Satellite TV network providers hope their set-top box sales will double to 8 million boxes this year after receiving good feedback at the Satellite Expo in Bangkok late last month.
Consumers visit the Satellite Expo in Bangkok late last month to find good offers on satellite TV set-top boxes or exchange their digital boxes for new satellite models. PATTARAPONG CHATPATTARASILL
The two-day expo, which ended on Jan 31, attracted many visitors as 50,000 digital TV set-top box owners brought their devices to exchange them for satellite TV set-top boxes. Satellite TV network companies joined hands to offer this exchange.
Somporn Teerarochanapong, chief executive of PSI Holdings, said the satellite TV market improved mightily during the expo.
Some 8 million satellite set-top boxes are expected to be sold this year, doubling last year's total, which was a 35% dip due to the introduction of digital TV and the economic downturn.
"Satellite and digital TV set-top boxes are priced similarly at 600-700 baht, but satellite boxes are better, offering higher signal quality and more channels," Mr Somporn said.
He said satellite TV could be accessed via dish or set-top box. The satellite dish sector has already reached the saturation point and is likely to contract by 20% this year.
The set-top box market's bullish projections are thanks in part to the policy on encrypted channels of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), which encourages those owning old set-top boxes to replace them with new models, Mr Somporn said.
Another factor is high-definition (HD) set-top boxes, as many viewers who prefer clearer pictures and better sound will opt to install these.
This should cause intense competition among satellite TV network providers, which are already aggressively launching HD boxes including TrueVisions, LeoTech Co and InfoSat Co.
HD boxes now cost 1,200 to 1,600 baht apiece.
Mr Somporn said Charoen Cable TV Co would buy all 50,000 digital TV set-top boxes under the exchange campaign and convert them to cable TV boxes due to the similar technical specifications of DVB-T2 (digital TV) and DVB-C (cable TV).
Many cable TV operators now provide HD channels in order to meet rising demand from TV audiences.
In a related development, the NBTC's broadcasting committee is reconsidering regulations for channel numbering after receiving a lot of opposition from satellite and cable TV network providers.
The regulator floated the idea of regular TV operators complying with this channel numbering regulation, while those still operating under concessions could delay the move until they are ready.