 | August 1, 2000 |
Wait for it
New silicon products presage advanced video products
If you haven't bought that DVD player yet, you might want to hang on even longer. Makers of MPEG-2 decoding chip sets are lining up to enable digital consumer convergence products that combine functions of DVD players, set-top boxes, games consoles, and hard-disk based digital video recorders all in the same box.
For example, STMicroelectronics has announced an enhanced DVD decoder/host processor chip. In addition to all the DVD back-end functions of its current STi5505, the new STi5508 includes a Karaoke processor and an MP3 decoder. The chip encompasses a 60-MHz 32-bit ST20 processor, a hardwired MPEG-2 MP@ML video decoder, an audio decoder that supports all DVD audio standards, a digital encoder compatible with Macrovision 7.01 copy protection, and a front-end interface for sector processing and DVD decryption.
C-Cube MicroSystems' next-generation DVD decoder also delivers enhanced audio-video capabilities. The ZiVA-4 DVD decoder includes MP3 audio decoding, on-the-fly video zoom, and slow-motion forward and reverse. The chip delivers full support for all major NTSC and PAL formats and a variety of video outputs. LG Electronics is designing ZiVA-4 into its new LG and Zenith DVD players.
—Margot Suydam
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