Silicon Image iTMDS

Silicon Image, Inc. announced iTMDS, the next-generation internal link technology for HDTVs. iTMDS enables manufacturers to build high-resolution HDTVs that support 30-bit and 36-bit RGB color depths all while reducing bill of materials (BOM) cost by lowering the cost of ICs, cables, and connectors.

Silicon Image today also announced the first iTMDS products on the market, the SiI 7170 transmitter and SiI 7171 receiver. These ICs offer HDTV internal links the ability to support color depths of up to 36 bits at up to 1080p resolution using only four differential signal pairs. Both ICs are also interoperable and fully compliant in a DVI 1.0 environment. The new products offer a flexible interface and scaleable bandwidth of 25-225MHz pixel rate input. The SiI 7170 and SiI 7171 are a cost-efficient and the forward-looking choice for manufacturers of HDTVs demanding the ability to support high visual fidelity.

"The current interface technologies such as low voltage differential signaling (LVDS) cannot cost-effectively keep up with the increasing performance requirements of HDTV," noted Joseph C. Lee, Director of Product Marketing, PC/Display Products. "Silicon Image's iTMDS technology provides a lower-cost internal interface solution with the bandwidth and scalability to meet the needs of today's and tomorrow's direct view and rear projection HDTV designs."

The new iTMDS technology allows HDTV manufacturers to achieve new level of realistic visual performance with lower costs. iTMDS requires only a single iTMDS channel (consisting of 4 differential signal pairs) to support 1080p resolution and deep color (30-bit and 36-bit RGB color), while the existing LVDS interface requires two to four channels (with up to 14 differential signal pairs) to support the same performance requirements. Because iTMDS uses a fixed single channel configuration, TV designs can leverage a single modular board design for various SKUs using different display engines with varying performance requirements.

The first commercially available consumer products incorporating iTMDS are expected to appear on the market in the first quarter of 2006.

Pricing & Availability
> The SiI 7170 transmitter is currently in production and the SiI 7071 receiver will enter production by the end of January. The chips are priced at $6.00 in 10K quantities. The SiI 7170 is packaged in a thermally enhanced 128-pin MQFP and the SiI 7171 is packaged in a thermally enhanced 128-pin TQFP.

For more information on Silicon Image, visit www.siliconimage.com .