New DOCSIS 2.0 Compatible HD System-on-a-Chip Solution From Broadcom
Broadcom has announced a new system-on-a-chip (SoC) solution that will enable manufacturers to develop advanced, high performance and cost effective HD STBs for worldwide deployments. With an unsurpassed level of integration, cable service providers can offer the latest in interactive HDTV programming, connectivity and advanced user interface applications to their subscribers, while meeting stringent global power consumption and system performance requirements.
With industry leading host processor performance, 3D graphics, dual integrated 866MHz cable tuners and integrated Euro/DOCSIS 2.0 compatible modems with 3.0 channel bonding over 4 downstream channels, the company introduces its new Broadcom BCM7019 and BCM7025 cable STB SoC solutions at IBC 2009 in Amsterdam. These solutions include software support for new compelling subscriber applications that use Multimedia Home Platform (MHP), Open TV, NDS CDI, SeaChange(R) TV Navigator, Adobe Flash Platform for the Digital Home, Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), RVU Remote User Interface (RUI), and PacketCable(R) voice over IP (VoIP). This unique and flexible software platform enables appealing interactive digital television, networked digital video recorder (DVR) functionality and IP video over Euro/DOCSIS applications.
For additional functionality, the BCM7025 cable STB SoC includes an integrated Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) 1.1 interface that enables service providers to offer innovative whole-home digital media distribution services over coax, which in turn, enables subscribers to securely access, store and share a wide array of digital media content including HDTV programs, video-on-demand (VoD), DVR recordings, Internet content, video, music, photos and VoIP. Both the BCM7019 and BCM7025 cable STB SoC solutions support DLNA that facilitates the easy sharing of digital content between DLNA-enabled devices throughout the home, and RVU Alliance's pixel accurate RUI technology that allows an identical user experience on multiple devices.
Building upon the company's field proven and successful family of set-top box solutions for cable, satellite and IP applications, Broadcom's latest STB technology features integrated dynamic power management controllers that provide a very efficient power management system, capable of managing and shutting down unused system components in real-time. Even in the lowest power modes, the BCM7019 and BCM7025 can continue to remain aware of network events both in the home and from multiple service operators (MSO) head ends, enabling these SoCs to quickly respond to network and user inputs. Both chips offer support for Energy Star(R) and are European Code of Conduct compliant.
"We continue to set the benchmark in integration, performance and connectivity in the home, enabling advanced services such as interactivity, 3D user interfaces and multi-room DVR capabilities using MoCA 1.1 technology that greatly enhances the cable TV entertainment experience," said Dan Marotta, Senior Vice President & General Manager of Broadcom's Broadband Communications Group. "With unprecedented levels of integration, including an integrated DOCSIS/EuroDOCSIS 2.0 modem, we continue to significantly reduce power and overall system cost to efficiently deliver advanced and high quality HD digital programming that changes the way consumers interact and share content in the home."
Technical Information
Designed in a 65 nanometer CMOS process, the BCM7019 and BCM7025 cable STB SoC solutions offer extremely high levels of integration and performance that enables worldwide service providers to offer the latest in connectivity and advanced applications to their subscribers while significantly reducing power requirements, complexity and overall bill of materials (BOM) cost. They offer similar feature sets with the BCM7025 including a MoCA 1.1 modem enabling whole-home digital media distribution services over coax.
Compatible with existing Euro/DOCSIS 2.0 and next generation cable modem termination system (CMTS) equipment, the BCM7019 and BCM7025 cable STB SoC solutions deliver downstream data rates of up to 200 Megabits per second (Mbps), enabling MSOs to deploy downstream channel bonding functionality immediately, without delays or costly upgrades to their CMTS infrastructures. Channel bonding is often cited as the most significant feature of next generation Euro/DOCSIS 3.0 products, since it is able to combine the bandwidth of several DOCSIS channels to significantly increase data rates. Downstream channel bonding is the first of these next generation features to be deployed on a large scale, and with Broadcom supporting downstream channel bonding since 2006, it continues to be the leading supplier of channel bonded cable modem silicon.
Availability and Pricing
The Broadcom BCM7019 and BCM7025 cable set-top box SoC solutions are now sampling to early access customers. Pricing is available upon request.
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