Sony, IBM, and Toshiba, joint developers, have revealed some details of the Cell chip that will form the basis of the next generation of PlayStation game consoles to be introduced in 2005, and that will also be incorporated into HDTV receiver designs to be introduced in 2006.
The Cell chip differs from its predecessors in that earlier chips incorporated a single processor, and communications outside the processor were not given any special consideration. The Cell chip contains multiple processors running simultaneously, each managing particular tasks. The architecture also permits large amounts of data to be communicated at high speeds over broadband connections.
The capabilities of the Cell chip could permit devices containing it to play games, receive satellite signals, and connect with the Internet, digital cable set-top boxes and other devices. It is expected to display HDTV video and graphics as well.
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