International Stakeholder MeetingSTB Power Use

San Francisco

June 2005Presented by Bob Harrison

European Policy –Digital TV Reception Platforms (STB and DTA)

• STB (Set Top Boxes) are used throughout the EU for Cable Satellite and Terrestrial Digital Television Services. They are mainly specified and procured by Service Providers operating subscription services.

• DTA (Digital Television Adapters) are low cost STBs (usually for terrestrial digital TV reception) They are freely available in retail outlets from around $60 and are purchased to adapt analogue TVs and Video Recorders for Digital TV Reception

European Policy Measures – Energy Efficiency of STBs and DTAs

• There are no regulatory measures in place proscribing the energy requirement of these platforms

• Agreements with Industry and Service Providers are voluntary.

• Over –arching voluntary agreement mechanism is the EU Code of Conduct for Digital Service System Platforms (CoC)

Basic Mechanism of the CoC

• An ad-hoc working group of Key Stakeholders (Manufacturers, Service Providers, and Technical Experts representing National Energy Agencies)is convened twice a year under the chairmanship of EC DG TREN.

• The digital TV STB CoC group has been active for over seven years.

Basic Mechanism of the CoC

• Technical Experts from Platform Manufacturers, Silicon Providers,and Specialist Component Suppliers, defined a generic platform in terms of functional blocks.

• Each block was then given a power requirement range in three carefully defined STB operating modes, Standby, Standby Active, and On.

Basic Mechanism of CoC

• From this functional block power budget table the criteria for the operating states of each platform type was agreed and embedded in the CoC

• These are reviewed annually.• Each participating manufacturer and service

provider undertakes to meet the current criteria for any new platform introduced after the start date of the criteria.

BasicMechanism of CoC

• In 1999 basic STB Platform for Satellite Terrestrial and Cable was generally around 27W in On mode and often not much less in standby modes. (one notable exception at 13.5W on mode)

• In 2004 the same platform is 9W in on mode and 8.2W in Standby Active meeting current CoC criteria.

Basic Mechanism of CoC

• Standby Active Criteria agreed with the Industry and Service Providers from 2006 are:

• Basic STBs, Cable – 7.0W, Terr.- 6.0W, Sat.8.0W

• However complex, No STB configuration shall exceed 15W in standby active.

Basic Mechanism of CoC

• DTA criteria from 2006 are:• 2W standby for all types• 7W on for cable, 6W on for Terrestrial and

10W on forsatellite.• Best practice for Terrestrial DTAs was 0.3W

standby and 5.7W on.• No DTA in the European market currently

meets the CoC criteria and average standby power is rising monthly – now 7.5W

Current Developments in CoC

• PVRs will be added to the CoC with suggested Standby Active and Standby Passive criteria.

• A new Generic Functional Block power table will be produced this year, by Industry experts, to generate criteria for HDTV STBs

• A full version of CoC and related Papers may be seen or downloaded from:

• http://energyefficiency.jrc.cec.eu.int