EMMA family expands
05 July 2011
Renesas expands line-up with set-top box SoCs supporting 3D broadcasts and Internet-based content.
The provider of semiconductor solutions has announced the availability of its new system-on-chip for STBs, the EMMA 3SE/P, which supports the video standards used for digital television broadcasts worldwide and a wide variety of video formats required to play Internet-based content.
The EMMA3SE/P SoC integrates in a single chip the functions necessary to receive digital broadcasts, including the ability to decode (decompress) digital video and audio signals and picture adjustment capabilities.
Renesas Electronics has also developed the EMMA3SL2/LP SoC with support for standard definition broadcasts, and will begin shipping it at the same time as the EMMA3SE/P SoC.
The adoption of digital television broadcasting has expanded worldwide, and the popularity of 3D broadcasts and Internet-based content is expected to grow in the future. As a result, there is rising demand today for semiconductor devices that combine compatibility with these standards along with support for the latest video formats. At the same time, increasing demand for affordably priced products such as set top boxes and Internet-capable TVs is anticipated in emerging economies that are experiencing rapid growth.
The EMMA3SE/P SoC is the successor to the EMMA3SL/P SoC, released in 2009. In addition to being suitable for STBs providing H.264 HD viewing capabilities only, it is targeted at high-volume segments such as the market for H.264 HD DVR products, including models with built-in hard disk drives.
Additionally, the software that was used for the previous EMMA3SL/P SoC is compatible with the EMMA3SE/P SoC. It uses a 40nm process and a 16-bit DDR3 memory interface to reduce the pin count by about one-third compared with the earlier EMMA3SL/P. This enables the use of a package measuring only 17 mm x 17 mm, making it possible for system manufacturers to design more compact STB products and reduce the overall system cost by using a smaller PCB. The EMMA3SE/P and the EMMA3SL/P SoCs both have the same pin configuration, making it easy for a manufacturer to develop HD and SD products based on a common hardware platform.
In addition to compatibility with MPEG2, MPEG4 AVC, DivX, VC-1, WMV, and the Chinese standard AVS provided by the earlier EMMA3SL/P, the EMMA3SE/P adds support for H.264 MVC for 3D TV broadcasts as well as formats such as VP6 and Sorenson Spark for IP broadcasts and content streamed over the Internet.
Furthermore, in recognition of the importance of copyright protection, the EMMA3SE/P SoC supports the latest specifications of the major security vendors worldwide to protect against signal piracy. Distributors of paid broadcast content can use the EMMA3SE/P to develop STBs that provide a high level of security.
Renesas Electronics plans to promote the EMMA3SE/P in China, where satellite HD TV broadcasting is scheduled to start in FY2011. In emerging markets for digital broadcasting, such as India, Africa and Russia, Renesas Electronics will promote sales of the EMMA3SL2/LP because H.264 SD is expected to become the dominant broadcast standard.
In future, Renesas Electronics will add the R-Home S Series of STB SoCs to further enhance and extend its home multimedia product range.
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