Product category:
Embedded Software and Operating Systems
News Release from: Cabot Communications | Subject: Eclipse and Mercator
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 27 May 2003
Software is key to Philips reference
design
Philips and Cabot Communications have developed a complete integrated reference design for iDTVs and digital STBs, enabling analogue TV manufacturers to quickly enter the emerging DTV market.
Philips and Cabot Communications have developed a complete integrated reference design for iDTVs and digital STBs, enabling analogue TV manufacturers to quickly enter the emerging DTV market This approach to an integrated hardware and software design, is intended to address the lengthy time-to-market and substantial software resource issues involved in developing iDTV receivers, accelerating the penetration of digital technology into the middle and lower segments of the receiver market
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 26 May 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Software ported to run on NEC digital TV chips
Cabot Communications has ported its Digital TV Software Suite onto NEC's EMMArchitecture2 range of DTV silicon devices.
Toshiba chooses engine for interative digital TV
Toshiba Information Systems UK has selected the Mercator MHEG-5 engine to develop interactive services for its next generation of digital terrestrial TV receivers.
The development of Philips' Nexperia semiconductor system solutions for DTV into a reference design for iDTV and STB manufacturers capitalises on Philips' expertise in supplying leading system-on-silicon solutions for analogue and digital television and Cabot's specialist embedded digital TV technologies.
Together with this integrated hardware and software solution, Philips will supply its Nexperia based semiconductor solutions comprising of two complete reference designs, one using the PNX1302 media processor with the TDA10046 OFDM channel decoder and in future the other using the PNX8310 Digital decoder with the TDA10046 OFDM, and Cabot will provide its Eclipse DVB software for core TV functionality and the Mercator MHEG-5 engine for the UK interactive support.
The reference design will support both free-to-air digital terrestrial transmissions and proprietary transmissions via its common interface.
Further reading
Development kit speeds interactive applications
Mercator is the first 'out-of-the-box' MHEG-5 development kit to help set-top box and interactive digital TV manufacturers keep pace with the fast-evolving UK MHEG-5 digital standard.
Speedy solution to set-top-box middleware
The latest version of the Eclipse DVB-T middleware software development kit has several additional features to help manufacturers to bring high-quality products to market more quickly.
Software promises cost-effective PVRs
A novel personal video recorder software development kit will help set-top box and iDTV manufacturers build competitively priced PVR products for the rapidly growing free-to-air terrestrial market.
"We see this reference solution as a vital step in enabling manufacturers of consumer equipment to transition from analogue to digital TV for the connected home, without having to carry the entire overheads involved in the substantial investment in software resources required to produce a competitive product", said Enrico De Salve, European Marketing Manager for Consumer and Multimedia, Philips Semiconductors.
"With more than eleven manufacturers using Cabot's scalable DVB-T solution for the European terrestrial market and 40% of the receivers being currently shipped using Cabot products, Philips was able to choose a robust and deployed technology".
Cabot's Eclipse system is a DVB middleware stack designed specifically to provide core "watch TV" functionality.
Eclipse incorporates a TV-ready UI toolkit and PC emulator, so that OEMs can easily customise and provide branded look and feels for their products.
For the UK "Freeview" market, the Mercator MHEG-5 engine is the most robust and high performance implementation currently available, incorporating the DSM-CC object carousel and support libraries.
The Callisto over-air-download with its unique authentication technology ensures reliable and secure upgrades for iDTVs in the field.
"The UK Government is on target for its objective to switch off analogue TV by 2010.
We are delighted to work with Philips to produce the first integrated reference design to help manufacturers meet the demand for digital TVs", said Keith Potter, Managing Director, Cabot Communications.
"Our objective is to speed up the digital revolution by ensuring a smooth migration from analogue to digital for manufacturers and consumers alike and together with Philips, we are now able to achieve this goal".
• Cabot Communications: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Electronicstalk email newsletter
• Electronicstalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
