Zoran SupraHD 741 Decoder Boasts Four or More Converter-Box Design Wins
Zoran landed at least four design wins for its SupraHD 741 decoder among suppliers of coupon-eligible DTV converter boxes, Dave Pederson, vice president of corporate marketing, told us at CES.
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The Supra 741, made by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. using a 0.16-micron process, has a 133 MHz processor. The IC is a version of the SupraHD 740 decoder, introduced years ago for HD-capable direct-view CRT TVs, Pederson said. Volume production of the SupraHD 741 began last fall, he said. The set-tops will list for $50 to $70 -- $10 to $30 if bought with the $40 coupon -- and are expected to be in retail stores by late February. “It’s all about the integration of the chip and the ability to hand a software stack that’s easily configurable to meet whatever you're trying to do,” Pederson said. “Ultimately the integration level drives the cost point as the market takes off and our customers can be competitive. That’s where we play.”
The DTV law and NTIA rules decree the features required, permitted or disallowed for coupon eligibility, leaving little room for product differentiation, save for electronic program guides and interfaces, Pederson said: “It wasn’t intended to be that differentiated.” Despite a plethora of certified converter suppliers - 26 at last count - Pederson conceded retailers likely will carry a narrow array. “Some brands have a long history with certain retail channels,” he said.
Zoran scored wins for its new Coach-10 digital camera processor, including one with Pentax for an H.264-capable model, officials said. Canon is said to be deploying the Coach-10 in its cameras. The Coach-10 has dual processors, H.264 capture and playback of 720p video, 12-megapixel resolution and MPEG-4 and DivX compatibility. The Coach-10 is available in four versions ranging from the 10D for entry- level digital SLR models to the 10M for mainstream still and video cameras, the company said.
Zoran is supplying its Approach 5C multimedia application processors to LG for use in its Viewty KU990 3G GSM cellphone ($530) sold in Europe. The Approach 5C is Zoran’s fifth- generation processor targeting mobile devices, but the first to emerge from a 2004 acquisition of Emblaze. The Viewty has a 5- megapixel digital camera and the Approach allows for the capture and playback of 640x480 resolution video at 30 frames per second. The Approach can have 32 MB or 64 MB of embedded memory and supports DivX, H.264 and VC- 1. - Mark Seavy