Fresco Microchip unveils industry's first single chip global receiver for hybrid TV market

TORONTO, CANADA: Fresco Microchip Inc., a developer of leading edge RF, mixed-signal and digital signal processing integrated circuits (ICs), announced the FM1151, the latest addition to the FM1100 product family.

The FM1151 is the industry's first single-chip solution that delivers fully integrated universal analog audio/video demodulation (NTSC, PAL, SECAM) and digital IF processing for the global hybrid terrestrial (DVB-T/T2, ATSC, ISDB-T, DTMB) and cable (DVB-C/ITU J.83) television markets.

The FM1151, and each chip in the FM1100 product family, offers significantly lower system solution costs and superior television performance, two core benefits highly valued by Fresco customers.

Hybrid (analog + digital) television markets around the world continue to experience unprecedented levels of growth across a broad range of consumer electronics, including televisions, DVD-Rs, PVRs, and set-top boxes.

In established markets like Europe and the US where the analog off-air shutoff is well underway or complete, consumers continue to need televisions which simultaneously support analog and digital cable reception. Emerging markets like China, India, Taiwan, Russia, Brazil, South-East Asia, and the Middle East are at the early stages of the digital transition, paving the way for explosive growth for hybrid televisions.

According to Paul Gray, director, TV Electronics Research for leading market research firm, DisplaySearch: "With developed markets essentially saturated, the TV market is now being driven by emerging markets. All major set makers are seeking ways to reduce their development costs and time to market, and universal systems for global TV reception are a key way to reduce product diversity and improve R&D efficiency."

As the industry's first TV-grade receiver for global hybrid markets, Fresco's FM1151 is fully compatible with standard and non-standard audio/video analog and digital broadcasts. Integrating Fresco's innovative agileSP™ architecture, the FM1151 features extended smearing and ringing reduction for the highest possible visual clarity.

The FM1151 raises the bar for design versatility by enabling tuner manufacturers to customize picture quality. The chip accepts the intermediate frequency (IF) output directly from CAN and silicon tuners and demodulates worldwide legacy audio/video (WAVe™) to generate analog CVBS video with SIF or MONO audio. The digital IF output is compatible with a broad range of standard downstream digital demodulators.

"Fresco's FM1151 builds on the market traction we've achieved with our customer base, some of largest and most respected tuner manufacturers in the world," said Lance Greggain, CEO, president and co-founder of Fresco Microchip. "The FM1151 broadens our reach and is a complementary asset to our leading FM1100 product family."

In addition to the FM1151, the FM1100 family includes the field-proven FM1150 for hybrid DVB/DTMB and the FM1050 for analog only broadcast markets. Using Fresco's revolutionary iSAW™ technology, analog A/V demodulation and universal 6/7/8 MHz SAW filter functionality is integrated into a single IC, eliminating multiple external components required in alternative solutions.

The FM1100 family features Fresco's industry-leading adjacent channel rejection, which provides more reliable and broader television reception coverage throughout the home than previously possible. All chips in the FM1100 family feature an ultra-low profile and the same pin-compatible 5x5mm package, enabling tuner manufacturers to achieve new levels of miniaturization required for ultra-slim TV applications.

The FM1151 is in production now and samples are available to qualified customers.