Legend Silicon Corporation has unveiled a single-chip solution for the China Digital Television Terrestrial Broadcasting System Standard (GB20600-2006).
The chip combines Legend's digital TV demodulator technology, which is at the core of GB20600-2006, and Analog Devices silicon tuner technology.
This highly integrated single chip is targeted to speed development of mobile television devices such as portable media players, handheld TVs and mobile phones for the markets in China. The chip will enable manufacturers to design mobile devices to receive the same free-to-air TV programming that the consumers view on digital TVs in their homes. The demand for consumer mobile and portable digital television devices in China is expected to grow dramatically in anticipation of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
"This solution combines Legend Silicon's vast experience with digital TV in China through its extensive work on the GB20600-2006 standard and ADI's silicon tuner expertise," said Lin Yang, co-founder, chairman and chief technology officer at Legend Silicon. "Terrestrial digital television broadcasts using the GB20600-2006 standard throughout China are creating a perfect market environment for the consumer adoption of mobile TVs based on Legend Silicon's advanced technology. This new chip will enable consumer electronics manufacturers to quickly bring new mobile TV products to market."
Subscribers for mobile services in China are expected to reach 520 million in 2007, up more than 60 million from the previous year, according to China's Ministry of Information Industry, making China the world's largest mobile phone market. More than 15.5 million smart phones were sold in China in 2006, and the total shipments were expected to reach 20 million by the end of 2007, according to Jiang Lifeng, a senior analyst at CCID Consulting, a leading IT market researcher in China. This growth, combined with the upcoming 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, opens the doors to a tremendous opportunity for new mobile devices capable of supporting free-to-air mobile television applications.
For the GB20600-2006 standard, Legend Silicon has co-invented and developed the underlying technology and worked closely with officials in China to establish the GB20600 standard. The company was the first to develop a commercial GB20600 digital TV semiconductor solution which is now designed into almost all major brands of digital TVs and set-top boxes. The mandatory GB20600 standard not only supports high-definition broadcasts for the fixed TV, but is also designed to deliver standard-definition television to mobile devices. Legend Silicon's solutions are designed for delivering high-quality digital television to both traditional televisions and mobile devices in high-definition.
