Nokia will unveil what it calls the world's first digital satellite receiver with common interface at tomorrow's Cable & Satellite Asia '97 exhibition.
The company has developed the Nokia Mediamaster 2000S, a free- to-air satellite receiver built for the Asian market. The receivers are expected to be on the market in February or March.
Paul Ashmore, Nokia's regional manager for Asia-Pacific, said the digital receiver had features which would link together television, radio and computers. The first systems would receive programmes in English, Chinese and Thai.
The set-top box features a built- in, temperature-activated fan to prevent overheating, a Web browser to allow use of the Internet on a television (when a modem is provided) and the ability to receive a multitude of free-to-air channels such as CCTV, CNNI and STAR.
Mr Ashmore said the price of a system depended on whether the boxes were subsidised.
He said boxes would retail in shops for about US$450 (HK$3,475). The items would be cheaper if a cable operator was offering the systems by subscription, as the boxes would be tailored to their channel offerings.