Intel + Zenith + LG = digital TV???
koreaherald.co.kr
01-15-98 Zenith Works Together with Intel for PC Reception of DTV Signals
LG Electronics said yesterday that American TV producer Zenith Electronics Corp., in which LG holds a majority
stake, will work together with chip giant Intel Corp. to develop demodulator cards that will allow PCs to receive DTV
broadcasts.
One of the earliest proponents of high-definition TV (HDTV), Zenith has developed a number of key digital
technologies, including the VSB (vestigial sideband) digital transmission system adopted by the Federal
Communications Commission as part of the ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) DTV broadcast
standard. Any consumer product that receives an ATSC DTV signal will use Zenith's patented VSB technology.
LGE has already developed a chipset for DTV which includes an integrated circuit (IC) for Zenith's VSB technology.
Claimed to be the first complete, fully functional DTV chipset, the package was used in Zenith's first DTV receivers,
which was presented to the Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas last week.
According to LGE, Zenith will provide the chipset to Intel, while Intel will provide its Pentium II technologies to Zenith
for joint development of a demodulation card to bring DTV services to millions of Intel architecture-based computers.
Intel intends to develop a chipset which enables a system running on its 300-MHz Pentium II processor to receive
standard-definition TV (SDTV) signals. The chipmaker will then develop an improved version for a system built on a
400-MHz Pentium II to receive HDTV services.
LGE said the cooperation between Zenith and Intel is designed to help make DTV services available to a larger number
of people at a low cost.
In the United States, commercial over-the-air DTV services are scheduled to be introduced in autumn. In the initial
period, the company said, demand for DTV-enabled PCs is expected to be greater than that for DTV sets.
While trying to bring their digital TV sets to the American market ahead of their rivals, LGE and Zenith also plan to put
emphasis on developing TV reception cards for PCs and set-top boxes which allows ordinary TVs to receive DTV
services.
In addition to licensing its VSB technology to manufacturers of digital high-definition television (HDTV) receivers,
set-top boxes and broadcast equipment, Zenith plans to license its DTV technology to the PC industry.
Copyright 1998 Korea Herald. All rights reserved. |
