ST touts 65nm dual-video-stream HDTV decoder chip
By Colleen Taylor -- EDN, January 8, 2007
STMicroelectronics has announced a new dual-video-stream high-definition (HD) decoder chip, the STi7200, intended for set top boxes (STBs), digital video recorders (DVR) and DVD players.
Touting the STi7200 as the world's first such device available in 65nm process technology, ST said the new SoC supports both HD DVD and Blu-ray formats, in addition to high-definition satellite and cable TV standards.
ST said the STi7200 dual AVC and VC-1 decoder can simultaneously decode two high-definition video streams. Twin outputs allow viewers to watch HD material on two TV sets, one channel in high definition and the other downscaled on-chip to standard definition.
In addition, the STi7200 includes dual high-speed Ethernet ports, dual transport stream processors allowing flexible DVR configurations with up to four-channel recording alongside two-channel viewing or time-shifted playback, dual SATA (Serial ATA) disk drive interfaces, and three USB ports.
The STi7200 supports the secure video processor (SVP) and Windows Media DRM 10 standards, which allow digital rights to be passed between consumer devices, as well as H.264/AVC, MPEG-2 and VC-1 decoding. The device also meets the latest requirements for both HD-DVD and Blu-ray high definition DVD by supporting all of the required video and audio standards.
The STi7200, which ST will demo this week at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, is available now in sample quantities.
ST is not the only company seeking to capitalize on both HD-DVD and Blu-ray, which have been firmly established as rivals in the home media realm. Details of the first high-definition DVD player capable of playing both rival Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD formats are set to be revealed at CES this week by LG Electronics.
