Samsung Electronics used Linux and a MIPS-based SoC (system-on-chip) to build a portable digital TV. The LMD10A-51W mobile Digital Multimedia Broadcast TV (DMB-TV) has a 10-inch WVGA (800×480) screen, and supports T-DMB broadcasts as well as DivX, XviD, WMV, and MPEG files.

(Click for larger view of Samsung DMB-TV)

The Samsung DMB-TV is a stylish, portable device capable of receiving T-DMB (terrestrial digital multimedia broadcast) television. T-DMB is a CIF-resolution (352 x 288) digital video broadcasting technology based on OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing), with a bitrate of 1.2Mbps. The standard is gaining momentum in Europe and parts of Asia, but is not available in the U.S., due to spectrum overlap with VHF TV channels 7 through 13.

Besides tuning in digital video, the Samsung DMB-TV can play back audio/video files encoded in a variety of formats. Supported codecs include DivX, XviD, WMV, and MPEG-1, -2, and -4, as well as the H.264 codec used in T-DMB.

Samsung LMD10A-51W gallery
(Larger images available at MDigi.net) (Chinese)
What's under the hood?

The Samsung DMB-TV is based on a Raza Microelectronics Inc. (RMI) Alchemy Au1200, a MIPS-based SoC for portable media players, originally launched by AMD in January of 2005. RMI acquired AMD's Alchemy line in June of last year, and in October obtained DivX certification from DivX Ltd. for the Au1200.

Au1200 block diagram
According to Chris Keil, senior director of corporate marketing at RMI, the Samsung DMB-TV has either 64MB or 128MB of RAM, and an unknown amount of flash, expandable via an internal SD card slot. I/O includes USB and SDIO, Keil says.

On the software side, the DMB-TV uses a 2.6-series Linux kernel. Keil adds, “We think [it uses the] kernel framebuffer, [because] that is what we provide.”

Ki-Young Jang, of Samsung, stated, “The strong efforts that RMI has taken to work with us on this product development is what we look for from our vendors.”

Samsung also selected the Au1200 for its SPF-71V Digital Photo Frame, based on a Microsoft Windows CE operating system, RMI says.

Availability

Availability and pricing for the Samsung DMB-TV were not disclosed. RMI demonstrated the Samsung DMB-TV at the CES tradeshow in Las Vegas this week (photo).

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