Micronas Boosts Flat Panel Display, CRT 100Hz and Progressive-Scan TV Picture Quality With New Chip Family (0317)

Continues to Expand Product Range to Meet Demand for Improved Picture Quality in High-End TV Sets

Freiburg, July 24, 2003 - Micronas today announced its latest series of chips designed to dramatically improve picture quality and viewing pleasure in high-end TV sets. Representing a new standard in enhanced TV imaging, the leading supplier of semiconductor-based system solutions for consumer electronics, multimedia and automotive electronics, introduced the FRC 942xA series, designed specifically for double-scan TV sets of the highest quality.

"Right now we are seeing strong demand for improved picture quality for flat-panel, CRT 100Hz and progressive-scan display technology," said Johann Weierer, marketing manager video & graphic at Micronas. "This FRC 942xA chip series addresses this consumer demand by removing the blur and judder problems that have proven to be a major stumbling block in the past. In these market segments where picture quality is a key differentiating factor we believe we have established a key competitive advantage."

Deemed to be the new flagship product of Micronas' TV chip and chipset offering, these new chips can be used in double-scan high-end TV sets featuring medium to large screen real flat CRTs (Cathode Ray Tubes) and FPDs (Flat Panel displays) in 4:3 and 16:9 format.

Weierer added, "Like many of our new product introductions, this new family has been designed in a way that works seamlessly with existing Micronas ICs. In this instance, the FRC 942xA series acts as an upgrade to the VSP and VPC series. This gives TV manufacturers the opportunity to easily upgrade their systems with the highest quality motion compensation by just implementing the FRC 942xA into the existing designs."

With the FRC 942xA, Micronas strengthens its leading market position in the double-scan TV market. "Our goal is to provide the ultimate viewing experience for consumers and to help our customers to differentiate on the market place in offering high value products", said Weierer.

The FRC 942xA Key Features

The new series is designed to convert 50Hz (PAL) and 60Hz (NTSC) interlaced formats into the individual requirements of high-end displays, either progressive scan for flat panel and CRT, or field upconversion for 100Hz CRT displays. For both display formats, progressive scan and field upconversion, flexible frame/field rates are supported.

Especially for DVD viewing, the FRC 942xA provides an unique improvement of picture quality. The DVD format usually carries film mode content, recorded in 24 frames per second. This format is very different to camera mode broadcast content usually received over air. Motion compensation is the key to avoid judder, which appears by transforming DVD content into the requirements of high-end displays.

The chips of the FRC 942xA series consist of two main operating blocks: The double-scan upconverter and the display processing unit. Integrated on the double-scan upconverter are the 3D motion detection, the motion estimator, film mode detector, the motion compensation, and three field memories (embedded DRAMs).

The data are passed on to the image processing unit which performs further known image improvement processes including: diagonal line compensation (DLC), horizontal CTI and 2D-LTI, horizontal adaptive peaking, dynamic contrast improvement (DCI) black level expansion, contrast, brightness, saturation TINT control and non-linear color space enhancement (NCE).

The output format panorama scaler provides individual display resolution formats from standard to high definition.

Price and availability

The chips of the FRC 942xA series will be available in the third quarter 2003. The price will be around US$ 25 in high volumes.