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To: BillyG who wrote (30844)	3/12/1998 9:02:00 PM
From: John Rieman	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 50808

Settop boxes, part-1. Market overview............................. Interactive TV Set-top boxes breathe new life into TV <Picture> Digital set-top boxes provide easy and affordable access to on-line service providers via a variety of networks, including cable, satellite, ATM, ISDN and POTS lines. They also offer providers a wealth of opportunities to add value with services that range from basic Internet access to video on demand (VOD) to home banking. Based on these merits, the digital set-top box segment is predicted to take off over the next few years, feeding a huge and growing market that is increasingly hungry for interactive entertainment. Expectations for growth in the digital set-top box arena are high. Worldwide digital cable box production is projected to reach 3.2 million units this year, 5.8 million units in 1999, 8.6 million units in the year 2000 and 12.5 million in 2001, according to figures released by Dataquest at the end of last year. But these figures will not be realized unless the underlying infrastructure for digital broadcasting services is expanded and enhanced accordingly. Some hardware manufacturers have held back their drives into the digital set-top box market over the past year, waiting for the launch of more broadband network services capable of handling the traffic that digital set-top boxes push through. Also, like in the DVD segment, many are holding out for more content providers to come forth. Still, it is clear that the impetus for a large-volume set-top box industry exists, and the many players are working to make their products suitable for a mass market. Rising output and substantial advancements in chip integration have brought the prices of digital set-top boxes well within acceptable consumer ranges, even as performance is increased. As the industry moves forward, it is possible that set-top boxes will become as commonplace in home living rooms as standard TV sets -- and in a few years, they might even converge.

To: BillyG who wrote (30844)	3/13/1998 12:05:00 PM
From: DiViT	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 50808

China: video compact disc industry growing rapidly 03/09/98 BBC Worldwide Monitoring Source: Xinhua news agency, Beijing, in English 0817 gmt 5 Mar 98/BBC Worldwide Monitoring/(c) BBC Text of report by Xinhua news agency Beijing, 5th March: The video compact disc ( VCD ) industry of China has witnessed explosive growth during the past three years, becoming a major money-maker for China's electronics industry. China produced more than 10m VCD players last year. The VCD industry, with a sales volume of 20bn yuan in 1997, employs some 20 million people. Statistics from the Ministry of Internal Trade show that the number of VCD players sold in the country's major department stores last year was 10 times the figure of 1996. More than 12 per cent of households in Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai own VCD players. Domestic VCD players account for 87 per cent of the Chinese market. While Chinese-made VCD players are expanding their share of this emerging market, their prices have also dropped dramatically during the last three years. A VCD player sold for more than 4,000 yuan in 1995, 2,800 yuan at the beginning of 1996, 1,700 yuan at the end of 1996, and finally, to 1,200 yuan last year. Experts predict tougher competition in the VCD market this year, but that the sector will continue to have good market prospects. They urged VCD manufacturers to improve technology and establish better brand-name identification.