Sagem reveals STB first - HD MPEG4 for IP, Satellite, Terrestrial and Cable

[BGonaSTICK]

Press Release: Paris, July, 2006

Sagem Communication (SAFRAN Group) announces that it is the first manufacturer to commercially roll out MPEG4 Set-top Boxes to receive High Definition Television, for the four existing broadcast technologies: IP, satellite, terrestrial and cable.

This world first cements Sagem Communication's position as a leading supplier in France and Europe of MPEG4 decoders, and particularly for High Definition.

By the end of July 2006, more than 500,000 MPEG4 STBs, including 100,000 MPEG4 HD STBs, will have been delivered by Sagem Communication to different French and European operators.

The following SAGEM products have been deployed since mid May:

- The SAGEM ITAD80 HD, hybrid decoders for TV over IP and DTT
- The SAGEM ITSD81 HD, hybrid decoders for Satellite and DTT
- The SAGEM ITD81 HD for pay per view DTT
- The SAGEM ICAD81 HD, hybrid decoders for cable and TV over IP

"We are very proud of this world first. All of our teams did their utmost to meet the technological challenge of High Definition and our commitments to our customers. We thank them for the trust they placed in our company for the deployment of their High Definition offer for the football World Cup.", said Patrick Sevian, deputy Chief Executive Officer of Sagem Communication.

This announcement is a major step forward for Sagem Communication in the area of Digital Set-Top Boxes.

The company entered in the STB business in 1989 by manufacturing analog decoders with digital conditional access, and launched its first digital set-top boxes in 1996. Today, Sagem Communication is Europe’s leading STB manufacturer for digital terrestrial and IP TV, thanks to a wide range of products, from basic low-end STBs with limited functionality – also known as ‘zapper’ boxes – to advanced twin-tuner digital TV receivers with integrated Hard Disk Drive (Personal Video Recorders).

Source: Sagem Press Release