DiBcom Launches a Revolutionary Solution for Mobile TV

The programmable platform “Octopus” offers a powerful, flexible and cost-effective solution to support all worldwide standards

PARIS — DiBcom, the leading provider of Mobile TV solutions, is pleased to announce the launch of its revolutionary new platform that offers device manufacturers a flexible and powerful solution to the problem of multiple standards worldwide for fixed and mobile TV. This versatile platform, referred to as “Octopus”, is based on a programmable architecture that enables one design to be seamlessly and cost-effectively targeted at many existing and upcoming Mobile TV standards. In particular, the first commercialised version is fully compliant with the most widely deployed standards today: CMMB, DVB-T, DVB-H, DVB-SH, ISDB-T (1SEG & Full-SEG) and T-DMB. Other emerging standards such as ATSC M/H, DVB-T2, and any others will follow.

Other existing so-called multi-standard components combine the circuitry of some standards in one chip with minimum optimisation. “Octopus”, however, is based on one programmable, broadcast specific, vector signal processor (VSP) and is able to handle any standard by adapting its microcode. The VSP engine is integrated with a multi-mode channel decoder and MAC, memory and a power management unit (PMU), therefore offering optimal power consumption for each standard. Manufactured using 65nm technology, this complete solution comes with a multi-band RF tuner in two package options, and in either single or diversity (dual-antenna) configurations.

The many advantages offered by this new platform include:

• A universal and cost-effective architecture ideal for a one-to-many strategy (all regions, all applications addressed with one device)
• High performance at low power consumption in all functional modes
• An integrated PMU for a simpler system design (one voltage input), efficient power consumption and longer battery life
• No unnecessary hardware duplication or reliance on powerful CPU’s as required by other multi-standard solutions
• Embedded descramblers for all conditional access (CAS) protected content

The Octopus platform addresses the Automotive, PC/notebook, PMP, PND, Mobile Phone as well as LCD TV and Set-Top-Box market sectors where DiBcom is the leading provider of mobile TV solutions.

“We are proud to have designed the ideal Mobile TV platform that will allow our customers to reduce their R&D costs and still respond to the current fragmentation of the market,” said Khaled Maalej, CTO of DiBcom.

“Handset manufacturers now see a real opportunity to increase their volumes of mobile TV terminals based on the Octopus platform since they can ship them to any region in the world by simply loading the appropriate software. Availability of a large choice of terminals is a major market enabler,” added Yannick Levy, CEO of DiBcom. Octopus component samples will be available in early Q2 2009.

For more information about this revolutionary solution, please visit the DiBcom booth (D30, Hall 2.1) at the MWC 2009 in Barcelona from 16th to 19th February.