Geneva, September 10, 2014 - STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications and a leading manufacturer of set-top-box ICs, has introduced four new low-power SoCs (System-on-Chips) that pave the way for the large-scale deployment of new UHDp60-enabled "4K" set-top boxes. These second-generation 4K set-top-boxes will come in small and cool form factors and allow users to enjoy a richer, more immersive Ultra-HD experience delivering fast, crystal-clear sports action and increased color fidelity together with the increased media-content resolution. The new SoCs will be demonstrated at IBC 2014 (Hall 1/F40).
With these four new SoCs, identified as STiH314/318 and STiH414/418, ST is leveraging the market success of its widely-deployed STiH312/Cannes and STiH412/Monaco architectures. The STiH314/318 and STiH414/418 additions now extend the market reach from the most cost-sensitive to the highest-performance use cases. In addition, the availability of mature software allows faster time-to-market and complete re-use of already deployed middleware while low-power operation enables re-use of existing HD form factors.
"With these new devices, ST is broadening its family of complete integrated solutions for set-top-boxes," said Gian Luca Bertino, Executive Vice President, General Manager, Digital Convergence Group, STMicroelectronics. "As the share of UHD TV shipments are expected to grow from about 6% of TVs sold today to over 30% in the next 5 years, ST is in the pole position to enable its customers to be the winners with the industry's most cost-effective and power-efficient solutions for next-generation TV services."
Manufactured in 28nm process technology, ST's new Cannes/Monaco-compatible set-top box SoC devices will be available with complete software support to major OEMs in Q4 2014.
Technical Note to Editors:
To deliver next-generation TV (broadcast and Internet) services, UHDp60 is emerging as the leading candidate. The "4K" refers to the movie industry's recent standard resolution of 4096 x 2160 pixels. "UHDp60" is the broadcast and TV industry adaptation, which resizes the screen to 3840 x 2160 pixels to maintain the familiar 16/9 aspect ratio. In addition, UHDp60 increases the frame rate to 60 frames-per-second to enhance realism in fast-changing broadcasts such as sports matches.
Additional technical data:
With high power efficiency and full backward software and pin-to-pin hardware compatibility with the existing Cannes/Monaco devices, the STiH314/318 and STiH414/418 facilitate seamless introduction of UHDp60-10b solutions, including an HEVC[1]-10-bit decoder for true Ultra-HD experience, HDMI 2.0[2] (6Gbps) for best quality, HDCP 2.2, and watermarking compliance with 4K content-protection requirements.
All four devices incorporate quad-core SMP[3] ARM® application processors that deliver 8000 (STiH314/414) or 12000 (STiH318/418) DMIPS, as well as a quad-core Graphics Processing Unit for excellent 3D graphics performance. The STiH414 and STiH418 also integrate ST's Faroudja® Transcode Engine, providing best-in-class transcoding capabilities for multi-screen streaming across consumer and handheld devices. This allows operators to optimize network bandwidth while offering an excellent quality of service throughout the home. The STiH318/418 adds built-in support for VP9, the latest video-compression technology from Google.
Other key benefits include advanced security supporting concurrent conditional access, DRM (Digital Rights Management) and watermarks to protect premium broadcast content; a wide range of connectivity options including USB 3.0, PCI-e, SATA and Gigabit Ethernet; and dedicated interfaces to companion front-end solutions DOCSIS 3.0, DVB-C/DVB-S2/DVB-T2, and 802.11ac Wi-Fi devices.
For further information, please visit our Connected-Client Processors and Server and Gateway Processors pages or contact ST Sales Office.
About STMicroelectronics
ST is a global leader in the semiconductor market serving customers across the spectrum of sense and power and automotive products and embedded processing solutions. From energy management and savings to trust and data security, from healthcare and wellness to smart consumer devices, in the home, car and office, at work and at play, ST is found everywhere microelectronics make a positive and innovative contribution to people's life. By getting more from technology to get more from life, ST stands for life augmented.
In 2013, the Company's net revenues were $8.08 billion. Further information on ST can be found at www.st.com.
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