Broadcom has developed a line of chips for DVB-C based set-tops aimed at the Chinese cable market, and another set of chips for IPTV set-tops, also with Asia/Pacific markets in mind.
Broadcom is claiming to have fabbed the first DVB-C cable tuner developed in 65 nanometer (nm) technology; the smaller dimensions translate into lower power consumption and lead to lower costs.
The BCM7003 chip includes a 10/100 Fast Ethernet media access controller (MAC) that enables two-way interactive services such as video-on-demand (VoD), digital video recorder (DVR) functionality and Internet browsing.
The chip also supports cable standards employed in India, Europe, Latin America, South America and Asia.
According to In-Stat market research, there are more than 37 million digital cable subs in China; the research operation projects that number to reach 135 million by 2013, with set-top box revenue in China expected to peak at $1.3 billion in 2011.
Broadcom also expanded its line of silicon for Internet protocol (IP) set-tops, with new chips to complement its BCM7405 product.
The three new devices deliver different feature sets for mid-range and thin client applications, supporting single or multi-room TV delivery and distribution. With both media server and thin client devices using this chip family, STB manufacturers can leverage a common hardware and software architecture, accelerating time-to-market for multi-room solutions, Broadcom explained.
All three chips feature multi-format video support with an MPEG-4/VC-1/MPEG-2/AVS-compliant HD video decoder. Two, the BCM7205 and BCM7206, are designed for the needs of the mid-range single HD decode STB. The BCM7466 is designed for the entry-level SD output segment of the STB market.