Broadcom advances Direct Broadcast Satellite chips at IBC

New SoCs Integrate Second Generation Digital Video Broadcasting Standard and Full Band Capture for Expanded HD and Interactive Services

AMSTERDAM — IBC 2013 — Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM), a global innovation leader in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications, today announced two new 28 nanometer (nm) direct broadcast satellite (DBS) systems-on-a-chip (SoCs). Engineered with second generation digital video broadcasting (DVB-S2) technology and integrated Full Band Capture, Broadcom’s BCM4548 for home gateways and BCM4562 for headless SAT>IP applications provide global operators with two powerful new devices for increasing HDTV and interactive services for subscribers around the world.

“Broadcom’s advanced engineering provides the satellite industry with powerful and cost-efficient SoC and discrete DVB-S2 devices for direct broadcast satellite applications that will enable global operators to provide new residential offerings, including more HD content,” said Rich Nelson, Broadcom Senior Vice President, Broadband Communications Group. “Broadcom’s continued innovation brings advanced features to satellite subscribers around the world, ensuring that consumers can access and view high-quality content on multiple screens–and now multiple devices–throughout the home.”

BCM4562 for Satellite TV Delivery to Any IP-Enabled Client Multimedia Device

Broadcom’s new SAT>IP SoC, designed for headless SAT>IP applications, distributes satellite-broadcasted content to in-home IP-connected STBs and smart TVs using industry connectivity standards. By integrating two Full Band Capture tuners and eight DVB-S2 demodulators, the new BCM4562 device supports industry standard software, conditional access and digital rights management (DRM) technologies, and can receive satellite signals and distribute them as internet protocol (IP) content. This allows anyone with an IP-enabled client multimedia device such as a smartphone, tablet, gaming console or smart TV to watch satellite-broadcasted content on any screen in the home.

In addition to integrating two Full Band Capture tuners and eight DVB-S2 demodulators, the new BCM4562 device is engineered to provide advanced security with conditional access termination on-chip, ensuring that all distributed content remains protected by DRM throughout the home. Broadcom’s new SAT>IP SoC is also PHY-agnostic, interfacing with all connectivity standards that consumers use to connect to content via the internet or TV including GigE, MoCA 2.0, WiFi and PLC. The SoC integrates 1 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE), Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) 2.0, a PCI-Express interface for WiFi connectivity and RG-MII interface for adding powerline communications (PLC) adapters. Together, these features free up thin client set-top boxes (STB) to simply render video.

BCM4548 for Multi-Channel DVB-S2 Home Gateways

Broadcom’s BCM4548 is the world’s first 28nm SoC to enable multi-channel DVB-S2 gateways for satellite operators. By design, Broadcom’s BCM4548 single-chip engineering dramatically simplifies system design and cost by integrating DVB-S2 demodulators and replacing multiple discrete tuners with dual Full Band Capture tuners that digitize the entire 250-2350 MHz spectrum.

As Broadcom’s second generation satellite Full Band Capture device, the BCM4548 integrates improved Full Band Capture technology to provide a breakthrough in bandwidth scalability and flexibility using any available demodulator to tune to a frequency, removing narrowband ‘block’ tuner restrictions and resulting in a more efficient distribution of video streams and IP services to connected devices in the digital home. Additionally, Full Band Capture coupled with Broadcom’s FastRTV® technology provides consumers with fast channel change regardless of frequency. Remote diagnostics capabilities from Full Band Capture also save operators from expensive on-site customer visits.

Broadcom will demonstrate its 28nm satellite front-end devices at IBC 2013 from September 12-16, 2013 in RAI Amsterdam, booth #2.C36.

Availability

Broadcom’s BCM4548 and BCM4562 devices are currently sampling.