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ATI Announces RAGEô SDTV And RAGE HDTV, Integrating A Full Hardware Digital Video Decoder With 2D And 3D Graphics
ATI Technologies Inc. announced RAGEô SDTV and RAGE HDTV, said to be the most highly integrated set-top box video/graphics controllers ever developed. Each controller integrates 2D and 3D graphics, a transport de-multiplexer, and either a standard-definition or high-definition digital video decoder. ""RAGE SDTV/HDTV take ATI's set-top component offerings to the next level by integrating a digital video decoder with our already industry leading 2D & 3D graphics engines,"" said Dan Eiref, ATI's Director of Set-top Marketing. ""We want to make HDTV support a 'no-brainer' by allowing HD set-tops to be priced at little or no price premium over SD set-tops. ""RAGE HDTV is the first chip to allow OEMs to hit the critical $299 retail price point for HD-enabled consumer devices, and we see the $199 retail price point as a distinct possibility."" ""ATI's success at integrating 3D graphics, video and DTV acceleration technology into a graphics chip designed for the set top market will allow millions of consumers to cost-effectively experience the advantages of digital television broadcasts,"" said Gary Shapiro, President of the Consumer Electronics Association. ""By offering the RAGE HDTV and DTV chips to serve multiple markets around the world, ATI is also helping to facilitate worldwide adoption of DTV and the consumer benefits it will bring."" HD or SD digital video decoders for set-tops RAGE HDTV includes an MPEG-2 decoder that is capable of decoding all eighteen HD MPEG-2 video formats, converting one format to another, line doubling, and other advanced video and graphics features that make it suitable for the North American ATSC HD markets. RAGE SDTV is identical in every way to RAGE HDTV, but is limited to the decoding of SD MPEG-2 video, making it ideal for the worldwide DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) markets. Unlike other DVB MPEG-2 decoders on the market, RAGE SDTV is distinguished by its rich set of graphics features, which are now in demand from consumer electronics manufacturers deploying interactive set-tops. RAGE SDTV/HDTV both include an ISO-compliant transport demux. The chips are pin and software compatible with each other, allowing OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) to use a single architecture for worldwide deployment. RAGE SDTV/HDTV employ a unified memory graphics architecture that allows OEMs to reap considerable savings. As many as three separate memories (2D/3D, transport, MPEG-2) are now combined into a single memory. As little as 8MB of memory is required for simultaneous true-color (32 bit/pixel) graphics, transport demux, and HDTV MPEG-2 decode, when using ATI's MPEG-2 adaptive compression techniques. ATI has a two-pronged approach to supporting HD and SD digital video. On the PC, ATI will support digital TV using the ATI RAGE 128 PRO. The RAGE 128 PRO includes most of the hardware necessary to decode MPEG-2 video, but does rely on software processing support from the host x86 CPU for some portions of the decode. However, for cost reasons, most set-tops have relatively slow CPUs (approximately 200 MHz), and thus cannot rely on support from the host CPU. As a result, for set-tops, MPEG-2 digital video decode needs to take place in chips that specialize in this capability, such as RAGE SDTV/ HDTV. ATI is offering to consumer electronics OEMs its ""Set-top-Wonder HDTV"" reference platform, which provides the complete back-end to an HD or SD set- top box, including a high-performance MIPS CPU, graphics, memory, flash, I/O, and multiple PCI slots. OEMs can simply plug in a PCI-based QAM/QPSK/VSB/CODFM card for cable/satellite/terrestrial reception and plug in a PCI-based xDSL, cable modem, or POTS card for communications. The Set-top-Wonder HDTV is ATI's third-generation set-top box. The first and second-generation designs have been used by multiple OEMs to develop advanced set-top boxes. The Set-top-Wonder HDTV is available with an integrated best-in-class Texas Instrument DOCSIS-certified cable modem, and will be available soon with a second-generation VSB demodulator for terrestrial HDTV broadcasting. The bill of materials for a complete HDTV satellite or terrestrial set- top box, including software and a modem for web browsing, is less than $150 when using the Set-top-Wonder HDTV architecture. High-definition digital TV set-top boxes have never been more affordable. RAGE HDTV is priced at $30 and RAGE SDTV is priced at $25, in units of 100K. RAGE HDTV samples and the Set-top-Wonder HDTV reference design are available immediately to major OEMs.