Fujitsu today announced the launch of a new full high-definition (HD) multi-standard video decoder LSI for Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) HD broadcasts, that decodes both MPEG-2 and H.264 compression formats in full HD resolution.

Sample shipment of the new LSI, the MB86H60, will start from the end of May 2008.

This LSI is a highly integrated System-on-Chip (SoC) for televisions, set-top-boxes (STBs), and portable receivers and complies with the DVB standard currently used in various regions, mainly Europe. The DVB digital broadcasting standard is used in Europe, Russia, the Middle East, and by some broadcast systems in China, which are currently broadcasting in standard definition(SD) using the MPEG-2 video compression format. Next-generation broadcasts will be in HD, and in Europe it has been decided that H.264 will be the main format to be used. Since the shift to next-generation HD broadcasts in Europe and elsewhere will occur gradually over time, decoder LSIs used in TVs and set-top boxes for these regions need to be able to handle decoding of both MPEG-2 and H.264 formats.

Fujitsu's LSI decodes full HD video compressed in either MPEG-2 or H.264 and integrates on a single chip the necessary processing functions for a HD broadcast receiver, including processing of digital video, audio, and graphics. Also, as the LSI's functions can be employed with the addition of only two 16-bit wide external memory chips, it allows set vendors to reduce their overall costs when designing their TVs and STBs.