ALi-Panasonic partnership produces DVB-T2 STB solution

Thursday, September 6th, 2012
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TAIPEI, Taiwan — ALi Corporation (TPE:3041), a leading Set-Top Box (STB) System-on-Chip (SoC) solution provider, announced on August 28 that it has joined forces with Panasonic Corporation’s (NYSE:PC; Tokyo:6752) Semiconductor Business Group to begin mass production of a new Digital Video Broadcasting – Second Generation Terrestrial (DVB-T2) STB solution in the third quarter of 2012. The collaborated DVB-T2 project will bring optimum cost and performance value to emerging markets, opening up tremendous opportunities for both ALi and Panasonic Semiconductor in regions such as Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa.

Digital terrestrial television (DTT) has taken off in recent years, garnering strong consumer confidence with its high quality of transmission and wider array of channels. In comparison to First Generation Terrestrial (DVB-T) products, Second Generation Terrestrial (DVB-T2) solutions transmit 30% to 50% more data through the higher offered bit rates and provide additional program choices such as High-Definition Television (HDTV). In fact, many emerging countries have plans to bypass DVB-T entirely and switch directly from analogue to DVB-T2 television broadcasting.

“ALi, which already enjoys a significant global market share in the DTT industry, seeks entry to new markets with this new product launch. The DVB-T2’s business potential is undeniable, given the current wave of upgrades from either analogue or DVB-T technology. We are glad to partner with Panasonic Semiconductor, a reputable company with an outstanding history in innovation and cutting-edge technology, in these exciting times,” said Tony Chang, the general manager of ALi’s International Business Unit.

Yasuhiro Nakakura, the director of Panasonic Semiconductor’s Home AV LSI Business Unit, added that, “We are pleased that ALi has adopted Panasonic Semiconductor’s T2 demodulator LSI technology. This partnership will delight our loyal consumers; higher quality of DTT service offered at a lower cost, what is there not to like?”

ALi’s DVB-T2 solution features dual 32-bit RISC CPUs, USB 2.0 host and 10/100 Mbps Ethernet, which make it ideal for developing standard definition/full high definition 1080p STBs. Integrated with an embedded TV encoder, an audio DAC, an HDMI transmitter, an accelerator for MPEG-1/2/4 as well as H.264 and JPEG decoding and demodulators, ALi’s DVB-T2 solution is more cost-efficient than ever. As the final touch of consumer-friendly finesse, the ALi-Panasonic production supports CA, CI/CI+ and FTA, rendering it an excellent choice for both pay-TV market and Free-To-Air market.