Samart to sell car set-top boxes
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Samart Engineering, a major manufacturer of TV antennas and digital set-top boxes, will launch a set-top box for vehicles next year to serve those wanting to watch digital programmes while on the move.
Managing director Thawee Udomkitchote said the device would cost about Bt1,000.
“We decided to launch this model next year because the digital-TV network will cover about 90 per cent populations nationwide by then,” he said.
The Samart Corp subsidiary expects to sell 900,000 digital set-top boxes this year, with sales surging to 3 million units next year.
Thawee said this year’s sales were below expectations because only 1.4 million households had redeemed the set-top-box vouchers sent out by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission.
The NBTC distributed the vouchers to 4.9 million households in the first phase in October and to another 1.7 million households on November 28. Thawee said Samart secured around 20 per cent of the redemptions. He said Samart Engineering expected revenue of Bt900 million this year, representing 100-per-cent growth from 2013, but not much profit. It expects Bt30 million in profit next year.
Meanwhile, the company targets sales of 1 million digital TV antennas this year and 3 million next year.
The company plans to launch hybrid set-top boxes, which combine a digital TV tuner and an Internet protocol TV system, next year. The price range is not over Bt3,000 per box.
