NXP & Entropic Showcase Set-Top Box Reference Design at IBC

Entropic has announced a joint set-top box (STB) reference design with NXP Semiconductors. The joint reference design will feature NXP's newly unveiled PNX847x/8x/9x, the world's first family of fully integrated 45-nm STB system-on-chip (SoC) platform incorporating multi-channel broadcast receivers and Entropic's third-generation Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA)  1.1-compliant EN251x single-chip network controller solution. The products are on view at this year’s International Broadcasters Convention (IBC) 2009 in Amsterdam.

Both companies will be showcasing a MoCA (Multimedia over Coax Alliance) enabled, high-performance, set-top box (STB)-enabled DVR reference design, which enables multi-room DVR functionality, allowing consumers to watch content stored on a single digital video recorder from any room in the house. The reference design will take full advantage of MoCA, the standard for home entertainment networking using existing coaxial cable in the home, to enhance the end user's connected home networking and HD video entertainment experience.

"By working with Entropic and leveraging their experience in delivering MoCA-enabled home network solutions, we have created a robust silicon solution that we believe should transform the economics of developing STBs globally," said Lewis Brewster, senior vice president and general manager, set-top box business line, NXP Semiconductors. "Building on our long-standing collaboration, NXP and Entropic are enabling OEMs and service providers to move to the forefront by rapidly and cost-effectively deploying high-performance, low-power set-top boxes that are fundamentally changing the way end users consume multimedia."

Leveraging the benefits of the MoCA home network, consumers can stream high-definition programming from a DVR STB to multiple client STBs in other rooms. By taking advantage of up to 175 Mbps of application layer throughout, 16 node support, parameterized quality of service (PQoS) and remote networkdiagnostic capability of the MoCA 1.1 standard, the reference design will provide for the bandwidth and processing speeds required to handle multiple streams of high-definition video in addition to other network traffic and personal content sharing, such as gaming, music streaming, photographs and other digital content.

"Consumer demand for multi-room DVR, content sharing and over-the-top services on their home network will continue to drive the need for more bandwidth throughout the home," said Vinay Gokhale, senior vice president, marketing and business development, Entropic. "A significant goal of our technology collaboration with NXP is to capitalize on each other's core capabilities and further leverage our combined experience and international competitiveness in delivering fully optimized home networking solutions to service providers and operators around the world."

The multi-room DVR reference design from NXP and Entropic features:

• Advanced Superscalar  CPU to manage high-bandwidth, multi-room DVR streaming: PNX847x/8x/9x provides a powerful applications processor platform to enable multi-client, high bit-rate streaming without degrading performance of DVR STB hosted applications.
• An enhanced viewer experience through web-based content and applications: PNX847x/8x/9x is equipped with an ARM Cortex A9 CPU, a POWERVR 3D GPU and flexible content decoding engines to enrich the TV viewer experience with online VOD programming and internet based applications.
• Field Proven, Robust Performance: Entropic's EN251x provides the ideal connectivity solution to ensure robust, high QoS delivery o internet content across the home network to the STB, enabling future convergence of high-bandwidth, personal content applications without compromising the delivery of premium service offerings.
• Power Efficiency:  NXP's innovative power management architecture is specifically designed to maximize STB energy efficiency. Bringing together NXP's advanced power control with Entropic's low-power MoCA interface IC provides unmatched power efficiency and enables system solutions that facilitate compliance with stringent ENERGY STAR requirements.