DIRECTV DVR R15 Teardown

Main Features

DVR Set-Top Box / Satellite receiver with 160GB Hard Drive - two satellite inputs, dual tuners, plus 3^rd tuner for terrestrial antenna. This box also features dual USB 2.0 ports and a smart card interface.

DIRECTV DVR R15 Main Image

This box is assumed to be marketed to DirecTV DVR customers, and is likely to be subsidized by DirecTV, however we did not see any direct refernces to this specific box on the DirecTV website or in other contexts. This box is assumed to be part of the standard DVR equipment lineup and not part of the HD DVR equipment lineup.

The box did not show a manufacturer's name on the outside, however - the Main PCB or motherboard featured the Humax (China) name, and it is assumed that this is a Humax box private-labeled by DirecTV for subsidized resale to it's subscriber base in the US.

Our volume assumptions are very approximate and are not necessarily 'market-accurate'. They are used in our analysis primarily to determine the amortized costs for various NRE, tooling and setup charges. It is assumed that this model will be part of the mainstream (not HD) DVR line, and, as such, will be very popular with high production volumes.

DIRECTV DVR R15 Cost Analysis

As with all PVRs, the highest single ticket item in this analysis is the Hard Drive itself. Here's a breakdown of the main cost drivers in this analysis, representing 65% of total materials costs.

Seagate 160GB Ultra ATA 5400rpm Drive

ST Micro STi55283WB Decoder/Processor*

Memory (DRAM/Flash)

Tuner chips (Conexant/Infineon)

* - This chip surprised us a bit, as it had a much larger pin count than other OMEGA chips seen previously. In a recent analysis of a Chinese set-top box we learned that more common versions of the Omega chips were being purchased at unimaginably low prices (from inside track sources), which have recalibrated our entire perspective on the ST OMEGA chip line. This new 'lower' understanding of the market pricing has been integrated here.

* - Remember that iSuppli teardowns focus only on hardware and manufacturing costs, and as such do not account for intellectual property costs, specifically software, but also license fees, etc. Not included in this analysis are costs above and beyond the manufacture of the core device itself - cost of shipping, logistics marketing and other channel costs including not only the ODM, but that of other resellers / channel costs. Our cost analysis is meant to focus on those costs incurred in the manufacture of the core device (the phone and packaging, in this case) itself. Margin IS assumed to be included in the costs used for sub-assemblies and devices used within the set-top box (hard drive, power supply, chips, etc.).

DIRECTV DVR R15 - Main PCB Top - Main View - Functional Areas

As mentioned above, we are assuming that this whole box was made by Humax (China) for DirecTV, and therefore, we have assumed that all assembly (Main PCB population, and final assembly) were performed in China, as well as the manufacture of enclosure metals and plastics. The power supply was manufactured by Insung Electronics in China as well.

Our volume assumptions are very approximate and are not necessarily 'market-accurate'. They are used in our analysis primarily to determine the amortized costs for various NRE, tooling and setup charges. It is assumed that this model will be part of the mainstream (not HD) DVR line, and, as such, will be very popular with high production volumes.

Design

Humax - assumed to be ODM designed

• Storage Device - Seagate ST3160022ACE 160GB Ultra ATA 5400rpm
• Main PCB
  • Audio/Video Processor - ST Micro STi55283WB Decoder/Processor
  • Front End
    • Conexant Chipset for Tuners and QPSK Demod Conexant (CX24109/ CX24123-11)
    • Infineon chip used for terrestrial tuner (TDA5210)
  • Interface
    • Conexant chipset modem solution (CX86500 / CX20493-21)
    • VIA Technologies - 4 port USB 2.0 Interface - VT6212L
  • Power Supply - Insung Electronics - Multiple output - 3.3, 5, 8, 12, 12V