[opendtv] Two-way plug and play on the way
- From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "OpenDTV (E-mail)" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2005 16:17:15 -0500
Here's something for the skeptics.
Three interesting announcemenets, on plug and
play solutions *including* two-way cable
compatibility and on others playing in the
ATSC arena.
For the OTA aspect, we know already what the LG
tuner can do. Now we need test results for the
other contender here.
ATI and Thomson/Zarlink are also working on
and marketing products in this market segment.
We also don't have test results on these
contenders.
Note the 90 nm process and $8.00 price tag for
the STMicroelectronics demod.
Note the $29 price tag for the STMicroelectronics
*multi-standard* decoder, also using a 90 nm
process.
So, cost for the built in receiver as of 1st
quarter 2005, ATSC and cable, is $37, when built
to 90 nm design rules. And this includes H.264
and WM9 codecs.
I'm still predicting a *price* of $35 by 1/1/2007
(barring any major derailment of the transition
process). A few months back, a complete receiver
solution was available for $90 cost, and that
seemed very good at the time.
Bert
-------------------------------------
LG Electronics to license CableLabs middleware
for two-way cable
Spencer Chin
Jan 06, 2005 (12:32 PM)
URL: http://www.commsdesign.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=3D57300097
MANHASSET, N.Y. - Seeking to advance the market for
two-way cable, LG Electronics Inc. has signed an
agreement with CableLabs will allowing it to
implement that company's OpenCable Application
Platform (OCAP)-compliant middleware on its
interactive digital TVs (DTVs) and set-top boxes.
LG Electronics (Seoul, South Korea) joins South
Korean rival Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., who in
October entered an agreement to license middleware
from CableLabs (Louisville, Colo.).
With OCAP middleware, consumer electronics
suppliers can build digital cable products capable
of running interactive program guides delivered by
cable operators, as well as premium services like
video-on-demand. The new devices also include an
interface for the CableCard removable security
module that encapsulates MSO-specific conditional
access technology.
Hee-Gook Lee, chief technology officer of LG
Electronics, said in a statement, "Moving ahead
with the OCAP agreement allows us to work closely
with CableLabs and the North American cable
industry on exciting interactive applications now,
while continuing to work in parallel on the
Interactive Digital Cable Ready technologies
related to the future bi-directional plug-and-play
digital cable standard."
Copyright =A9 2003 CMP Media, LLC
-------------------------------------------
http://www.stmicroelectronics.com/stonline/press/news/year2005/p1568h.htm=
Single chip demodulator supports ATSC and cable
standards, and integrates OOB tuner for high-end
'cable ready' digital TVs
Geneva, January 6, 2005 - STMicroelectronics
(NYSE: STM), one of the world's leading suppliers
of System-on-Chip (SoC) solutions for digital TV
and the largest supplier of silicon chips for
set-top boxes*, has introduced a single-chip,
fully integrated digital demodulator
- the STV0370 - which is designed to be the
front-end device in advanced interactive cable-ready
digital TV receivers, and in terrestrial and cable
set-top boxes (STBs) in the USA.
The new multistandard chip supports ATSC (Advanced
Television Systems Committee) standard A/53 Annex D
(8VSB2) for use in digital terrestrial receivers,
as well as the ITU-T J.83/B (US Cable) specification
for cable TV. In addition its support for downstream
interactive OOB (Out of Band) QPSK modulation and
fully integrated superheterodyne down conversion
tuner, which eliminates the need for external OOB
tuner circuitry, will allow TV receivers that use
the chip to be labeled 'digital cable ready' under
FCC (Federal Communications Commission) regulations.
Combining this cost-effective digital demodulator
with ST's industry-leading STi7710 STB decoder -
a highly-integrated HDTV (High Definition TV)
solution which implements HDCP security for its
DVI/HDMI display interfaces, and features on-chip
AAC audio and a hi-speed USB interface - creates
for manufacturers the lowest cost platform available
on the market which is able to meet the requirements
of multiple high definition (HD) Digital TV
standards worldwide.
"The STV0370 is ST market best in class HD
demodulator designed for the US HDTV applications,
enabling NIM manufacturer and STB makers the ability
to cost reduce their system while giving viewers the
advanced features they now expect as standard within
the new fast growing HD market" said Armando
Caltabiano, Retail Multimedia and Satellite Division
General Manager. The STV0370 and STi7710 US TV
platform is likely to enjoy the same success that
the STV0361 plus STi5518 combination have achieved
in European DVB-T with current 92 per-cent market
share."
The chip is extremely robust against multi-path
signals and echoes, offering enhanced indoor and
outdoor antenna reception. It supports the CEA
Antenna Control Interface Standard (EIA/CEA-909,
parts A and B) which allows viewers to use Smart
Antenna technology to optimize reception by
electronically adjusting the antenna gain,
polarization, and beam direction, rather than by
physical positional adjustment.
For easy control by system software the STV0370 is
managed through a 2-wire I2C interface. Its high
level of integration minimizes overall parts and
assembly costs for manufacturers; on-chip features
include high-performance 10-bit and 8-bit analog
to digital converters (ADCs), integrated SRAM for
byte interleave processing so that no external
memory is required, and dedicated I2C repeaters
for tuner control to improve RF performance and
increase digital noise immunity.
The new chip is produced using ST's
state-of-the-art 90nm process technology, ensuring
lower cost through the use of a smaller sized die,
and reduced power consumption. It is supplied in a
low-cost, small footprint LQFP 128-pin package with
exposed paddle, and is available now in sample
quantities. Full production of the device, priced
at US$8.00 for large volumes, is planned for Q1
2005.
-----------------------------------------
http://www.stmicroelectronics.com/stonline/press/news/year2005/p1567h.htm=
Geneva, January 5, 2005 - STMicroelectronics
(NYSE: STM) has today announced the world's first
single-chip Set-top Box (STB) solution supporting
the High Definition H.264/AVC and VC1
specifications, which are poised to enable the
next generation of high quality consumer video
systems and broadcast services. ST is the world's
leading supplier of ICs for set-top boxes*, and
the introduction of the new STB7100 allows
manufacturers to in-troduce products that will
enable this market.
The extraordinary level of integration of the new
device - which combines all the STB func-tions and
multi-standard decoding circuitry into a single
chip, rather than being an add-on processor for an
existing product - coupled with its production
using ST's state-of-the-art 90nm process
technology, results in the most cost-efficient
solution and minimizes both de-sign and production
costs for STB makers.
Both VC1 - Microsoft's Windows Media 9 Series
codec - and the H.264/AVC (Advanced Video Coding)
standard, also known as MPEG-4 Part 10, are
ultra-efficient, fully scalable video technologies
that produces high quality video at lower data
rates than current solutions for everything from
HDTV and DVD to 3G (third generation) mobile
phones. Services broad-cast using H.264 use
considerably less bandwidth than the currently
widely used MPEG-2 coding scheme, and at a much
lower bitrate, allowing broadcasters to
economically transmit more high definition
programming. Compression efficiency is improved by
more than 50%.
The latest advanced codec technologies for
DVD-Audio and DVD security encryption are embedded
in the new decoder, and the use of a powerful ST40
CPU makes the STB7100 the ideal platform for Car
Multimedia Centers able to directly drive - as a
Master device - appli-cations such as GPS, at the
same time as handling DVD and audio.
"By creating our STB7100 H.264 solution as a single
chip in 90nm technology instead of taking the
simpler co-processor path, ST is providing
manufacturers with by far the most cost-effective
base for their products in this market," said
Christos Lagomichos, General Manager of ST's
Set-Top Box Division. "The demand for new H.264 and
VC1 video codec chips is in-credible, and the
availability of the STB7100 means that consumers
will soon have HDTV boxes, IP-TV and DVDs that use
the latest standard, and broadcasters will be
encouraged to further develop their services. And
this is the ideal platform for the HD-DVD and
Blue-Ray DVD technologies."
The STB7100 can simultaneously decode multiple HD
streams and output the resultant video to two
television sets, or display picture-in-picture.
Its CPU core is a high-performance 300MHz ST40,
ST's 32-bit RISC family based on the SuperH
architecture and widely used across digital
consumer applications. It supports all of the
current STB operating systems and middleware,
with power to spare for software enhancements in
the future.
The new device is based on an innovative video
decoding architecture which combines hard-ware
and software techniques to allow systems to be
upgraded in the field to support new standards
as they become available. For Digital Video
Recorder (DVR) applications it fea-tures
embedded peripheral interfaces - including
serial, ATA and USB 2.0 - to allow external
devices to be added easily to an STB or DVD
player, either during manufacture or by the
viewer, in order to provide additional
functionality. Viewers increasingly use digital
video recording for program time shifting.
Other peripherals that could be connected to a
set-top box through the USB interface include
digital cameras, printers, and memory cards.
The latest advanced codec technologies for
DVD-Audio and DVD security encryption are also
embedded in the new decoder, and the use of the
powerful ST40 CPU makes the STB7100 the ideal
platform for Car Multimedia Centers able to
directly drive - as Master de-vice -
applications such as GPS, at same time as
handling DVD and audio. It is a true multiple
application chip.
The STB7100 is available now in sample
quantities in a 35 x 35 PBGA package and costs
$29 when purchased in large volumes. Volume
production is planned for early 2005.
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