ST announces DTV SoC and Video-Enhancement IC for Motion-Compensated 3DTV and 3D Graphics

High-performance full-featured SoCs deliver compelling new entertainment and web-based services while slashing overall TV power consumption, and facilitating new business models for the TV industry

GENEVA — STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), one of the world’s largest semiconductor companies and a leader in chips for set-top boxes and digital TVs, today announced a new TV System-on-Chip (SoC) offering the first-of-its-kind integrated 3D graphics accelerator (OpenGL-ES 2.0 and OpenVG 1.1 compliant), enabling next-generation Internet TV services, exciting user interfaces and casual gaming.

ST’s new FLI7540, representing the ‘Freeman Ultra’ line of products, powers high-performance TVs that demand exceptional video, audio, and user-interface capabilities. The FLI7540 delivers exceptionally high performance (1700+ DMIPS CPU with 256 kbytes of Level 2 cache), strong security dedicated for advanced middleware/Internet TV applications, and is compatible with worldwide digital terrestrial television (DTT) standards.

ST has also introduced a new high-quality Faroudja™ video-enhancement IC that dramatically reduces TV power consumption and boosts video quality for LED TVs while offering best-in-class experience for 2D/3DTV. The FLI2520 ‘Diamond'” video-enhancement IC delivers the industry’s first single-chip 2D/3D@200/240Hz with advanced MCTi[1] motion judder and blur reduction, plus 240Hz LED backlight adaptive local dimming and 480Hz backlight scanning for motion-blur reduction.

The FLI2520 is also the first TV IC offering the royalty-free VESA interconnect standard iDP (internal DisplayPort) output to the panel timing controller. For TV set and panel manufacturers, iDP substantially reduces BOM cost and system complexity, in comparison to alternative approaches.

“Our TV customers demand powerful solutions to meet the requirements in next-generation products to support extensive processing for the enhanced Internet TV and 3D video experiences,” said Luigi Mantellassi, General Manager of ST’s TV and Monitor Division. “The Freeman and Diamond family of TV products offer TV manufactures a solid foundation to quickly design a portfolio of compatible, high-value TV models with compelling step-up features and price points. In addition, Freeman’s Internet TV, security engine, 3D graphics, and flexible software framework enable exciting new business models for both TV manufacturers and retailers, while consumers enjoy unprecedented, instant access to large vaults of content.”

The BOM cost-efficient combination of FLI7540 and FLI2520 results in a unique and uncompromised range of key technologies:

• Wealth of content access and new business models with Internet TV
• Rich and innovative user interfaces with OpenGL ES 2.0 3D graphics
• Silky smooth film- and video-motion compensation with 200/240Hz Faroudja MCTi
• Best quality, motion-compensated 3DTV@200/40Hz. Also 2D->3D conversion
• Substantial power reduction and enhanced contrast ratio with LED backlight adaptive local dimming

The FLI7540 is software compatible with other products in the Freeman product line, and is the culmination of the integration of world-class technologies from ST’s industry-leading set-top-box chips and the Emmy® Award winning Faroudja video-processing technologies.

Availability and Pricing

The FLI7540 and FLI2520 and associated platforms are now sampling to qualified customers. Pricing is available to OEMs, upon request. Both products will be demonstrated at ST’s private suite at IFA 2010 in Berlin.