Broadcom Expands Set-Top Box Family with HD Decoders

Broadcom expanded its portfolio of set-top box (STB) system-on-a-chip (SoC) solutions with new products that offer a streamlined feature set targeting single, multi-format high definition (HD) decode, including support for China's audio/video standard (AVS).


Broadcom said service providers are demanding a broader range of STB solutions to address whole-home connected entertainment environments that include a high-end media gateway in the living room along with mid-to-lower-range thin client devices in "second" rooms such as bedrooms or dens. Meanwhile, consumers want shared/networked digital video recorder (DVR) capabilities that allow multiple users to store, time shift or access content from media servers or residential gateways for playback on STBs anywhere in the home.


The new devices build on the company's BCM7405 premium IPTV chip. Broadcom is introducing two new HD solutions, the BCM7205 and BCM7206, and a new SD solution, the BCM7466. All chips feature multi-format video support with an MPEG-4/VC-1/MPEG-2/AVS-compliant HD video decoder. The BCM7205/BCM7206 solutions are designed for the needs of the mid-range single HD decode STB, providing significant bill-of-materials (BOM) cost optimizations for this segment of the market. Similarly, the BCM7466 is designed for the entry-level SD output segment of the STB market. http://www.broadcom.com