According to IT Home, the launching ceremony of the deployment of ultra-high-definition plug-in micro set-top boxes on a scale of tens of millions was held on April 22.
The National Radio and Television Administration, in conjunction with the four major operators, launched a plan for the deployment of ultra-high-definition plug-in micro set-top boxes on a scale of tens of millions. The connector industry is about to usher in a new round of technological iteration and market expansion.
This set-top box takes miniaturization, high integration, and low power consumption as its core design concepts. Combined with the requirements of ultra-high-definition video transmission, this puts forward higher requirements for connector technology and at the same time gives rise to large-scale market opportunities.
According to the product design objectives, the volume of the ultra-high-definition plug-in micro set-top box is reduced by more than 80% compared with traditional devices and is directly inserted into the HDMI interface of the TV for use. This requires the HDMI connector to further reduce its size while maintaining its existing functions, and at the same time, it is necessary to ensure the stability of high-frequency signal transmission. The traditional HDMI Type A interface may be difficult to meet the requirements, and the industry may accelerate the transition to the more compact HDMI Micro or Type C interface.
(HDMI interface, picture/Conray)
At the same time, the set-top box uses low-power devices and a compact design, and the utilization rate of the internal circuit board space is close to the limit. The connector needs to achieve the multi-functional integration of power supply, data, and control signals within a limited area. The board-to-board connectors provided by Conray, with their pitch and stacking height, are better able to meet the requirements of high-density circuit board layout.
The popularization of the three-mode universal remote control (infrared/bluetooth/SparkLink) will promote the upgrade of the connectors of the wireless modules inside the set-top box. For example, the antenna interface of Bluetooth version 5.0 and above needs to support higher frequencies. As a domestic short-range communication standard, SparkLink technology may require the connector to be adapted to the 6GHz frequency band. Such requirements may give rise to solutions for RF connectors that are compatible with multiple frequency bands.
(RF high-frequency connector, picture/Conray)
The four major operators plan to deploy more than 10 million sets of equipment in 2025. Calculated based on the configuration of at least one HDMI interface for each set-top box, this category alone will generate a purchase demand for tens of millions of connectors. If the demand for backup interfaces and repair and replacement is taken into account, the market size is expected to exceed 15 million pieces per year.
In addition, the policy clearly states “to promote the end-to-end full-chain development of ultra-high definition.” Combined with the trend of domestic substitution, the domestic standards for mainstream interfaces such as HDMI and USB-C are expected to be implemented more quickly. At the same time, as the core peripheral of the TV ecosystem, the miniaturized design of the set-top box may force TV manufacturers to optimize the layout of the HDMI interface, thereby promoting the structural innovation of connectors on the TV side and the coordinated development of the ultra-high-definition industry chain (such as 8K cameras and professional monitors), which will generate more application scenarios for high-speed connectors and form an industry growth flywheel.
(High-speed board-to-board connector, picture/Conray)
Facing the trend of coordinated development of the ultra-high-definition industry chain driven by the miniaturization of set-top boxes, Conray connectors will closely track the formulation process of domestic standards for HDMI and USB-C, give play to their technological advantages, and develop connectors with small size and high speed to meet the requirements of ultra-high-definition video transmission. Facing the ultra-high-definition niche fields such as 8K cameras and professional monitors, relying on its mature R&D system and manufacturing capabilities, Conray will provide high-speed connector solutions for the requirements of high bandwidth and low latency.
