Commercial Information Circulars

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Ref : EIC 230/2/11

11 March 2009

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 130/2009

European Union (EU)* : Ecodesign Requirements for Simple Set-top Boxes

Further to Commercial Information Circular No. 331/2005 of 17 August 2005, the European Commission (the Commission) has adopted a Regulation specifying the ecodesign requirements for simple set-top boxes. Details are set out in Commission Regulation (EC) No. 107/2009 (the Regulation), which can be accessed through the following link :
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:036:0008:0014:EN:PDF

DETAILS

2. The Regulation specifies the ecodesign requirements, conformity assessment and verification procedures for simple set-top boxes, which is a stand-alone device, irrespective of the interfaces used,

   - has the primary function of converting standard-definition (SD), or high definition (HD), free-to-air digital broadcast signals to analogue broadcast signals suitable for analogue television or radio;

   - has no "conditional access" function, which means a provider-controlled broadcasting service requiring a market subscription television service;

   - offers no recording function based on removable media in a standard library format; and

   - can be equipped with: time-shift and recording functions using an integrated hard disk; conversion of signal to HD or SD video output; and second tuner.

3. Details of the eco-design requirements for simple set-top boxes are set out in Annex I of the Regulation. In particular, the power consumption limits of the ecodesign requirements for simple set-top boxes will be implemented as follows :

   1. By 25 February 2010, except simple set-top boxes with an integrated hard disk and/or second tuner :

      - power consumption of simple set-top boxes shall not exceed 1.00W in standby mode and 5.00W in active mode;

      - an additional allowance of 1.00W will be given for display function in standby mode; and

      - an additional allowance of 3.00W will be given for decoding HD signals in active mode.

   2. By 25 February 2010 :

      - all simple set-top boxes shall provide standby mode; and

      - the simple set-top boxes shall be automatically switched from active mode into standby after less than three hours in active mode following the last user interaction and/or a channel change with an alert message two minutes before going into standby mode. This function shall be set as default.

   3. By 25 February 2012 :

      - power consumption of simple set-top boxes shall not exceed 0.50W in standby mode and 5.00W in active mode;

      - an addition allowance of 0.50W will be given for display function in standby mode; and

      - an additional allowance of 6.00W, 1.00W and 1.00W will be given for the power consumption of the set-top box for hard disk, second tuner and decoding HD signals respectively.

ENQUIRIES

4. For enquiries concerning the contents of this circular, please contact the undersigned at telephone number 2398 5556.

Yours faithfully,

(Miss Peggy LEUNG)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry

* The EU includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.