Uncompromised TV Experience thanks to STMicroelectronics' Tiny Chip

The STiH205 complements ST’s existing STiH207 family of STB SoC solutions for High-Definition terrestrial, cable, satellite and IP equipment. Code-compatible with both the recently announced STiH207 and the widely-used STi7105 families, the new device facilitates rapid porting of existing software, permitting customers to expand or upgrade their product platforms with minimal development costs. The STiH205 continues this theme, but targets applications such as High Definition Multimedia Interface dongles, where low cost and small footprint are the key driving factors.

“Up till now, customers have had to sacrifice high-performance secure content delivery against the need for minimum form factor. With the STiH205, this compromise is no longer necessary,” said Laurent Remont, Group Vice President and General Manager of ST’s Unified Platform Division.

The STiH205 allows the size and cost of the end equipment to be reduced, while delivering performance that is 30-50% higher than the popular previous generation STi7105. For end users, this offers the prospect of smaller, cheaper portable STBs that allow broadcast and Over-The-Top multimedia services to be enjoyed beyond the confines of their home.

Key features of the STiH205 include:

-BGA 23x23 mm package
-integrated 256kB L2 cache
-integrated Standby controller
-integrated Ethernet PHY
-superior video quality (for resizing, de-interlacing and picture improvement)
-Multi Compartment Security, with no compromises
-ability to work with lower Local Memory Interface frequency, further reducing bill of materials and power consumption in some applications.

The STiH205 is currently sampling and volume production is scheduled for January 2013.