IPTV HARDWARE
A rear-view image of a typical IPTV STB provides the details on inputs and outputs (Fig. 2). The Amino STB comes in a variety of configurations depending on the service provider and geographical location. This unit takes the IPTV signal in via a standard 10/100 Ethernet port attached to the broadband modem. Outputs to the TV set or other devices include HDMI, S/P DIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface digital audio), and optical S/P DIF. Some units also provide for composite, component, RGB, S-video, and other video formats. A USB 2.0 port is included as well.
The video decoders are MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 with resolutions to 720p and 1080i. The box will also decode MPEG-2 with resolutions to 720p and 1080i. Additionally, it handles protocols like Video on Demand (VoD) Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) video session control and multicast with Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP). It can be configured for 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios. Both PAL 50-Hz and NTSC 60-Hz outputs are available. The digital output with HDMI uses the HDCP protocol. Stereo and Dolby 5.1 surroundsound are supported. Other features include an IR remote control and HTML 4 browser with JavaScript.
Circuitry inside the typical IPTV STB is very simple and often contained in a single large IC. The input usually goes through an RJ-45 connector to an Ethernet port from the external cable TV or DSL broadband modem. This signal is then sent to the media processor chip that does all of the decryption, video decompression, and other protocol implementation.
An example of such a chip is Sigma Design’s SMP8654 (Fig. 3). This device is a higher-performance version of the SMP8634, which happens to be used in more IPTV STBs than any other device. From a media-processing standpoint, the SMP8654 offers a full complement of advanced decoder engines with high-definition video decoding, including H.264 (MPEG-4 part 10), Windows Media Video 9, VC-1, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 (part 2), and the new AVS standard. High-performance graphics acceleration, multistandard audio decoding, advanced display-processing capabilities, and HDMI 1.3 output round out its multimedia core.
Powerful content security is ensured through a dedicated secure processor, onchip flash memory, and a range of digital rights management (DRM) engines for high-speed payload decryption. The SMP8654 also features a full complement of system peripherals, including a dual Gigabit Ethernet controller, dual USB 2.0 controller, NAND flash controller, and IR and SATA controllers.
In effect a multicore media processor, the SMP8654 features a 500-MHz MIPS 24k main CPU that enables crisp user interaction as well as a wider range of application-based features that enhance the “future-proofing” of this platform. A second MIPS processor known as the IPU manages interrupt operations and offloads burdensome system tasks, such as portions of the network stack, to further optimize main CPU utilization. A third MIPS processor manages all system security functions, including decryption and key generation.
The SMP8654 also features a new DDR-2 memory controller. It supports double-data-rate (DDR) memories up to 666 Mbits/s as well as an improved arbitration engine to maximize the efficiency of accesses. Finally, the processor maintains software compatibility with the Sigma Multimedia Library to uniquely build on the proven performance and reliability of the earlier generation platforms.
Sigma also recently announced a collaboration that will enable the Microsoft Mediaroom Internet Protocol Television and multimedia platform to operate on next-generation STBs using the Sigma SMP8654 SoC. Thanks to the solution’s high-performance, cost-effective design, service providers will likely be able to offer innovative connected TV services, such as PC to TV photo and music sharing as well as DVR Anywhere, which gives consumers the flexibility to watch their recorded programs on any TV in their home. Some STBs, especially in Europe, have built-in tuners so they can get over-the-air digital TV broadcasts, too.
On the carrier side, a complete IPTV platform requires switches, packet processing blades, CPU cards, and high-availability software that can handle 10G Ethernet speeds. One such example is Continuous Computing’s 10 Gigabit Traffic Management and Security Platform (Fig. 4).
At the heart of this platform, which is based on the Advanced Telecommunications Architecture (ATCA), is the FlexPacket PP50, a high-performance packet-processing blade. It uses two Raza Microelectronics XLR732 packet processors for packet inspection and classification.
For the computing part of the system, Continuous Computing offers its Flex- Compute ATCA-XE50 quad-core Intel Xeon processing board. The switching can be handled by one of Continuous Computing’s switches like the FlexCore ATCAFM40, an integrated 10G Ethernet base fabric switching and management solution.
CABLE'S DOCSIS RESPONSE
Cable continues its dominance by moving toward DOCSIS 3.0. This CableLabs standard has yet to be widely adopted, but it will gradually find its way into every cable head end and STB. It provides more flexible and scalable high-speed Internet service at least four times faster than current DOCSIS 2.0 systems.
In addition, DOCSIS 3.0 simplifies and accelerates the introduction of new HD multimedia services, such as voice over cable and IPTV. Then with its ability to bond multiple channels together, it can achieve very high downstream and upstream rates. For example, with each 6-MHz channel capable of about 40 Mbits/s max, with four bonded channels, a rate of 160 Mbits/s can be achieved. DOCSIS also supports IPv6.
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