GENEVA, Nov. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM - News) the world's number one supplier of set-top box (STB) chips and the industry's long-term leader in MPEG-2 decoders, announced today that its STB decoders have powered 99% of the one million Digital Video Recorders (DVR) deployed by EchoStar Communications Corporation since the product was launched in 2000. DVRs combine the functions of an STB and VCR by allowing consumers to record digital TV content to a hard disk, then rewind, fast-forward, view in slow motion and store programs.
The DISH Player-DVR 510 from EchoStar uses ST's STi5518 integrated circuit, which features a 32 bit CPU, an MPEG decoder and many of the peripherals required by today's high performance STBs. By integrating all these features onto a single device, ST has minimized the total STB cost, allowing EchoStar's DISH Network to make its DVR 510 available to customers who otherwise would not be able to afford it.
"We are pleased to be working with ST during the roll-out of our DVR service," said Dave Kummer, senior vice president of Engineering at EchoStar. "The DVR changes the way people watch television, making it an important element of the DISH Network product line; and we are eager to provide customers with the best equipment possible."
According to Michelle Abraham, Senior Analyst at In-Stat/MDR, "Worldwide DVR-STB shipments are expected to grow from 3M units in 2003 to 15M units in 2007. Shipments to satellite services are expected to dominate the market with more than 9M units in 2007."
ST and EchoStar's relationship began in 1997 with the first shipment of the Model 2700 STB using ST's STi5500 decoder. Since that date, ST products have powered over 30 EchoStar STBs including the very popular DISH 301.
"We are delighted to have helped EchoStar be the first broadcaster to reach the important milestone of 1 million DVRs sold," said Christos Lagomichos, V.P. and General Manager of ST's Set Top Box Division.
EchoStar products have also featured non-volatile memory devices, linear, logic and power devices all from ST.
