AfterDawn: News

Broadcom develops 65nm advanced video decoder chip

Broadcom Corporation has shown off a new dual-channel AVC/MPEG-4/VC- 1/MPEG-2 video decoder system-on-a-chip (SoC) designed in a 65 nanometer process. The new high-performance video decoder SoC is being demonstrated at this week's CableLabs Winter Conference, and provides leading-edge functionality and performance when compared to existing set-top box (STB) solutions currently available.

"Our new 65 nanometer solution provides our customers with the industry's most advanced, highest performance, and most integrated solution for dual advanced video decoder media center set-top boxes," said John H. Gleiter, Senior Director of Marketing for Broadcom's Set-top Box line of business. "Customers will enjoy state-of-the-art performance, video quality, security, and system cost savings improvements provide by this new advanced 65 nanometer chip."



Announced today is the 65 nanometer Broadcom BCM7400B dual-channel video decoder solution. The BCM7400B video decoder enables set-top box manufacturers to develop extremely high performance media centers, integrating the most advanced hardware features and functionality to securely decode, store and share multiple types of media including HDTV, video-on-demand, Internet, and digital music content.

The BCM7400B also includes special hardware to properly support Broadband Home Media Distribution over external MoCA (Multimedia Over Coax Alliance) and 802.11n Wi-Fi® interfaces in support of new, higher revenue-generating multi-room DVR services.

Source:
Press Release

Written by: James Delahunty @ 6 Mar 2007 9:51

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• 13 comments

• hughjars

  Very interesting.
  
  Broadcom are the company Microsoft signed agreements at CES 2007 to bring the inexpensive (sub $200/£100) Chinese manufactured HD-DVD players to market towards the end of 2007.
  
  Hopefully the all-in-one machine is getting very close (one able to 'do' SD DVD & HD-DVD in all guises = DivX, XviD, X264, H264, VC-1, AVC, MPEG2, MPEG4 & .ts.

  6.3.2007 10:17 #1

• plutonash

  Yes you are correct maybe after this I can finally put away my network player and stop having to use my computer via vga and the A1 to meet al my HD needs.

  6.3.2007 10:52 #2

• hughjars

  Yeah, hopefully.
  
  Earlier on the HD VMD thread you had mentioned systems coexisting, who knows maybe, hopefully, they can ultimately merge
  (the various DVD/HD DVD systems - excepting BD - are so closely related anyway, the new Broadcom chip will take the place of the extensive hardware in your earlier machine - your HD A1 has basically got a PC inside it anyways so why not)?
  
  As I said on the 'China-specific specification recieves approval from HD DVD group' thread -
  
  If a family of players emerge that can play any kind of SD DVD or any of the HD DVD versions (therefore opening up all media price points to the new players/burners too) what does it matter what you call it, so long as your player/PC burner can handle it all so easily?
  
  This strikes me as potentially a fascinating and very welcome prospect.
  
  Far from confusing matters with so many formats it'll simplify matters enormously and globally (which has got to be good for the price implications for us all).
  
  BTW if you check out the press release they also mention this -
  Quote:Technology that will provide the required processing power to run sophisticated JAVA-based OCAP(TM) software applications and advanced media sharing
  http://sev.prnewswire.com/computer-elect...05032007-1.html
  
  - Which begs the question, if you already have a blue laser how much closer would this bring the Java based OS BD to that potential all-in-one?
  
  2008, the year they all came together? Interesting, no?

  6.3.2007 11:06 #3

• borhan9

  I like the direction Broadcom is moving in. It wants to make things easier and improve and progress at the same time.

  7.3.2007 10:16 #4

• eatsushi

  The Broadcom chip referred to in the Microsoft press release (which is specifically for HD-DVD playback) is the BCM7440 not the above mentioned BCM7400B.
  
  http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press...oadcomMSPR.mspx
  
  Quote:Microsoft and Broadcom Deliver Combined Hardware and Software Platform for More Cost-Efficient HD DVD Players
  
  LAS VEGAS — Jan. 8, 2007 — Today at the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Microsoft Corp. and Broadcom Corp. announced a joint effort to support a hardware and software reference design for more cost-efficient HD DVD playback. The new platform uses Microsoft® Windows® CE 6.0 and Broadcom’s BCM7440 system-on-chip solution, allowing consumer electronics manufacturers, original design manufacturers and systems integrators to more easily and affordably deliver HD DVD playback. Several of the more innovative, high volume electronics companies that plan to use this new hardware and software platform to speed the production of HD DVD players include Lite-On IT Corp. and Zhenjiang Jiangkui Group Co. Ltd./ED Digital.

  7.3.2007 11:18 #5

• hughjars

  S'funny cos the Broadcom press release (dated 5th March 2007) only mentions this BCM7400B chip and yet the Microsoft release (dated 8th Jan 2007) talks about the BCM7440.
  
  Seems like someone is getting confused somewhere but personally I'd take Broadcoms own and most recent word for it.
  
  http://sev.prnewswire.com/computer-elect...05032007-1.html

  7.3.2007 13:50 #6

• error5

  hughjars: Your link doesn't work.
  
  This Broadcom press release dated March 5th...
  
  http://www.broadcom.com/press/release.php?id=970100
  
  ...refers to the 65nm BCM7400B but fails to mention any connection with HD-DVD applications. It's does mention over and over "STB or set-top-box" applications which I would imagine would be HD satellite or cable receivers/tuners.
  
  Quote:The new high-performance video decoder SoC is being demonstrated at this week's CableLabs Winter Conference, and provides leading-edge functionality and performance when compared to existing set-top box (STB) solutions currently available.
  "Our new 65 nanometer solution provides our customers with the industry's most advanced, highest performance, and most integrated solution for dual advanced video decoder media center set-top boxes," said John H. Gleiter, Senior Director of Marketing for Broadcom's Set-top Box line of business. "Customers will enjoy state-of-the-art performance, video quality, security, and system cost savings improvements provide by this new advanced 65 nanometer chip."
  
  Announced today is the 65 nanometer Broadcom® BCM7400B dual-channel video decoder solution. The BCM7400B video decoder enables set-top box manufacturers to develop extremely high performance media centers, integrating the most advanced hardware features and functionality to securely decode, store and share multiple types of media including HDTV, video-on-demand, Internet, and digital music content. The BCM7400B also includes special hardware to properly support Broadband Home Media Distribution over external MoCA (Multimedia Over Coax Alliance) and 802.11n Wi-Fi® interfaces in support of new, higher revenue-generating multi-room DVR services.
  
  At last year's 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show, Broadcom introduced the first-generation BCM7400 video decoder chip along with very complex software that enabled the company's set-top partners to develop media center platforms for their customers. The same robust software developed for the BCM7400 over the past year migrates directly to the BCM7400B, providing a clean technology bridge to a higher performing, more advanced solution that Broadcom customers can deploy. The benefit for set-top manufacturers is:
  
  
  Direct migration to state-of-the-art 65 nanometer technology
  Proven silicon platform and architecture that enables the quickest and least riskiest time-to-market for media-center solutions deploying later this year
  Technology that will provide the required processing power to run sophisticated JAVA-based OCAP™ software applications and advanced media sharing
  The preservation of existing software investments
  
  "With over 200 million set top boxes deployed in the last two years, largely in the established digital cable and digital satellite markets, Broadcom's new 65 nanometer BCM7400B video decoder provides both performance and time-to-market benefits to this market," said Michelle Abraham, Senior Analyst for In-Stat. "The combination of an available hardware and software solution correctly positions Broadcom's customers for the growing media center set-top market."
  See the last paragraph above.
  
  eatsushi's Microsoft article should be considered accurate when referring to HD-DVD and the Microsoft-Broadcom partnership.
  
  Even going through Broadcom's website you see the BCM7440 mentioned in eatsushi's link as part of it's HD-DVD and BluRay line.
  
  The BCM7400B is listed in their high-def cable solutions line:
  
  http://www.broadcom.com/products/Cable/H...essors/BCM7400B
  
  Quote:BCM7400B
  Dual AVC/MPEG-2/VC-1/MPEG-4 Part 2/DivX® HD Digital Video SoC Solution for Satellite, IP and Cable
  The BCM7400 is a dual-channel high definition satellite, cable, and IP set-top box DVR solution offering integrated AVC(H.264/MPEG-4 Part 10), MPEG-2, MPEG4 Part 2, DivX, and VC-1 video decoding technology.

  7.3.2007 14:32 #7

• hughjars

  Apologies the link was truncated, it's working now.
  
  For those who'd like a taster try this, there's a hell of a lot more to this here than just set-top-boxes -
  
  Quote:DENVER, March 5 /PRNewswire/ -- CableLabs Winter Conference -- Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM) , a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today announced a new dual-channel AVC/MPEG-4/VC- 1/MPEG-2 video decoder system-on-a-chip (SoC) designed in a 65 nanometer process. The new high-performance video decoder SoC is being demonstrated at this week's CableLabs Winter Conference, and provides leading-edge functionality and performance when compared to existing set-top box (STB) solutions currently available.
  
  "Our new 65 nanometer solution provides our customers with the industry's most advanced, highest performance, and most integrated solution for dual advanced video decoder media center set-top boxes," said John H. Gleiter, Senior Director of Marketing for Broadcom's Set-top Box line of business. "Customers will enjoy state-of-the-art performance, video quality, security, and system cost savings improvements provide by this new advanced 65 nanometer chip."
  
  Announced today is the 65 nanometer Broadcom(R) BCM7400B dual-channel video decoder solution. The BCM7400B video decoder enables set-top box manufacturers to develop extremely high performance media centers, integrating the most advanced hardware features and functionality to securely decode, store and share multiple types of media including HDTV, video-on-demand, Internet, and digital music content. The BCM7400B also includes special hardware to properly support Broadband Home Media Distribution over external MoCA (Multimedia Over Coax Alliance) and 802.11n Wi-Fi(R) interfaces in support of new, higher revenue-generating multi-room DVR services.
  
  At last year's 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show, Broadcom introduced the first-generation BCM7400 video decoder chip along with very complex software that enabled the company's set-top partners to develop media center platforms for their customers. The same robust software developed for the BCM7400 over the past year migrates directly to the BCM7400B, providing a clean technology bridge to a higher performing, more advanced solution that Broadcom customers can deploy. The benefit for set-top manufacturers is:
  
  - Direct migration to state-of-the-art 65 nanometer technology
  - Proven silicon platform and architecture that enables the quickest and
  least riskiest time-to-market for media-center solutions deploying later
  this year
  - Technology that will provide the required processing power to run
  sophisticated JAVA-based OCAP(TM) software applications and advanced media sharing
  - The preservation of existing software investments
  
  
  "With over 200 million set top boxes deployed in the last two years, largely in the established digital cable and digital satellite markets, Broadcom's new 65 nanometer BCM7400B video decoder provides both performance and time-to-market benefits to this market," said Michelle Abraham, Senior Analyst for In-Stat. "The combination of an available hardware and software solution correctly positions Broadcom's customers for the growing media center set-top market."
  
  Technical Information
  
  Based on the most highly and successfully deployed advanced video decoder technology, the new BCM7400B AVC/VC-1/MPEG-2 decoder chip integrates all of the back-end features of a high performance dual decoder digital media center into a single-chip solution. Easily the most complex and sophisticated set- top chip to develop and manufacture, the BCM7400B features an unparalleled amount of integration and technology. These sophisticated features include:
  
  - The industry's highest performance and only set-top SoC with a 1000
  DMIPs dual-core MIPS32(R) CPU that provides the performance to support
  the most advanced and capable set-top software, including JAVA(R)
  OCAP(TM) and multi-client, multi-room DVR applications.
  
  - World-Class HD and SD video quality enhancement technology with advanced
  per-pixel motion adaptive de-interlacing and sophisticated picture
  enhancement processing that removes noise and contouring improving video
  quality.
  
  - Support for the latest generation of video decoding technologies
  including H.264/AVC main and high profile to level 4.1, SMPTE (the
  Society for Motion Picture and Television Engineers) VC-1 simple, main,
  and advanced profile to level 3 and MPEG-2 main and high profiles.
  Advanced Video Compression technologies enable set-tops to support 100%
  more high-definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) television
  programming with the same level of bandwidth.
  
  - Dual audio and video high definition (HD) channels that enable a single
  system to simultaneously deliver HD programs to multiple televisions in
  the home, support Picture-in-Picture(PIP), Picture-by-Picture (POP), and
  advanced 12+ Picture MOSIAC video decoding, plus watch and record
  applications.
  
  - Support for higher-performance DDR2 SDRAM memories that provide over
  five (5) Gigabytes per second of total memory bandwidth.
  
  - Fully integrated Dual 3.0 Gbps eSATA-II interfaces to support over 1
  Terabyte Hard drives and DVR capabilities that enable the simultaneous
  recording and playback of more than 8 channels, both locally and to
  multiple clients.
  
  - The only set-top solution to support both 2D and 3D graphics that can
  provide stylish program guides and navigation capabilities.
  
  - An integrated and highly developed, independent content security
  processor that provides real-time encryption and decryption for all
  content, home network, and TV interfaces
  
  65 Nanometer Process Technology
  
  The 65 nanometer process is the most advanced lithographic node for manufacturing semiconductors in large volumes today and provides significant benefits over 90nm and 130nm processes by enabling lower power consumption, smaller size and higher levels of integration. For Broadcom, the move to 65 nanometer process technology is changing the competitive landscape because of the breadth and depth of the communications intellectual property the company possesses. Without a broad portfolio of market-leading solutions to integrate, competitors are not able to take full advantage of the benefits that these next-generation processes provide. Broadcom's vast communications intellectual property for transporting voice, video and data at home, work and on-the-go are helping to enable customers and service providers with a truly seamless communications experience for end users worldwide.http://sev.prnewswire.com/computer-elect...05032007-1.html

  7.3.2007 15:50 #8

• error5

  All I see is HD set-top-box and DVR applications. There's nothing about HD-DVD disc playback. The chip you're referring to is obviously different from the one that will appear in HD-DVD players. I suggest you re-read my post above and go to Broadcom's website.

  7.3.2007 16:00 #9

• JudyChick

  error5 is correct.
  
  Granted the specs on this chip are very impressive, Broadcom has targeted this chip for the set-top box and DVR market. The chip that Microsoft and Broadcom have been working on for the Chinese HD-DVD makers is an entirely different product altogether. This new set-top box chip from Broadcom is welcome news for me though. I would definitely consider upgrading my HDTV DVR to something based on this especially since DirecTV started switching to MPEG4/AVC for its HD programming. I also like the part about supporting >1 terabyte hard drives in the DVR.

  7.3.2007 16:59 #10

• error5

  DirecTV will be using Broadcom's 4501 chip for MPEG4/AVC but I hope they also look at this new 65nm 7400B chip since the stats are indeed impressive. I also like the > 1 terabyte support and also the eight-channel recording and playback. I would really consider switching from Comcast HD cable to DirecTV HD.
  
  Here's the Broadcom+DirecTV article:
  
  http://www.broadcom.com/press/release.php?id=801120
  
  Quote:Broadcom's MPEG-4/AVC Chipsets Selected by DIRECTV for the World's First Advanced HDTV Set-Top Box Platform
  
  LAS VEGAS, 2006 International CES, Jan 05, 2006 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a global leader in wired and wireless broadband communications semiconductors, today announced that its MPEG-4/AVC silicon, featuring new video compression functionality, is being used as the core technology in DIRECTV's digital high-definition television (HDTV) set-top boxes. Production versions of Broadcom®MPEG-4/AVC chips were provided to LG Electronics in October 2005, enabling it to incorporate Broadcom's powerful video compression functionality into its LG-manufactured set-top boxes for DIRECTV. As a result, DIRECTV became the first provider in the world to launch a set-top box that incorporates HDTV MPEG4/AVC technology.

  8.3.2007 02:32 #11

• eatsushi

  Lord knows I can use at least a terabyte on my HD DVR. The 8 channel recording would also make sense especially when you have NFL Season Pass and it's Sunday afternoon. That and the multiple simultaneous HD delivery.

  8.3.2007 05:16 #12

• netbooknerd

  It looks like after a few years these cards will be standard across all netbooks.
  
  You can enter to win a free Broadcom HD decoder card by leaving a comment here: http://www.netbookreports.com/2010/03/wi...ini-pci-e-card/

  21.3.2010 11:52 #13