As North America takes its first halting steps toward mobile TV, analog mobile TV continues to enjoy its as-of-yet unchallenged position as the world's leading mobile TV format. So given a choice between making news and making money, 3-year-old fabless semiconductor company SiTune built the first version of its new system-on-a-chip (SoC) STN-55T2000 tuner for analog mobile TV.
"Mobile analog TV is a big market," says Gil Heydari, SiTune sales and marketing VP.
Based on the Silicon Valley startup's P2TUNE architecture, the STN-55T2000 is an ultra-low-power (100mW) low-IF (intermediate frequency) tuner with high-performance linearity and sensitivity, according to Heydari. The P2TUNE architecture is configurable for either zero-IF (DVB-T/H, CMMB, ISDB-T) or low-IF (ATSC-M/H, PAL, SECAM, NTSC) standards, enabling SiTune to roll out new products quickly.
"With a two-way structure, you can cover most standards," Heydari says. "But, based on field experience, you have to realize which parameter is important: maximum signal input or noise figure."
SiTune will continue to roll out new products aggressively in the coming year, according to Heydari. Last fall, the company launched both the low-IF STN-25T2000 for ATSC-M/H and analog and the zero-IF STN-10T2000, which covers a wide band from 50MHz to 900MHz.
In addition, SiTune is developing a DVB-T demodulator, an S-band tuner for satellite-to-mobile TV in Dubai and is considering launching a CMMB tuner for the Persian Gulf, North Africa and Middle East. The company is also in negotiations with a "major handset manufacturer" to deploy an ATSC-M/H tuner in North America.
