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Product category: Microprocessors, Microcontrollers and DSPs
News Release from: LSI Europe | Subject: DMN-8623 and DMN-8673
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 07 September 2005

DVD recorder processors keep it digital

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The DMN-8623 and DMN-8673 are the first single-chip DVD recorder system processors to support digital TV (DTV) reception for DVD and hard disk drive (HDD)/DVD combo recorders.

LSI Logic Corp has unveiled its third-generation DoMiNo 8623 (DMN-8623) and 8673 (DMN-8673) products - the company's first single-chip DVD recorder system processors to support digital TV (DTV) reception for DVD and hard disk drive (HDD)/DVD combo recorders These processors enable advanced features and significantly reduce system bill of materials (BOM), allowing consumer electronics manufacturers to design set-top box (STB)/DVD recorders and STB/HDD/DVD combination recorders to address the growing free-to-air DTV market in Europe and other geographies

"The digital transition in Europe is already underway with approximately 9.5 million digital subscribers in England, France, Germany, Italy and Scandinavia; eventually all products that receive a TV signal in these geographies will require a DVB-T receiver/tuner", said Michelle Abraham, Principal Analyst, In-Stat.

"By developing the DMN-8623/73 DVD recorder system processors, LSI Logic is enabling greater features in the already-popular DVB-T free-to-air product category".

"And, with a focus on the overall BOM, LSI Logic is helping to enable cost-effective DVB-T-enabled DVD recorder products, as well as new revenue opportunities for STB and DVD recorder manufacturers".

Current STB/DVD recorder products are essentially two separate products in a single box: a DVD recorder and a set-top box receiver.

This configuration has cost disadvantages due to redundant DRAM, MPEG decoders, host processors and graphics engines.

The DMN-8623 and DMN-8673 processors integrate the functionality of these two products into one processor that performs both the STB receiver and DVD recorder functions on the flexible DoMiNo architecture.

This integration and elimination of additional components can reduce total system BOM costs by up to $15 compared with other solutions on the market.

The DMN-8623 is designed to address single-drive DVD recorder products and supports the recording and playback of one digital TV channel or video stream.

The DMN-8673 addresses combination HDD/DVD recorder systems and includes the ability to encode or decode two digital or analogue TV streams that can be recorded to a hard drive or DVD.

In addition, the DMN-8673 allows timeshifting of one live TV programme while simultaneously recording another TV programme in the background.

The highly integrated and flexible DMN-8673 eliminates the need for a second MPEG A/V encoder and a second STB decoder, and enables both high-end and entry-level HDD/DVD recorder products.

"STB/DVD recorders, like the ones enabled with DMN-8623/73, have the benefit of never converting to analogue when the video goes from broadcast to DVD disk, which ultimately improves the video quality for consumers", said Jim Fox, Director of DVD Product Marketing, LSI Logic Consumer Products Group.

"Plus, with the HDD/DVD recorder combination, consumers receive the added benefits of time-shifting, single remote control, single connection to the TV, and space savings".

"We're pleased to be leveraging our years of DVD recorder and digital STB expertise to enable these features, while continuing to reduce overall system costs to support the transition from the analogue to the digital world".

Both the DMN-8623 and DMN-8673 are part of LSI Logic's third-generation, single-chip DVD recorder system processor family that is designed to reduce system cost, design complexity and time to market.

Both processors leverage a flexible unified memory architecture (UMA), which contributes to the reduction in system BOM costs.

These products support video encoding and decoding in MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and DivX formats.

Advanced DVD playback functions include: DivX certified playback, DVD-audio, SD-to-HD up-scaled video playback output to HDMI and HD-JPEG output.

Both products also include LSI Logic's industry-leading DVD recorder features, such as DVFX video pre- and post-processing technologies that enable the highest-quality video for DVD recording, playback and archiving; Direct Digital Dub technology that simplifies the transfer of personal digital content from a camcorder to DVD over FireWire; YesDVD intelligent software solution making the automatic editing and conversion of home video easy; and fully integrated support for USB digital cameras and Flash Cards.

The DMN-8623 and DMN-8673 maintain software compatibility with previous generations of LSI Logic DoMiNo processors enabling manufacturers to preserve their software investment.

The DMN-8623 and DMN-8673 are sampling now to qualified customers.

Pricing is $25 for the DMN-8623 and $30 for the DMN-8673 in high volumes.

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