Sumitomo's shipments of BS4K Android TV STBs exceed one million units

Monday, August 16th, 2021 
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Sumitomo Electric’s Cumulative Shipments of BS4K Set-Top Boxes Powered by Android TV™ in Japan Exceed One Million Units

Sumitomo Electric’s BS4K[1] set-top box powered by Android TV exceeded a cumulative domestic shipment of one million units in May 2021.

A set-top box is a device that receives broadcasting signals sent via cable TV, internet and satellite and converts them into a form that can be displayed on a TV. Sumitomo Electric has provided approximately 4 million set-top boxes to domestic video service providers since 2004.

These days, demand for the BS4K set-top box powered by Android TV, which has been provided by Sumitomo Electric since 2018, is rapidly increasing because an increasing number of people spend more time using video services at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which boosted the cumulative shipments of the product to over one million units in May of this year. Sumitomo Electric will continue to contribute to the advancement of video services and combined services of communication and broadcasting through the development and production of set-top boxes.

Features of the set-top box provided by Sumitomo Electric

  • Self-developed set-top box middleware[2] “stbcore” is installed. In line with the continuous evolution of applications and network services, it ensures smooth compatibility with various domestic digital broadcasting services, including BS4K broadcasting.
  • Use of the same platform for its software and hardware made it possible to shorten its development period and ensure high reliability.
  • The security and stability of video services are ensured by a strong security chain[3] and reliable remote monitoring and software updating technologies.

1. 4K satellite broadcasting service
2. Software that works between an operating system (OS) and an app
3. A system to ensure various kinds of security, such as the protection of contents and the prevention of software manipulation, throughout all processes, from design to production

Links: Sumitomo