Combined DTV/DIRECTV Converters for Analog TVs To Debut In 2000.AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 13, 1999-- Set-Top Boxes Using Motorola MCT See Microsoft certification. Chips Will Give Existing TVs a New Lease on Life By the end of next year consumers will be able to buy an affordable set-top box that allows them to receive digital television (DTV (Digital TeleVision) Transmitting TV using digital signals. The major DTV standards are ATSC (North America), DVB (Europe) and ISDB (Japan). All three use MPEG-2 video compression and Dolby Digital audio compression. DVB and ISDB also include MPEG audio compression. ) from both terrestrial TV stations and DIRECTV(r) satellite broadcasts on their analog TVs, Sarnoff Corporation Sarnoff Corporation, with headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey, is the former RCA Laboratories. The headquarters is the site of the development of color television, CMOS technology, electron microscopy, and many other important technologies since the cornerstone was laid just announced today. Sarnoff, the Princeton, N.J.-based TV pioneer, announced today that it is creating a reference design for integrated broadcast/satellite set-top converter boxes under an agreement with El Segundo El Segundo (ĕl sēgŭn`dō), industrial city (1990 pop. 15,223), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on Santa Monica Bay; inc. 1917. Its products include navigation and computer systems, aircraft parts, office machines, telephone apparatus, and , Calif.-based DIRECTV. The design is based on the Motorola MCT family of integrated circuits Integrated circuits Miniature electronic circuits produced within and upon a single semiconductor crystal, usually silicon. Integrated circuits range in complexity from simple logic circuits and amplifiers, about 1/20 in. (1. , jointly developed by Motorola and Sarnoff. The announcement was made at Motorola's Horizons briefing session for the electronics industry in Austin, Texas. Using the Sarnoff design, TV manufacturers will be able to offer consumers lower-cost alternatives to pricey new DTV sets. The converter boxes will receive broadcasts on indoor or outdoor TV antennas and DIRECTV satellite mini-dishes and display them with digital clarity on standard TVs. Sarnoff expects the set-top boxes to debut at less than $500, with prices dropping to under $400 as production increases. By contrast, current digital receivers and displays cost from $4,500 to $10,000 or more. "This is DTV for everyone, and we think it will give Americans a compelling reason to move away from analog television Analog television (or analogue television) encodes television and transports the picture and sound information as an analog signal, that is, by varying the amplitude and/or frequencies of the broadcast signal. ," said Dr. James E. Carnes, Sarnoff president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. . "It offers seamless DTV reception from both terrestrial and satellite broadcasts in one easy-to-use receiver, with Motorola chips to ensure clear reception and excellent pictures." "There are more than 250 million analog TVs in American homes, and this approach will let consumers expand the capabilities of those sets even after analog broadcasts start to disappear from the airwaves," said Carnes. "This is crystal clear digital television reception at affordable prices -- just what the DTV industry needs to get it moving," said Ray Burgess, Corporate Vice President and General Manager of Motorola's Imaging and Entertainment Group. The new receiver designs use the Motorola MCT series of DTV chip sets, including the MCT4000 family of DTV decoders to convert the digital signals into pictures and sound. The MCT series also includes the new ghost-busting MCT2100 demodulator See demodulate. Demodulator A device used to recover the original modulating signal from a modulated wave. A demodulator is also known as a detector. that provides optimal DTV reception, even in dense urban areas. Motorola's MCT4000 family for standard-definition analog or digital displays is now in production. The MCT2100 is in engineering samples now with full production slated for later this year. Product extensions for high-definition displays are planned for next year. All products feature Motorola's industry-leading 0.18-micron technology for higher performance at lower cost. About Sarnoff Corporation Sarnoff Corporation creates and commercializes electronic, biomedical bi·o·med·i·cal adj. 1. Of or relating to biomedicine. 2. Of, relating to, or involving biological, medical, and physical sciences. and information technology. Founded in 1942 as RCA See RCA connector and video/TV history. Laboratories, Sarnoff has been a wholly-owned, for-profit subsidiary of SRI International since 1987. Building on decades of innovation that include the development of color television and the liquid-crystal display, Sarnoff now works with a wide variety of industry and government clients to develop and improve specific technologies that will help change the world. A key element of the company's overall strategy is the founding of new companies that bring its technologies to market. Eleven such companies are in various stages of development. About Motorola As the world's No. 1 producer of embedded processors, Motorola's Semiconductor Products Sector offers multiple DigitalDNA(tm) solutions which enable its customers to create new business opportunities in the consumer, networking and computing, transportation, and wireless communications markets. Motorola's worldwide semiconductor sales were $7.3 billion (USD USD In currencies, this is the abbreviation for the U.S. Dollar. Notes: The currency market, also known as the Foreign Exchange market, is the largest financial market in the world, with a daily average volume of over US $1 trillion. ) in l998. http://sps.motorola.com Motorola is a global leader in providing integrated communications solutions and embedded electronic solutions. Sales in 1998 were $29.4 (USD) billion. http://www.motorola.com |
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