Broadcom Demonstrates New 65 Nanometer Dual Advanced Video Decoder Chip

SOURCE: Design and Reuse (Newark, CA)
03-05-2007

DENVER -- March 5, 2007 -- CableLabs Winter Conference -- Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today announced a new dual-channel AVC/MPEG-4/VC- 1/MPEG-2 video decoder system-on-a-chip (SoC) designed in a 65 nanometer process. The new high-performance video decoder SoC is being demonstrated at this week's CableLabs Winter Conference, and provides leading-edge functionality and performance when compared to existing set-top box (STB) solutions currently available.

"Our new 65 nanometer solution provides our customers with the industry's most advanced, highest performance, and most integrated solution for dual advanced video decoder media center set-top boxes," said John H. Gleiter, Senior Director of Marketing for Broadcom's Set-top Box line of business. "Customers will enjoy state-of-the-art performance, video quality, security, and system cost savings improvements provide by this new advanced 65 nanometer chip."

Announced today is the 65 nanometer Broadcom(R) BCM7400B dual-channel video decoder solution. The BCM7400B video decoder enables set-top box manufacturers to develop extremely high performance media centers, integrating the most advanced hardware features and functionality to securely decode, store and share multiple types of media including HDTV, video-on-demand, Internet, and digital music content. The BCM7400B also includes special hardware to properly support Broadband Home Media Distribution over external MoCA (Multimedia Over Coax Alliance) and 802.11n Wi-Fi(R) interfaces in support of new, higher revenue-generating multi-room DVR services.

At last year's 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show, Broadcom introduced the first-generation BCM7400 video decoder chip along with very complex software that enabled the company's set-top partners to develop media center platforms for their customers. The same robust software developed for the BCM7400 over the past year migrates directly to the BCM7400B, providing a clean technology bridge to a higher performing, more advanced solution that Broadcom customers can deploy. The benefit for set-top manufacturers is:

Direct migration to state-of-the-art 65 nanometer technology

Proven silicon platform and architecture that enables the quickest and least riskiest time-to-market for media-center solutions deploying later this year

Technology that will provide the required processing power to run sophisticated JAVA-based OCAPtm software applications and advanced media sharing

The preservation of existing software investments

"With over 200 million set top boxes deployed in the last two years, largely in the established digital cable and digital satellite markets, Broadcom's new 65 nanometer BCM7400B video decoder provides both performance and time-to-market benefits to this market," said Michelle Abraham, Senior Analyst for In-Stat. "The combination of an available hardware and software solution correctly positions Broadcom's customers for the growing media center set-top market."

Technical Information

Based on the most highly and successfully deployed advanced video decoder technology, the new BCM7400B AVC/VC-1/MPEG-2 decoder chip integrates all of the back-end features of a high performance dual decoder digital media center into a single-chip solution. Easily the most complex and sophisticated set- top chip to develop and manufacture, the BCM7400B features an unparalleled amount of integration and technology. These sophisticated features include:

The industry's highest performance and only set-top SoC with a 1000 DMIPs dual-core MIPS32(R) CPU that provides the performance to support the most advanced and capable set-top software, including JAVA(R) OCAPtm and multi-client, multi-room DVR applications.

World-Class HD and SD video quality enhancement technology with advanced per-pixel motion adaptive de-interlacing and sophisticated picture enhancement processing that removes noise and contouring improving video quality.

Support for the latest generation of video decoding technologies including H.264/AVC main and high profile to level 4.1, SMPTE (the Society for Motion Picture and Television Engineers) VC-1 simple, main, and advanced profile to level 3 and MPEG-2 main and high profiles. Advanced Video Compression technologies enable set-tops to support 100% more high-definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) television programming with the same level of bandwidth.

Dual audio and video high definition (HD) channels that enable a single system to simultaneously deliver HD programs to multiple televisions in the home, support Picture-in-Picture(PIP), Picture-by-Picture (POP), and advanced 12+ Picture MOSIAC video decoding, plus watch and record applications.

Support for higher-performance DDR2 SDRAM memories that provide over five (5) Gigabytes per second of total memory bandwidth.

Fully integrated Dual 3.0 Gbps eSATA-II interfaces to support over 1 Terabyte Hard drives and DVR capabilities that enable the simultaneous recording and playback of more than 8 channels, both locally and to multiple clients.

The only set-top solution to support both 2D and 3D graphics that can provide stylish program guides and navigation capabilities.

An integrated and highly developed, independent content security processor that provides real-time encryption and decryption for all content, home network, and TV interfaces

65 Nanometer Process Technology

The 65 nanometer process is the most advanced lithographic node for manufacturing semiconductors in large volumes today and provides significant benefits over 90nm and 130nm processes by enabling lower power consumption, smaller size and higher levels of integration. For Broadcom, the move to 65 nanometer process technology is changing the competitive landscape because of the breadth and depth of the communications intellectual property the company possesses. Without a broad portfolio of market-leading solutions to integrate, competitors are not able to take full advantage of the benefits that these next-generation processes provide. Broadcom's vast communications intellectual property for transporting voice, video and data at home, work and on-the-go are helping to enable customers and service providers with a truly seamless communications experience for end users worldwide.

Availability and Pricing

The 65 nanometer BCM7400B dual-channel video decoder is sampling shortly to early access partners. Pricing is available upon request.

About Broadcom's Broadband Communications Group

Broadcom offers manufacturers a range of broadband communications and consumer electronics SoC's that enable voice, video and data services over residential wired and wireless networks. These highly integrated silicon solutions continue to enable the most advanced system solutions on the market, which include digital cable, satellite and IP set-top boxes and media servers, broadband modems and residential gateways, high definition and digital televisions, HD DVD and Blu-raytm disc players, DVD recorders and personal video recorders.

About Broadcom

Broadcom Corporation is a major technology innovator and global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications. Broadcom(R) products enable the delivery of voice, video, data and multimedia to and throughout the home, the office and the mobile environment. We provide the industry's broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art, system-on-a-chip and software solutions to manufacturers of computing and networking equipment, digital entertainment and broadband access products, and mobile devices. These solutions support our core mission: Connecting everything(R).

Broadcom is one of the world's largest fabless semiconductor companies, with 2006 revenue of $3.67 billion, and holds over 1,950 issued U.S. and 750 issued foreign patents, more than 5,900 additional pending patent applications, and one of the broadest intellectual property portfolios addressing both wired and wireless transmission of voice, video and data.

Broadcom is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and has offices and research facilities in North America, Asia and Europe. Broadcom may be contacted at +1.949.926.5900 or at http://www.broadcom.com.

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