Satnews Daily
December 21st, 2011

Entropic Communications... 3G Silicon For Tuners (SatBroadcasting™)


[SatNews] This leading provider of silicon and software solutions to enable connected home entertainment has announced its third generation (3G)....

....Channel Stacking Switch (CSS) silicon, the EN5288. Used in single cable satellite installations, the new silicon is cost optimized for four tuner applications and offers low power consumption and industry leading performance. The EN5288 has been specifically designed to address single family home (SFH) requirements of the global direct broadcast satellite (DBS) market and offers the lowest bill of material (BoM) component count, smallest package size and is Entropic's most power-efficient CSS product to date.

Entropic's CSS Integrated Circuits (ICs) significantly reduce both the cost and the cabling complexity of DBS installations. Unlike traditional satellite installations, which require a unique cable for each tuner from the satellite dish to the STB, Entropic's CSS technology enables delivery of multiple video streams from individual or multiple satellites into the home over a single cable. This single cable architecture simplifies cabling to make the deployment of STBs, with multiple tuner capabilities, in multiple rooms, a very cost effective installation and virtually eliminates retrofitting and the need to punch through walls. Additionally, Entropic's CSS technology simplifies plug and play for STB upgrades and allows all levels of installers, from professional to consumers, to reuse existing cabling to quickly setup an in-home DBS system. The new CSS IC, embedded in a low noise block (LNB), was developed to address the growing multi-tuner, multi-viewing location home. As the adoption of HD and DVR devices increases in the home, so does the number of tuners. The EN5288 is cost optimized to support four tuners in the home, but also offer scalability to support up to 12 tuners down a single coaxial cable.