IPTV Deployments Featured Article

In the quickly expanding set-top box market of China, communications company Broadcom (News - Alert) has made a move to expand its portfolio by providing that nation’s first high-definition, personal video recording set-top box system-on-a-chip solution. The impending Beijing Olympics is believed to be an impetus for the move.

 

China’s leading set-top box provider Coship has announced it will develop next-generation boxes using Broadcom’s newly unveiled solution.

 

“We are very pleased to be working with Broadcom to deliver high definition and advanced functionality, such as PVR, to China’s TV market,” said Coship CEO Bright Yuan. “In conjunction with the development of the digital TV industry and the upcoming Olympics, we hope to bring advanced high definition STB products, value-added services with richer functions, and a better user experience to the Chinese television market.”

 

In addition to HD viewing, China’s first commercial high-def HTB is expected to provide full 1080p support and PVR functionality, as well as interactive services like pay-per-view and VOD. Other benefits include support for low-cost, high-speed DDR2 and NAND flash technologies. Beyond Coship, other Chinese manufacturers will now be able to cost-effectively roll out IPTV HD set-top boxes with Broadcom’s new technology.

 

China’s audio video coding standard (AVS (News - Alert)) was approved two years ago, and is currently being used in IPTV trials by China Netcom.

 

Ironically, it was also today that Broadcom, along with Nokia and Texas Instruments, was accused of collusion by Qualcomm (News - Alert), as part of a wide-ranging dispute over licensed use of Qualcomm’s patents for high-speed mobile internet phones and networks. Broadcom has denied the accusation.