NXP Launches World's Smallest Single-chip Triple-mode PCTV Solution

Brings revolutionary TV viewing experience to ultra-small form-factor portable computers and living room PCs

In a move to bring a high-quality anytime, anywhere TV viewing experience to ultra-mobile computers, NXP Semiconductors, the independent semiconductor company founded by Philips, today launched the world’s smallest single-chip PCTV solution – SAA7231 – that supports worldwide broadcast standards. Packaged in half the size of a minicard, NXP’s latest innovation is 40 percent power-efficient, saves OEMs up to 15 percent of total BOM (bill-of-materials) cost, and speeds up time-to-market under one month.

NXP’s SAA7231 is ideally suited for TV cards in current and future flavors of Microsoft Media Centre Edition (MCE) PCs, with support for analog, DVB-T and DVB-S broadcasts as well as an integrated MCE-compliant IR controller for a full-function remote control. A state-of-the-art video processing engine decodes the analog AV stream for features such as PVR and time shifting, while adaptive 2D noise reduction improves picture quality. The SAA7231 also includes certified three-level Macrovision® detection circuitry to keep the video’s original analog copy protection intact, while premium TV content is protected through 128-bit AES and (T)DES encryption.

“The proliferation of ultra-mobile computers and the desire for staying tuned to live TV broadcasts is necessitating the adoption of ultra-small universal PCTV solutions, such as NXP’s SAA7231,” said Martin Maloney, Marketing Director for PC Systems, Home business unit, NXP Semiconductors. “The small size, low-cost, low-power, high-level of integration and maturity of NXP’s PCTV solution will enable manufacturers to offer high-quality TV viewing as a standard feature in portable computers, full-featured desktops and living room PCs.”

NXP’s SAA7231 can be packaged into 10mmx10mm size with support for PCI / PCIe interfaces and is capable of consuming as little as 1.5Watts of power to ensure uninterrupted streaming of AV content with extended playback time. The SAA7231 is also supported by a device driver package for Microsoft’s BDA (Broadcast Driver Architecture) for Windows Vista and XP.

Availability

The world’s smallest single-chip triple mode PCTV solution, SAA7231, from NXP is on demo at CeBIT 2008 in Hannover, Germany from 4-9 March.