LSI Logic's Broadcast PC Card Brings New MultiMedia Capabilities to Personal Computing
PCI Board Reference Design Captures Video and Audio Data From Cable,
Satellite Broadcasts and DVD
MILPITAS, Calif., Nov. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- LSI Logic is setting the stage for the convergence of personal computers and other consumer electronics systems with the introduction of its new Broadcast PC reference design. The Broadcast PC allows PC OEMs and board designers to create PCI-based add-in cards that import and process multimedia streams from a variety of sources, including cable, direct broadcast satellite (DBS) and DVD (Digital Video Disk). The availability of this reference design will also enable the development of new PC applications that use media-rich content (e.g., data, MPEG video and stereo audio), which will be delivered through new all-digital information delivery systems.
Compliant with Microsoft's PC 99 video and broadcast requirements, the initial Broadcast PC designs can handle data streams from cable or DBS services. Based on proven LSI Logic devices that are used in mass-produced set-top box and DVD player designs, the Broadcast PC offers PC OEMs and board manufacturers everything that is needed to quickly develop a production product. The reference design includes schematics, PC board artwork, parts list, software development tools and Windows driver software. Future Broadcast PC designs may handle other data sources such as DVD RAM as well as the connectivity to link up with other consumer multimedia devices (e.g., camcorders, digital VCRs and digital cameras) using IEEE 1394 (Firewire) serial bus connections.
"The Broadcast PC is an important step in hardware design that will encourage content providers to offer new digital data services for the consumer," said Mark Kirstein, director of research at Cahners In-Stat Group, a business research firm based in Scottsdale, Arizona. "By enabling consumers to download and manipulate digital video and audio data, content providers and PC OEMs can develop for a whole new category of applications that combine MPEG video and the processing capabilities of personal computers."
"The Broadcast PC combines the functionality of multiple consumer devices-the television set, DTV, DVD player, set-top box-and integrates them with the power and interactivity of the PC. It provides consumers easy, cost-effective access to compelling new entertainment, multimedia and information programs," according to Christian Joly, director of multimedia PC and imaging products LSI Logic. "Consumers will be able to receive new services that can be delivered through high-speed Internet access as well as cable or satellite broadcasts for home entertainment, data-intensive business applications. Corporations could even use the Broadcast PC design to develop internal networks to circulate data stored in internal databases or share data captured from the Internet. Initial applications may include interactive video for corporate training, data broadcasting for business research or re-broadcasting of data within hotels, airports and stadiums."
Functions of the Broadcast PC
The standard broadcast PC reference designs offer separate tuners for cable and DBS programming. All designs accept NTSC or PAL video formats from a cable TV tuner or a composite video source.
For satellite broadcasting, LSI Logic's L64274QPSK demodulator/forward error correction (FEC) processor receives and demodulates the incoming signal prior to sending to L64108 transport demultiplexer, which extracts the desired program form the multichannel MPEG II video data stream. The raw broadcast signal may be separated into as many as 32 packet IDs, which may include media video, audio or data services. This output is then fed to LSI Logic L64021 digital video decoder, where video and audio channels are decoded and sent to the appropriate output channel.
Decoded video is sent to a PCI/bridge chip and then to the Broadcast PCs graphic controller for display on the computer's monitor. Alternatively, video can be converted into NTSC or PAL video output signals for display on a television monitor.
In addition to video from satellite or cable TV, digital video and stereo audio can be taken from a DVD drive and sent to the L64021 DVD decoder for viewing with multichannel surround sound. The L64021 decoder incorporates a fully functional AC-3 decoder that offers the same multichannel stereo sound for audio streams that would be used to play DVD movies in a theatre environment.
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