MUMBAI: Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Ltd. (BECIL) has conducted a live test on Hathway’s Digital Set Top Box (STB) and confirmed that it meets BIS specifications. This was done after extensive tests and a live check, claims an official release.
For the CAS rollout in Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai, Hathway will offer STBs manufactured by Humax of Korea.
The Hathway-HUMAX STB is fully DVB-C compliant, embedded with NDS Conditional Access System and can receive up to 1000 channels, says the statement. In addition, it is software upgradable which will enable it to add additional functionality. With the Digital STB, the viewer would experience MPEG quality picture with digital stereophonic sound.
Hathway’s STB offering will include a fully functional remote, which will enable channel selection, Electronic Programming Guide (EPG), Interactive Channels etc.
Hathway which has already selected NDS for end-to-end digital broadcasting systems will use NDS Core to provide various functions such as Electronic Programme Guide, Favourite Channel Lists, Programme Selection, Parental Lock, etc through the STB.
EPG is a list, which displays the name, start time, and date of all programmes and also upcoming programmes of all pay channels including their synopsis. Through programme selection, the viewer can reserve a programme for future viewing. When the programme’s start time approaches, the viewer gets a reminder message, or the box may also be set to automatically switch to that particular selected programme.
Humax is one of the three largest STB manufacturers in the world with a market share as follows:
Area    Market Share
Middle East    60 per cent
Europe    40 per cent
United States    15 per cent
Humax already has a manufacturing capacity of 4.5 million STBs per annum in two production sites in Korea and the UK. The company will be setting up its third manufacturing unit in Noida, India, which will be operational by October. Humax has strong R & D resources that lead to high-end technology in the set top box industry. Its commitment to remain at the cutting edge of innovation in the set top box industry is also reflected in its employee profile. 58 per cent of its employees work in R & D related activity.