The TC90400 targets low-to mid-range HDTV and DTV products with screens that typically measure less than 32 in. This chip from Toshiba supports standard-definition (SD) and high-definition (HD) outputs as well as worldwide standards.
FCC guidelines are driving demand for the chip. By March 1, 2007, all new televisions, DVD players, and VCRs will have to support the standards implemented by the TC90400, which can deliver 720p and 1080i digital resolutions.
The 180-MHz MIPS processor supports a unified 16-bit double-data-rate memory system (see the figure). Software support is provided for MontaVista Linux. The transport stream processor fully complies with ATSC, ARIB, and DVB standards. The chip supports single and dual MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 decoding. And, it supports recording and playback using the hard-disk drive (HDD).
The graphics engine supports video scaling from six to 1/16, alpha blending, and progressive scan with I/P conversion through line-interpolation. It also can handle four YUV planes, three graphics background planes, and two graphics planes with alpha blending for multiple displays and sophisticated menu support. The video output section supports Macrovision copy protection.
The audio processor handles MPEG-audio, Dolby AC-3, and AAC decoding. It provides multistream decoding with analog and digital outputs.
The TC90400XBG with IDE support comes in a 272-pin plastic ball-grid array package. The TC90400FG comes in a 208-pin quad flat pack package. Pricing for the TC90400FG starts at $10. Reference designs are available from Toshiba.
Toshiba
www.toshiba.com