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STMicroelectronics chipset powers cost-effective dual TV and dual PVR set-top boxes
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The STi5528 and STi4629 chipset can decode two separate video and audio streams allowing consumers to connect two televisions to a single set top box. Furthermore, while decoding the two audio and video streams, the new chipset can also record two channels to a hard disk, so providing dual PVR functionality. Supporting full dual TV and dual PVR (Personal Video Recorder) functionality, the new solution extends the performance of the OMEGA family through the use of two 32-bit RISC processors, making it a highly cost-effective solution for advanced digital set-top boxes. |
Together, these two features allow manufacturers to build products that eliminate the need for a second STB to provide digital content to the second TV that is present in many homes.
For the management of real time functions such as audio and video decoding and demultiplexing, the STi5528 employs an ST20 core running at 166MHz. The ST20 is the most widely deployed processor in equipment such as STBs and DVD players that require MPEG-2 decoding and has been proven in tens of millions of STBs since the OMEGA family was introduced in 1997.
For application software, the STi5528 provides a 200MHz ST40 processor capable of running all the popular operating systems used in today's STBs including Linux and Windows CE. With integrated Floating Point and Memory Management Units, the ST40 delivers the high throughput (360 MIPS, 1.2Gflops) required to implement high performance STBs with digital video recording and web interactivity features. Moreover, the integrated 2D Graphics Display Compositor provides seven planes for the primary TV and four planes for a second TV, while the STi5528's ability to demultiplex and descramble seven transport streams from up to four front ends and its integrated ATA-6 compliant Hard Disk Drive interface ensure full dual TV PVR support. Audio options include Dolby®, MP3 and SRS TruSurroundTM.
"With the introduction of the STi5528 and STi4629 chipset, we have extended the performance of the OMEGA family to a new level, combining the power of the ST40 with the proven performance of the ST20 to allow unprecedented flexibility at a competitive price/performance point," said Christos Lagomichos, vice president and general manager of ST's Set-Top Box Division.
Other key components of the STi5528 and STi4629 include enhanced security features that help protect service providers' revenue streams, a video architecture that provides a dual stream MPEG2@ML video decoder and PAL/NTSC/SECAM video encoders, and a USB interface for home networking. The STi5528 also features a rich variety of communications interfaces, including UARTs, I²C/SPI master/slave interfaces, four PWM channels, a multi-channel infrared transmitter/receiver and a MAFE (modem analog front-end) interface.
Both the STi5528 and the STi4629 may be used in satellite, cable or terrestrial set top boxes. Used on its own, the STi5528 can decode two video streams, enabling picture in picture functionality on a single TV.
For more information on the full range of STMicroelectronics products available from Anglia please call +44 (0)1945 474747 or email info@anglia.com
