TriMedia finds a TV home

Electronic News, Dec 8, 1997 by Peter Brown

SAN JOSE, CALIF.--Philips Semiconductors' TriMedia, a multi-functional programmable digital signal processor (DSP) with VLIW technology, is finally winning customers. In 1994 when a group was formed to design and market the device, the company called it a new type of chip and technology labeled as a media processor (EN, Aug. 15, 1994). However, from the time of its conception until just a few months ago, TriMedia-based consumer electronics products have been few and far between.

As Philips Semiconductor's parent company has suffered through declining profits, the group was forced to make many changes, trying to find application niches where a media processor would be well suited. Philips finally narrowed the focus of TriMedia, concentrating on three key applications: digital television (DTV), videoconferencing and general purpose consumer products such as video editors and digital cameras (EN, Nov. 24).

Finally, after Philips had to contend with financial woes during three years of development, TriMedia is considered by Philips Semiconductors as the flagship of the company's product portfolio, with a considerable investment currently being made within the group to deliver in its three key product areas, according to Cees Hartring, general manager of the group,.

"In this quarter Philips has begun to see some real sales, and next quarter we expect to be in volume production with numerous OEMs," said Mr. Hartring. "We are ramping up the processor and should be in a steady situation for the first quarter of next year. Samples for the first development on the TriMedia will begin in the first quarter as well."

However, industry observers believe there will be other media processors competing in similar areas where TriMedia is expecting strong sales, including the digital TV market. One of these companies could include Texas Instruments which may bring its 'C6x digital signal processor to the table. Another competitor is Chromatic Research with its current Mpact 2, and planned future generations of media processors.

Targeting Digital TV

The DTV market is a big target for Philips' TriMedia processor. The company is laying plans for high definition TV (HDTV) and standard definition TV (SDTV). Here too, Philips will face stiff competition from multiple vendors, including Motorola, SGS-Thomson, and Sony Semiconductor, that will soon be rolling out DTV chips of their own.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently established a time line for DTV implementation. Currently, DTV content is being broadcast on an experimental basis in several television stations in the U.S. and, by the year 2000, it is anticipated that more than 50 percent of the people in the U.S. will be able to receive DTV content. By 2003 all commercial stations will be broadcasting digital content and by 2006 the FCC will require commercial stations to stop broadcasting NTSC analog signals.

Digital television allows a digital signal to come into a television via cable, antenna or satellite. This digital signal can then be utilized for three different services that a normal analog television would not be able to perform. The first is high definition pictures that are claimed by proponents to project the highest resolution pictures available. The second is utilizing the digital signal to provide DTV multicasts--splitting the signal into multiple channels on the same signal--enabling hundreds of commercial broadcast stations that previously were not available. The third aspect is using the digital signal for new services in the areas of data communications, video conferencing and highspeed modem access.

"When I look at the media processor I think it is well suited for digital TV because of the abilities a media processor brings to the table," said Jonathan Cassel, analyst at San Jose-based market research firm Dataquest. "DTV is not only going to be video and audio but have interactive components and even Internet access. To enable these other features you need a processor that is able to handle this load of performance. Media processors can do this."

Originally, TriMedia was to be integrated into a variety of home applications such as video phones, digital TV and PCs that could use video, graphics, and digital audio in a programmable platform. Despite its new emphasis, Philips claims the target for the TriMedia project has not changed.

"Our vision for the chip has not changed at all. These initial focuses are just a way to use the resources available until we arrive there," said Mr. Hartring. "If you take DTV for example, it will have all kinds of functions such as web browsing, DVD (digital video disc) and such. Yet these aren't available now. So we use parts of the chip to do other things by changing the software. We believe TriMedia will be used as an all-in-one chip but the market does not need that at this time."

Finding The First Customer

TriMedia found its first customer about a year and a half ago when it signed an agreement with InVision Interactive to port the TriMedia 1 processor to videoconferencing and modem applications (EN, June 17, 1996). Later that year, TriMedia went off in a different direction by introducing the Big Cats video graphics controllers that the company said were to be coupled with the TriMedia 1 processor for further penetration into the consumer electronics market.