Visioneering Corp., a developer and supplier of digital media technologies, has introduced the Sonata IPTV set-top box (STB) product line for standard definition or high definition Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) for digital home applications.

The Sonata IPTV product line includes four models - Sonata 100, Sonata 120, Sonata 200 and 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 a IPTV set-top box for crystal clear video results."

The set-top boxes include a range of features for interactive TV such as:

• 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 GB to 300 GB DVR for recording / playback / pause / rewind / fast-forward (Sonata 200 and 200W)
• Real-time image enhancement (Sonata 120, 200 and 200W) for video clarity
• Wireless - 802.11G Wi-Fi (Sonata 200W)

"Using Texas Instruments' DaVinci technology-based TMS320DM6446 DSP-based system on chip, Visioneering has been able to provide next generation IPTV performance," said Robert Wallin, CTO at Visioneering Corp. "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% 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," added 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 would previously required separate components," said Wallin.

"TI is excited about the leading edge IPTV development that Visioneering has accomplished using the DaVinci technology-based DM6446 SoC," said 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."