General Satellite

GS Group

Type	Joint-stock company
Industry	Telecommunications
Founded	1991
Headquarters	Saint Petersburg, Russia
Key people	Andrey Tkachenko
Services	Development of radio electronic equipment and system solutions, radio electronic equipment production engineering, implementation of Technopolis GS investment project
Website	en.gs-group.com

GS Group (before 2013 known as General Satellite) is the largest Russian developer and producer of set-top boxes for television. Since 1991 company has been conducting systematic research and development work and producing radio electronic equipment. Company products and technology concepts are used in satellite broadcasting projects NTV-PLUS, Tricolor TV, Platform HD etc. Total number of TV subscribers using set-top boxes produced by the Corporation in Russian Federation exceeds 7 million. In 2007 General Satellite became the main investor of the integral innovation project: "Technopolis GS: scientific and technological development territory", which is implemented in Gusev town, Kaliningrad Region.

Company history

• 1991 - year of foundation of the company. Initially, her main fields of activity were sales and installation of satellite TV systems.
• 1994 – signing agreements for exclusive sale of equipment with Pace Micro Technology (UK) and Humax (S. Korea) companies. Company became one of the leading suppliers of satellite, cable and terrestrial TV equipment, and, particularly, the only Russian supplier of large-diameter antennas.
• 1995–1997 – active participation in setting up first Russian satellite broadcasting project

NTV-PLUS. Therefore, General Satellite became the general distributor of the equipment for viewing NTV-PLUS channels.

• 2001 – a strategic decision was taken on changing company’s priorities, developing science-driven areas of business and system integration. Within the Corporation was created the Scientific and Research Division.
• 2003 – first receiver with own software was developed.
• February, 2005 – quality and international standard of corporation’s developments was noted for the first time at the competition within the framework of the seventh international fair CSTB in Moscow, where GS FTA-7001S digital receiver became the winner in category "Best domestic (Russia, CIS, Baltic countries) development in the field of distribution and subscription equipment for satellite and cable TV".
• November, 2005 – GS TE-7010 receiver was declared the best low-budget terrestrial receiver based on the results of the test conducted by German magazine "Digital Fernsehen".
• 2005 – new Russian satellite TV project Tricolor TV was launched with technological support of the corporation.
• 2007 – GS VA-7200 digital satellite terminal became the winner in "Best Development" category at CSTB-2007 International fair.
• 2007 – due to the rate of satellite TV development in Russia as well as in view of the analogue-to-digital broadcasting switchover planned for 2015, was taken a decision on building a plant for manufacturing set-top boxes in Gusev town, Kaliningrad Region.
• 2008 – a long-term strategy on implementing investment project "Technopolis GS: scientific and technological development territory" was developed.
• 2009 – a system of highly automated production facilities was created in Gusev town. It will be able to supply the need in set-top boxes both of Russian consumers and customers in other European countries.
• February, 2nd, 2010 – GS Group announced launching of the first 3D-broadcasting in Russia and Eastern Europe. On April 15, for the first time in Russia the live 3D broadcast was performed by the company (Gala concert in the Mariinsky Theatre). European premiere of the satellite channel with three-dimensional image 3DV was held on May 21 in London.

Fields of activity

Development and manufacturing of all types of set-top boxes and associated software

General Satellite carries out its own developments in the field of system solutions for satellite television, beginning with software and motherboard production and ending with digital content and network construction.

Prospective developments department was founded in 2002. Recent developments include hardware platform on STi5518 microchip, software for all receiver types, set-top box for NTV-plus satellite operator with integrated CAS Viaccess as well as several models of satellite and terrestrial subscription TV receivers. Presently the department carries out full development cycle. Engineering staff counts 250 specialists.^[1] General Satellite conducts developments in the field of:

• satellite receivers;
• cable receivers;
• terrestrial receivers;^[2]
• IP receivers;
• specialized software and hardware solutions, as EPG (Electronic Program Guide) generators, conditional access system;
• 3D broadcasting.

Development of control system middleware for operators functioning (CSMW)

CSMW introduction became the standard for digitalization all over the world: without such device using all benefits of the switchover from analogue to digital broadcasting standard would be impossible.

GS Group CSMW is the only system developed in Russia, introduced in 2007 and tested on millions of viewers of the leading satellite TV operator, Tricolor TV (over 7 million subscribers).

More information about CSMW: see also.

Innovation project "Technopolis GS: scientific and technological development territory"

See also.

Participation as system integrator in digital broadcasting projects

Switchover to digital format in Russian Federation

According to the National Program for Switchover to Digital Broadcasting Format, Russian television will be switched to the digital broadcasting by 2015.^[3] The state shall create digital television broadcasting system, in particular, provide broadcasting of a number of free-of-charge state-owned TV channels. According to expert estimation, around 50 millions of households and organizations in Russia shall have been supplied with set-top-boxes or new TV sets by 2015. Presently, Corporation facilities are able to produce up to 5 million set-top boxes annually with possibility to increase the capacity twice.

Production solutions:

• GS ТЕ-8511 receiver model

Receives FTA and FTV television and radio channels. Built based on standard resolution TV hardware components, supports progressive compression format MPEG-4 adopted in Russia.

• HD-9510 receiver model

Digital receiver for receiving terrestrial HDTV signal. PVR function enables recording TV programs to USB flash drives and viewing these with built-in player. Supports reception of Free-To-Air channels. PRO Crypt conditional access system is integrated in the model. Dolby Digital digital sound decoding.

Implementation of own 3D project

• February, 2nd, 2010

Launching first in Russia and Eastern Europe digital satellite 3D broadcasting.
First 3D channel in Russian and Eastern Europe becomes available for all subscribers of Platform HD satellite operator. Channel presentation took place within the framework of international telecommunications fair CSTB-2010 in Moscow.

• April, 15th, 2010

World first live 3D broadcast of the Mariinsky Theatre ballet.

GS Group arranged world first live 3D broadcast of a ballet from Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre. Viewers in Russia and Europe had an opportunity to see 3D picture of the ballet live on television. Technical partners of the broadcast were Eutelsat Company, Europe’s leasing satellite operator, Samsung Electronics, world’s leader in digital multimedia technologies, HD Platform Company, Russian high definition television (HDTV) pay-TV operator. Broadcasting points were organized in Saint Petersburg, Moscow and Paris.

• May, 19th, 2010

London, Great Britain. World premiere of 3 DV channel.
GS Group and Valery Gergiev presented joint 3D-project at the press-conference in Barbican-centre, London. General Satellite Corporation announced the launch of its own European 3D TV channel 3DV which will be filled with different content, including the one dedicated to culture and travelling. Considerable part of channel’s programs will be the Mariinsky Theatre programs. Fragments from the Mariinsky Theatre Gala Concert and Giselle ballet staged at the Mariinsky Theatre were presented in 3D during presentation before press-conference.

• June 17–19, 2010

During Petersburg Economic Forum, President of the Russian Federation D.A. Medvedev visited the exhibit of the Commission on modernization and technological development of the economy of Russia, where he watched the demonstration of Corporation’s developments in the field of 3D TV, namely, the first Russian 3D channel – 3DV.

Partners

Tricolor TV is the Russia’s largest satellite TV, and most quickly growing satellite TV in the world. As for beginning of August 2010, over 6.5 millions of families were among its subscribers, i.e. around 80% from the total number of Russian digital TV users. Tricolor TV subscribers are сonnected and served based on CMW developed by General Satellite. General Satellite Corporation is developer and producer of set-top boxes for this project as well.

NTV-plus is the second largest satellite TV operator in Russia. General Satellite Corporation manufactures digital TV set-top boxes which are officially recommended for viewing NTV-plus programs.

Platform HD – Russian project of broadcasting HDTV channel package specializing in different subjects. Platform HD package is broadcast from the satellite on European territory of Russia and rebroadcast by leading operators via cable networks.

Sponsorship and patronship

GS Group has been taking part in organization and support of different projects in the field of modern art for many years. These include arranging award in the field of leading-edge technologies,^[4] holding different exhibitions and events, including those connected with introduction of hi-tech in the field of culture. Company is a longtime partner and participant of International Artistic Fair Art Moscow.

Interesting facts

Russian company General Satellite took up an active stand in a campaign against copyright infringement. The company is an associated member of European Association for the Protection of Encrypted Works and Services (AEPOC). According to General Satellite information, up to 25% of satellite receivers in Russia are unauthorized.

GS Group representatives consider that the main problem of infringement is not content, but rather ways of accessing the content, and suggest that as the share of pay-TV in Russia increases, the degree of unlicensed use will grow as well.

References