Humax Ready for ‘2nd Boom’ in the Middle East
-Participates in an exhibition held in the Middle East for the first time in six years. expecting ‘a second Middle East boom’ this year
-Attempts to fortify its brand by launching new products, such as hybrid, smart box and PVR Set Top Box.
February 28, 2012 – Humax is gearing up for ‘a second Middle East boom.’
Humax, a premier set-top box manufacturer, said on a statement made on February 28, that it will participate in ‘CABSAT,’ the largest broadcast trade show in the Middle East and Africa, which will be held for three days starting from Feb. 28th, in a bid to boost its brand recognition by launching new products, such as a hybrid set-top box.
The company has decided to take part in the exhibition which will be held in the Middle East for the first time in six years. Due to the recent growth in the satellite broadcasting market and a surge in demand for HD (High Definition) broadcasting in the Middle East, the set-top box market is facing a new turning point there. The company successfully entered the Middle East market in 1999 and topped 100 billion KRW in sales in 2001, a major growth of its overall sales. Although sales were slow in the middle of 2000, the sales volume has started to grow again in the last two to three years. This year, Humax predicts to hit the sales rate it has enjoyed during the first boom and is ready to lead the Second Middle East Boom.
Against this backdrop, Humax has not only built its brand power through the last 13 years of experience in the retail market, securing as its clients such major Middle East broadcasters as OSN (Orbit Showtime Network), Etisalat and ADM (Abu Dhabi Media), but it also has a developed a wide range of products such as HD and Hybrid products.
Humax will launch products like the Hybrid set-top box, Smart Box and PVR (Personal Video Recorder) in this exhibition.
The Hybrid set-top box is a product that combines satellite TV functionality with IP (Internet Protocol) based services such as VOD (Video on Demand), YouTube and Twitter, integrating the IP service provided by a smart TV into a general set-top box. This product boasts a variety of features including a home network service, which enables sharing contents stored on the box with your smart phone, tablet and PC; a ‘Smart Search,’ which enables searching the Internet for the contents of a program you’re watching on TV simply by pressing a button; and ‘Smart Scheduling,’ which enables scheduling a recording of a TV program using a smart phone or tablet from outside the home.
In addition, Humax is planning to demonstrate the ‘Smart Box’, which is scheduled to unveil in late 2012, an auxiliary device that offers smart TV services including VOD and Internet connection via IP without the need for satellite or cable networks; and is launching intensive marketing campaigns for its PVR as the company expects the demand for PVR to increase backed by a growing demand for high-value-added services due to the spread of HD broadcasting and the evolution of broadcasting markets.
“HD broadcasting showed signs of developing last year. Recently, broadcasters have been scrambling to increase the number of HD channels, creating new momentum. We will continue our efforts to consolidate our lead in the market by generating new demand for hybrid set-top boxes, smart boxes and PVRs along with sales increase due to the transition to HD.” said Jeon Su-won, president of Humax Gulf.
Meanwhile, the 18th ‘CABSAT,’ the largest broadcast-related exhibition in the Middle East and Africa, will be held in the UAE for three days starting from Feb. 28th. Over 800 companies from 42 countries are expected to participate in the event this year. The exhibition booth for Humax is located at S1-B1 in Sheikh Saeed hall.
Terminologies
(1) Smart Box
Refers to a device that offers a wide range of Internet-based services including video services like TV shows and movies through open general-purpose websites like Hulu and Netflix; also known in the industry as an OTT (Over-The-Top) set-top box, or more simply, OTT box in the sense that it doesn’t go through the existing cable, satellite or TV networks. Offers services similar to the IP-based services provided on the smart TV.
(2) PVR (Personal Video Recorder)
Refers to a device with a hard disk built into the set-top box, which enables recording TV shows and movies, superseding existing VCR and DVD recorders. Popularized mostly in the developed world such as Europe and the US with lots of Pay-TV subscribers and advanced digital broadcast markets.
About Humax
Humax Co., Ltd. (Humax), founded in 1989 in South Korea, is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of digital set-top boxes, exporting its products to over 90 countries across the globe. The company has built a solid reputation as a leading supplier of high quality, feature-rich digital TV set-top boxes and digital video recorders (DVRs), for cable, satellite, terrestrial, IPTV, and IP-Hybrid broadcasting. Humax is positioned as a leading brand of set-top-boxes in retail markets in UK, Germany, and the Middle East. As a leading brand, Humax participated in the digital switchover projects, Freeview HD and Freesat digital TV service in the UK. Also in 2009, Humax launched the IP-Hybrid platform in Germany. In the Middle East, Humax continues to expand its reputation by leading the HD switchover movement. The company’s headquarter and R&D facility are based in Korea, with 16 offices worldwide including UK, US, Germany, France, Dubai, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, India, Thailand, Brazil and Australia. Humax exceeded KRW 1 trillion in revenue in 2010 and employs more than 750 people worldwide. For more information, please visit www.humaxdigital.com.