ◄ 288.0 East (072.0 West) DIRECTV 1R, NIMIQ 5 - Conus ◄ 287.5 East (072.5 West) HORIZONS 2 - North America ◄ 286.0 East (074.0 West) C-Band: BRASILSAT B3 - Brazil ◄ 285.0 East (075.0 West) ECHOSTAR 4, 8 - America, Mexico ◄ 283.0 East (077.0 West) SIMON BOLIVAR - South America ◄ 282.0 East (078.0 West) C-Band: SIMON BOLIVAR - South America ◄ 282.0 East (078.0 West) AMC 2,5 - North America ◄ 281.0 East (079.0 West) NIMIQ 4 - Canada ◄ 278.0 East (082.0 West) AMC 9 - North America ◄ 277.0 East (083.0 West) C-Band: BRASILSAT B4 - Brazil ◄ 276.0 East (084.0 West) AMC 16 - North America ◄ 275.0 East (085.0 West) AMC 3 - North America ◄ 273.0 East (087.0 West) C-Band: AMC 3 - North America ◄ 273.0 East (087.0 West) GALAXY 28 - America ◄ 271.0 East (089.0 West) C-Band: GALAXY 28 - America ◄ 271.0 East (089.0 West) NIMIQ 1 - Canada ◄ 269.0 East (091.0 West) GALAXY 17 - North America ◄ 269.0 East (091.0 West) C-Band: GALAXY 17 - North America ◄ 269.0 East (091.0 West) GALAXY 25 - North America ◄ 266.9 East (093.1 West) GALAXY 3C - North America ◄ 265.0 East (095.0 West) C-Band: GALAXY 3C - North America ◄ 265.0 East (095.0 West) GALAXY 19 - North America ◄ 263.0 East (097.0 West) C-Band: GALAXY 19 - North America ◄ 263.0 East (097.0 West) GALAXY 16 - North America ◄ 261.0 East (099.0 West) C-Band: GALAXY 16 - North America ◄ 261.0 East (099.0 West) DIRECTV 4S, 8 - America ◄ 259.0 East (101.0 West) SES 1 - North America ◄ 259.0 East (101.0 West) C-Band: SES 1 - North America ◄ 259.0 East (101.0 West) AMC 1 - North America ◄ 257.0 East (103.0 West) C-Band: AMC 1 - North America ◄ 257.0 East (103.0 West) AMC 15 - North America ◄ 255.0 East (105.0 West) C-Band: AMC 18 - North America ◄ 255.0 East (105.0 West) ANIK F1R - North America ◄ 252.7 East (107.3 West) C-Band: ANIK F1R - North America ◄ 252.7 East (107.3 West) C-Band: ANIK F1 - South America ◄ 252.7 East (107.3 West) ECHOSTAR 10, 11 - America ◄ 250.0 East (110.0 West) DIRECTV 5 - America ◄ 250.0 East (110.0 West) ANIK F2 - North America ◄ 248.9 East (111.1 West) C-Band: ANIK F2 - North America ◄ 248.9 East (111.1 West) SATMEX 6 - America ◄ 247.0 East (113.0 West) C-Band: SATMEX 6 - America ◄ 247.0 East (113.0 West) SATMEX 5 - America ◄ 243.2 East (116.8 West) C-Band: SATMEX 5 - America ◄ 243.2 East (116.8 West) ANIK F3 - Conus ◄ 241.0 East (119.0 West) C-Band: ANIK F3 - America ◄ 241.0 East (119.0 West) ECHOSTAR 14 - Conus ◄ 241.0 East (119.0 West) DIRECTV 7S - Conus ◄ 241.0 East (119.0 West) ECHOSTAR 9, GALAXY 23 - North America ◄ 239.0 East (121.0 West) C-Band: ECHOSTAR 9, GALAXY 23 - North America ◄ 239.0 East (121.0 West) GALAXY 18 - North America ◄ 237.0 East (123.0 West) C-Band: GALAXY 18 - North America ◄ 237.0 East (123.0 West) C-Band: GALAXY 14 - North America ◄ 235.0 East (125.0 West) AMC 21 - North America ◄ 235.0 East (125.0 West) GALAXY 13, HORIZONS 1 - North America ◄ 233.0 East (127.0 West) C-Band: GALAXY 13, HORIZONS 1 - North America ◄ 233.0 East (127.0 West) CIEL 2 - America ◄ 231.0 East (129.0 West) TELE C-Band: AMC 11 - North America ◄ 229.0 East (131.0 West) GLOBAL C-Band: GALAXY 12 - North America ◄ 227.0 East (133.0 West) DIGITAL TV satellite C-Band: AMC 10 - North America ◄ 225.0 East (135.0 West) MAGAZINE C-Band: AMC 7 - North America ◄ 223.0 East (137.0 West) C-Band: AMC 8 - North America ◄ 221.0 East (139.0 West)
  • 157.
    002.0 East ►ASTRA 1C - Europe 002.8 East ► C-Band: Rascom QAF 1 - Africa 004.0 East ► EUROBIRD 4A - Europe, Asia 004.8 East ► ASTRA 4A, 1E - Europe 007.0 East ► EUTELSAT W3A - Europe, Africa 009.0 East ► EUROBIRD 9A - Europe 010.0 East ► EUTELSAT W2A - Europe 010.0 East ► C-Band: EUTELSAT W2A - Global 013.0 East ► HOTBIRD 6,8,9 - Europe, Middle East 015.8 East ► EUTELSAT W2M - Europe, Madagascar 015.8 East ► EUROBIRD 16 - Europe, Madagascar 015.8 East ► EUTELSAT SESAT 1 - Europe 017.0 East ► Amos 5I - North Africa, Middle East 017.0 East ► C-Band: Amos 5I - Africa, Middle East 019.2 East ► ASTRA 1H,1KR,1L,1M - Europe 020.0 East ► C-Band: ARABSAT 2B - Africa, Middle East 021.6 East ► EUTELSAT W6 - Europe, Asia, West Africa 023.5 East ► ASTRA 3A,3B - Europe 025.5 East ► EUROBIRD 2 - Europe, Asia 026.0 East ► BADR 4,5,6 - North Africa, Middle East 028.2 East ► EUROBIRD 1 - Europe 028.2 East ► ASTRA 2B - Europe, Nigeria 028.2 East ► ASTRA 2A,2D - Europe 030.5 East ► ARABSAT 5A - Middle East 030.5 East ► C-Band: ARABSAT 5A - Asia,Middle East 031.5 East ► ASTRA 1G - Europe 033.0 East ► EUROBIRD 3- Europe 036.0 East ► EUTELSAT W7 - Europe , South Africa, Asia, Russia 036.0 East ► EUTELSAT W4 - Russia, Nigeria, Africa 038.0 East ► PAKSAT 1 - Pakistan, North India 038.0 East ► C-Band: PAKSAT 1 - Pakistan, India, Middle East, Africa 039.0 East ► HELLAS SAT 2 - Europe, Middle East, Asia 040.0 East ► EXPRESS AM1 - Europe, Russia 040.0 East ► C-Band: EXPRESS AM1 - Europe, Russia 042.0 East ► TURKSAT 2A - Europe, Russia 042.0 East ► TURKSAT 3A - Europe, Russia, North India 045.0 East ► INTELSAT 12 - India, South Africa, Middle East, Europe 049.0 East ► C-Band: YAMAL 202 - Global 053.0 East ► EXPRESS AM22 -Europe, Middle East, North India 055.0 East ► C-Band: INSAT 3E - India 056.0 East ► BONUM 1 - East Russia 057.0 East ► NSS 12 - Europe, Russia, Africa, India 057.0 East ► C-Band: NSS 12 - Europe, Russia, Africa, India, Global 060.0 East ► INTELSAT 904 - Europe 060.0 East ► C-Band: INTELSAT 904 - Europe, Africa, Global 062.0 East ► INTELSAT 902 - Europe, Middle East 062.0 East ► C-Band: INTELSAT 902 - Europe, China, Australia, South Africa, Global 064.2 East ► INTELSAT 906 - India, Nepal 064.2 East ► C-Band: INTELSAT 906 - Europe, Africa, South India, Global 066.0 East ► INTELSAT 702 -Europe,Russia 068.5 East ► INTELSAT 7 - South Africa 068.5 East ► INTELSAT 10 - Africa, Europe, Middle East 068.5 East ► C-Band: INTELSAT 10 - Global 070.5 East ► EUTELSAT W5 - Europe,Middle East, India 074.0 East ► INSAT 4CR - India 074.0 East ► C-Band: INSAT 3C - India 075.0 East ► ABS-1 - Europe, Asia, Middle East 075.0 East ► C-Band: ABS-1 - Global 075.0 East ► EUTELSAT W75 - Middle East, North India, China 076.5 East ► APSTAR 2R - North East Asia 076.5 East ► C-Band: APSTAR 2R - Global 078.5 East ► THAICOM 5 - Thailand 078.5 East ► C-Band: THAICOM 5 - India,China,Thailand, Global 080.0 East ► C-Band: EXPRESS MD1 - Russia, North India 083.0 East ► INSAT 4A - India 083.0 East ► C-Band: INSAT 4A - India, Middle East 083.0 East ► INSAT 3B - India 083.0 East ► C-Band: INSAT 2E - Asia, Middle East, Europe 085.2 East ► INTELSAT 15 - Middle East 087.5 East ► C-Band: CHINASAT 5A - China, India, Midle East 088.0 East ► ST 1 - India, Malaysia 088.0 East ► C-Band: ST 1 - India, Thailand 090.0 East ► YAMAL 201 - Russia, North India 090.0 East ► C-Band: YAMAL 201 - Russia, North India 091.5 East ► MEASAT 3 - Malaysia, South Asia 091.5 East ► C-Band: MEASAT 3 -Global, Thailand, Australia, East Asia 091.5 East ► C-Band: MEASAT 3A -Global 092.2 East ► CHINASAT 9 - China 093.5 East ► INSAT 3A,4B - India 093.5 East ► C-Band: INSAT 3A,4B - India, Middle East 095.0 East ► NSS 6 - India, Middle East, South Africa, North East & East Asia, Australia 096.5 East ► C-Band: EXPRESS AM 33 - Asia, Russia,China 100.5 East ► ASIASAT 5 - East Asia, India, Middle East, Thailand 100.5 East ► C-Band: ASIASAT 5 - Global 103.0 East ► C-Band: EXPRESS A2 - Russia, China 105.5 East ► ASIASAT 3S - East Asia, South Asia, Australia 105.5 East ► C-Band: ASIASAT 3S - Global 108.0 East ► NSS 11 - South Asia, North East Asia, China 108.0 East ► C-Band: TELKOM 1 - Indonesia 108.0 East ► SES 7 - South Asia, Australia 110.0 East ► BSAT 2A,3A, N-SAT 110 - Japan 110.5 East ► C-Band: CHINASAT 5B - China, Asia Pacific 113.0 East ► KOREASAT 5 - South Korea, North East Asia 113.0 East ► C-Band: PALAPA D - Asia, Australia 115.5 East ► C-Band: CHINASAT 6B - Global 116.0 East ► ABS 7 - South Korea 122.0 East ► ASIASAT 4 - East Asia, Australia 122.0 East ► C-Band: ASIASAT 4 - Global 124.0 East ► JCSAT 4A - Japan 125.0 East ► C-Band: CHINASAT 6A - China 128.0 East ► JCSAT 3A - Japan 128.0 East ► C-Band: JCSAT 3A - Asia 132.0 East ► VINASAT 1 - Vietnam 132.0 East ► C-Band:VINASAT 1 - Asia, Australia 132.0 East ► JCSAT 5A - Japan 134.0 East ► APSTAR 6 - China 134.0 East ► C-Band: APSTAR 6 - Asia, Australia 138.0 East ► TELSTAR 18 - India, China 138.0 East ► C-Band: TELSTAR 18 - Asia, Australia 140.0 East ► EXPRESS AM3 - Russia, China 140.0 East ► C-Band: EXPRESS AM3 - Russia, China 144.0 East ► SUPERBIRD C2 - Japan 146.0 East ► ABS 5- Myanamar 146.0 East ► C-Band: ABS 5 - India, China 150.0 East ► JCSAT 1B - Asia 152.0 East ► OPTUS D2 - Australia, Newzealand 154.0 East ► JCSAT 2A - Japan 154.0 East ► C-Band: JCSAT 2A - Asia&Oceania&Hawaii 156.0 East ► OPTUS C1,D3 - Australia, Newzealand 160.0 East ► OPTUS D1 - Australia, Newzealand 162.0 East ► SUPERBIRD B2 - Japan 166.0 East ► INTELSAT 8 - Australia, Newzealand, North East Asia 166.0 East ► C-Band: INTELSAT 8 - Pacific 169.0 East ► C-Band: INTELSAT 5 - Pacific 172.0 East ► GE 23 - South Pacific, South East Pacific 172.0 East ► C-Band: GE 23 - Pacific Copyright 2011 by TELE-satellite Magazine 180.0 East ► INTELSAT 701 - Australia, Pacific 180.0 East ► C-Band: INTELSAT 701 - Pacific www.TELE-satellite.com
  • 158.
    INTERNATIONAL TELE-satellite Magazine sed tellite? Mis -sa T ELE Read Previous Issues ONLINE www.TELE-satellite.com
  • 162.
    TELE-satellite Deadlines &Exhibitions Number Issue Deadline Hardcopies Available Online 1103 02-03/2011 3 December 2010 14 January 2011 28 January 2011 TELE-satellite Magazine 02-03/2011 will be displayed at these exhibitions: 8 - 10 February 2011 CABSAT Middle East North Africa MENA 2011 The Leading International Digital Media Event for Middle East, Africa & South Asia Sheikh Saeed Halls, Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Dubai, UAE www.cabsat.com 7 - 9 March 2011 DVB World 2011 - International Conference & Exhibition The essential annual conference and exhibition dedicated to DVB standards and their implementation Hotel Le Méridien, Promenade des Anglais, Nice, France www.dvbworld.org 23 - 25 March 2011 CCBN 2011 Asia-Pacific’s Largest Broadcasting Show China International Exhibition Center, Beijing, China www.ccbn.tv 1105 04-05/2011 4 February 2011 18 March 2011 1 April 2011 TELE-satellite Magazine 04-05/2011 will be dispalyed at these exhibitions: 11 - 14 April 2011 NAB Show 2011 Where Content Comes to Life - The Essential Destination for Broader-casting® Professionals Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA www.nabshow.com 3 - 5 May 2011 ANGA Cable 2011 Trade Fair for Cable, Broadband and Satellite Exhibitions & Congress Center, Cologne, Germany www.angacable.com