STMicroelectronics Demos Future of Home Entertainment at 2011 CES

STMicroelectronics (ST) is demonstrating its leading products and technologies that will enable media-rich consumer electronics products in the future at the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). ST is showcasing its advanced multimedia solutions for set-top box (STB), digital TV, digital audio and other consumer applications, with particular focus on innovative new technologies in the areas of broadband services, home connectivity and 3DTV.

Broadband Services and Applications
According to market analyst iSuppli, nearly 30 percent of TVs shipped in 2011 will be Internet enabled. Targeting this segment, ST is exhibiting a variety of advanced broadband technologies and service-expanding applications running on the STi7108 decoder-based STB platforms and its FLI7540 ‘Freeman Ultra’ for digital TVs. These demos include the Nokia Qt cross-platform application framework and the YouView Internet-connected digital TV platform, running Adobe AIR, which is a software engine that allows the development of new broadband services, both for interfaces and applications, based on Adobe Flash. Another demo features a proof-of-concept solution for HbbTV (Hybrid broadcast broadband TV), which is a major pan-European initiative aimed at harmonizing the broadcast and broadband delivery of entertainment to the consumer through connected TVs and STBs.

Home Connectivity
In home connectivity, ST has a suite of demos based on a ‘headless’ home gateway (i.e. not connected to a TV) that shares streaming audio/video with three different set-top boxes, via MoCA (Multimedia over Coax Alliance) and DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) communication technologies. Many advances in the DisplayPort standard are being demonstrated, including ST’s Vega chip driving a 3D monitor using the new DP1.2 standard; MyDP (Mobility DisplayPort), the new standard for full HD (1080p) video from mobile devices; and the new fast auxiliary channel supporting USB 2.0.

3DTV
In 3DTV, which is now growing quickly with sharply increased content available from broadcasters, ST will be hosting several demos, including those from leading customers, in the areas of 3D graphics, streaming full-High-Definition stereoscopic 3DTV, 3D interfaces and 3D gaming. Demonstrations will showcase ST’s leading-edge System-on-Chip (SoC) ICs, including the STi7108 decoder for STB markets. The STi7108 delivers an exceptional high-definition 3DTV experience for consumers with its unprecedented CPU performance, in conjunction with its integrated ARM Mali-400 graphics processor. The STi7108 also has market-leading energy efficiency due to its low-power configurable architecture and low-power manufacturing process. ST’s ‘Freeman Premier’ will showcase integrated 3D and FRC (Frame-Rate Conversion) technologies supporting multiple 3DTV formats; each are optimized for superior image quality with the Faroudja Video calibration.

Setting New Benchmarks for Next-Generation Decoder Technology
ST will also be demonstrating its fourth-generation SoC decoder technology, which is based on the ARM Cortex-A9 multi-core processor. Setting a new benchmark for the future of set-top boxes and integrated digital TVs to support home connectivity and open platforms, the demo, running a specially developed 3D game from ARM, called TrueForce, will deliver ultimate performance of up to 8500 DMIPS to enable exceptional 3DTV viewing.

Audio
In audio, ST will be demonstrating a new advanced SoundTerminal IC for tablet PC and portable applications. The new chip features an optimized low-power DSP for processing and compensating the input from both a MEMS-based microphone and the frequency response "feedback" from a MEMS-accelerometer-equipped speaker. The Faroudja Audio Optimized TV speaker correction solution integrated in ST’s "Freeman" family of TV SoCs will be featured in various demos.

Energy Saving
ST will also demonstrate its energy-saving solutions for consumer-electronics products, including power management and standby power capabilities without compromising on system performance such as fast resume from standby. Based on environmentally-friendly and energy-saving technologies, ST enables full-function entertainment using minimal power. ST has also established an energy-efficiency strategy that covers energy generation, transportation, and consumption. Employing the latest semiconductor manufacturing techniques, ST has introduced an ultra-low-power technology platform and produced and encapsulated its semiconductor using environmentally-friendly materials.

STMicroelectronics