Cable TV
KDMC opts SCM Microsystems to provide CableCards for Korean digital TV
MUMBAI: SCM Microsystems, Inc. has been selected by Korea Digital Cable Media Center Co (KDMC), South Korea’s digital cable service provider, to supply OpenCable compliant CableCard modules for the deployment of new pay-TV services.
SCM will begin supplying CableCard modules to KDMC in December as the cable service provide begins to transition its more than two million subscribers from their current analog service to new digital and interactive services, including digital TV, PPV, VoD and interactive data broadcasting, informs an official release.
The modules incorporate the NDS VideoGuard conditional access (CA) system and will be used to protect cable pay-TV content from piracy.
SCM and NDS have conducted extensive interoperability testing with the Korean set-top manufacturers selected by KDMC, including Humax Co. Ltd. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
“SCM’s commitment to the OpenCable standard and its abilty to work closely with CA partners such as NDS give us assurance that SCM is providing the best solution available, both today and in the future,” said KDMC president Park Seong-Duck.
SCM Microsystems CEO, Robert Schneider adds, “SCM has made significant investments to develop OpenCable compliant CableCard modules for the emerging digital cable market in Korea. KDMC is now the fifth South Korean MSO to select SCM technology, giving SCM the leading position in this market. We look forward to working with KDMC to deploy CableCard modules so that their subscribers can experience the benefits of digital and interactive broadcasting.”
The South Korean government is targeting to deploy digital cable television to between six and nine million households in South Korea over the next several years with an aim to create a digital television industry that is both competitive for consumers and profitable for operators.
MUMBAI: When margins wobble, liquidity talks and in Q3 FY25-26, cash did most of the talking. Den Networks Limited closed the December quarter with consolidated revenue of Rs.251 crore, marginally higher than the previous quarter but down 4 per cent year-on-year, even as profitability stayed resilient on the back of strong cash reserves and disciplined cost control.
Subscription income softened to Rs.98 crore, slipping 3 per cent sequentially and 14 per cent from last year, while placement and marketing income offered some cheer, rising 15 per cent quarter-on-quarter to Rs.148 crore. Total costs climbed faster than revenue, up 7 per cent QoQ to Rs.238 crore, driven largely by higher content costs and operating expenses. As a result, EBITDA dropped sharply to Rs.13 crore from Rs.19 crore in Q2 and Rs.28 crore a year ago, pulling margins down to 5 per cent.
Yet, the bottom line refused to blink. Profit after tax stood at Rs.40 crore, up 15 per cent sequentially and only marginally lower than last year’s Rs.42 crore. A healthy Rs.57 crore in other income helped cushion operating pressure, keeping profit before tax at Rs.48 crore, broadly stable quarter-on-quarter despite the tougher cost environment.
The real headline-grabber, however, sits on the balance sheet. The company remains debt-free, with cash and cash equivalents swelling to Rs.3,279 crore as of December 31, 2025. Net worth rose to Rs.3,748 crore, while online collections accounted for 97 per cent of total receipts, underscoring strong cash discipline across operations, including subsidiaries.
In short, while Q3 showed signs of operating strain, the financial backbone remains solid. With zero gross debt, steady profits and a formidable cash war chest, the company enters the next quarter with flexibility firmly on its side proving that in uncertain markets, balance sheet strength can be the best growth strategy.
