System-on-chip for second generation set-top boxes

SIGMA DESIGNS has released a new SMP8644 media processor system-on-chip, designed for feature-rich consumer products including next generation IPTV set-top boxes, IP cable set-top boxes, and Blu-ray players.

According to the company the SMP8644 is a much better performer and can manage a wider range of interfaces.

Sigma chips find their way into IPTV set-top box and Blu-ray players and the SMP8644 is targeted at consumers looking for lots of features and decent video quality.

The chip uses high definition video decoding, including H.264 (MPEG-4 part 10), Windows Media Video 9, VC-1, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 (part 2), and the new AVS standard.

It can manage high-performance graphics acceleration, multi-standard audio decoding with three on-chip DSP engines which can handle DTS-HD MA 7.1, advanced display processing capabilities, and HDMI 1.3 output.

Sigma said that security comes through a dedicated secure processor, on-chip flash memory, and a range of DRM engines for high-speed payload decryption.

The outfit claims that the chip's VXP Image Processor enables studio-quality video output. VXP technology uses advanced image processing algorithms including professional grade deinterlacing, scaling, and noise reduction to create natural looking, artefact-free pictures on any sized displays, the company says.

The SMP8644 has a multi-core media processor that features a 667 MHz MIPS main CPU, providing 1330 DMIPS.

A second MIPS processor called the IPU manages real-time interrupt operations and offloads system tasks such as networking and graphics to further free up the CPU.

A third MIPS processor manages all system security functions including decryption and key generation.

The chip has two 32-bit DDR-2 memory controllers which support double-data-rate memories up to 667 Mbps as well as an improved arbitration engine to maximise the efficiency of accesses.

The chip hits the shops in December with no word on price yet. µ