SFR launches Google Services STB powered by Marvell ARMADA 1500 Plus

Leading European Service Provider SFR Launches Hybrid Set-Top Box for Both Broadcasting and Streaming with Google Services for Smart TV Powered by Marvell’s ARMADA 1500 Plus HD Media Platform

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Marvell (Nasdaq: MRVL), a worldwide leader in integrated silicon solutions, today announced that European leading service provider, SFR, has launched its hybrid set-top box powered by Marvell’s ARMADA® 1500 Plus (88DE3108) system-on-chip (SoC) platform. The ARMADA 1500 Plus is a full HD media processor designed for a wide range of Smart video products. Underscoring its leadership in the Smart Home ecosystem, the ARMADA 1500 Plus will power SFR’s hybrid set-top boxes to enable Google services for Smart TV.

“I’m very proud of Marvell’s long-term collaboration with Google in empowering leading service providers to deliver immersive entertainment experiences with new products and services. The successful launch of this innovative device by SFR is a great example of how consumers can enjoy quality content delivered seamlessly through both broadcasting and streaming,” said Weili Dai, President and Co-Founder of Marvell. “I would like to thank the passionate and dedicated engineering teams of Google, SFR, and Marvell in delivering this exciting new product and driving the ‘Connected Digital Lifestyle’ vision to serve today’s global consumers for better lives.”

“Through our joint collaboration with Marvell, SFR is pleased to be the first service provider in Europe to offer consumers Google services for Smart TV powered by Marvell’s ARMADA 1500 Plus,” said Frank Cadoret, Executive Vice President of SFR. “Offering set-top boxes with Google services will further allow us to differentiate our services, while giving subscribers a powerful and enhanced entertainment experience in today’s digital home.”

SFR’s hybrid set-top box offering Google services for Smart TV, available in a compact form factor and simple set up, provides both broadcast and IPTV services to consumers, at an attractive 3€ per month. Customers, who have xDSL can enjoy IPTV services whereas other subscribers can get a bundled SFR TV/OTT experience. The platform is the first hybrid set-top box in the Europe enabling Google services for Smart TV, and its applications enable the convergence between mobiles, tablets and TV services.

The ARMADA 1500 Plus offers significantly improved graphics performance due to its OpenGL ES 2.0 compatible graphics engine, while real-time 1080p video encode capabilities allow the platform to function as a multi-screen source device, enabling an optimal viewing experience for consumers. Additionally, the ARMADA 1500 Plus incorporates an enhanced security engine that further facilitates more seamless adoption by service operators, as well as its award-winning Qdeo® video processing for state-of-the-art HD and 3D video for an immersive entertainment experience. The SoC has integrated HDMI receiver and Gigabit Ethernet, enabling a broad range of low-cost form factors that make the ARMADA 1500 Plus ideal for small set-top-boxes, over-the-top media players, hybrid set-top boxes and Smart TVs at mass-market price points.