Product category:
Communications ICs (Wired)
News Release from: Zarlink Semiconductor
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 30 May 2001
Mitel and IBM look to set-top box
explosion
IBM and Mitel are teaming up to deliver a new family of SoC solutions designed to help drive the acceptance of digital TV and digital video broadcasting services.
IBM and Mitel are teaming up to deliver a new family of SoC solutions designed to help drive the acceptance of digital TV and digital video broadcasting services Mitel is combining its demodulation and digital TV expertise with IBM's PowerPC-based set-top box (STB) integrated controller technology to develop a range of advanced chips offering the highest level of functional integration available for digital TV sets and advanced set-top boxes
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 7 Feb 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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The new product family will be designed and exclusively marketed by Mitel worldwide, and manufactured by IBM.
The first digital TV chip is planned to fully support the European digital video broadcasting terrestrial (DVB-T) standard.
Huge growth market for digital TV Beginning in Europe, the rollout of free-to-air and pay-TV DVB-T services - coupled with the anticipated switch-off of analogue networks starting in 2006 - is expected to create explosive demand for a new generation of integrated digital television sets (iDTV) and advanced set-top box products.
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Cahners In-Stat Group predicts that the global market for digital TV will reach over US $4 billion by 2004, up from $800 million in 2000.
The emerging digital video broadcasting Multimedia Home Platform (DVB-MHP) standard is likely to further stimulate demand by providing consumers with a range of exciting new services and applications that extend the reach of the Internet into the living room.
Mitel's new chips are intended to address the cost and performance requirements of manufacturers planning to introduce highly differentiated iDTV and STB products which offer far more than existing analogue wide-screen TVs and VCRs, by integrating new capabilities such as personal video recorders, digital text, Internet access and DVDs.
"The adoption of digital TV depends significantly on semiconductor companies designing highly integrated and cost-effective chips for manufacturers", said Paul Fellows, DTV product line manager, Mitel Semiconductor.
"We are working closely with our lead customers to help them deploy iDTV sets and other products which fully exploit Mitel's silicon and software capabilities.
With our extensive range of tuners, demodulation, and communication IC technologies, coupled with IBM's technology and manufacturing capabilities, we intend to play a major role in the transition from analogue to digital TV".
"Mitel's selection of the PowerPC shows that the PowerPC is becoming the processor of choice for digital television applications", said Amand Cochet, marketing manager, Digital Video Products Group, IBM Microelectronics.
"Mitel is spearheading the adoption of the PowerPC architecture into digital video broadcasting television applications, while meeting customer's cost and performance needs".
Mitel and IBM have entered into a licensing and manufacturing agreement to develop the new products.
Mitel's ICs will be manufactured by IBM Microelectronics using its 0.18-micron copper CMOS technology.
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