[opendtv] News: Samsung Moves to Low-Cost Set-Tops

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6354840.html

Samsung Moves to Low-Cost Set-Tops
By Glen Dickson -- Broadcasting & Cable, 7/19/2006 4:08:00 PM

Samsung will be introducing a $179 digital television set-top this 
fall that is designed to receive over-the-air ATSC broadcasts.

The DTB-H260F set-top, which will feature an HDMI output and an 
electronic program guide, is aimed at the roughly 5 to 10 million 
existing HDTV sets that have already been sold without any reception 
capability, says Rich Long, senior marketing manager for Samsung. It 
will also target customers who want to buy a standalone widescreen HD 
display but don't want to pay for a cable or DBS set-top box.


The DTB-H260F replaces Samsung's previous ATSC over-the-air set-top, 
the SIR-T451. That model, which had a DVI output, costs $259, and is 
significantly larger than the new unit.

With the shut-off of analog broadcasts coming in February 2009, 
Samsung may also look to produce a low-cost digital-to-analog 
converter set-top aimed at the estimated 70 million analog TV sets 
that currently aren't hooked up to a cable or DBS box.

"We're working toward that," says Long, who showed a mock-up of the 
DTB-H260F at Samsung's "Christmas in July" product review in New York 
this week.

Samsung is also making progress in the cable set-top space as well. 
The Korean company has developed an OCAP-compliant HD cable set-top, 
the SMT-H3050, that Time Warner Cable and Brighthouse Networks are 
expected to deploy in select markets this fall. At retail, Samsung 
will also be introducing a 56-inch DLP 1080p HDTV set that will be 
fully OCAP-compliant and will feature a two-way CableCARD to enable 
video-on-demand and other interactive features.

Another interesting new Samsung product is the "FlipTop," a compact 
device that integrates a DirecTV satellite receiver with a 10.2-inch 
LCD screen that swivels through 180 degrees. The unit can be folded 
shut like a laptop for storage, and the image on the LCD display can 
be inverted, allowing the FlipTop to be mounted upside down under a 
cabinet. The $499 product is aimed at providing DirecTV service in 
tight spaces like a kitchen or bathroom, says Long, or perhaps even 
in an RV, provided the driver is willing to travel with a DBS dish.
 
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can UNSUBSCRIBE from the OpenDTV list in two ways:

- Using the UNSUBSCRIBE command in your user configuration settings at 
FreeLists.org 

- By sending a message to: opendtv-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word 
unsubscribe in the subject line.

Other related posts: