Philips' single chip PCI video/stereo decoder is first to support Dolby Pro Logic® stereo decoding

New decoder chips from Philips deliver stereo TV to consumer PCs

Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) today announced two new additions to its industry-leading lineup of integrated PCI video/stereo decoders that bring TV reception to consumer PCs worldwide. Designed for high-end applications, one of the new decoders (the SAA7135) is the world's first single-chip PCI video/stereo decoder to support stereo audio enhanced with Dolby Pro Logic® decoding. The SAA7135 reduces the chip count of Dolby-enhanced PC TV cards from three chips to one, enabling cinematic surround sound capabilities for even cost sensitive PC TV applications.

The second chip (the SAA7133) is the world's first PCI video/stereo decoder optimized to support North American and Japanese TV and audio standards. The SAA7133 incorporates high quality, multi-standard video decoding and low-noise stereo decoding in accordance with the US stereo television broadcast and reception standard BTSC-dbx (Broadcast Television Systems Committee), and the corresponding standard for Japan set by the EIAJ (Electronic Industries Association of Japan).

The SAA7133 and SAA7135 are members of a complete family of pin compatible single-chip decoders from Philips that support PC-based applications such as receiving TV broadcasts, video recording and time shifting, video editing, home cinema surround sound, data broadcast reception and instant-access teletext services. The Philips SAA713x family also includes a video/stereo decoder cost-optimized for European applications (the SAA7134), and a low cost video decoder for mono applications (the SAA7130). All of the decoders are fully certified to detect Macrovision's Copy Protection signals to ensure that copyrighted source programs remain copy-protected throughout the entire analog to digital conversion process.

Philips also provides a complete reference design kit for the SAA713x family, including PCB, schematics, design files, and software drivers. Philips drivers have been certified for compatibility with all versions of Microsoft Windows XP through the Microsoft Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL).

Availability

The SAA7133 is now available in volume quantities in a QFP 128 footprint package that is pin compatible with the SAA7130 and SAA7134.

The SAA7135 is currently sampling and will be available in volume quantities in Q4 2002. The SAA7135 is available in a QFP 128 footprint package that is pin compatible with the SAA7130, SAA7133 and SAA7134.