SAN JOSE -- Rise Technology Co. here today unveiled its first product--an x86-compatible, system-on-a-chip processor family designed for use in set-top boxes, Internet appliances, and related platforms.
At the same time, Rise and Taiwan's Acer Laboratories Inc. (ALI) announced a multimedia platform solution for set-top boxes that combines Rise's x86-compatible chip and ALI's Aladdin V chip set.
The announcement represents somewhat of a coming out party for Rise. The San Jose-based company made headlines several years ago, when it decided to compete in the mainstream x86-compatible processor market.
But recently, Rise decided to change its strategy by developing x86-compatible, system-on-a-chip products for emerging applications like set-top boxes, among other platforms. Last year, the company demonstrated a pair of x86-based chips for standalone PCs, but it has re-positioned and added new features to the products.
Rise's new product, called the iDragon SCX501, consists of a x86-compatible core, SDRAM interface, graphics subsystem, video input port, TV output encoder, video pipeline, and core logic for PCI, ISA, and IDE interfaces.
The video pipeline performs functions such as interpolative horizontal/vertical filtering, color space conversion, and video window scaling, as well as chroma/color keying for the picture-in-picture function.
"Rise's iDragon processor utilizes smart on-chip power management that enables fanless Internet set-top boxes," said David Lin, chief executive of Rise. "Its three- scalar multimedia architecture boosts the performance factor for multimedia applications. The combination of full x86 compatibility, low power consumption, and superior multimedia performance makes the iDragon mP6 processor the best solution in the Internet set-top box market."
Rise has teamed up with ALI to announced a multimedia platform solution for set-top boxes. "In the post-PC era, or so-called IA Era, the rapidly emerging x86-based IA products are essentially consumer products that require low power consumption and the ability to provide high-quality multimedia performance," said Chin Wu, president of Taipei-based ALI.
Prices of the iDragon products were not disclosed.
RSS
Digital
10 emerging technologies to watch:
EE Times has compiled a list of emerging technologies that we think will be worth watching out for in 2010. Biofeedback or thought-control of electronics are among the contenders.
Hot applications in 2010:
We've compiled a list of 10 technology applications you should watch for in 2010, ranging from e-book readers to 3-D TVs. We examine the features that make these apps so compelling as well unresolved issues.
Top 25 predictions for semis in 2010:
2010 is just beginning to unfold in the electronics industry. Looking into our crystal ball, we have released our own chip forecasts--and other predictions--for 2010.
Seven things to fix in 2010:
The editors of EE Times came up with their own informal list of things we hope engineers fix in 2010, spanning everything from nano-lithography to space travel. What do you want to see get done this year?
'09 moves that are shaping the future:
This was a brutal year, but the industry gets a nod for showing grace under fire. Here's our Top 10 guide to the coming year, illustrating what to expect in 2010.
10 CEOs out in 2009:
It's been a tough year for the global electronics industry and CEOs. We survey the dismissal of 10 industry CEOs during the first three quarters of 2009 and what's ahead for the rest of the year.
Notable women in microelectronics:
There is no better time than a global economic recession to examine the keys to successful corporate governance. So, EE Times has compiled an international list that celebrates women who are business and technology leaders in semis.
EE Times updates Silicon 60:
Seventeen companies have been added to the lastest version of our Silicon 60 list of emerging startups. Forty-three companies survived as emerging companies that are still worth watching.
RSS| 
Digital| 
Mobile
