MaxLinear, Inc. (NYSE: MXL), a leading provider of radio frequency (RF), analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits for the connected home, wired and wireless infrastructure, and industrial and multimarket applications, announced a reference design with Gospell Digital Technology for the industry’s first complete system solution allowing satellite TV operators to deploy advanced, multichannel 4K/UHD and HD services with a scalable, cost-effective hardware and software platform.
The new reference platform from Gospell combines MaxLinear’s MxL80x satellite RF downconverter and MxL862 digital channel stacking switch (dCSS) ICs. The solution is targeted at small- to-mid-size satellite operators worldwide.
Traditionally, universal single and twin LNBs have been used by operators with single-tuner zapper and dual-tuner PVR set-top boxes to deliver simple, broadcast satellite TV to a single user or home. SNL Kagan (2017) projects that more than 97 percent of the estimated 33 million global set-top box shipments in 2017 will be single- and dual-tuner boxes.
However, with the recent mass proliferation of consumers viewing video content on their mobile phones, combined with advancements in home networking technology and a multitude of HD-capable video screens in homes today, consumers are demanding the ability to watch, record and time-shift multiple channels whenever and wherever they choose.
Such services previously required highly customized, expensive equipment that only the largest service providers could justify. Now, with the commercial availability of highly integrated Ku-downconverter, dCSS LNB, and single-chip Full-Spectrum Capture™ (FSC™) satellite frontend ICs from MaxLinear, it’s possible for operators to develop advanced technology solutions within a modest capital expense budget.
The latest dCSS LNB and PVR STB solution from Gospell includes the following features:
- 32-user band dCSS LNB
- Software programmable channel grid and bandwidth
- Single cable (Unicable) distribution from LNB to the home
- Four-tuner PVR STB with fast channel change, recording and streaming functions
- 4K/UHD decoding and watch plus record multiple channels
- Transcoding and streaming to portable Wi-Fi devices
“We put a high value on innovation and creating the next-generation of satellite products, and the opportunity to enable our customers to provide such high-quality services targeting a brand-new market is very exciting to us,” said Zhao Mulin, Vice General Manager of Gospell Digital Technology Co., Ltd. “The technology from MaxLinear allowed our engineers to develop this leading-edge solution.”
“This reference design is important because it provides a complete system solution for smaller satellite operators,” said Will Torgerson, Vice President & General Manager of the Broadband Group at MaxLinear. “Gospell is an ideal partner for this project because they’ve been able to leverage multiple MaxLinear technologies into cost-effective solutions that will drive new revenue streams for their customers.”
