Mas
08-09-2006, 09:33 AM
Micronas launched MicSidewinder 2D-X, a dual-tuner DVB-S2 PCI Express card reference design for home theater solutions. Each channel of the MicSidewinder 2D-X supports the DVB-S2 standard enabling full HDTV quality, as well as the legacy DVB-S standard for SDTV. Equipped with two symmetric receiver channels the design enables PiP and PVR applications. Micronas worked with STMicroelectronics and CyberLink to create a production reference design that is ready for the living room.
Compatibility with Windows XP Media Center and CyberLink’s PowerCinema Home Theater application makes a PC equipped with MicSidewinder 2D-X a complete PVR capable satellite receiver system. In combination with other technologies, such as H.264 (MPEG-4 AVC), the DVB-S2 standard provides a significant increase in the number of standard definition or HDTV channels that can be broadcasted by each satellite. Today, Astra – a European satellite provider – broadcasts most HDTV content via DVB-S2. Thus, MicSidewinder is the key to get HDTV content into the PC.
MicSidewinder 2D-X is based on the Micronas nGene APB 7202A PCI Express controller, combined with the STB0899/STB6100 DVB-S2 chipset from STMicroelectronics. The STB6100 silicon tuner, which also receives conventional DVB-S signals, is optimized to handle DVB-S2 higher-order modulations with minimum phase noise. The STB0899 converts DVB-S2 signals into the digital video transport stream data with an outstanding level of performance. Both devices are optimized for cost-effective consumer applications. The MicSidewinder 2D-X reference design supports FreeTV services and relies on USB-attached conditional access solutions or Soft-CAM solutions for Pay TV reception. MPEG-2 HD content is supported by a variety of software decoder solutions, such as the one built into CyberLink’s PowerCinema. In order to receive the new H.264-encoded HD channels, the card is either based on a 3.6 GHz dual-core system with top-end external graphics adapter for software decoding or the card can be combined with the recently presented MicRacer reference design.
Micronas’ MicRacer is a PCI Express connected H.264 hardware decoder solution enabling smooth decoding on lowest-end PC systems with embedded graphic subsystem. Micronas’ nGene dual-channel multimedia PCI Express controller delivers the bandwidth needed for two HDTV channels, eliminating potential bottlenecks that may occur with conventional PCI connectivity. nGene is certified by the PCI-SIG, the industry standard body for PCI Express technology, to be PCI Express 1.0a compliant. This certification guarantees that MicSidewinder 2D-X is compatible with a wide variety of PC motherboards offering PCI Express x1 slots.
MicSidewinder 2D-X joins the DVB-T based MicPython 2H-X and the ATSC-based MicViper 2H-X, and the recently announced MicRacer 1D-X H.264 / VC-1 decoder in a family of nGene-based reference designs supported by a common driver software model. A unified driver architecture across the entire reference design family makes it easy to design, maintain and support world-standard products. MicSidewinder 2D-X, like the other family members, is a complete, production-ready solution. Reference design kits are available now.
Compatibility with Windows XP Media Center and CyberLink’s PowerCinema Home Theater application makes a PC equipped with MicSidewinder 2D-X a complete PVR capable satellite receiver system. In combination with other technologies, such as H.264 (MPEG-4 AVC), the DVB-S2 standard provides a significant increase in the number of standard definition or HDTV channels that can be broadcasted by each satellite. Today, Astra – a European satellite provider – broadcasts most HDTV content via DVB-S2. Thus, MicSidewinder is the key to get HDTV content into the PC.
MicSidewinder 2D-X is based on the Micronas nGene APB 7202A PCI Express controller, combined with the STB0899/STB6100 DVB-S2 chipset from STMicroelectronics. The STB6100 silicon tuner, which also receives conventional DVB-S signals, is optimized to handle DVB-S2 higher-order modulations with minimum phase noise. The STB0899 converts DVB-S2 signals into the digital video transport stream data with an outstanding level of performance. Both devices are optimized for cost-effective consumer applications. The MicSidewinder 2D-X reference design supports FreeTV services and relies on USB-attached conditional access solutions or Soft-CAM solutions for Pay TV reception. MPEG-2 HD content is supported by a variety of software decoder solutions, such as the one built into CyberLink’s PowerCinema. In order to receive the new H.264-encoded HD channels, the card is either based on a 3.6 GHz dual-core system with top-end external graphics adapter for software decoding or the card can be combined with the recently presented MicRacer reference design.
Micronas’ MicRacer is a PCI Express connected H.264 hardware decoder solution enabling smooth decoding on lowest-end PC systems with embedded graphic subsystem. Micronas’ nGene dual-channel multimedia PCI Express controller delivers the bandwidth needed for two HDTV channels, eliminating potential bottlenecks that may occur with conventional PCI connectivity. nGene is certified by the PCI-SIG, the industry standard body for PCI Express technology, to be PCI Express 1.0a compliant. This certification guarantees that MicSidewinder 2D-X is compatible with a wide variety of PC motherboards offering PCI Express x1 slots.
MicSidewinder 2D-X joins the DVB-T based MicPython 2H-X and the ATSC-based MicViper 2H-X, and the recently announced MicRacer 1D-X H.264 / VC-1 decoder in a family of nGene-based reference designs supported by a common driver software model. A unified driver architecture across the entire reference design family makes it easy to design, maintain and support world-standard products. MicSidewinder 2D-X, like the other family members, is a complete, production-ready solution. Reference design kits are available now.