From Digital TV News

DECEMBER 27, 2006 - LG Electronics, a leader in consumer electronics and mobile communications, has released a sixth generation digital broadcast receiver chipset for decoding digital broadcasts, both over-air and cable, for TV viewing.

The sixth generation chipset can decode both vestigial sideband, the North American standard for terrestrial digital over-air broadcasts, and quadrature amplitude modulation, the North American standard for digital cable broadcasts. The chipset applies an exclusive algorithm that enhances reception and eliminates multi-path ghosts, a problem in densely populated areas. This chipset is designed for use in televisions, set top boxes and computer digital TV tuner cards.

"Our newest digital television receiver chipset has the best reception in the industry and will play a key role in popularizing digital television and digital broadcasting," said Choon Lee, Vice President and Head of LG Electronics'' Digital TV Research Lab., "This sixth generation chipset once again proves LG''s leadership in the digital TV business by setting a higher standard in digital broadcast receiver chipset."

The reception of this sixth generation chipset is 30 percent better than fifth generation chipset, the current standard, which were released in early 2004. Manufacturing costs for sixth generation chipset have also been reduced thanks to a highly integrated design using 90nm technology.

LG Electronics has always been first to market with new proprietary technology for digital television. LG leads in reception capability and integration technology, and the company also holds the most patents for digital television receiver chipset.

This newest chipset will be integrated into digital televisions sold in the United States, Korea and Canada, which all follow North American standards for digital broadcasting. LG plans to supply digital television makers around the world with its latest generation chipset.


http://www.dtvconsultancy.com/news/items/061227lge.htm

I guess that explains why we're Finally seeing 5th Gen Set Top Boxes ;)

Thanks LG, we all appreciate your business model.

Ken,

Can we speculate what that 30% increase in reception might mean?

For example Peter Putnam in an article at HDTVexpert states that,

"However, no matter how good a receiver design is, you still need a minimum carrier-to-noise level of about 20-25 dBm for that receiver to work – even those using 5th gen chipsets."

http://www.hdtvexpert.com/pages_b/h260f.html

Since my worst channel borders from time to time at the 20 db SNR level and the picture starts breaking up below that on bad days, would 30% better reception mean that a lower signal-to-noise ratio work for consistant reception (say at 15 db)? Then a 6th gen chipset would view my worst channel as comfortably viewable...

In my case I'm not interested in getting additional channels but stabilizing my worst ones. BTW I do have the best antennas cost available (CM 4228 and 91xg).

Is this chip going to be better than LG's?

http://www.xceive.com/press_releases/pr_01082007.htm

Sure sounds good in the press release.

So we do know that the 6th-gen tuner's weak signal reception properties are better than a 5th-gen. But does it have better multipath defense than 5th-gen tuners? Or is it the same as before, or worse?

If both its multipath resistance and long range reception are better, I wonder how long it'll take to get them into external tuner boxes? When a 7th-gen tuner comes out?

I suppose Samsung is working with ATI on their own 6th-gen tuner. I wonder if Panasonic and RCA will license either such tuner for their TVs and DVD recorders.

I suppose Samsung is working with ATI on their own 6th-gen tuner. I wonder if Panasonic and RCA will license either such tuner for their TVs and DVD recorders.


I was wondering the exact same thing.

Since my worst channel borders from time to time at the 20 db SNR level and the picture starts breaking up below that on bad days, would 30% better reception mean that a lower signal-to-noise ratio work for consistant reception (say at 15 db)? Then a 6th gen chipset would view my worst channel as comfortably viewable...
The lower the signal level, the more difficult it is fight multipath, so the answer depends on the true nature of your signal loss. Is it multipath at the razor's edge of reception, or is it insufficient signal? If it's the former, than you're system's performance will likely improve with this new chip. But if it is the latter - insufficient signal - there's a point where the demod chip - any chip - just doesn't have enough signal to work with.

Are there any known products that have the 6th gen LG chip?

Would also be interested in knowing when LG will start putting these into their TVs -- by end of this year, hopefully, or even sooner? We're going to be in the market for a new HDTV this year (soon, perhaps by summer) and it would be great to get the model with this new chip in it....

DGK