Broadcom STB platform to accelerate Mexico's transition to digital TV

Wednesday, December 17th, 2014
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Broadcom Announces Set-top Box Platform to Accelerate Mexico’s Analog-to-Digital TV Transition

  • Low-cost Digital Converters Deliver Combination of New Features and Reliability to Consumers
    • Device builds on Broadcom® STB platform to convert millions of Mexican homes from analog-to-digital TV
    • Offers consumers cost-effective, feature-optimized, reliable digital converter boxes based on proven technology
    • Highly responsive user experience with increased system performance, electronic program guide, exclusive fast channel change, audio leveling and USB personal video recorder

IRVINE, Calif. — Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM), a global innovation leader in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications, today announced a new digital-terrestrial video platform for Mexico as the country transitions from analog-to-digital television broadcasts. The conversion is scheduled for completion December 31, 2015 and will provide millions of television subscribers in Mexico with high definition (HD) content. Broadcom’s BCM7543 custom-engineered silicon offers a cost-effective and featured-optimized device for new HD converter boxes and set-top box (STB) platforms, providing a wider choice of content and value-added features.

“Since Broadcom began engineering STB solutions more than 15 years ago, we have established a trusted and broad offering of innovative, high-quality set-top solutions around the world,” said Rich Nelson, Broadcom Senior Vice President, Broadband & Connectivity Group. “Broadcom’s new offering for Mexico’s digital TV transition builds on our expertise in STB design and provides an easy-to-use experience for the consumer that combines superior value and performance.”

“We expect that the DTV transition will foster the growth of more HDTV programming, as well as the development of new content offers, taking into account the possibilities of multicasting,” said Fernando Borjon Figueroa, Commissioner of the Federal Institute of Telecommunications. “Mexico faces the challenge of analogue switch-off in 2015 and the need to rapidly increase DTV penetration. Therefore, counting on DTV receiving options for the public, such as low-cost televisions and set-top boxes, is an important issue for the continuity of service.”

Broadcom’s new BCM7543 system-on-a-chip (SoC) is a highly cost-effective device that balances features and performance. A complete hardware and software turnkey system design provides OEMs and retailers with for faster time-to-market and a highly cost-competitive converter box for the Mexican digital-terrestrial broadcast market. The performance of the BCM7543 enhances a home viewer’s experience by providing quick response to input, FastRTV® technology that allows TV viewers to scan through channels up to five times faster, and audio leveling to eliminate volume aberrations that can occur when changing channels.

The design also integrates a high-performance 8VSB digital channel demodulator, MPEG2 and H.264 HD video decoder, a fast graphic processing unit, HD display output and USB 2.0 port. Broadcom’s BCM97543 reference solution includes tuner scan and lock, signal strength meter, software device drivers, electronic Program Guide (EPG) and applications software for fast design and quick time-to-market.

BCM7543 SoC Key Features

  • High definition MPEG 2 and MPEG-4 advanced video decoder
  • Integrated ATSC-compliant 8VSB demodulator and fast channel acquisition
  • Fast graphics processing unit
  • RF 3-4 modulator, analog A/V and HDMI output
  • Dolby Digital and MPEG audio decoder
  • 1,100 DMIPS CPU processor
  • Complete turnkey hardware drivers and software user interface
  • A/74 compliant digital tuner testing compliant
  • Low power consumption and dynamic power management

Availability

The Broadcom BCM7543 is currently sampling.