Still constrained by a bandwidth logjam, set-top-box manufacturers are asking for a PC-like interface to promote interactivity, and silicon makers are continuing to respond.

Both C-Cube Microsystems and Zilog Inc. recently announced products and partnerships to provide set-top boxes with the type of graphics-rich environment usually found in a PC.

"When you look back at the original purpose of set-top boxes in the early 1990s, they were originally designed to be interactive, two-way means of communication," said Jonathan Cassell, an industry analyst with San Jose-based Dataquest Inc. "But the success of set-top boxes has been in the satellite space, such as DBS [Direct Broadcast Satellite]."

Because there has been no effective means of sending information back to the point of origin, two-way interactivity has not been attainable. To compensate, Cassell said, set-top makers are asking for a PC-like user interface, with graphics-intensive menus and video windows.

To address these issues, Milpitas, Calif.-based C-Cube has announced its AViA family, extending the graphics architecture first introduced in its CL91XX family of MPEG-2 transport multiplexers and video decoders. The AViA GTX and DMX are the first steps into what C-Cube calls "graphical transport I/O," an integrated transport solution that can be used with a multitude of transport mechanisms including DBS, switched digital video, or microwave multipoint distribution.

"In 1998 we're going to see the next step, an enhanced set-top box that could offer DVD, Internet access, 3-D graphics, and more," said Edward Silva, product marketing manager for C-Cube. Set-top makers may also opt for a modular construction using an IEEE 1394 interface that might require that type of I/O, Cassell said.

Both the GTX and DMX provide a smart-card interface, a PowerPC/Motorola 68000 processor interface, and an infrared receiver interface. The GTX adds 16-bit- per-pixel graphics, which can be overlaid upon a full-screen red-green-blue video window. In addition, the AViA-502 and AViA-500 offer a combination of MPEG-2 and AC-3 video/audio decoding. No information on price was given.

Zilog, Campbell, Calif., recently announced two deals that promote graphics- rich television interfaces. The first, signed with Hirotech Corp., Tokyo, is a cooperative agreement to develop a graphics-display chip for icon-driven menus. Use of Hirotech's pixel graphics technology promises to eliminate additional DRAM for frame buffering, executives said.

In addition, Zilog signed a similar technology agreement with TeleCruz Technology Inc., Campbell, Calif., to pair Zilog's Z90700 TV controllers with TeleCruz's GTV architecture.

Source: Electronic Buyers' News