[Prev][Next][Index]

TS News - DVB MPEG Encryption Chip Developed

TELE-satellit News, 8 July 1996

DVB MPEG Encryption Chip Developed
  SAN JOSE, California, USA, 96/07/08 (TS) -- VLSI Technology has announced
it has developed a Digital Video Broadcasting compliant encryption chipset
for MPEG-2 digital broadcasting systems. The two-chip combination, the
VES2020X MPEG 2 transport and the VES0010 DVB descrambling engine, are the
latest editions to VLSI's aim to provide a complete silicon set-top chip family.

  The new VES2020X chip can handle MPEG 2 transport streams of up to 60
Mbps, fast enough for use in any system worldwide said the company. Paul
Vroomen, vice president and general manager of VLSI Technology's Consumer
Digital Entertainment Group, explained, "As satellite and cable DTH
(direct-to-home) services, such as Canal+, DIRECTV, PerfecTV, Echostar and
Alphastar expand their deployment, the combination of the VES2020X and the
VES0010 will offer a programmable global solution of decrypted hardware for
protected DVB content."

  Technical specifications for the VES2020X include support for all industry
standard MPEG 2 audio and video decoders, has both serial and parallel input
interfaces, includes an on-chip RISC processing engine, plus on-chip
instruction and data RAM. It handles up to 32 different packet IDs as well
as a bit-maskable section, EMM (entitlement management message) and ECM
(entitlement control message) filtering.

  Up to six pairs of control words obtained from a SmartCard can be stored
on chip for use by the VES0010 DVB descrambling engine.  The VES2020X
supports multiple service providers and conditional access subsystems (CAS)
through VLSI-provided, modular firmware, according to the company.

  The VES2020X is an enhanced version of the VES2020 which can be found
inside the set-top boxes for the Canal Plus and PerfecTV digital packages.

  The second chip announced today is the VES0010, a DVB-compliant
descrambling engine.  This chip is designed to accommodate data streams up
to 78.5 Mbps and is designed to seamlessly interface with the VES2020X. It
can handle the descrambling at either the transport stream or the PES
(packet elementary stream) level, said VLSI.

  Currently the chips are available in sample quantities of 10,000 units at
$30 for a pair with volume production scheduled for August.

  More information can be found at http://www.vlsi.com/ 


(c)TELE-satellit 1996. All rights reserved.
[Other mailing list archives]