Hardware platform saves cost for iDTV makers

STMicroelectronics has released the DTV150, a cost-saving hardware platform that provides demodulation, MPEG-2 high-definition (HD) and standard-definition (SD) decoding, full HD video processing, high-quality audio and the video switching functions for integrated DTV (iDTV) sets worldwide. This solution is built around ST's STi1010 single-chip iDTV processor, which provides the capability to use the same chip for both digital and analog broadcast decoding, and for video TV processing.

The new platform achieves a trade-off balance between performance and cost, giving iDTV manufacturers the ability to produce sets that meet worldwide standards, with high-quality full HD displays, while reducing the BOM.

The DTV150 is for the mid-range iDTV market, but also offers a cost-effective solution for more price-sensitive products, enabling manufacturers to use a single platform for WXGA or full HD applications, with single- or double-video pipe for Picture-in-Picture (PiP) display, and is fully compliant with middleware requirements such as MHEG-5 or MHP (multimedia home platform).

At the center of the chipset is the STi1010 processor—manufactured using an 80nm CMOS process technology—which provides unified analog and DTV in a single chip, with a common GUI and single TV processor for both analog and digital TV reception. It supports displays up to 1,080p, including full 1,080i de-interlacing using ST's 3D contour sensitive de-interlacer (CSDi) to enhance picture quality. The STi1010 has been developed from ST's established STD2000 iDTV processor, with enhanced picture quality, improved connectivity including embedded HDMI, dual LVDS output and a USB 2.0 Hi-Speed interface for JPEG and MP3 playback, and capability for decoding AD (Audio Description), Dolby Digital and AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) audio streams.

The processor is supported within the DTV150 platform by other high-performance devices including the STV0362 (European DVB standards) and STV0374 (U.S. ATSC standards) digital demodulators; by the STV83xx series single-chip TV sound processors, with the capability to decode and process digital audio sources with multichannel content, driving a range of audio channels from enhanced stereo up to full 5.1 surround sound and embedding ST's analog stereo demodulator; and by the STV6402 or STV6415 video switches.

The STi1010 supports PiP, and its high-end dual-plane OSD (onscreen display) is generated at display-panel resolution. The chip includes a 32bit 250MHz unified DDR2 memory interface for CPU, OSD and video. Hardware and software reference designs for the DTV150 platform are developed for the North American ATSC, European DVB, Chinese DDTB and Japanese ISDB-T markets.

The STi101x is supplied in a 27mm x 27mm PBGA package as the STi1010 for the full HD display capability with PiP, and as the STi1011 for the WXGA version with no PiP.

Production samples will be available in February, with volume production planned for Q2. Customer development samples are already available. The total BOM for the DTV150 platform with a full HD configuration targeting the European market is expected to be lower than $45.