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2007 27th Year N 197

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TOPFIELD TF7700HSCI HDTV

The Age of HDTV

Company Report CAM Producer SMiT, China
SMiTs CEO Xueliang Huang Tells a Success Story
Company Report Manufacturer Jiuzhou, China
The 4 Points to Growth by Jiuzhous Directors David, Linda and Huang UKE Jon Clarke of JSAT.TV Niran Tangpiroontham of INFOSAT
Best Satellite Companies in Thailand
Meet the Best of the Satellite Trade in Bangkok
Exclusively for TELE-satellite Readers SatcoDX World of Satellites
SatcoDXs World of Satellites Software contains the technical data from every satellite transmission worldwide
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Step by Step Guide to Get SatcoDX Software Running on Your Computer: the Internet and is allowed to access FTP. Note: SatcoDX Software also runs without Activation Code, or with an outdated Activiation Code. However, the satellite data on
1. Download SatcoDX Software Version 3.10 from the above URL, or install from CD-ROM Note: if you have already installed Version 3.10, you do not need to do it again. Check your currently installed version by clicking the HELP button, then ABOUT. The third line tells you the version installed on your computer 2. Enter the Activation Code by clicking LICENSE and then REGISTRATION. After entering Activation Code click VALIDATE KEY and EXIT. Now you are ready to download the newest satellite transponder data anytime you want, provided your computer is connected to
Main Address: TELE-satellite International PO Box Munich-Ufg GERMANY/EUROPA UNION Editor-in-Chief: Alexander Wiese alex@TELE-satellite.com Published by: TELE-satellite Medien GmbH, Germany Design/Production TELE-satellite Hungary Kft Nemeti Barna Attila International Advertising Alexander Wiese alex@TELE-satellite.com CITY Advertising Monika Szabo m.szabo@TELE-satellite.com Subscriptions Services See Page 50 Newsstands Distributors TELE-satellite English Edition Austria: Pressegrossvertrieb PGV Canada: Disticor China: LSG Derong Trade Co. Estonia: As Lehepunkt Finland: Rautakirja Oyi Greece: Hellenic Distribution Ireland: Eason & Son Israel: Steimatzky Lebanon: Levant Group Malta: Miller Distributors Nigeria: Newsstands Distribution Norway: Narvesen Norge AS South Africa: MCS - Caxton Sweden: Svenska Interpress AB Thailand: Infosat Intertrade UK: International Press Network USA: Prestige Periodicals Copyright 2007 by TELE-satellite ISSN 1435-7003 Printed in SPAIN/EUROPA UNION www.TELE-satellite.com/eng
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EYCOS S 55.12 PVRH Digital TWIN Receiver with 2 CI Slots and hard disks size up to 400 GB. Record-suspicious data transfer via USB 2.0 (2 GB in less than 3 minutes). Preprogrammes for ASTRA, HOTBIRD and TRKSAT.

INNOVATION AWARD

MAIN OFFICE: Eycos Multimedia Systems Co. Ltd 189-1, Kumi-dong, Bundang-ku, Seongnam, 463-810, Korea TEL +82-(0)31-716-2289 FAX +82-(0)31-716-2655 E-MAIL eycos@eycos.com WEB www.eycos.de EUROPE DISTRIBUTION AUSTRIA / GERMANY SATFORCE Kommunikationstechnik GmbH Mayrwiesstrasse Hallwang AUSTRIA TEL +43-(0)662-665-699-0 FAX +43-(0)662-665-699-20 E-Mail info@satforce.com WEB www.satforce.com BENELUX Rian BV Bergstraat BL Waalre Nord Barbant. +31 (0) +31 (0) jan@rian-bv.nl www.gso.nu
In the issue August 2006 of the magazine SATVISION, the Eycos Receiver S55.12 PVRH were decorated with the innovation price. Particularly the PERFECT UPSCALE technology of the S55.12PVRH was emphasized. This technology guarantees brilliant colors, the best sharpness and a very detailed picture on modern plasma and LCD monitors out of a standard PAL TV signal.

TEL FAX E-MAIL WEB

SWISS RADIO MATERIEL Hauptsitz : Av. des Baumettes Renens VD 1 TEL +41 (0) FAX +41 (0) MOBIL +26 E-MAIL guarino@radio-materiel.ch WEB http://www.radio-materiel.ch

EYCOS S 60.12 PV2R

Digital TWIN Receiver with 2 CI Slots and hard disks size up to 400 GB. Record-suspicious data transfer via USB 2.0 (2 GB in less than 3 minutes). Preprogrammes for ASTRA, HOTBIRD and TRKSAT.
CONTENT EYCOS S55.12.PVRH Digital satellite PVR receiver with integrated scaler.14
TOPFIELDTF7700HSCI Digital satellite receiver for SDTV/HDTV in DVBS and DVBS2 in MPEG2 and MPEG4.20

Dear Readers

2007 will be the year of HDTV. In this issue of TELE-satellite you will not only nd a test report on a genuine HDTV box, but also on a receiver with integrated 'scaler'. And you'll also learn in this issue what a scaler actually does. It's a device that takes an SD (standard denition) signal and miraculously transforms it into an HD (high denition) picture. Seriously? So we don't need DVB-S2 any longer? Is HDTV now created in the receiver itself? Well, yes and no. Yes, because a scaler does a really brilliant job so that many viewers will be hard pressed to distinguish a true HDTV picture from scaler-created pseudo HDTV picture. And at the same time no, because an electronic addition of pixels that are not there in the rst place (and that's exactly what a scaler does) can never replace the original picture. So where do we go from here? If both means come more or less to the same end, which should be preferred? That's where the problems start, because the choice is getting bigger all the time, and the range of different devices and their functions is becoming almost endless. There's even a new profession emerging: so-called media guides. They can help you when you've reached a point of absolute confusion. They advise you which device to buy, so that in this case they should help you decide whether to go for a HDTV receiver right away, or whether a receiver with integrated scaler will work just as well for your individual requirements. If you already own an HDTV-ready monitor but watch mostly SDTV channels, then a receiver-scaler could be ne for you. However, if you already have the technical prerequisites to watch HDTV channels, then an HDTV receiver is the right thing for you. TELE-satellite helps you to become a media guide yourself. All the information you require can be found in TELE-satellite, even though the conclusions you reach might differ from ours. After all, there is no ultimate truth in satellite television. Your media guide, Alexander Wiese

Gbps to 10.2 Gbps. HDMI 1.3 will support future devices with higher resolution, deeper colors or higher frame rates. minimum only 2 channel PCM audio all other The difference between versions 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2 is in the supported audio formats as well as some extra control possibilities. For example: HDMI 1.1 supports DVD-Audio and HDMI 1.2 SACD (Super Audio CD). As you can see, HDMI is no longer limited for video signals. It is very useful for making interconnections in high-end audio equipment too. And this is not all. Also computer graphic cards and game consoles are more and more often equipped with this interface. However, you should keep in mind one thing: the fact that a device (like a TV-set) is equipped with an HDMI connector does not guarantee it will support all video and audio modes this interface is ready to use. You may want to use AC3 audio from your satellite receiver but your TV-set has only 2 loudspeakers. What happens then? When connected and powered, the sink device (TV-set) informs the source device (satellite receiver) that it handles only stereo audio. Then the source adjusts its output and provides only stereo signal (in digital form). However, if you connect the same satellite receiver to the suitable A/V receiver equipped with 5+1 loudspeakers, the Dolby Digital (AC3) will be used automatically. The user does not have to set it manually the source adapts to the sink. It is something like plug-and-play functionality. So, you still have to carefully study the specications of the equipment you want to buy: what video and audio modes are really supported. Do not be satised with the claim that this or that version of HDMI is implemented. HDMI specs do not mandate any video resolutions it is like connecting plug-and-play monitors to your PC. You use the same interface but the resolution you get depends on the monitor. The Despite the fact it was introduced just a few years ago, more than 400 manufacturers of consumer electronics have adopted HDMI standard. Tens of millions of devices equipped with this type of interface have been already sold. All HD Ready marked TV-sets sold in Europe must include HDMI or DVI input. The computer industry is no lagging either. Monitor and graphic cards manufacturers also start to add this interface to their products. And what is really worth mentioning This standard is backward compatible -something that we often miss in other aspects of satellite TV. HDMI 1.3 introduced new mini-connector called Type C. The standard one is called Type A. Type B with 29 pins is practically not used. The new mini connector is specially suited for hand held equipment: camcorders and digital still cameras. As we are at the connectors, it is good to mention something about cables. To be sure that a cable is capable of transferring signals of satellite HDTV (720p and 1080i) it should be marked as Category 1 cable. Category 2 is required to pass 1080p signal and if you do not have such signal sources, there is no need to spend more money for that. The practice has shown that the length of the typical copper cable should not be greater than 5 m (16 feets). Longer cables may cause loss of data and severe distortion. In satellite HDTV probably the most common problem with digital interfaces is related to the older TV-sets and HDCP protected content. While most of the HDMI equipped TV-sets are HDCP compliant, it is not that good with the older DVI interfaces. Some users have to turn to the YPbPr interface if their TV-sets do not support HDCP. formats are optional. HDMI Type A & Type C connectors

tests at our location in Munich included ASTRA2D with a 90cm antenna and yielded positive results as well. All this conrmed that the good tuner built into the S55.12 PVRH is way above most competing products and even signals right around the threshold level came in remarkable well and hardly showed a pixelated image. The only point we would like the manufacturer to work on is SCPC compatibility 1 Ms/s should be possible with a little bit of effort, shouldn't it? Even though the motion picture industry and some pay TV operators are unhappy about it, almost all manufacturers of PVR receivers have to include a USB 2.0 port in order to generate enough sales to survive. Eycos is no exception, but they have tried a little harder and nally found a chipset that allows using the full USB 2.0 capacity. This way, a 2-GB recording made its way from the receiver to a connected PC in about three minutes, even without requiring any special software as the harddisk of the receiver is shown as an external drive in the Windows Explorer. Furthermore, Eycos offers its own settings editor which allows a convenient editing of channel and favourite lists on the PC. As Eycos is always working on offering even better products they provide new software at certain intervals, which can be downloaded and installed directly via satellite.
Eycos encloses all needed cabling trying to persuade the rest of the family to upgrade to this box. The user manual is available in German and English and deserves special praise. It is clearly arranged, comprehensive and features pictures when you need them. Hardly any questions regarding the S55.12 PVRH will be left unanswered by this manual. the start whether both tuners should get the same satellite signals or not. We believe this is a very efcient way of dealing with two tuners and once everything is properly installed there is no need to worry which tuner to use, as the receiver takes care of all this. In our test the automatic tuner selection worked brilliantly, as we had a xed antenna connected to tuner 1 and a DiSEqC motor-controlled antenna connected to tuner 2. The channel search on an 80transponder satellite took a little over three minutes, which is a remarkably good result. Now we get to the interesting part: in the 'User Preferences' menu the HDMI output signal among other parameters can be set according to personal preferences. When tested on a Technisat LCD screen and a Pioneer plasma screen it soon become obvious why this is an important conguration for achieving the best possible picture quality. Apart from brightness, contrast and sharpness this menu also allows activating a threestage noise reduction system. The scaler offers three different resolution modes: 576p, 720p and 1080i, of which the 1080i setting is the most desirable one, of course. Depending on the user's needs and requirements the Eycos receivers outputs the video signal either as CVBS, RGB or S-Video, YUV is also available in case a beamer is connected to the box. The S55.12 PVRH can also receive NTSC signals and the automatic switching between PAL and NTSC takes places without any glitches. The preferred colour norm can be set permanently in the on-screen menu. Among all the various submenus one stands out in particular: it can be accessed to decode all scrambled recordings on the harddisk after the record-

When performing our tests we quickly discovered that the pre-programmed channel list was not very up-to-date and many channels on the list could not be recived any longer using the pre-set parameters. When we approached Eycos about this point they reacted in an unusually fast manner and only a few days later sent us new software for the receiver by e-mail which included a perfectly current channel list together with xes for some minor software bugs. By the time you read this report the new software should be available for download via satellite for all users. Once you activate the very smart and animated main menu a whole world of options opens up in front of you. This Eycos receiver seems to be a genuine globetrotter, and the languages it can understand are German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Hungarian, Dutch, Romanian, Russian, Swedish, Turkish and Farsi. The receiver supports DiSEqC protocols 1.0,1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 (USALS), so that really every user should be able to connect their system to this box, no matter whether it's a Wavefrontier antenna or a DiSEqC motor. Contrary to other manufacturers' receivers the Eycos S55.12 PVRH does not require the user to select the tuner he or she wants to use, which is why the receiver needs to know right at

Everyday use

As if we needed proof for the great potential of a scaler/PVR receiver combination a lowbrow visitor to the TELE-satellite test lab stopped in front of our plasma TV and wanted to know with a very surprised tone in his voice, since when German public broadcaster ZDF was transmitting a HDTV signal. He was even
What is the actual benet of a scaler?
The Eycos S55.12 PVRH is a sound and easy-to-use receiver which did not show any problems whatsoever during our test. Thanks to the integrated scaler even regular SDTV signals can be displayed with amazing quality, so that some of the quality losses caused by cost-cutting measures of the program proThomas Haring viders can be compensated. If a channel transmits a TELE-satellite Test Center high-quality SDTV signal in the rst place, the scaler Austria does an even more brilliant job. The extremely fast USB 2.0 port and the possibility of recording four streams at the same time are features that deserve additional praise.

scratch with the help of extremely complex algorithms and powerful signal processors. This allows creating a signal that can perfectly be adapted to any desired resolution or refresh rate and which is absolutely independent from the actual input signal. A scaler thus has a number of self-evident advantages: scalers can output the signal with any desired refresh rate, which effectively solves the problem that many beamers do not support a 60 Hz NTSC signal or a 50 Hz PAL signal; scalers can process 16:9 signals and can convert 4:3 signals for display on 16:9 devices; the biggest advantage is the possibility to create an output signal that has exactly the same resolution as the TV set to which it is connected. This is the only way to use the full potential of the TV. Motion compensation
Comparison of the video output on an LCD screen using a scart connection without scaler (top) and HDMI plus scaler (bottom) will display the pictures in the best possible quality. While the general concept may sound simple and logical enough, the technology behind a high-quality scaler is far more complex than one would imagine. The reason for this complexity is the fact that a mere resolution increase alone does not do the trick. Illustration 1 highlights one of the main problems of video scaling, the so-called motion compensation. If a video scaler would simply add the lines of two interlaced half-frames, the birds wings would appear blurry or frayed, because a standard PAL or NTSC signal is made up of two half-frames which are not identical. It is only the quick succession of half-frames that creates a moving picture for human eyes. A scaler that combines both half-frames at the very same time would create an unnatural picture that would appear blurred. Special software is required for the scaler to detect this image movement and create a non-interlaced signal that creates a natural image sequence. Not too long ago video scalers were quite expensive and therefore out of reach for most private individuals, but new chip technology now allows manufacturing these devices at an affordable price. Korean company Eycos is one of the pioneers in this eld and they are the rst to offer a PVR receiver with integrated scaler. To learn more about this new box please have a look at the test report about the Eycos S55.12 PVRH in this issue of TELE-satellite.

cart interface. Depending on the position of this switch, the on-screen menus are adjusted accordingly. The remote control that comes with the receiver sits nicely in your hand and has a user-friendly layout. Unfortunately, the control codes of the remote are partly identical to other Topeld models like the TF3000CIPro which we use in our test lab to control a 36V rotating antenna system. A very comprehensive operating manual in English was also part of our package, by the time the box will be on sale ofcially we can expect various language versions for all respective markets.
81 European, Asian and American satellites, many specics of which are outdated in the prestored data, though. The same is true for the pre-stored transponder data, even though these have been adapted to the new DVB-S2 standard, by and large. An automatic signal search will therefore nd most HDTV channels broadcasting in DVB-S2. Luckily, new satellites can be added in a breeze and existing satellite and transponder data can easily be edited. Like all other Topeld receivers the TF7700HSCI supports DiSEqC 1.0, 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 (USALS), which means that all congurations from a simple multifeed setup to a DiSEqC controlled rotating system or a Wavefrontier antenna with 16 LNBs can be connected and controlled effortlessly. The box comes with a whole range of pre-stored oscillator frequencies and even if you insist on using your S-band antenna with this receiver youre free to use the manual LOF setup to make it all work. The TF7700HSCI took slightly less than eight minutes to scan all signals of an 80-tranaponder
satellite, which puts the box in an above average position. When setting up the receiver we noticed that it is able to communicate with its users in either German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, Turkish, Swedish, Danish, Dutch, Russian, Polish, Finnish or Slovakian. If the video output switch on the back panel has been set to HDMI or YUV, the euroscart output options are S-Video or CVBS only, while RGB is available as well when the switch is on Scart. The Video Format sub-menu hides a very special gem: the TF7700HSCI can send the HDMI signal as either 1080i, 720p, 576i or 576p or the receiver can choose the appropriate setting automatically, depending on the input signal. This feature is extremely useful because a conventional SD signal that is provided as 1080i by the receiver looks very blurry and pale, whereas the same signal as 576i looks ne. The automatic detection and switching mode works awlessly and in our test the Topeld box
When the receiver is switched on for the rst time the main menu pops up and stays on the screen until all LNB settings are made and a channel search is completed. There is no prestored list of channels to speed up the initial setup, however. The satellite list provided by the manufacturer comprises

Marketing Director Assistant Linda Lee in the center surrounded by her colleagues Overseas Sales Manager Huang Wei (right) and Technical Director David Liu (left) in front of a wall display with receivers that are marketed by Jiuzhou under the name DION. products and those from Cheertek for the lower-priced segment. PayTV operators are a much more critical customer base for Jiuzhou: they purchase receiver equipment in very large numbers. According to David Liu, We are currently able to deliver boxes for NDS, Irdeto, Viaccess and Conax. Nagravision is coming soon. Despite the numerous large-quantity PayTV customers, 70% of their total production is geared towards simple FTA receivers, while 20% of their boxes are CI/CA equipped and 10% come with a PVR. Huang Wei, Overseas Sales Manager, has this to say: In the year 2005, our exported products accounted for roughly 80% of our total output. In 2006 it was more like 65% while in 2007 we are expecting a 50% export ratio. What do these numbers really mean? Demand at home in China is growing dramatically! Despite the decline in export percentage, Jiuzhou is expecting an increase in overseas sales for 2007. Huang Wei is also helping to move things along: We are planning to participate in many trade shows during 2007, including ANGA Cologne, SCat India, NBA USA, CeBIT Istanbul, CCBN Beijing and CommunicAsia Singapore. In addition there are the twiceyearly super trade shows Canton Fair (15-20 April and 15-20 October) and the nearly parallel running Hong Kong Electronics Show (12-17 April and 12-17 October). To help facilitate its growth, Jiuzhou has adopted four points as its motto: 1. Best Quality, 2. Quick Decisions, 3. The Customer is Our Partner and 4. Fair Prices. For 2007 Jiuzhou promises a DVB-S2 HDTV receiver by the beginning of the second quarter and an LCD TV with built-in DVB-S2 receiver as well as a DVB-S2 receiver with integrated PVR by the end of 2007. We cant wait!
Overseas Sales Manager Huang Wei displays the geographical distribution of exports: 45% of Jiuzhous products go to Europe (including Russia), 30% nd their way to the Middle East, 20% to Southeast Asia with the remaining 5% divided between Australia and South America.

36 TELE-satellite International www.TELE-satellite.com
The sales team at work. Orders for Jiuzhou products land here and are handled by the employees.
A peek into a cubicle of one of the software developers
There would be no progress without sample units. Prototypes are assembled and tested here.
The actual production: picture shows part of the assembly line for satellite receivers.

Satellite Exhibition

CABSAT
For the 13th time, CABSAT2007 will once again open its doors from March 6 8, 2007 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Over the past several years, this business and trade show has grown to become the event for the cable and satellite industry in the Middle East. Occupying Halls 1 to 4, the number of exhibitors at CABSAT2007 is fast approaching 500 from over 50 countries represented. In addition, there are seven country pavilions including Bavaria, Spain, Korea, United Kingdom, Taiwan, France and Turkey. As an annual event, CABSAT provides the perfect platform for decision makers, buyers and sellers in to the industry to network, exchange ideas, debate and explore business opportunities and strategies. Big names participating from the cable and satellite sectors are Triax, Technosat, Golden Interstar, Eurostar, eVision, Selevision, Gulfsat and Kaon. It has become the meeting place for the satellite industry, not only for the Middle East but for Asia and Europe as well. David Lim is credited with building up CABSAT from its inception to what it is today. Its quite a success story! he says. Every year the number of exhibitors and visitors increases, comments David proudly. The CABSAT team is involved with every aspect and request of exhibitors from marketing, sales and sponsorship to logistics, stand allocation and administration. They work very hard to accommodate exhibitors requests and keep everybody happy for a successful show. Limited space is still available for CABSAT2007. For US$ 4,500, a 15 square metre space could be yours to showcase your companys latest products and services. For more information, please visit www.cabsat.com Dubai happens to be an ideal place for CABSAT: this cosmopolitan city is bustling with people from all over the world. You can nd almost anything here and thanks to the widespread use of both English and Arabic, it is easy to get around and enjoy the city. A visit to CABSAT is most denitely a well worth endeavour! The CABSAT team, with (from left to right) Amelia Hombrebueno, Maryam Al Mehairi, David Lim, and Nazlyn Pirani.

The exhibition main entrance: always busy. The exhibition halls are on the left, and the exhibition hotel to the right.
38 TELE-satellite International www.TELE-satellite.com

CAM Producer SMiT

SMiT - CAMs for the World
Palm trees in the industrial park. The Pacic is not that far away: the SSMEC building in NanShan/ ShenZhen. SSMEC is one of the shareholders of SMiT. In the super-sized High-Tech park just south of NanShan in one of ShenZhens industrial zones occupied only by high tech companies and fed by incredibly wide multilane highways (including bicycle paths), can be found the headquarters for CAM producer SMiT, inside IT rm SSMECs building. SMiT, hiving off the SSMEC, was founded in the year 2003. Since its foundation, it has attracted a number of noteworthy Venture Capitalists including Mayeld, GSR, Walden, Telos, and Silverose, all of which are now shareholders of SMiT. SMiTs rst product is a chipset based on ARM, based on which they developed CAMs with full proprietary intellectual property rights. The chipset was updated from version A to version B soon, and version C is expected to make its appearance in May 2007, and will support stronger and more professional functions. The chipsets are produced by an IC foundry factory in Shanghai, and CAMs are produced, tested and sold in ShenZhen. 80% of our deliveries go to Europe, explains Kai Tang from SMiTs marketing department. The software is usable in most systems, continues Kai Tang, Irdeto, Cryptoworks, Conax, Novel-TongFang and other local CA providers such as Jetcas, Streamcard and Compunicate. Soon Viaccess will also be available.

SMiTs CEO Xueliang Huang

Kai Tang from SMiTs marketing department in the main entrance of the SSMEC building
40 TELE-satellite International www.TELE-satellite.com
Software developers are busy improving the Professional Module for use in cable headends: with the current Professional Module, 4-6 channels can be simultaneously decoded. By the middle of 2007, it should also work for 8-10 channels. SMiTs customers are primarily digital TV operators and PayTV providers that order these modules in large numbers. But that is not the only thing that makes this company tick. Of SMiTs 120 employees, half of them are involved in software development. They work on solutions that are to be built in to the manufacturers CI receivers. The entire software design of a receiver can be ordered through SMiT. A branch ofce of SMiT in Beijing employs 10 software devel-

SMiTs stand at the IBC in Amsterdam in 2006, displaying their latest CAM products.
opers that work exclusively on the design and development of set top box software. Many manufacturers obtain their software solutions from SMiT. One of them, SOYEA, produces their products only with SMiTs technical guidelines. Other manufacturers, including Coship, Humax, Syber, Jiuzhou, ChangHong, SkyWorth, and KONKA, also work in close cooperation with SMiT. To help facilitate their expansion, SMiT is taking part in a number of critical trade shows. Kai Tang outlined their plans for 2007: We want to take part in CABSAT, ANGA, IBC, CCBN and Convergence. The goal is to attract more customers, not only in Europe, but also in those attractive markets in The Middle East and Southeast Asia. So far, SMiT has initially cooperated with many notable operators, such as DigiTurk in Turkey, Euro1080 in Belgium, and so on. SMiTs CEO Xueliang Huang takes a condent look into the future: We are prepared to ship in large numbers around the world, and all this at economical prices.
An application example of a CA module from SMiT: in a ChangHong wide-screen TV with integrated satellite receiver
Checking the functional capabilities of the modules
CAMs being prepared for shipment
The overseas sales team at work taking orders
42 TELE-satellite International www.TELE-satellite.com

COUNTRY REPORT

Thailand
INFOSAT Intertrade, Bangkok
Niran Tangpiroontham started the company INFOSAT Intertrade in 1996 with four partners. This was actually done as the result of an emergency: his previous employer SAMART, one of the largest telecommunications companies in Thailand, had just laid him off along with many of his coworkers. It was quite a stroke of luck for Niran: 10 years later he has 60 employees. In 2006 sales for INFOSAT reached US$ 7.5 million and for 2007 I am expecting a 20% increase, comments Niran quite proudly and with good reason. Most of INFOSAT Intertrades sales, namely 60%, were of their dishes, LNBs and receivers. 25% were from cable system accessories with the remaining 15% connected to coaxial and ber optic cables. 80% of sales are delivered within Thailands own borders; the rest is exported primarily to the neighboring countries Laos, Cambodia and also to the extremely closed-off Myanmar. The shipment must rst go to Singapore before it goes to Myanmar even though the border is so close to us, complains Niran about this unnecessary detour. Niran is very active in educating his customers: the dealers. Every two weeks he holds seminars and once every quarter also in Laos. Laos is a natural export market for Thailand because the language is 90% identical to Thai, explains Niran, In Cambodia, 40% of the language is related to Thai and in Myanmar there are many ethnic Thailanders. Niran enjoys visiting his customers on a regular basis. Of course he could y, but I enjoy driving to all the neighboring countries, explains Niran as he points to the old offroader he uses to get around. According to Niran, INFOSAT currently has 35% of the total TVRO market share in Thailand; there are only two other similar wholesalers in Thailand. As far as cable technology goes, INFOSAT

INFOSAT occupies four blocks of a ve-story building on the heavily-used Tiwanon Road in the Banmai Industrial area. The brand-new Toyota directly in front of the main entrance belongs, of course, to the boss: I would have preferred the BMW X3, but in Thailand that would have cost me over US$ 100,000. sees itself as number 1 in Thailand. Thats quite an achievement for a company thats only 10 years old!
Niran Tangpiroontham, founder and president of INFOSAT, wearing one of his companys 10-year anniversary jackets.

JSAT.TV, Bangkok

Not too long ago, a fruit juice manufacturer in New Zealand used the slogan Just Juice as part of its ad campaign. This inspired Jon Clarke to name his company Just Satellites, or JSAT for short. Jon is a true old-timer in the satellite scene. He was the rst in New Zealand to start with satellite reception back in 1980. That led
to my rst job, explained Jon: he ended up working in the IT department of HSBC bank. He retired in 2002 and decided to pick up on his hobby where he left off. He started JSAT.TV in a vacation home he used to use in Bangkok and already in 2003 he managed to sell 300 complete systems. In 2006 it was 600 systems. Today JSAT has eight full-time employees plus an additional ve sub-teams to handle the installation work, explains Jon. His TVRO customers are primarily ex-patriots in Thailand that simply want to watch TV from home or, at the very least, TV in English. 32 satellite positions can be received in Thailand with the most popular satellite being AGILA 2 at 146 east with its Dream TV package. Also popular is MEASAT 1 at 91 east with its ASTRO package from Malaysia. Not far behind is ABS on 75 east with the Max DTH package with such popular channels as MTV, VH1 and Fashion TV. For English speakers the Granada channel from England is the choice. Max acquires its signal from the ART package. You can see that in the commercials comments Jon. At the moment all of the channels are still FTA although the changeover to Irdeto is expected to happen soon. Jon nds it very unfortunate that the Australian Network chose to use a poorly positioned satellite for Thailand: PAS 8 at 166 east is not easy to receive although it carries all of the Australian ABC channels as well as BBC World and STC, and all FTA.
Jon Clarke in front of his demonstration wall. Every monitor is always on displaying one channel from each of the 11 satellite dishes. Theres also ASIASAT 3 at 105 east with channels such as Bloomberg, Al Jazeera, NOW TV from Hong Kong and the CNAI news channel from Singapore. Jon sees a steady increase in his business: The ex-patriots prefer to deal with an expatriot since he would have a better understanding of their wishes. Not a bad business model since so many foreigners have discovered Thailand.

Jon Clarke delante de su pared de demostracin. Cada monitor siempre est mostrando un canal de cada uno de sus 11 platos de satlite. canales como Bloomberg, Al Jazeera, NOW TV de Hong Kong y los canales de noticias CNAI de Singapur. Jon ve un aumento rme en su negocio: Los ex-patriotas preeren tratar con un ex-patriota ya que entiende muy bien sus deseos. No es un mal modelo de negocio porque hay muchos extranjeros que han descubierto Tailandia.
44 TELE-satellite International www.TELE-satellite.com

En Sudn

Hecho en frica
l slo tena que comprar el LNB y el cable coaxial. Un hombre maoso construy este plato de satlite en Juba en la parte sur del Sudn. Juba queda cerca del Nilo y era una ciudad comercial hasta la guerra en Sudn. Desde entonces todo ha estado muy callado, recientemente slo se han vuelto a abrir los caminos que se unen el Sudn con Uganda y Kenya para tracar. Desgraciadamente, no se estn transportando platos de satlite al Sudn, esto signica tiene que hacrselo por si mismo. Se ponen pedazos de plancha de metal en un armazn metlico con el soporte del LNB ms o menos colocado en una situacin central. Con un poco de ensayo y error, la recepcin es posible. El pie del mstil est hecho de madera pues no siempre tiene que ser metal.
Foto: Christoph, Mdicos Sin Fronteras, en Sudan
46 TELE-satellite International www.TELE-satellite.com

SATELLITE INFORMATION

Tel.: +36. 30. Fax: +36. 1. 788 1043
Monika Balzsn-Szab Advertising Manager

New Satellites

New Satellite Launches
Sylvain Oscul, Mario Hren GALAXY 17
The 50th satellite using Alcatels Spacebus platform will be GALAXY 17, carrying 24 Ku-band and 24 C-band
m.szabo@TELE-satellite.com
transponders, reaching the North American market. It is not yet decided if it will be located at 261 East (99 West) or more probably at 269 East (91 West). Its expectad lifespan is 15 years.

INSAT 4B

In the series of INSAT satellites, INSAT 4B is scheduled to be launched, and to be co-located to INSAT 3A. INSAT 4B is a twin to INSAT 4A. Two more, INSAT 4C and 4D, are planned to follow later this year, with INSAT 4E
scheduled for launch in 2008. All carry a beam centered to India, and another one expanded to reach Middle East.

STAR ONE C1

This one will replace BRASILSAT B1 at 290 East (70 West), carrying 28 transponders in C-band and 14 in Kuband beaming into South America, and a dedicated Mercosur beam with 4 Kuband transponders, with a link beam into Florida and Kuba region.
Previsin de Ferias de Muestras
6 - 8 March 2007: CABSAT 2007 Electronic Media and Communications Event Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates www.cabsat.com 21 March - 1 April 2007: CCBN Exhibition of broadcast, cable and satellite technology and equipment China International Exhibition Center, 6 Beisanhuan East Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100028, China www.ccbn.tv