Visioneering Corporation, a leading developer and supplier of digital media technologies announced the availability of the Sonata IPTV set-top box (STB) product line that includes four models (Sonata 100, Sonata 120, Sonata 200 and Sonata 200W) for unmatched standard definition or high definition Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) for digital home applications.
The Sonata IPTV set-top box provides leading edge functionality for interactive TV, including:
- Texas Instruments' DaVinci technology
- NTSC / PAL or High Definition (up to 1080i) resolution
- H.264, Windows Media Video (VC-1) or MPEG-2.
- USB 2.0 interface to connect to USB external devices
- Ethernet: works over any broadband IP network
- OS: MontaVista Linux
- Interactive Graphical User Interface (GUI) for easy set-up and
browsing
- Audio: stereo input and SPDI output
- Small form factor
- Cost effective IPTV solution
Optional features include:
- 80 - 300GB DVR for recording/playback/pause/rewind/fast-forward
(Sonata 200 & 200W)
- Real-time image enhancement (Sonata 120, 200 & 200W) for unmatched
video clarity.
- Wireless - 802.11G WiFi (Sonata 200W).
"Visioneering offers a full line of IPTV set-top box products that deliver a complete range of features and benefits to the IPTV content provider or equipment OEM. The Sonata product line incorporates the latest in video compression and image enhancement technology, at a cost effective price," said Peter Guest, Visioneering CEO. "We are the first to combine these elements in an IPTV set-top box for crystal clear video results."
"Using Texas Instruments' DaVinci technology-based TMS320DM6446 DSP-based system on chip, Visioneering has been able to provide next generation IPTV performance," stated Robert Wallin, CTO at Visioneering Corporation. "The Sonata IPTV product line supports Windows Media Video (VC-1), AVC and MPEG-4 part 10 (H.264) video to increase decoding efficiency, providing higher quality video, and delivers 50-70 percent improvement in bit rate transmission. This enables a much more cost effective solution for IPTV service providers."
"We chose TI's DaVinci technology because it offers the most complete IPTV solution available, at the lowest price point in the market," continued Robert Wallin. "That fact, together with our accumulated understanding of TI's DSP technology, acquired from our long-term relationship, our experience of TI's excellent technical support and timely availability of the necessary TI design tools, made it a relatively simple decision. The completeness of the solution in a single SoC greatly simplified circuit design and layout by incorporating many elements of the circuit that previously required separate components."
"TI is excited about the leading edge IPTV development that Visioneering Corporation has accomplished using the DaVinci technology-based DM6446 SoC," stated Greg Mar, worldwide DSP SoC platform manager, TI. "As a member of the TI DSP Third Party Network, Visioneering continues to leverage TI's hardware and software to bring leading edge digital media equipment to market."