Silicon Image, Inc., a leader in semiconductors and intellectual property for the secure distribution, presentation and storage of high-definition (HD) content, today introduced the SiI9387 port processor and the SiI9334 transmitter, the first semiconductor products to incorporate the latest HDMI® 1.4 specification features for digital television (DTV) and home theatre applications. The new devices offer a richer, more interactive HDMI® entertainment experience by enabling new connectivity applications via Ethernet, such as Silicon Image’s LiquidHD™ technology.
The SiI9387 port processor and the SiI9334 transmitter support the following HDMI 1.4 specification features:
- HDMI Ethernet Channel Devices using these chips will be able to transmit and receive full duplex data at 100Mb/sec over an HDMI cable.
- Audio Return Channel Drives a high quality S/PDIF signal through a single HDMI cable, simplifying connectivity in the home theatre.
- Content Type Bits
Optimize and enhance the HD viewing experience by automatically matching content type to video mode.
Silicon Image’s port processors are platforms for innovation that offer new features, technologies and standards for DTV HDMI ports that go above and beyond the basic HDMI switch function offered by analog switches. Port processors support multiple HDMI inputs and interfaces to the System-on-Chip (SoC) over HDMI technology. In addition to the HDMI 1.4 features, the SiI9387 port processor also supports key differentiating Silicon Image technologies such as InstaPort™ for faster port switching between HDMI-enabled consumer electronics devices, and MHL™ Mobile High-Definition Link technology, a low pin count HD audio and video interface that connects portable electronics devices such as mobile phones, digital cameras, camcorders and portable media players to HDTVs.
The SiI9334 transmitter also supports full 48-bit Deep Color for high-end audio/video receiver (AVR) and Blu-ray Disc™ player applications for exceptional rendering of trillions of colors in stunning detail.
“By integrating the HDMI Ethernet Channel feature of the HDMI 1.4 specification into the SiI9387 we continue to expand our innovations in port processors for DTVs,” said Waheed Rasheed, director of marketing at Silicon Image, Inc. “The HDMI Ethernet Channel simplifies the connectivity infrastructure that enables personal entertainment technologies like LiquidHD to bring new services and applications to the home.”
LiquidHD technology is a suite of protocols that runs over standard IP networks such as the HDMI Ethernet Channel. Designed to quickly and easily connect TVs, consumer electronics devices, personal computers, portable media devices, and home theaters into a seamless network, LiquidHD technology lets consumers enjoy their digital content from any LiquidHD-enabled source device on any LiquidHD-enabled display in the home.
LiquidHD technology over an HDMI 1.4 Ethernet channel provides the foundation for consumer electronics products to become simpler to connect and easier to use. For example, consumers can identify and control source devices connected to the TV, such as a Blu-ray Disc player or a Digital Video Recorder (DVR), using a single remote control. For more information about LiquidHD technology please visit http://www.liquidhd.com.
The SiI9387 port processor and the SiI9334 transmitter are expected to sample in the second half of 2009. For more information on these new devices, as well as the InstaPort and MHL technologies, please visit http://www.siliconimage.com.
