TV chips accelerate move to 100Hz sets

Philips is aiding the transition from analogue to digital television with the launch of a complete 100Hz and progressive scan scaleable television IC family.

Philips is aiding the transition from analogue to digital television with the launch of a complete 100Hz and progressive scan scaleable television IC family.

The PNX300x Digital One Chip solution is a future-proof, fully digital IC solution for cost-effective 100Hz analogue TV.

The product family is composed of one main chip (pnx300x), a companion chip (pnx3000) and associated software.

With the highest integration level on the market and all-digital processing in advanced CMOS, this member of the Nexperia digital video platform (DVP) will make 100Hz and progressive scan television cost-effective for mainstream analogue TV and provide a smooth transition into integrated digital television (iDTV).

There is an accelerated growth rate in the television market today for enhanced features.

The PNX300x Digital One Chip solution will enable set-makers to build low cost, high end TVs while also offering an extensive integration of best-in-class TV features.

The PNX300x Digital One Chip solution confirms Philips' strength in both analogue and digital TV and proves the flexibility and cost advantages of the Nexperia DVP.

Among its high quality features are output processing, PIP (picture in picture) or double window video/video and complete sound processing including Dolby Prologic.

It features a 1910MIPS processor, which alongside Teletext and closed captioning enables advanced on-screen display features like EPG (electronic programming guide).

It also enables web browsing on analogue TV without extensive external microprocessors.

Through the addition of a digital front end the system can also be converted into a hybrid solution.

"With the introduction of the truly scaleable PNX300x Digital One Chip product family we have reached our main objective - to provide a low-cost IC solution for 100Hz analogue TVs, providing all the functionality for a complete TV in advanced CMOS", said Jos Klippert, product manager for Mainstream TV IC Solutions at Philips Semiconductors.

"This is a significant milestone, providing a low cost solution for future growth in the TV range that will enable attractive features like web browsing on analogue TV".

PNX300x Digital One Chip users will also benefit from software re-use, allowing them to drastically minimise their R and D investments as they move to digital TV.

A further advantage is the true scalability of this solution - it can be adapted to the needs of set-makers, who can decide on the features they require, thus maximising the payback on the investment.

As a platform PNX300x Digital One Chip slashes prices across the range.

At a build rate of one million sets per year, set makers can expect to save several millions of US dollars a year, based on the most recent industry data.

The two Nexperia chips used in the PNX300x Digital One Chip are the pnx3000 and the pnx300x.

The pnx3000 is a video front-end including IF and source selection circuit for TV applications.

It accepts all worldwide analogue TV input standards (NTSC, Pal, Secam) as well as SCART, analogue RGB and YCrCb input formats, converting them into a digital I2D stream.

The pnx300x is a scaleable complete 100Hz-television family that includes two video decoders and a 100Hz up convertor, an advanced output processor with geometry correction and advanced sound features.

The pnx300x is fabricated in CMOS15 technology, and the pnx3000 in advanced BIMOS.

The chips are currently available in sample quantities.

Volume production is scheduled for Q4 2002.

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