STMicroelectronics Reduces Costs for NorDig-Compliant Set-Top Boxes

STMicroelectronics Reduces Costs for NorDig-Compliant Set-Top Boxes

Lower-cost, lower-power COFDM demodulator replaces popular STV0360/1 and broadens the application base for terrestrial digital TV

GENEVA, March 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM), the world's largest supplier of silicon chips for set-top boxes (STBs)*, today announced the low-power and ultra-compact STV0362 COFDM demodulator -- a chip designed to perform front-end processing of terrestrial digital TV transmissions throughout Europe -- which offers an evolutionary path, at significantly lower cost, from the current industry-leading STV0360 and STV0361 demodulators. ST has shipped, since 2002, more than 20 million of these earlier devices, and is one of the world's leading suppliers of System- on-Chip (SoC) solutions for digital TV.

This new COFDM (Coded Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing) demodulator connects seamlessly to ST's industry-standard OMEGA back-end devices to create highly cost-effective chipsets for this price-sensitive market, and is fully compliant with the latest NorDig Unified 1.0.2 standard. NorDig is a cooperative organization of Nordic TV and telecom companies developing a common and open strategy for the introduction of digital television in the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden), and the NorDig Unified specification is now seen as a standard for the whole of Europe, alongside EBU DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcasting Terrestrial).

The STV0362 has an operating power consumption of less than 250mW (typical), making it ideal for portable DVB-T applications, in addition to its main use in NorDig-compliant STBs and iDTV (Integrated Digital TV) sets. The power and cost saving breakthrough results from the use of ST's advanced CMOS090 design platform, which is based on 90nm CMOS process technology.

The chip's ultra-compact 7 x 7mm 64-pin TQFP package supports the miniaturization requirements of many emerging product families. Its small size and low cost allow it to be used as an add-on 'commodity' feature in other TV- related platforms such as satellite and IPTV (TV over broadband) set-top boxes, DVD players and recorders, and in portable TV sets and DVRs (Digital Video Recorders).

It provides outstanding adjacent and co-channel rejection capability, with on-chip digital channel filters, and supports 2K, 4K and 8K FFT length. Other integrated features include 6MHz, 7MHz and 8MHz channel bandwidth; digital carrier, timing and symbol recovery loops; TPS decoding; and hierarchical capability.

Terrestrial services face additional challenges compared to satellite and cable networks, Demodulators have to cope with 'dirty' signals due to multi- path echoes from surrounding buildings and moving objects, and with similar effects in single-frequency transmitter networks.

The STV0362 can manage signals containing such echoes by synchronizing up to 260 microseconds outside the guard interval. Doppler shifted signals, seen in mobile applications or where an echo is received from a moving object, are detected and processed in accordance with NorDig requirements, using adaptive channel correction in both time and frequency.

Samples of the STV0362 in the TQFP64x64 package will be available during the first quarter of 2006, with volume production planned for June 2006. Pricing is around $3 in quantities of 200,000 per year.

This press release is also available at www.st.com/stonline/stappl/press/news/year2006/p2012.htm

... with links to further information on the STV0362

About ST's Home, Personal, Communication Group (HPC)

STMicroelectronics is a world-leading supplier of comprehensive solutions for the converging segments of home entertainment, communication, and connectivity. ST's HPC product offering encompasses a whole range of applications in the digital consumer market, including set-top box, DVD, TV, and audio; a wide array of solutions for personal multimedia, from application processors to energy management, mobile imaging, and wireless connectivity; and a full spectrum of display ICs and devices for wireless and wireline network infrastructures.

About STMicroelectronics

STMicroelectronics is a global leader in developing and delivering semiconductor solutions across the spectrum of microelectronics applications. An unrivalled combination of silicon and system expertise, manufacturing strength, Intellectual Property (IP) portfolio and strategic partners positions the Company at the forefront of System-on-Chip (SoC) technology and its products play a key role in enabling today's convergence markets. The Company's shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange, on Euronext Paris and on the Milan Stock Exchange. In 2005, the Company's net revenues were $8.88 billion and net earnings were $266 million. Further information on ST can be found at www.st.com.

* InStat - MPEG Video ICs: The Buzz Around MPEG-4 AVC - June 2005 (Report number IN0501839MI)

Source: STMicroelectronics

CONTACT: Michael Markowitz of STMicroelectronics, +1-212-821-8959,
michael.markowitz@st.com

Web site: http://www.st.com/

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