Fleet, U.K.: An enhanced version of the FlexiTV broadcast receiver, developed by Mirics Semiconductor Inc., debuted this week at CEATEC Japan. The receiver uses the same silicon hardware that demonstrated what the company claims was the first software-demodulation-based reception of DVB-T, FM, T-DMB, and DAB (unveiled at Computex this past June). Now ISDB-T reception can be added to the mix, too. The new functionality doesn’t place any extra cost to the PC TV receiver’s bill-of-materials (BOM) cost (the PC mini-card solution remains under $5).
Mirics’ FlexiTV is a complete RF, host interface, and software-demodulation solution for the notebook PC platform. It consists of the MSi3101 chip set and a unique software demodulator running on the PC’s main CPU. The MSi3101 combines the company’s low-power multiband reception technology that supports bands from 150kHz (LW) to 1.9GHz (L-band), and an interface chip that converts the tuner output into digital form. The digitized signal, which is suitable for transmission over a USB interface, can then be demodulated and displayed by existing PC system resources, removing the need for a demodulator IC.
CEATEC (Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies) Japan, an IT and electronics trade show, runs through October 4.