Free-to-air DTV

Brazil sold only 250.000 STBs for ISDB

According to the Minister of Communications, set top boxes sales for digital TV are still moving very slowly in Brazil. It has been estimated that only 250.000 units have been sold in the whole country since digital TV introduction in 2007 end.

The STB sales are scarce although the prices have been reduced to USD 98.2. According to the Brazilian Bulletin Telesíntese, such figure made authorities modify their strategy to encourage ISDB. So far, only Peru has chosen the Japanese-Brazilian standard. Although it is expected that other countries, politically in accordance with Luis Inacio Lula Da Silva's administration, choose the same way, no official announcement has been made.  

According to several officials, despite the price reduction, STB is still too expensive for the population; therefore, it is estimated that in the future people will buy analog TV sets fitted with converters, which will be mandatory for 32 inches models as from 2010.