There are currently four major trends driving the development of the video filter market: higher resolution (HD and 1080p HD), mobile video, green environmental protection requirements, and changing output solutions. These trends affect the video output circuit configuration used in devices such as set-top boxes, DVD, Blu-ray, TV, PMP, and mobile phones. Integrated circuit (IC) manufacturers must ensure that their product lines can adapt to these trends. Video filter driver IC is an obvious example, which is enough to explain how IC companies like Fast Semiconductors can use products that can meet these important requirements to comply with the main development trend of the video market. This article will provide some examples to illustrate this development trend.
At present, the four major development trends of the video filter driver market are as follows: 1. Higher resolution, 2. Action video, 3. Environmental protection requirements, and 4. Redesign of the video output scheme. These trends affect the video output circuit configuration used in devices such as set-top boxes, DVD and Blu-ray players / recorders, TVs, personal media players, cameras and mobile phones. With the advancement of digital video technology, the number of video signals sent using HDMI is increasing, but because of the compatibility of the old version, analog video signals still occupy a considerable proportion in the field of video signals between devices. Therefore, the support of analog signals remains a major concern for video equipment manufacturers. IC manufacturers are also actively adapting to these major development trends in the video market, striving to provide video equipment manufacturers with a wider range of product options.
As a supplier of video filter driver ICs, Fast Semiconductor ’s new products are designed specifically for trends such as higher resolution, mobile platforms, 3V power requirements, Energy Star and new channel number configurations. Just look at the plateau products that specifically support these trends, and it is easy to get proof from them. Figure 1 shows a series of products tailored to meet the market's requirements for the number of channels and resolution. When selecting a video filter, the number of channels and resolution are the two most important indicators. Other trends, such as 3V power supply, power-down mode, 1080p HD, and mobility, are also important. It can be clearly seen from the following chart that these products meet the requirements of each of the above trends.
The trends listed in Figure 1 are clear at a glance, except for the 4-channel configuration. So what are the market trends to be met by the 4-channel configuration? The trend it is targeting is to omit dual SD (standard resolution) channels. Dual SD channels have traditionally been used for S-video, and this dual-channel output scheme was initially a major step beyond single-channel composite video (CVBS).
4 channels
With the passage of time and the development of technology, since the performance of 3-channel component video is better than that of S-video (because 3 signals naturally carry more information than two signals), S-video has become somewhat redundant. The introduction of DVDs has enabled component video to be widely adopted because 3 channels can provide higher quality images for DVDs. In fact, S-video has not succeeded in becoming the transition technology between CVBS and component video. As a result, its usefulness has become smaller and smaller, and S-videos have become obsolete. Recognizing this, some manufacturers of set-top box systems have recently begun to remove S-Video support on some products to reduce connectors and circuits, thereby saving costs. In response to this trend, Express Semiconductor has launched the FMS6144A 4-channel SD video filter for the settings of CVBS (single-channel SD) video and component video (3-channel SD) (Figure 2).
Fortunately for designers of video equipment manufacturers, 3-channel component video is very suitable for supporting HD 720p / 1080i (also referred to here as HD), so when this HD situation occurs, the component video output can be easily re-created Configured for 720p / 1080i bandwidth. This means that the filter contains 3 HD channels (30MHz filter), which can support the necessary Y, Pb, Pr signals. Express Semiconductor has several products that can meet HD requirements, the most prominent of which are FMS6363A (3-channel HD) and FMS6346AE (3-channel HD + 3-channel SD). If we consider the intersection of the trend of removing S-video and the trend of HD, a new 4-channel configuration emerges, of which 3 HD channels are used for component video and 1 SD channel is used for CVBS . The intersection of this market trend can be clearly seen from Figure 4.
However, not all system manufacturers have removed the S-video function so quickly, and full 6-channel output support is still necessary, especially for higher-end products. It is easy to see these 6 channels from Figure 5, 1 for CVBS (yellow), 3 for component video signals (Y-green jack, Pb-red jack, Pr-blue jack), 2 One for S video signal (black multi-pin jack). FMS6346AE is very suitable for this full range of output.
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