Conexant Launches Family Of High-Definition Television Decoders For Set-Top Boxes; New Solutions Feature Support For Personal Video Recording Applications

29-Sep-04

Conexant Systems, Inc. has unveiled a new family of decoders for high-definition television (HDTV) set-top boxes (STBs) with support for personal video recorder (PVR) applications deployed in digital satellite, cable or terrestrial networks. An HDTV STB decoder performs navigation through a digital broadcast service and securely decodes authorized program content for presentation on an HDTV display. The CX2417X decoders can be used in conjunction with Conexant's CX24118 satellite tuner and advanced modulation demodulators such as the CX24116 DVB-S2 demodulator or the CX24114 8PSK demodulator. This provides manufacturers with a cost-effective STB semiconductor system solution for MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 advanced video coding (AVC/H.264) HDTV broadcast receivers. ""The deployment of high-definition programming worldwide will provide consumers with an exceptional video and audio experience,"" said Jeff Crosby, Vice President of Set-top Box Products for Conexant. ""Our new HDTV decoders provide the performance, connectivity, and expandability features needed by operators and manufacturers to develop consumer products for this fast growing market."" According to industry analyst firm In-Stat/MDR, the increase in integrated HD television sets in the United States, Japan and Asia, will drive the growth of HD decoders from under one million units in 2002 to over 63 million units in 2008. Set-top boxes represent approximately 12 million units of the total expected market in 2008. The CX2417X family features a complete suite of hardware and interfaces to process, format and display high-definition digital content with full support of high-bandwidth digital content protection (HDCP). The multi-format decoders support MPEG-1, MPEG-2, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, MPEG-4 advanced audio coding (AAC) and aacPlus. It is compatible with industry broadcast standards including DVB, ATSC and DirecTV. PVR functionality is fully supported enabling end-users to simultaneously watch and record up to four separate programs, or record a program while watching up to two live or previously recorded programs. The CX2417X family is based on an ARM92X central processing unit that enables complex, feature-rich middleware platforms such as MediaHighway, OpenTV, Multimedia Home Platform (JHP) and OpenCable Application Platform (OCAP) to be adopted by broadcasters. The device family also incorporates an innovative set of security technologies that enhances the ability of broadcasters to protect their service against piracy. These include an advanced on-chip one-time-programmable (OTP) memory technology that allows broadcasters to personalize individual STBs with unique serial numbers and encryption keys. The CX2417X family also includes embedded cryptographic technology to allow secure authentication of the STB system software that is loaded into the flash memory. Samples of the CX2417X MPEG-2 high-definition decoders are available now, with volume production scheduled for the first quarter of 2005. The devices are housed in a 624-pin ball grid array (BGA) package. The chips are priced at $45.00 in quantities of 5,000.To learn more, please visit www.conexant.com.

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