Google’s revitalization of its Android-based TV effort via Marvell SoC and reference design

Updates: Marvell and Google Transform TV [marvellmedia, Jan 10, 2012]

– Marvell GoogleTV – ARM at CES 2012 [Jan 11, 2012]

– Marvell licenses VeriSilicon DSP cores [Feb 13, 2012]

SAN FRANCISCO—Marvell Technology Group Ltd. has signed a licensing agreement for VeriSilicon Holdings Co. Ltd.’s ZSP G3 intellectual property cores, including the dual-MAC ZSP800M and ZSP880M synthesizable DSP cores, VeriSilicon said Monday (Feb. 13). Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Marvell is also using VeriSilicon’s quad-MAC ZSP800 core and suite of HD-audio software solutions in the ARMADA 1000 HD media processor SoC and the recently introduced Marvell ARMADA 1500 media processor SoC, VeriSilicon (Santa Clara, Calif.) said. These chips are designed for applications such as Blu-ray players, digital media adapters, HD-STB and HDTVs.

According to VeriSilion, the dual-MAC ZSP architecture offers a balance of high performance, power efficiency and lower cost to support the increasing feature convergence in mobile and digital entertainment products and enable prolonged battery life. The company claims its products offer ease of use and strong customer support.

“We are quite impressed with the area and power efficiency of the dual-MAC ZSP800M core, combined with the ease of programming on the ZSP architecture,” said Ivan Lee, vice president of mobile products at Marvell, in a statement. “VeriSilicon’s ZSP-based HD-audio and voice software solutions will provide us with faster time-to-market advantages necessary to meet the growing demands of the mobile platform solutions for use in tablets and smartphones.”

– CES 2012: Samsung, LG plan to introduce Google TV [Jan 11, 2012]

Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics both indicated they plan to introduce Google TV products. However, LG noted that its own Netcast platform will account for 60% of all TV products. Samsung has not showcased Google TV products at CES 2012 but smart TV products that carry its own Samsung Apps are on display.

Industry sources believe the market has doubts on Google TV because the previous two generations lacked strong sales. Despite the fact that South Korea-based TV makers continue to dominate the market, the firms are unlikely to put all their eggs into one basket. It seems to be more beneficial for South Korea-based TV makers to bet on products that carry their own platforms. It is also possible for the firms to expand such platforms across their entire product lines into smartphones, and tablet PCs.

Samsung Apps has been increasing the diversity of its content with downloads reaching 20 million. Samsung Apps can also be used on Galaxy mobile and tablet devices. This is to compete with Apple’s iPad and iPhone products, which also have a unified platform.

Samsung indicated the development of Google TV is to add diversity to its product line and it plans the launch to take place in the second half of 2012.

Vizio’s Google TV delayed until early fall, now edge-lit [C|net, Jan 10, 2012]
LAS VEGAS–Google TV has a way of disappointing expectations, and one strong case in point is the Vizio’s VIA Plus platform for TVs.

At CES 2011 we named the VIA Plus models as our favorite TV product of CES. They used Google TV to deliver what the company described as interoperability between the TV and Android-equipped phones and tablets. Among other features, Via Plus was also said to support the OnLive gaming service. Those extras, along with the same kind of full-array local-dimming backlight we know and love, was enough to convince us that the so-equipped TVs were going to be pretty awesome.

Unfortunately, because of what Vizio describes as Google TV-related issues beyond its control, they never came out.

We asked about the VIA Plus sets during a pre-CES briefing with Vizio and were told they were still on the company’s product release roadmap. The new release date is “early fall.” They will have different model numbers and at least one change for the worse: that backlight is now an edge-lit affair. Vizio further specified that the new VIA Plus models would have a 240Hz refresh rate, passive 3D, and three screen sizes: 47-, 55-, and a new 65-inch option.

On the bright side, maybe having all that extra time to perfect VIA Plus will allow Vizio to do something really special with Google TV’s Honeycomb customizations. We’ll see.

End of updates

Google TV Demo [GoogleTV, Dec 12, 2011]

Eric Schmidt’s Le Web Keynote Video: “Android is Ahead Of The iPhone” [TechCrunch, Dec 7, 2011]

Google chairman Eric Schmidt spoke yesterday at Le Web in Paris, and now the entire interview is on YouTube.
…
At about 39 minutes in he makes this startling prediction: “By the summer of 2012, the majority of the televisions you see will have Google TV embedded in it. A similar strategy to what we did with Android. The price is free from Google, so you are only paying for the television.”

Marvell and Google Team up to Transform TV [marvellmedia, Jan 7, 2012]

Marvell and Google Team Up to Transform TV into the Command Center for the ‘Connected Lifestyle’ [Marvell press release, Jan 5, 2011]

Marvell’s new revolutionary ARMADA-based “Foresight Platform” powers new Google TV, offers best of television and multimedia experience for the new generation of Smart TVs, set-top boxes, Blue-ray players, and beyond.

Representing a major breakthrough in the convergence of TV, gaming, streaming video, popular web apps and social media, Marvell (Nasdaq: MRVL), a worldwide leader in integrated silicon solutions, today announced that the new Foresight Platform, powered by the Marvell® ARMADA™ 1500 HD Media System-on-a-Chip (SoC), has been designed into the next generation of Google TVs debuting at CES 2012. Using Marvell’s award-winning Qdeo™ video processing technology, the ARMADA-based Foresight Platform is designed to deliver superior 3D video, impressively rich audio, striking 3D graphics and TV-friendly Web content.

“Marvell and Google have teamed up to change home entertainment forever – transforming the TV into the command center for our connected lifestyle. Marvell and Google are fundamentally changing the relationship between the producers and consumers of content – from Hollywood to Madison Avenue to publishing and major news networks – creating a dynamic, two-way experience featuring real-time global news, social network, entertainment and information,” said Weili Dai, Co-founder of Marvell. “I believe this is a major breakthrough movement and it’s just the beginning of our bigger vision. The same forces that are revolutionizing today’s television experience will transform numerous vertical applications for small businesses and large enterprises, enhancing the way we all work, connect with each other and collaborate globally.”

“The Google and Marvell teams have been working closely together to bring our combined software and chipset technologies to market to grow the Google TV ecosystem of manufacturers and devices. Marvell-powered Google TV solutions will enable powerful products to be brought to market at attractive prices,” said Mario Queiroz, VP, Product Management Google TV.

For consumers, today’s digital home offers an endless choice of devices and content. For OEMs and service providers, it’s an all-out sprint to create offerings that perform noticeably better than competitors and at mass-market prices. The Connected TV Marketing Association (CTVMA) estimates 123 million connected TVs will be sold worldwide in 2014. Those consumers will expect access to the services they love – Netflix, Pandora, YouTube, Picasa and many more – in a lightning-fast, crystal-clear and resource-friendly package.

Powerful, energy-efficient, ultra-scalable and immensely affordable, the ARMADA 1500 contains Marvell’s highest-performing ARM v6/7-compatible PJ4B SMP super-scalar dual-core CPU. The chip is designed to enable PC-like processing power to support Web browsing with support for Flash™ and other key technologies – with the aid of more than 6000 Dhrystone MIPS of computing horsepower, FPU v3.0, 512KB of L2 cache and WMMX2. The Foresight Platform is energy efficient and has advanced cell-phone like power management.

The ARMADA 1500 also contains Marvell’s award-winning Qdeo video processing for state-of-the-art HD and 3D video, including scaling, noise reduction, de-interlacing, low bit-rate internet video enhancement and FRC and color/contrast enhancement. The chip offers VMeta™, a multi-format video decoder/encoder/transcoder that can decode up to two simultaneous 1080p streamsas well as a host of other video formats and containers. These features make the Foresight Platform ideal for Google TV, which requires tremendous processing power for its numerous applications at a cost effective price point.

Related Links:

• Product information: http://www.marvell.com/digital-entertainment/armada-1500/
• Marvell media materials: http://www.marvell.com/company/press_kit/

More information on this blog:
– Marvell ARMADA beats Qualcomm Snapdragon, NVIDIA Tegra and Samsung/Apple Hummingbird in the SoC market [again] [Sept 23, 2010 – Jan 17, 2011]

Google TV: CES 2012 Video  [GoogleTV, Jan 4, 2012]

But Marvell is not alone in this revitalization effort (note that MediaTek is there as well and LG is using its own chipset in the new line of Google TV powered TV sets):
From the Las Vegas Strip to your living room: Google TV partners at CES [the official Google TV blog, Jan 5, 2011]

Last October, we launched an update to Google TV: a simpler interface, a new way to discover great web and TV content, a more TV-like YouTube experience, and Android Market. Since launching the update, we’ve seen our activation rates more than double. New features and new apps are coming to the living room via Google TV almost every day. We now have more than 150 apps which developers have specifically built for TV with thousands more Android apps from the mobile world available to deepen your living room TV experience. We’ve also been working with our hardware partners to bring new Google TV-powered devices to consumers. Next week is the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Here are some of the Google TV partners to look out for at CES and throughout 2012:

• LG – We’re thrilled to welcome global consumer electronics leader LG to the Google TV family. LG will showcase a new line of TVs powered by Google TV running on their own L9 chipset at CES.

• Marvell – Also new to the Google TV family this year is Marvell, an innovative worldwide leader in chipsets. Marvell will be showcasing a new generation of Google TV solutions which will help bring more products across more price points to consumers.

• MediaTek – We’re also excited to partner with MediaTek, the leading Taiwanese chipset designer. MediaTek chipsets will power yet another wave of Google TV devices.

• Samsung – We’re excited to work closely with Samsung to bring Google-TV powered Samsung devices to market in 2012.

• Sony – We’re happy to build on our partnership with Sony. At CES, Sony will unveil new devices for the US and plans to offer Google TV powered products in several countries around the world in 2012.

• Vizio – Last year we announced our partnership with Vizio at CES. This year we’re excited to join Vizio as they hold private demos at CES showcasing their new line of Google TV-powered products.

As we’ve said before, Google TV is about bringing new entertainment and innovation from the Web to TV and our team along with our partners are pleased to bring more Google TV powered products to more people, across more devices in more countries in 2012.

Record of the chat with Larry Yang — Google TV Product Manager [GoogleTV, Dec 11, 2011]

He is responsible for the platform and the partnerships.

MediaTek Releases World’s First 120Hz SoC Solutions for High-end Smart TV [MediaTek press release, Jan 5, 2012]

Next Generation Wi-Fi Display Technology Brings the “Living Room” Revolution to a New Level

MediaTek Inc., a leading fabless semiconductor company for wireless communications and digital multimedia solutions today announced the release of the world’s first 120Hz Smart TV supported single chip solution model. In addition to providing an unparalleled 3D viewing experience, the chip is also an industry leader in support for Wi-Fi display technology, which allow Smart TVs to synchronize with Wi-Fi network hubs without the use of external modems or Internet connection, ensuring that high definition content can be easily shared on TV screens anytime or anywhere. MediaTek’s groundbreaking solution is bringing the “living room” revolution to a new level, while creating a new generation of “smart homes.”

According to the Topology Research Institute’s most recent report, as more brands continue to release Smart TVs, worldwide shipments of Smart TVs in the next two years could double. In 2011 alone, 25.18 million Smart TVs were sold worldwide, accounting for 10.4% of overall TV sales. In 2012, that number is set to double to at least 52.85 million units. A yearly growth of 100% means that by the end of 2012, Smart TVs will account for 20% of overall TV sales. The report went on to say that as “smart” becomes the new catchword in electronics, the addition of 3D and LED innovative hardware features is set to bring about more explosive growth to the already red hot Smart TV market.

MediaTek’s new Smart TV single chip solution offers a number of highly integrated advanced applications. In addition to support for numerous high definition video image processing technologies, the chip also comes with MediaTek’s patented MDDiTM deinterlace solution, greatly enhancing the clarity of moving images and allowing support for 120 Hz MEMC (Motion Estimation, Motion Compensation) and 3D visuals, thus making images even more lifelike and giving consumers a smoother and more vivid viewing experience. As the first to support the next generation Wi-Fi Alliance Standard, MediaTek’s Wi-Fi display technology allows Smart TVs to be synchronized with one or more Wi-Fi stations, thus allowing simultaneous broadcast of content between the devices. Enjoying a new smart digital home experience, consumers can now easily share high definition video content with both friends and family.

In addition, MediaTek provides support for digital TV’s worldwide common platforms, as well as the customization of solutions, enabling customers to instead focus their resources on product differentiation and various application developments, thereby shortening the time to market for products. Mr. Joe Chen, General Manager of Digital TV BU at MediaTek Inc., said, “Compared with traditional TVs, Smart TVs offer Internet access and Internet service platforms which give consumers a more superior all around visual experience. Following the introduction of Smart TV technology, the traditional TV has been transformed into a digital home entertainment center; with interactive features available, as well as having built in a variety of different applications, this new generation of Smart TVs completely redefines the traditional role of the “living room TV”, and sets a new milestone for TV technology. By offering a Smart TV single chip solution that features high-performance, high integration and customizable features, MediaTek continues to help customers worldwide achieve global brand value.

LG to Introduce Google TV at CES 2012 [LG press release, Jan 6, 2012]

Combining Android OS with LG’s 3D and Smart TV Technologies, LG’s Google TV
Provides Consumers with a New and Attractive Home Entertainment Option

SEOUL, Jan. 6, 2012 -– LG Electronics (LG) will introduce its highly anticipated Google TV at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. LG Smart TV with Google TV combines the familiarity of Google’s Android OS with the convenience and comfort of LG’s 3D and Smart TV technologies, offering consumers a new and attractive home entertainment option.

“LG has constantly strived to provide consumers with wider choices in home entertainment that bring the highest level of sophistication and convenience,” said Havis Kwon, President and CEO of LG Electronics Home Entertainment Company. “Through Google TV, LG has merged Google’s established Android operating system with LG’s proven 3D and Smart TV technologies, offering consumers a new and enthralling TV experience.”

LG’s Google TV’s most attractive feature is its ease of use, thanks to the combination of its Android-based user interface and the Magic Remote Qwerty designed by LG. LG’s Google TV’s user interface and main screen have been designed for convenient browsing and content selection. Multi-tasking is also possible, as the search, social networking and TV functions can be run simultaneously. The user interface can be accessed using the Magic Remote Qwerty which combine the user-friendly benefits of LG’s Magic Remote with a QWERTY keyboard.

Equipped with LG’s own CINEMA 3D technology, Google TV provides a home entertainment experience that is immersive, comfortable and convenient. Based on LG’s own Film Patterned Retarder (FPR) technology, CINEMA 3D glasses are battery-free, comfortable and lightweight. The glasses are also very affordable, making LG’s Google TV ideal for viewing by a large group of family and friends when used in 3D mode. And with a single click of the remote, any 2D program or movie can be viewed in 3D, thanks to the built-in 2D to 3D conversion engine.

Alongside Google TV, LG will continue to advance its own Smart TV platform based on NetCast, which will be available in more than 60 percent of LG’s flat panel TVs scheduled for introduction over the coming year. With a growing collection of content and services, LG’s Smart TV platform will continue to provide consumers with a unique user experience.

The first demonstration of LG’s Google TV will take place at the LG Electronics Press Conference on January 9.

Samsung Expands Blu-ray and Companion Box Lineup [Samsung press release, Jan 7, 2012]

New Blu-ray Player and Companion Box Enabling Google TV Unveiled at iCES 2011

LAS VEGAS, Jan 7, 2011—Today at the International Consumer Electronics Show, Samsung Electronics Co, Ltd. ., unveiled a new Blu-ray player and companion box enabling Google TV, as part of its ongoing smart TV product offerings.

As part of Samsung’s continued roll-out of smart TV products and services, Samsung’s new Blu-ray player and companion box enabling Google TV lets consumers surf the Internet on their TV screens just as they would on a computer including the ability to update social networks, track fantasy football scores, check e-mail and more.

Seamlessly integrating web content into a traditional TV watching experience, Samsung’s new Blu-ray player and companion box enabling Google TV feature an Android based platform, which will include a variety of Internet services for consumers. . In addition, a special Google TV remote control will provide users with a full QWERTY keypad and voice search supported through an internal microphone.

Sitting at the heart of Samsung’s smart TV home digital entertainment, the new Blu-ray player and companion box enabling Google TV will be on display at CES Booth #11033 throughout the show. The new devices are expected to be available at retail by 1st half, 2011.

For more information about Samsung’s technology lineup at CES 2011, and to track buzz during the show, visit www.samsungces2011.com.

Google TV: Update Video [GoogleTV, Oct 31, 2011]

This all is coupled with the second iteration of the Google TV software launched in October: Google TV, Take 2: Android Apps Join the Smart TV Party [Wired, Oct 28, 2011]

Google’s smart TV software platform, Google TV, is poised for its first significant overhaul since it launched in Logitech and Sony hardware a year ago. Via over-the-air updates that should begin streaming to hardware devices on October 30, Google TV users will find new TV-optimized Android Apps, an improved YouTube experience, and new features that provide easy, direct discovery of TV and movie content.

All this Googly goodness is wrapped up in a new user interface that aims to simplify a challenging information design — a design that’s left many Google TV customers with a persistent sense of yuck.

…

Well, all dreams of cord-cutting should be put to rest. As Rishi Chandra, director of product management, Google TV, told me, “There was a perception that we were a cord-cutting product, and that’s something that we didn’t do enough to dispel. Our point of view is that there’s new content coming, content that you just haven’t been able to access with your TV. Now we’re bringing that content, and adding the discovery experience on top of it.”

So, no, Google TV can’t be your all-in-one, zero-compromises, Internet-only video delivery system. But what it can do well — namely, deliver YouTube, Netflix and other web-based video to your HDTV — is about to get better. I recently traveled to Google’s headquarters for a hands-on demo of the new software, and what I saw is a substantial improvement over Google existing (however compromised) status quo.

Here are four key improvements you’ll see in the next version of Google TV. …

Improved User Interface

…

The new home screen, however, is defined by a simple menu bar at the bottom of your display (see screenshot above). It’s clean, simple, and simply more fashion-forward than its predecessor. Likewise, the new Google TV software features a revised view of your All Apps menu. The old view listed apps in a long, single-file list arrangement. The new view (see screenshot below) mimics an Android Honeycomb tablet interface. Apps are arranged in rows of four, and the arrangement is customizable.

These may not seem like big changes — unless you’re already using Google TV, and have spent the last year coping with a cluttered, “something’s sort of ‘off’ here” U.I . From what I saw in my hands-on demo, various key interface elements have been tweaked and finessed to do away with Google TV’s previously horsey (or at least user-antagonistic) design sensibility.

TV and Movie Discovery

…

Vastly Improved YouTube

…

A New Home For Android Apps

In the most significant Google TV update of all, Android Apps now have a home on your big-screen TV.

Obviously, not all the apps in Android Market would even work for TV-screen deployment. For example, those that reply on touch gestures or GPS  just wouldn’t make sense for Google TV (at least not as the platform is currently deployed). But Chandra estimates some 1,500 existing apps are already Google TV-compatible, and these will appear in the “filtered” version of Android Market that appears in the new software interface.

The real app gems, however, will be found in Google TV’s “Featured For TV” section. These apps — 30 should be available at launch — have been expressly developed for big-screen deployment, and Google TV’s unique talents.

Sure, one app I saw demoed is nothing more than a wrapper for an HD yule-log video (see Classy Fireplace in the screenshot above). But others are game apps (yes, Google TV is now a tenable platform for casual games), and the best apps will likely be the ones that deliver premium video content.

It’s quite ingenious: Google TV’s new Android initiative allows video-savvy media companies to do an end-run around licensing and distribution deals with the cable and satellite networks. Whether your media company is an indie upstart or a blue-chip heavyweight, this holds promise.

Take, for example, the Wall Street Journal. “They’re a premium brand,” says Chandra, “and they have great content, but they don’t want to build a 24-7 news cycle. They don’t want to negotiate deals to get content on the air, and they don’t want to pay to get access to users. So what do they do? They build an app.”

The possibilities: Dizzying. The proof: It remains in the pudding.

But as Mario Queiroz, Google’s vice president of product management, told me, Google considers Google TV to be a marathon project, not a sprint.

“We ask, ‘How can we make the product better?’ instead of belaboring what’s being said,” Queiroz said. “We’ve tried to take what we could use constructively, and build a better product with version 2. As a Google mantra, we always launch early and iterate.”

And iterate they will. Google will soon announce new chipset partners for brand new Google TV hardware in 2012 (Samsung and Vizio are already on board). So, no, the story of Google TV does not begin and end with a single software version, or just a small collection of set-top boxes and TVs from Sony and Logitech.

Google TV is real and its ambition levels remain high. Stay tuned for hands-on reviews of the new version software and upcoming Google TV hardware.

Google TV Goes ARM with Marvell’s ARMADA 1500 [AnandTech, Jan 5, 2011]

It wouldn’t be far off the mark to call Google TV as one of the unmitigated disasters of 2010 – 2011. Through the failure of the Logitech Revue, it was responsible for Logitech’s below-par performance last year, and also for the stepping down of its CEO. Anand covered Intel’s winding down of the Digital Home Groupand it could be said that Google TV / Intel’s concept of Smart TV not taking off as expected was one of the reasons.

However, Google doesn’t give up on its efforts without a fight. With access to the Android market and an upgrade to Honeycomb, Google TV received some life support last October. However, pricing and device power consumption were the two other prime factors which needed to get addressed. The first generation Google TV devices were all based on the Intel’s CE4100. Despite being a highly capable platform, it suffered from a number of issues such as high silicon cost (leading to higher priced Google TV units) and unreasonably high power consumption. With Intel’s shuttering of the Digital Home Group, it was inevitable that Google and its partners would end up moving to an ARM based platform. Given that ARM has remained the architecture of choice for Android smartphones, this was also a move predicted by many.

We covered Marvell’s foray into the DMA (Digital Media Adapter) market with their ARMADA 1000 platform. Today, Marvell is officially launching the next generation ARMADA 1500 (88DE3010) SoC. They also announced their team up with Google and indicated that all the Google TV boxes at the 2012 CES would be powered by Marvell silicon.

The ARMADA 1500 (88DE3100) is the follow up to the ARMADA 1000 (88DE3010) introduced a couple of years back. The 88DE3010 is the same chip which is being used in the Nixeus Fusion XS which started shipping recently. It is also the chip used in some high end (in terms of cost) 3D Blu-ray players like the Kaiboer K860i and the Asus O!Play BD players (BDS-500 and BDS-700).

More details from Anandtech:
– Marvell’s ARMADA 1500: The 88DE3100
– Final Words: Where is Google TV Headed?

ARMADA 1500 (88DE3100) Features

The ARMADA 1500 is a powerful, all-in-one HD media SoC, ideal for driving the connected home entertainment system through blu-ray players, set-top boxes, and DTV platforms.

Features	Benefits
Hardware-accelerated, dual-stream multi-standard, video decode and audio decode	Multi-format AV decode support enables adoption in a number of different platforms and allows playability of a wide range of content
Low-power SoC	Low-power consumption enables fanless design
Award-winning Qdeo video processing	Delivers an immersive viewing experience
Integrated Marvell dual-CPU SMP cores at 1.2 GHz [@ 1.2GHz, the PJ4B core is delivering 2.61 DMIPS/MHz performance (see below), while Cortex A9 core 2.5 DMIPS/MHz]	Dual cores running in Symmetric Multi-Processing configuration for quick startup and loading times, as well as uncompromised performance for many networked, Java, and media applications
Full suite of integrated peripherals (such as USB, Ethernet, HDMI, SATA, and SDIO)	Allows for complete connectivity in DTV, BD, STB, and DMA applications
Turnkey reference designs of connected applications	Highly cost-effective products and fast time-to-market

Qdeo Technology

Video content is being accessed, streamed, and viewed through more options than ever before, and streaming services like YouTube and Netflix deliver that content at various levels of quality–from D to HD. Regardless of the content source, viewers expect an immersive, high-definition viewing experience from their home entertainment system.

Marvell’s award-winning Qdeo video processing technology delivers consistently high-quality video despite the source. At the core of Marvell’s digital entertainment processors, Qdeo uses a suite of “quiet video” technologies to produce video at up to full high-definition 1080p resolution with superb clarity and accuracy. Conventional video processing can actually produce noise and distortion that are distracting on today’s high-quality displays. With Qdeo your video—from QVGA to 4K×2K—will be rendered clearer and more natural, without the typical noise and artifacts.

Benefits of Qdeo

Noise reduction:

• Per pixel compression artifact reduction removes artifacts inherent in digital video
• Per pixel video noise reduction removes noise inherent in digital video

Format conversion:

• Per pixel motion adaptive 3D de-interlacing prevents “jaggies” and eliminates feathering
• Non linear scaling enables optimal mapping to display of choice

Enhancement:

• Adaptive Contrast Enhancement (ACE) and Intelligent Color Remapping (ICR) render rich and vivid images
• Natural Depth Expansion (NDE) enhances details and sensation of depth for greater realism and super-resolution effect
• Qdeo True Color eliminates contouring seen when viewing typical 8-bit consumer video

Learn more about Qdeo Technology

ARMADA 1500 Software & Standards

Software Standards

Marvell’s connected home platform meets the following software standards for a complete home entertainment solution.

Broadcast ATSC DVB MHEG CI+ ARIB Ginga Tru2Way, CableCard Organizations ITU – International Telecommunication Union MPEG Industry Forum SMPTE Blu-Ray 3D @ Home Formats Sensio Protocols HLS DASH DLNA CEA-2014 RVU

Application Programming Interfaces directFB OpenGLes OpenMax IL Connected Applications Adobe Flash DivX DLNA Netflix Skype Hulu Plus Vudu Cinema Now Pandora YouTube Picasa Flickr OIPF YouView HbbTV iPlayer Android ICS

Software Architecture

Marvell provides a robust connected home platform to aid customers in their product development.

Marvell 88DE3100 High-Definition Secure Media Processor System-on-Chip (SoC) [product brief, Jan 4, 2012]

Product Overview

The Marvell® ARMADA™ 1500 (88DE3100) secure media processor system-on-chip (SoC) is a high-definition (HD) advanced multi-format video and audio decoder that includes two high-performance ARMv7 compatible PJ4B processors with symmetric multi-processing (SMP), a large L2 cache, and a complete set of peripherals. It decodes 2 full HD streams along with multi-channel audio and both 2D and 3D graphics pipelines that enable rich and sophisticated User Interfaces (UI) along with high performance gaming experience. It also provides support for the Blu-ray 3D specifications. The ARMADA 1500 has a dedicated secure processor that supports various DRM schemes and 4Kbit one-time-programmable memory and implements multiple crypto accelerators. Additionally, the
ARMADA 1500 integrates a video/image post-processing subsystem that implements Marvell’s award-winning Qdeo™ processing, performing per-pixel 3D noise reduction, 3D de-interlacing, scaling, natural depth expansion, intelligent color remapping, and adaptive contrast enhancement. An integrated audio post-processor enables advanced audio
algorithms such as Dolby®, DTS, and AEC for high-quality, multi-channel, and stereo audio output.

Marvell’s ARMADA 1500 provides a high-performance and cost-efficient solution for IP/cable/satellite set-top boxes (STBs), feature-rich connected Blu-ray players, digital media adapters (DMAs), Google TV™, and DTV applications with 88DE6010 (Marvell’s DTV analog front-end companion chip).

Block Diagram

Fig 1. ARMADA 1500 (88DE3100) HD Media Processor SoC Block Diagram

Key Features and Benefits

FEATURES	BENEFITS
Hardware-accelerated, dual-stream multi-standard, video decode and audio decode	Multi-format AV decode support enables adoption in a number of different platforms and allows playability of a wide range of content
Low-power SoC	Low-power consumption enables fanless design
Award-winning Qdeo video processing	Delivers an immersive viewing experience
Integrated Marvell dual-CPU SMP cores at 1.2 GHz	Dual cores running in Symmetric Multi-Processing configuration for quick startup and loading times, as well as uncompromised performance for many networked, Java, and Media applications
Full suite of integrated peripherals (such as USB, Ethernet, HDMI, SATA, and SDIO)	Allows for complete connectivity in DTV, BD, STB, and DMA applications.
Turnkey reference designs of connected applications	Highly cost-effective products and fast time-to-market

Applications

Marvell provides a complete go-to-market solution for IP/cable/satellite/terrestrial DTV, STB, DMA, and Blu-ray products:

• High-performance HD media processor
• Optical front-end, HDMI input, component input, tuner/demod, and wifi receiver companion chips
• Comprehensive software development kit enables fast development and customization:
  – Both high-end Android-based and low-end Linux™-based solutions
  – Android™ SDK
  – Google TV
  – Both connected applications and base TV software stacks
  – DVD/VCD/CD-DA navigation
  – HDMV, BD-J stack
  – Ease of OSD customization

Fig 2. DTV System Diagram

Fig 3. STB/DMA System Diagram

Fig 4. Blu-ray Player System Diagram

THE MARVELL ADVANTAGE: Marvell chipsets come with complete reference designs which include board layout designs, software, manufacturing diagnostic tools, documentation, and other items to assist customers with product evaluation and production. Marvell’s worldwide field application engineers collaborate closely with end customers to develop and deliver new leading-edge products for quick time-to-market. Marvell utilizes world-leading semiconductor foundry and packaging services to reliably deliver high-volume and low-cost total solutions.

ABOUT MARVELL: Marvell is a leader in storage, communications, and consumer silicon solutions. Marvell’s diverse product portfolio includes switching, transceiver, communications controller, processor, wireless, power management, and storage solutions that power the entire communications infrastructure, including enterprise, metro, home, storage, and digital entertainment solutions. For more information, visit our Web site at http://www.marvell.com.

Marvell Smart TV Reference Platform [Jan 4, 2012]

Based on Google TV and Marvell ARMADA HD Media Processor

Product Overview

The Marvell® Smart TV reference platform, based on Google TV™ and Marvell’s ARMADA™ high-definition (HD) media processor system-on-chip (SoC), is available to OEMs and ODMs for designing network-connected televisions. The reference design includes Marvell’s HD media processor SoC, TV tuner, and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connectivity chip. The HD media processor SoC is a highly integrated chip consisting of: dual high-performance (1 GHz+) ARM processors to support a PC-like web browsing experience; GPU for rendering HD graphics; secure demux engine for parsing and protecting high-value media content; multi-format HD AV decoder for decoding network AV streams; Qdeo™ processing, including automatic block/noise reduction for rendering best picture quality even for low bit-rate network content; customizable audio post-processor to support Dolby®/SRS audio post-processing routines; and peripherals such as USB, SDIO, and Ethernet. The reference hardware accepts legacy TV inputs such as RF terrestrial/cable, composite video, component video, and VGA and includes 4 HDMI v1.4 ports for capturing 3D video from BD players. One of the HDMI input port supports audio return channel to enable “one cable” connectivity with one home theater receivers. The video output from the platform can be directly connected to drive full-HD LCD panels. The platform supports multiple stereo audio inputs and outputs the processed audio to speakers or PCM/compressed audio to SPDIF/HDMI-ARC.

The package includes a DTV reference design PCB, ATSC/QAM/NTSC middleware, network applications including Google TV/Netflix®/YouTube®/Picasa®, a customizable reference user interface and documentation.

Figure 1: Marvell Smart TV Reference Design

Key Features and Benefits

FEATURES	BENEFITS
Highest performing ARM v6/v7 compatible dual-CPU cores	Fast application launch, PC-like web browsing
Integrated with Marvell’s leading edge TV technologies: – Clear RF – Swift View – Qdeo	RF tuning performance matching legacy can tuners Fast switching between various analog/digital AV inputs High-resolution picture quality for HD, SD and low bit-rate content
Inputs: RF, CVBS, Component, VGA, HDMI, USB, LR Audio Network: Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, Ethernet Output: LVDS, Speaker, Headphone Out, SPDIF	Multiple AV Inputs for connectivity to legacy AV devices and to the network
Reference design with field-proven Marvell connectivity ICs	Lesser integration issues
Google TV OS with marketplace support Network video-on-demand (Netflix, Amazon®) Worldwide DTV middleware support Customizable reference UI	Complete system software to jump start Smart TV design and rollout products to market faster

Block Diagram

Figure 2. Marvell Smart TV System Block Diagram

THE MARVELL ADVANTAGE: Marvell chipsets come with complete reference designs which include board layout designs, software, manufacturing diagnostic tools, documentation, and other items to assist customers with product evaluation and production. Marvell’s worldwide field application engineers collaborate closely with end customers to develop and deliver new leading-edge products for quick time-to-market. Marvell utilizes world-leading semiconductor foundry and packaging services to reliably deliver high-volume and low-cost total solutions.

ABOUT MARVELL: Marvell is a leader in storage, communications, and consumer silicon solutions. Marvell’s diverse product portfolio includes switching, transceiver, communications controller, processor, wireless, power management, and storage solutions that power the entire communications infrastructure, including enterprise, metro, home, storage, and digital entertainment solutions. For more information, visit our Web site at http://www.marvell.com.