STMicroelectronics, a leader in semiconductor solutions, has demonstrated its broad range of set top box (STB) solutions in the recently held Broadband & IPTV Asia Exhibition last May 15 and 16 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. On display were the STi7105 and STi7108—- next generation HD, AVC STB decoder series with 3D graphics acceleration, running on the Orly platform, which has ARM Cortex A9 architecture, and automation and transcoding/decoding, noise reduction, picture quality enhancement, and Wi-Fi connection features.

Targeted at the satellite, terrestrial, and IP-STB markets, the STi7108 SoC has a dual core architecture and 3D graphics processor. Touted as the next generation of HD and AVC set-top box decoders, the STi7108 provides a solution for operators to specify a range of high-performance, MPEG2/H.264/VC-1 STBs. The STB decoder is used with zappers, IP clients, DVR standalone, and DVR server/home network STBs, especially where true 3D graphics is required. Content delivery is possible using broadcast or broadband networks, or both (hybrid STBs). The STi7108 is also targeted at next generation DLNA compatible Blu-ray (BD) and HD Media players.

Expounding on its advantages in STBs, Boey Taik Boon, corporate communication manager at STMicroelectronics said "One processor is used for the applications needed by the service provider as the middleware and another for the hardware drivers, giving a lot of CPU time for the applications, hence better user interface."

Meanwhile, the STiH207 and STiH208 Soc for STBs have an advanced dual HD AVC processor along with an integrated low power standby controller. These solutions are targeted at the advanced decoding STB markets across all global networks such as cable, satellite, DTT, x-DSL and IP. It is suitable for advanced security and retail enterprises.

The performance of the Orly STiH416 SoC, targeted for STB and home media server platforms, was demonstrated through the OPERA store, a Norwegian browser company. A similar demonstration was done on GIGABYTE's browser Android-based platform. The Orly A\V decoder is claimed to support open standard application development platforms such as Google Android, Adobe AIR, and HTML 5.