News & Analysis
Silicon Image pushes 'connectivity co-processor' for TV
Junko Yoshida
1/24/2011 5:53 PM EST
NEW YORK – Silicon Image is “going back to the future” – literally and figuratively. With Camillo Martino at its helm, Silicon Image is putting its focus back on the company’s core competency: serial connectivity.
In parallel, the Sunnyvale, Calif. company is also planning to introduce to TV architecture what the company calls “a connectivity co-processor, something akin to the southbridge on a PC motherboard,” according to Martino. Matino became Silicon Image’s CEO a year ago after Steve Tirado abruptly resigned in Sept., 2009.
Camillo Martino, CEO at Silicon Image
In a recent EE Times interview at the Consumer Electronics Show, Martino acknowledged that, “Looking back, I think we [Silicon Image] were trying to become somebody that we are not.”
He added: “During 2007 and 2009, we took our eyes off our core business – connectivity. We were making a secondary type of decisions in that area.”
Under Martino, gone are Silicon Image’s previous flagship efforts known as LiquidHD (originally unveiled at CES in 2009 with much fanfare).
Brand-new projects at Silicon Image, since Martino’s arrival, include an initiative around a “connectivity co-processor.”
Silicon Image had developed LiquidHD, an IP-based home networking solution consisting of a suite of protocols and a new partitioning of functionality for devices. Its goal was to sort out the thorny interoperability issue of digital content distribution at home, a project clearly too big for Silicon Image’s capabilities. Today, the web site (http://www.liquidhd.com/), originally developed for the LiquidHD Adopter Program, no longer functions.
In contrast, Silicon Image’s connectivity co-processor is focused on meeting the desire of many TV manufacturers who want to transform today’s “not-so-intelligent TVs to smart TVs,” Martino explained. For that, connectivity will become a key building block.
As a growing number of connectivity standards (which are both numerous and in a constant state of evolution) are popping up on the consumer electronics device market, “it is a real challenge for most SoC vendors to keep up,” said Martino. “Unless you are one of those companies like Broadcom, MediaTek or Mstar, enabling every new connectivity capability in your SoC is too big an investment to make.”
How exactly does Silicon Image try to define a “connectivity co-processor”?
Calling the connectivity co-processor conceptually close to the southbridge on a PC motherboard, Martino explained that there is a demand for a co-processor that can flexibly address the elusive nature of constantly changing connectivity technologies.
Connectivity blocks relevant to CE devices, in Martino’s mind, include everything from HDMI, MHL, Ethernet, USB to Bluetooth and a host of other wireless standards.
Decoupling connectivity elements from an SoC could also create a level-playing field for chip vendors and OEMs, many of whom are Silicon Image’s customers. If one could integrate a connectivity co-processor that addresses a multiple connectivity standards, “this will only drive more standards-based wireless and wired connectivity,”
said Martino.
Does this mean that Silicon Image hopes to become the ultimate arbitrator of standards for connectivity co-processors?
No, said Martino. “We don’t have any hidden agenda here. We want to be a Switzerland [in the connectivity debate].”
Next: Broadcom: 'Why choose?'
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Robotics Developer
1/24/2011 7:58 PM EST
After reading the entire article I am still not sure what Silicon Image intends to do. I can understand the connectivity co-processor concept: create a controller that can handle the various protocols needed (Ethernet, wifi, wireless, USB, Bluetooth, etc.) but what will they do with all this connected data? Will they provide a new standard interface for others to follow and use? I am wondering just how this will work. Anyone else?
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junko.yoshida
1/24/2011 8:11 PM EST
To be clear, Silicon Image has not described this in detail. However, that said, if this "network co-processor" is to work with different SoCs, there has to be a "standard" interface. Remember, Silicon Image is not only a chip company that has built its fortune on HDMI, but it is also an IP vendor. I am sure that this will have a good IP angle for them to make money.
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Dave.Dykstra
1/25/2011 12:59 AM EST
Although there are a number of details not yet clear in this, it looks like the concept is simply to try to enable a way to connect to whatever is there now and, hopefully, to whatever comes next. Manufacturers have gotten good at connecting to whatever is there at the time of design, but that just means that the interface is out of date shortly. If updating the interface can be made as simple as changing (or adding) a connector and updating some firmware, that is a huge jump in the design and manufacturing process.
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elctrnx_lyf
1/25/2011 7:36 AM EST
Silicon Image is losing their edge after actually inventing the TMDS and DVI technologies long ago. But now the Display port is already taking over as connectivity interface for any display in the industrial market. Probably Silicon Images are trying to come up with some thing in the tough times.
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goafrit
1/26/2011 8:03 PM EST
"Does this mean that Silicon Image hopes to become the ultimate arbitrator of standards for connectivity co-processors?"
That is a key question. This market remains clouded but if they execute, they have a chance here
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prabhakar_deosthali
1/27/2011 12:41 AM EST
This co-processor concept is really ideal way to protect the basic TV from becoming obsolete. With so many new connectivity standards and media getting introduced in the market everyday, that this is the best way for the consumers to protect their investment. In India when PC was a very costly affair, my company had developed a TV with a co-processor. This co-processor used the teletext memory of the Basic TV chip-set to convert the TV into a Character display. We had put in the Electronic diary like features and a BASIC interpreter into the co-processor firmware and the QUERTY like keyboard on the back of remote. This concept was instantly popular and we did good business with it till the PC prices crashed down.
The co-processor concept can be leveraged by other companies to design their own co-processors as the enw connectivity standards come into vogue.
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kinnar
1/27/2011 1:05 PM EST
This product will surely pitch with low and midrange TV Sets manufacturers, most of them are masters in analog electronics and adding some new feature connected with top of the line connectivity and protocols would not be feasible for them, a complete solution like this for connectivity will surely attract them for diversified connectivity.
Truly Great Idea from Silicon Image.
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ocarmona1
1/29/2011 12:01 PM EST
For those looking at adding connectivity to an existing "dumb" TV, the best approach is to provide bolt-on board such as Foster, AwoX connected TV module. Adding a connectivity chipset means a lot of integration, a bolton board using existing standard bus in "dumb" TV is quicker and enable late production differentiation...
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