Single-Chip HDTV 720p Solution For PCs
TeraLogic, a Mountain View, California maker of ICs for video applications, has introduced a single-chip HDTV decoder for PCs, dubbed the Janus TL850. With it, PC video board manufacturers can support three multi-media functions ñ digital HDTV reception of all 18 ATSC DTV formats at full frame rates, including true high-definition formats such as 720p and 1080I; standard analog NTSC broadcast and cable reception; and DVD 720p playback. The Janus chip supports the DolbyÆ Digital 5.1 audio stream in two ways: 1) audio data can be sent over the computerís PCI bus to its microprocessor for Dolby Digital decoding in software with the decoded audio stream passed on to the PC sound card for audio playback, or 2) the compressed audio bitstream can be sent to an external Dolby Digital decoder via the Janus-derived video board. The Janus chip features an on-board line doubler and video scaler to up-convert analog NTSC cable broadcasts and DVD movies to HD video resolution, and can output to widescreen HDTV set monitors. Soon PC manufacturers are expected to offer monitors with widescreen aspect ratios as well. TeraLogic first customers are PC graphics card providers nVidia, Hauppauge and S3. The companies plan to introduce video boards to add HDTV capability to current PCs at a cost of under $300. This development is certain to accelerate the penetration of HDTV on PCs. With HDTV-ready TV sets costing upwards of $10,000, the PC is becoming regarded as an affordable alternative. Consumers will be able to view all digital programs on a PC monitor, whether a widescreen direct view monitor such as Princeton Graphics AF3.OHD or the new more affordable second generation rear screen TVs slated for introduction this fall. The Janus-based HDTV boards also will support digital VCR applications on the PC. The HDTV bitstream and NTSC can be recorded on the PC hard drive over the PCI bus and stored on the hard drive providing users with flexibility to view TV programs on demand. Such features have the potential to outperform other set-top boxes capable of TV-on-demand such as Replay Network and TiVo. And, as with the recently introduced 720p DVD-Video/DVD-ROM PC video card 3D Fusionô from Digital Connection, the Janus board can decode DVD progressive scan video streams and up-convert from 480p to 720p. To expedite development of future Janus-based products, TeraLogic is offering a reference design kit with the necessary components to develop a complete digital TV-on-PC solution on a single card. For more information, contact TeraLogic at 650 526 2000.