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Technology Stocks : C-Cube -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Maya who wrote (44681)	9/13/1999 10:49:00 AM
From: Don Dorsey	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 50808

Combined DTV/DIRECTV Converters for Analog TVs To Debut In 2000 Business/High Tech Editors AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 13, 1999-- Set-Top Boxes Using Motorola MCT Chips Will Give Existing TVs a New Lease on Life By the end of next year consumers will be able to buy an affordable set-top box that allows them to receive digital television (DTV) from both terrestrial TV stations and DIRECTV(r) satellite broadcasts on their analog TVs, Sarnoff Corporation announced today. Sarnoff, the Princeton, N.J.-based TV pioneer, announced today that it is creating a reference design for integrated broadcast/satellite set-top converter boxes under an agreement with El Segundo, Calif.-based DIRECTV. The design is based on the Motorola MCT family of integrated circuits, jointly developed by Motorola and Sarnoff. The announcement was made at Motorola's Horizons briefing session for the electronics industry in Austin, Texas. Using the Sarnoff design, TV manufacturers will be able to offer consumers lower-cost alternatives to pricey new DTV sets. The converter boxes will receive broadcasts on indoor or outdoor TV antennas and DIRECTV satellite mini-dishes and display them with digital clarity on standard TVs. Sarnoff expects the set-top boxes to debut at less than $500, with prices dropping to under $400 as production increases. By contrast, current digital receivers and displays cost from $4,500 to $10,000 or more. "This is DTV for everyone, and we think it will give Americans a compelling reason to move away from analog television," said Dr. James E. Carnes, Sarnoff president and CEO. "It offers seamless DTV reception from both terrestrial and satellite broadcasts in one easy-to-use receiver, with Motorola chips to ensure clear reception and excellent pictures." "There are more than 250 million analog TVs in American homes, and this approach will let consumers expand the capabilities of those sets even after analog broadcasts start to disappear from the airwaves," said Carnes. "This is crystal clear digital television reception at affordable prices -- just what the DTV industry needs to get it moving," said Ray Burgess, Corporate Vice President and General Manager of Motorola's Imaging and Entertainment Group. The new receiver designs use the Motorola MCT series of DTV chip sets, including the MCT4000 family of DTV decoders to convert the digital signals into pictures and sound. The MCT series also includes the new ghost-busting MCT2100 demodulator that provides optimal DTV reception, even in dense urban areas. Motorola's MCT4000 family for standard-definition analog or digital displays is now in production. The MCT2100 is in engineering samples now with full production slated for later this year. Product extensions for high-definition displays are planned for next year. All products feature Motorola's industry-leading 0.18-micron technology for higher performance at lower cost.