I have recently been looking at what is available in the way of Media Streaming devices and other forms of DVR under this post - Everex gPC Mini as a potential Media Streaming device? or mini HTPC? - and this news from Sigma Designs certainly would appear to raise the bar as far as performance goes for the next generation of Set top boxes?
The only annoying part of this is that because I keep an eye on what is potentially coming to market, I keep putting off making a decision because I’m waiting for the next release… <sigh> 
The really annoying part of this <below> is the Microsoft Mediaroom, not because of what it is, but because of what it promises that is not available yet, grrrrrrr. This is exactly the sort of thing we would all like to hook up to the large LCD, but as far as I can see this is essentially a "mock up" of what is possible to deliver using MS’s IPTV *NOT* what is available - and more is the pity?
SoC for STB’s has triple processors
Apr. 15, 2008
Sigma Designs has introduced a pair of set-top box SoC’s (System on Chip) that run Windows CE and Microsoft’s Mediaroom IPTV software stack. Powered by three MIPS cores apiece, the SMP8654 and SMP8655 boast accelerated graphics and compliance with HDMI (high-defintion multimedia interface) 1.3, says Sigma.
The SMP8654 and SMP8655, differing only in the latter’s omission of Macrovision, are designed to replace the company’s "industry leading" SMP8634. And indeed, they appear to be a significant advance on it. Where the older SMP8634 had a 300MHz MIPS CPU and a 200MHz security CPU, the SMP865x chips boast triple MIPS processors, for a claimed fifty percent speed boast, according to Sigma claims:
- A 500MHz processor runs the operating system and applications
- A 333MHz processor manages interrupts and part of the network stack
- A 333MHz security CPU, deliberately inaccessible by external interfaces, manages authentication, key generation, and content access functions
Sigma’s 865x SoC sports three processors
(Click to enlarge)The SMP865x chips offer high definition video decoding, including H.264 (MPEG-4 part 10), WMV, VC-1, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4 (part 2). They also support China’s home-market AVS (audio video standard). HDMI 1.3 support offers bandwidth to 340MHz, while adding support for the Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD formats used by Blu-Ray and HD-DVD.
Other touted features for the SMP865x chips include:
- On-chip flash memory (24K for 500MHz processor, 4K for interrupt/stack processor)
- DRM (digital rights management) engines
- 2D graphics processor including scaling, JPEG and OpenType acceleration
- Dual gigabit Ethernet controllers
- Dual USB 2.0 controllers
- DDR2 controller supporting memory up to 666Mbps
- NAND flash controller
- SATA controller
- Audio I/O
- Simultaneous HD and SD video outputs
Sigma did not cite pin compatibility with its previous SoCs, but said the SMP865x chips are software-compatible with them.
Loading ...