Samsung Integrates Analog to Digital Converter on Single DTV Chip

Second generation chip eliminates analog signal interference in new DTV sets and set-top boxes.

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Seoul, South Korea) has developed the second generation of its technology that receives digital broadcasts on a single chip.

The channel chip, specially processed to eliminate external interference, is essential for receiving digital signals from the tuner and then restoring them as high-quality sound and high-definition images. The second-generation channel chip receives the signal coming from the tuner and processes it in the same quality as it was when it left the broadcasting station.

Samsung's channel chip is a single device consisting of what previously could only be made in two separate chipsets. Moreover, an analog-to-digital converter is built in, greatly improving performance. In addition to receiving and restoring digital signals, Samsung's new device eliminates dynamic multi-path impairment, which has the greatest influence on a DTV's reception performance.

With DTV and analog TV signals now broadcasting simultaneously, analog signals can easily interfere with digital ones. Samsung says its new chip eliminates analog signal interference and corrects any errors in the digital signal that occur during transmission.

The channel chip can be used with all DTV sets, digital set-top boxes and digital cards for PCs and is expected to sell at $30-40 apiece.