Cirrus Logic Launches Feature-Packed, Cost-Effective Home Theater Recorder Chipset

HONG KONG - Cirrus Logic Inc. released its CRD92688-RX reference design, a feature-packed, cost-effective digital home theater recorder chipset platform that leverages Cirrus Logic's leadership position in advanced audio and video integrated circuits ("ICs") and software.

The platform merges Cirrus Logic's leading-edge Class D-based digital amplifier IC together with its reference platform of ICs and software for DVD recorder products, including the CS92688 MPEG-2 encoder, the CS98300 DVD processor, the CS44600 digital amplifier and the CS4344, CS8416 and CS5340 audio converter ICs. This reference design is unique because all digital audio and video processing is performed by the recently introduced CS98300 DVD processor coupled with an on-board DSP engine. This combination is powerful enough to eliminate a separate dedicated DSP required by some competing chipset platforms. By creating a production-ready, cost-effective reference platform for manufacturers, Cirrus Logic allows its customers to speed products into manufacturing and to their retail channels.

"This CRD92688-RX home theater recorder reference design showcases Cirrus Logic's unique breadth of expertise in digital entertainment through its audio and video digital signal processing and analog and mixed-signal converter ICs," said Jack Guedj, vice president of Video Products Marketing, Cirrus Logic. "Advanced and proprietary algorithms have now been posted onto Cirrus Logic's standard DVD recorder reference designs to create this complete home theater recorder hardware/software reference platform."

Cirrus Logic expects that its platform will be manufactured and marketed to consumers as a single product, packaged and sold with home theater-style speakers for multi-channel surround sound, with retail prices raging from $199 to $249, depending upon level of features.

The reference design packs a wealth of consumer features and capabilities. Among them:

-- Support for up to 7.1-channel surround-sound playback,
including support for high-end audio algorithms such as
Dolby(R) Digital, Dolby Digital-Ex, Dolby Pro Logic II, Pro
Logic IIx, DTS(TM), DTS-ES, DTS Neo:6, AAC and MPEG
Multichannel. Cirrus Logic also provides unique algorithms to
support multichannel surround sound from popular standard
compressed audio formats, such as MP3

-- Multitasking ability, such as being able to record from one
source (e.g., television) while viewing or listening to
another audio/video input (e.g., listening to the radio), with
multichannel surround-sound playback

-- DVD record capabilities for both DVD +R+RW and -R/-RW media

-- CD, VCD and DVD playback, including support for DivX(R) and
multiple MPEG-4-based video compression content

-- AMFM radio tuner and digital audio input as an A/V receiver
function

-- DVD-Audio, MP3 and Microsoft Windows Media(R) Audio playback
with multichannel surround sound

Additionally, the robust reference design includes progressive scan playback, composite S-Video and digital video input, a front-panel headphone jack and support for the NTSC, PAL and SECAM broadcast formats. A complete manufacturer's tool kit is available that features hardware, software, bill of materials, schematics, Gerber files and documentation.

Cirrus Logic Inc.
Cirrus Logic is a premier supplier of high-performance analog, mixed-signal and digital processing solutions for consumer entertainment electronics, automotive entertainment and industrial product applications. Building on its global market leadership in audio ICs and its rich mixed-signal patent portfolio, Cirrus Logic targets audio, video and precision mixed-signal applications in these growing markets. The company operates from headquarters in Austin, Texas, with offices in California, Colorado, Europe, Japan and Asia. More information about Cirrus Logic is available at www.cirrus.com .