MaxLinear's Low-Power Silicon Tuner Picked by Samsung for World's First A-VSB Portable TV Prototype

Unique Architecture & CMOS Process Deliver the Most Compelling Solution for Television Applications

CARLSBAD, CA — MaxLinear, Inc., a fabless semiconductor company at the forefront of developing all CMOS broadband radio frequency (RF) ICs for consumer markets, announced that its revolutionary MxL5005S Silicon Tuner RF IC has been designed into the world’s first Advanced VSB (A-VSB) portable television prototype from Samsung Electronics, which will be demonstrated at the National Association of Broadcasters Show (NAB) in April.

Advanced-VSB is a proposed standard for mobile television that builds on the current ATSC transmission standard to enhance the ability of portable devices to receive television broadcasts while in motion. The A-VSB standard leverages the television tower infrastructure already in place for today’s TV broadcast networks to allow consumers to receive standard programming on mobile phones, portable media players, GPS units and other devices.

Samsung first displayed the A-VSB prototype at the Consumer Electronics Show with a highly successful demonstration that touted the excellent mobile performance of A-VSB along with the backwards compatibility and ease and low cost of upgrading ATSC systems to A-VSB.

MaxLinear’s highly integrated, single die digital CMOS radio ICs, the MxL5003S and MxL5005S, provide low cost and the lowest power (~300mW) tuner solutions available for portable television and fixed or PC television applications, including televisions, set top boxes (STB), PCI cards, PCI-Express mini cards, and USB sticks.

Traditionally, many of these applications used large, discrete “can” tuners that do not provide the cost, power and size benefits realized by using CMOS silicon tuners. With their small footprint (6mm X 6mm 40 pin QFN package), low external BOM count, and comparable performance, the MxL5000 series of IC products provide the most compelling alternative to traditional can tuners for these applications.

“MaxLinear’s digital CMOS RF TV tuners are ideal for cutting-edge mobile TV applications like Samsung’s A-VSB prototype. They have already been proven in the marketplace through extensive field trials and customer adoptions by top-tier PCTV, module, and STB makers,” said Kishore Seendripu, MaxLinear’s CEO. “Samsung and other customers are taking advantage of the cost, power, integration, and size benefits of our solutions to enter new markets like A-VSB or increase their market share in existing markets through cost competitiveness and product innovation.”

Several OEMs have launched products with MxL5003S and MxL5005S and many others will launch designs with these ICs throughout 2007. These manufacturers are taking advantage of the best combination of solution cost, performance and power consumption offered by MaxLinear’s CMOS RFICs. The extremely low power consumption of MxL5000 series is especially important in battery-powered portable devices like laptop computers and portable TVs. The MxL5000 series is also ideal in multi-tuner applications like PVR STBs where heat dissipation is a major problem when using other silicon tuners or can tuners.