Several chip makers have launched HDTV chips at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, USA.
Conexant has added two video decoders for HDTV personal video recording (PVR) set-top boxes. The CX2427X is a dual-channel video decoder that can decode two HDTV programmes simultaneously, and supporting PVR applications on up to two televisions, eliminating the need for a dedicated STB receiver for each TV.
It has also developed a single channel PVR version for low cost boxes. The CX24500 shares a common core architecture with the CX2427X, providing manufacturers with a cross-platform software solution that allows them to cost-effectively address multiple market segments.
Our new video decoder family delivers unmatched performanceand provides manufacturers and operators with a cost-effective solution for single and dual-room HDTV receivers used in any type of broadcast network said Lewis Brewster, executive vice president and general manager of Conexant's Broadband Media Processing business. Consumers benefit as wellbecause the economies of scale that operators gain by leveraging a common platform allows them to deliver a wide range of HD and PVR-enabled set-top boxes at a much lower cost point than was previously possible."
The chips are based on the ARM 1176 processor and the AVC core developed by Amphion of Belfast. To further boost performancethe devices include a double data rate memory (DDR2) interface with unified memory and an integrated level two (L2) cacheas well as interfaces to SATA-2 hard disk drives. These interfaces can be used to attach external drives through an eSATA-2 interfaceallowing cost-effective user upgrades.
The devices have several integrated features that lower bill-of-material (BOM) costsincluding three universal serial bus (USB) portsintegrated audio digital-to-analog converters (DACs)multiple video outputs including high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) 1.3 with high-bandwidth digital content protection (HDCP) 1.2and two Ethernet media access controllers (MACs) with a media independent interface (MII). This enables future expansion for networking technologies such as HomePlug(R) A/VMoCA or 802.11 wireless networking.
For the cable marketBroadcom has developed an HDTV Chip with a programmable security engine that has the hardware inluded to support all the current conditional access systems. This will avoid the need for subscriber cardswhich are costly to distribute and vulnerable to hackersand allow new CA algorithms to be downloaded to the cableboxes.
Each chip set includes a unique identifier to allow thisas do the new Conexant deviceswhere service providers also have the ability to personalise individual STBs with unique serial numbers and encryption keys to ensure that the receivers will only function when deployed within their networks.
The Broadcom BCM7118 is a two channel MPEG4 part 10/AVC/VC1 decoder with DOCSIS2.0 channel bonding for IP services and supports the OpenCable Application Platform (OCAP) and popular middleware as well as all the major CA systems.
Broadcom is developing two reference designsincluding the BCM97118RNGa very low costentry-level digital set-top box reference platform to address applications for basic all-digital video customersand the BCM97118a full-featured reference platform that includes a SATA hard disk drive and interfaces to support multi-room DVR communications.
While the decoding of HDTV from Texas Instruments in handled by the Da Vinci line of processorsthe company is also approaching HDTV from a slightly different direction with a part for TVs rather than set top boxes.
The TVP9010 HDTV processor supports high qualityfull HD 1080p resolution imagesas part of a cost-effective solution that fulfills the broadcast requirements for ATSC in the US and DVB-T in Europe (although only France and DVB-T HD at the moment).
The chip includes advanced image filtering and correction techniques to reduce picture noiseand field-proven 3D Y/C decoding of composite inputs to provide high quality digital output from analogue input signals.
"TI has shipped two million HDTV processors for the ATSC market and fifty million NTSC/PAL 2D/3D video decoders worldwidedemonstrating our experience in providing field-proven key TV components said Xucheng Wang, worldwide general manager, digital video business, TI. With the TVP9010designers can create great looking pictures on large screens from either an analogue or digital source. Combined with TI's networking and multi-format codec/transcode technologiesour customers can develop next-generation TV products with future-proofed architectures."
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