Broadcom develops digital TV receiver system to meet NTIA’s digital-to-analogue TV coupon program

August 21, 2007 – Broadcom has developed a digital television system targeted at the US National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA’s) digital-to-analogue converter box program.

The program is part of a Federal communications Commission (FCC) initiative, with a budget of $1.5bn, to assist US households in making the transition from analogue TVs to digital by providing coupons to help reduce the cost of digital TV converter boxes.  Television stations in the US are to cease broadcasting analogue signals and only broadcast digital transmissions from February 17, 2009

The Broadcom BCM3543 ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) receiver is designed to receive ATSC high-definition TV signals and convert them to National Television Systems Committee signals.  The unit features on-chip support to convert all ATSC standard and high-definition inputs to 480i output formats for display on analogue TVs. 

“Broadcom is very excited to support the transition from analogue-to-digital broadcasting by enabling our OEM partners to produce and quickly deliver digital-to-analogue converter boxes as part of the NTIA coupon program,” said Dan Marotta, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Broadcom’s Broadband Communications Business Group.