DirecTV Plus HR22-100 HD DVR Set-Top Box Teardown

Overview / Main Features

The DirecTV Plus model HR22-100 digital satellite receiver is DirecTV's premier high-definition (MPEG-2, MPEG-4) DVR set-top box offering. As a DirecTV "Plus product, the HR22-100 is essentially a fully network capable set-top allowing for true video-on-demand programming [over broadband] and interactive remote programming via web or wireless devices. Also, DirecTV has developed ""media share" capabilities such that the HR22-100 can access any UPnP capable media server within the local area network (via built-in Ethernet) and play user generated digital contents. As a DVR, the HR22-100 is designed with an internal 500GB hard disk drive capable of storing at least 50 hours of HD or 200 hours of SD content (depending on encoding scheme; i.e. MPEG-2/4).

Overall, the DirecTV HD digital satellite receiver and DVR is Broadcom solution featuring the BCM4501KQME33G satellite receiver and BCM7401RKPB33G audio/video processor and combined memory/ethernet controller. Since the HR22-100 launched prior to the deployment of the latest DirecTV satellites (DirecTV-10/11), the set-top utilizes a pair of external B-Band converters to capture these new HD digital satellite signals.

DirecTV Plus HR22-100 HD DVR Set-Top Box Main Image

DirecTV Satellite TV subscribers

Released

Based on research, the set-top box was first release in 2nd half of 2008.

DirecTV Plus HR22-100 HD DVR Set-Top Box - Main PCB Top

Pricing - The HR22-100 HD DVR can be purchased (as a lease upgrade) for as low as $179 at time of writing (Feb. 2009)

Availability - Continental US territories (dependent on satellite coverage)

Volume Estimations

For the purposes of this teardown analysis, we have assumed a lifetime production volume of 750K units.

As a reminder, teardown volume production assumptions are primarily used for our cost analysis in terms of amortized NRE and tooling costs, especially for custom components specific to the model being analyzed (mechanical components especially). Unless assumed volumes are different by an order of magnitude, minor changes in volume (say 1 million vs. 2) rarely have a large net effect on our final analysis because of this.

DirecTV Plus HR22-100 HD DVR Set-Top Box Cost Analysis

Main Cost Drivers Representing ~69% of total materials cost

WD5000AVVS - Western Digital - Hard Drive - 500GB, 3.5', SATA, 3Gb/s, 8MB Buffer

BCM7401RKPB33G - Broadcom - Audio / Video Processor - 300MHz MIPS32 Architecture, PCI 2.2, w/ HD AVC/MPEG2/VC-1 Decoder, HD Analog Video Encoder, & 64-Bit Memory/Ethernet/IEEE1394/HDMI/SATA/USB2.0 Controller

BCM4501KQME33G - Broadcom - Advanced Modulation Satellite Receiver - Dual, DVB-S2, w/ Dual Tuners, & Dual Modulation Decoders

Apex Circuit (Thailand) Co. Ltd. - 4-Layer - FR4, Lead Free

HY5DU121622DTP-D43 - Hynix - SDRAM - DDR400, 512Mb (32M x 16), 2.6V, 200MHz@CL3 (Qty:4)

Power Supply - Internal

Zinwell - B Band Converter Module Value Line Item

Computime Limited - Remote Control Unit

Enclosure, Main, Bottom - Stamped / Formed Galvanized Steel, Black Painted, Silkscreened

Enclosure, Main, Top - Stamped / Formed Galvanized Steel, Glossy Black Painted

Materials and Manufacturing $190.25

What Is Not Included in our Cost Analysis

The total materials and manufacturing costs reported in this analysis reflect ONLY the direct materials cost (from component vendors and assorted EMS providers), AND manufacturing with basic test. Not included in this analysis are costs above and beyond the material manufacture of the core device itself - cost of intellectual property, royalties and licensing fees (those not already included into the per component price), software, software loading and test, shipping, logistics marketing and other channel costs including not only EMS provider and the OEM's margin, but that of other resellers. Our cost analysis is meant to focus on those costs incurred in the manufacture of the core device and exceptionally in some circumstances the packaging and literature as well.

Manufacturing Notes

OEM/ODM/EMS Relationships / Manufacturing

According to the latest iSuppli's topical report (Q4 2008) titled ""Global OEM Manufacturing and Design Analysis - Set-Top Boxes", DirecTV and Thomson entered into a 5 year development and supply contract in May 2004 by which Thomson would supply receivers and set-top boxes to DirecTV.

Country of Origin / Volume Assumptions

Based on markings, the unit was assembled in Thailand. Furthermore, we have assumed that custom mechanicals (plastics, metals, etc. were also sourced in Thailand.

Country of origin assumptions relate directly to the associated cost of manufacturing, where calculated by iSuppli. In the cases of 'finished' sub-assemblies (such as hard disk drive), we do not calculate internal manufacturing costs, but rather assess the market price of the finished product in which case country of origin assumptions may or may not have a direct effect on pricing.

Remember also that labor rates are applied directly only to hand inserted components and systems in our bill of materials, and although regional assumptions do, these new rates do not have a direct effect on our modeled calculations of placement costs for automated SMD assembly lines. ""Auto" inserted components (such as SMT components) placement costs are calculated by an iSuppli algorithm which allocates a cost per component based on the size and pincount of the device. This calculation is affected by country or region of origin as well.

DirecTV Plus HR22-100 HD DVR Set-Top Box - Enclosure Disassembly

Design for Manufacturing / Device Complexity

The total component count of the DirecTV HR22-100 is 1818 which is completely in-line with other high-end DVR STBs.

Component counts have a direct bearing on the overall manufacturing cycle times and costs, and also can increase or decrease overall yields and re-work. Our calculations of manufacturing costs factor counts and more qualitative complexities in the design.

Note that manual labor has a much smaller effect on auto-insertion assembly lines (for the Main PCB, for example), where manufacturing costs are much more capital equipment intensive and driven by these investment costs.

Design Notes

The DirecTV Plus HR22-100 design is primarily a Broadcom solution. Much like other high-definition set top boxes we have seen in the past (primarily Motorola HD cable boxes), the HR22-100 utilizes Broadcom's BCM7400 series A/V processor and Broadcom front-end modulator/receiver solutions. As with other comparable later-generation HD DVR set-top, the HR22-100 offers a much more tightly integrated design with fewer supporting ICs.

Beyond the core Broadcom chip solution, the DirecTV Plus HR22-100 features a 500GB hard drive - which represents a significant jump from previous HD DVR analyzed by iSuppli that topped only 250GB. Another first for the HR22-100 is a pass-through dual ethernet switch allowing for another internet connect device to share one single ethernet drop connected to the set-top. The HR22-100 sports the usual assortment of I/O support such as USB, eSATA, component video, digital audio and HDMI.

Here is a summary of the major components used in the HR22-100 DVR Set-Top box design:

Main PCB

A/V Processing

Audio / Video Processor - Broadcom - BCM7401RKPB33G

OFront End

Advanced Modulation Satellite Receiver - Broadcom - BCM4501KQME33G

QPSK Demodulator - NXP Semiconductors - CX24123-11Z

Digital Satellite Tuner - NXP Semiconductors - CX24113A-12Z

I/O & Interface

Ethernet Switch - Broadcom - BCM5325FKQMG

SATA Port Multiplier - Marvell Technology - 88SM4140-LAD1

HDMI interface - NXP Semiconductors - IP4776CZ38

Memory

SDRAM - Hynix - HY5DU121622DTP-D43

Flash - Numonyx - PC28F128P33B85

Flash - Numonyx - NAND02GW3B2CZA6

Storage

Hard Drive - Western Digital - WD5000AVVS

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DirecTV Plus HR22-100 HD DVR Set-Top Box - Box Contents