NXP claims 'smallest' triple-mode PCTV chip

NXP Semiconductors says it has launched the world's smallest single-chip PCTV solution, the SAA7231, that supports worldwide broadcast standards. Packaged in half the size of a minicard, NXP's latest innovation is 40 percent power-efficient, saves OEMs up to 15 percent of total BOM cost, and speeds up time-to-market under one month.

NXP's SAA7231 is suited for TV cards in current and future flavors of Microsoft Media Centre Edition (MCE) PCs, with support for analog, DVB-T and DVB-S broadcasts as well as an integrated MCE-compliant IR controller for a full-function remote control. A video processing engine decodes the analog A/V stream for features such as PVR and time shifting, while adaptive 2D noise reduction improves picture quality.

NXP is one of the exhibitors in the IIC-China 2008.

The SAA7231 also includes certified three-level Macrovision detection circuitry to keep the video's original analog copy protection intact, while premium TV content is protected through 128bit AES and (T)DES encryption.

"The proliferation of ultra-mobile computers and the desire for staying tuned to live TV broadcasts is necessitating the adoption of ultra-small universal PCTV solutions, such as NXP's SAA7231," said Martin Maloney, marketing director for PC systems, home business unit at NXP. "The small size, low-cost, low-power, high-level of integration and maturity of NXP's PCTV solution will enable manufacturers to offer high-quality TV viewing as a standard feature in portable computers, full-featured desktops and living room PCs."

NXP's SAA7231 can be packaged into 10mmx10mm size with support for PCI/PCIe interfaces and is capable of consuming as little as 1.5Watts of power to ensure uninterrupted streaming of AV content with extended playback time. The SAA7231 is also supported by a device driver package for Microsoft's Broadcast Driver Architecture (BDA) for Windows Vista and XP.