Category: Google TV

Nvidia Tegra X1 Shield Android TV Box

Posted by – June 4, 2015

Nvidia has launched their Nvidia Tegra X1 Octa-core ARM Cortex-A57/53 big.LITTLE based Nvidia Shield Android TV Home Console Set-top-box with their 256-core Maxwell GPU for and impressive 4K gaming experience. Right now due to Android limitations the gaming is limited at 30 frames per second, but this could be pushed to 60 frames per second through a firmware update if Android TV will support it soon enough, the Maxwell 256-core GPU should support it. Advanced Android games look quite good, it plays back 4K video.

Geniatech launches Android 5.0 powered MyGica ATV1900ac and ATV586

Posted by – April 24, 2015

As you can see that they were preparing Android 5.0 launch in my previous video below posted a couple of months ago, Geniatech is now ready to launch their Android 5.0 Android TV players, in the form of the MyGica ATV1900ac and the ATV586 with Digital TV (DVB-T2 or ATSC).

Distributors can contact MyGica at: sales@mygica.com

MyGicaATV1900ac

Android 5.0 Lollipop Android TV UI on Allwinner A80 Octa-core big.LITTLE ARM Cortex-A15/7

Posted by – December 2, 2014

This is a preview release of Android 5.0 Lollipop running on the powerful 8-core A80 TV box showing off some games running on the 64-core PowerVR G6230 GPU, the Android TV Remote Control app controlling the A80 TV box from any Android device, Google Cast casting YouTube video to the screen which means it becomes a Chromecast receiver and the Enhanced Google Voice Search using microphone, which are just some of the advantages of Google’s Android TV UI for Android 5.0 Lollipop. I especially think that the most important thing about Android TV is Google’s support, them pushing for more gamepad controlled games, more TV-centric entertainment apps for streaming more video-on-demand, and an overall improvement of Android for TV usage. Support for Android TV UI on Android 5.0 I think can accelerate the success of the Android Set-top-box market.

Current A80 TV box hardware specs:
8-core ARM A7/A15 CPU
64-core PowerVR Rogue GPU
2GB DDR3
16/32GB EMMC
SPDIF out, CVBS in, HDMI out, DC power in, LAN Ethernet in, SATA (optional)
WiFi Dual Band 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac + BT 4

ARM Set-top-box industry overview by Informa analyst

Posted by – March 31, 2014

ARM overtakes MIPS in the Set-top-box market as most of the Set-top-box SoC makers are showing ARM solutions, it’s about the ecosystem, about the platform, Android, Google TV, RDK, Wyplay, all of these user interfaces are being optimized for ARM, bringing cheaper and better more advanced and more powerful devices all at the same time. The TV market is bigger than the Web, as people still spend a lot more time watching TV than browsing the web in average. And the new features enabled by ARM, Android and other platforms, enable a lot more video-on-demand and other forms of interactivity on the TV.

Sigma Designs SMP8756 ARM for Android Set-top-boxes

Posted by – March 30, 2014

Sigma Designs, a leading provider of System-on-Chip (SoC) solutions for home entertainment, control, connectivity and converging multimedia delivery, launches its new High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC)-capable SMP8750 family ARM Processors for Set-top-boxes. Combining the HEVC compression standard with a high performance ARM Cortex A9, ARM Mali-400 GPU, the SMP8756 enables Sigma Designs to offer more performance, a better user experience and full video quality for the Set-top-box market.

Sigma SMP8756 features HEVC’s Main-10 profile allowing processing of up to 10 bit color samples accepted as the standard for 4Kx2K, OTT (over the top) and IPTV content. The SMP8750 family will support FHD and 4K resolutions. The new SMP8750 family offers SoCs at multiple cost and performance combinations allowing each SoC to offer optimal performance to price ratio for multiple STB platforms from zappers, PVR capable, Hybrid-broadcast and IPTV STBs.

The SMP8750 family migrates robust STB SoC components like broadcast TS processing, OTP and security infrastructure paired with an ARM A9 CPU and Mali GPU. The single-core ARM A9 CPU and 3000 DMIPS of application processing along with a Mali GPU combine to provide a dramatic performance profile for new 3D user interfaces, over-the-top and casual gaming applications. Incorporating Sigma’s industry-proven technologies such as secure media processing, multi-format Full-HD video decoding, VXP display processing, and field-proven AV software core, the SMP8756 is able to provide premium quality video experience. A software SDK is available for either Linux or Android platform development. Future certification of CAS technologies like Verimatrix and Nagravision are planned.

The chipset also demonstrates ecosystem compatibility, leveraging the widely supported ARM processing core, OpenGL ES, HTML-5 and others to ensure that a broad range of existing applications will run including a wide range of hardware and software extensions to support the system solutions; including global tuner/demodulator standards, wired and wireless network controllers, DTV middleware stacks and IPTV middleware ports, such as Wyplay and OpenTV.

The SMP8756 comes with a full Software Suite, including libraries and services packaged under both Linux and Android development kits for rapid development. It incorporates managed power consumption, developed for both US and European regulatory compliance and is developed to a minimal R-BOM to allow smaller footprint and lower cost implementations.

STMicroelectronics Set-top-box ARM Processors: STiH312 Cannes and STiH412 Monaco


ST’s latest ARM Powered System-on-Chips supporting Android, Google TV (now Android TV), rdk, ST presents their STiH312 client-box and STiH412 server-box product families, codenamed ‘Cannes’ and ‘Monaco,’ respectively, they integrate Faroudja technology to decode and display video up to Ultra HD 4K (2160p) and the next-generation H.265 / HEVC video compression. Even supporting video transcoding (for local and remote streaming from the Set-top-box to Tablets, Smartphones, etc) STMicroelectronics presents their Dual core ARM Cortex-A9 (on 28nm process) with quad-core Mali-400 GPU does Quad-HD Ultra HD 4K HEVC video decoding, combined with Faroudja video processing technology (decoding on Cannes, decoding and transcoding on Monaco), advanced security supporting concurrent conditional access and DRM, wide connectivity, including USB 3.0, PCI-e, SATA and Gigabit Ethernet, Dedicated interfaces to a range of companion front-end solutions, including MoCA 2.0, DOCSIS 3.0, satellite and 802.11ac WiFi and more.

Sree Kotay, Comcast Chief Software Architect about starting the Linaro Home Group for optimizing Linux for the ARM Powered Set-top-box


Radically revamping the device development model for Carrier class operators with ARM and Linaro. Comcast? Software? Isn’t that an oxymorom? See how the open source community and modern development models are re-shaping the feature velocity and security models for embedded devices like set-top-boxes, cable modems and gateways. Competing in the modern landscape means building products and experiences that compete with a new breed of innovators. Comcast’s SVP, Engineering and Operations and Chief Software Architect will provide insight into how its reinvented its technology stack and product line.

my interview with him:

The new Linaro Home Group is about optimizing ARM Linux for Multimedia Set-top-boxes. Here’s my interview with Sree Kotay, Comcast Chief Software Architect about how Comcast is interested in working with Linaro to optimize Linux on the ARM Powered Set-top-box.

and his keynote video is here:

Qualcomm, Mediatek, ZTE, Allwinner and Comcast join Linaro


George Grey, CEO of Linaro, the not-for-profit engineering organization consolidating and optimizing open source Linux software and tools for the ARM architecture, announces that Qualcomm, Mediatek, ZTE, AllWinner and Comcast are joining Linaro to work together on bringing Linux on ARM forward together. They are joining the existing Linaro member companies who are ARM, HiSilicon, Broadcom, Fujitsu, LG, Samsung, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments, AMD, AppliedMicro, Canonical, Cavium, Cisco, Citrix, Enea, Facebook, Freescale, HP, LSI, Marvell, Montavista, Nokia Solutions and Networks, Red Hat and IBM who all are contributing engineers to all be working together to improve Linux on ARM for Mobile, Enterprise (servers), Networking, and now also for Home (Set-top-box) usage with the Internet of Things potentially also to be supported. Linaro just held its Linaro Connect Asia here in Macau this week and I will be posting many videos from there, interviewing Linaro engineers about some of the latest Linux hacking work they are doing to speed up all ARM Powered devices.

Marvell Armada 1500 powers Android TV and Chromecast

Posted by – January 21, 2014

Marvell Video R&D Software Architecture Team Leader Gaurav Arora talks about how Marvell and Google deliver the ARM Powered Google TV, now renamed Android TV on the dual-core Marvell Armada 1500-Plus, how the extremely popular and successful Chromecast runs on the single-core Marvell Armada 1500-Mini. Marvell also shows their new quad-core Marvell Armada 1500 Pro HD to be released in devices Q2 2014 running Android TV. Google is bringing the TV into the mainline ARM Powered Android releases, that is why they now brand it Android TV. The app package included on Android TV is called the Android TV GMS Package, includes apps like YouTube, Amazon, Hulu, Netflix and everything else optimized for the TV. The apps are designed for a 10-foot experience remote control user interface.

Greg Kroah-Hartman at Linaro Connect 2013

Posted by – March 6, 2013

Greg Kroah-Hartman of the Linux Foundation, Maintainer of the Linux Stable releases, talks about what he is doing at Linaro Connect 2013.

Marvell Google TV solution used by HiSense, TCL, Asus, Netgear launched at CES 2013

Posted by – January 9, 2013

Marvell’s ARM Powered Google TV solution is ramping up usage among set-top-box and HDTV makers.

Become a $20/year Member of ARMdevices.net


You can now become a Member of ARMdevices.net for $20/year.

For that you get:

1. Pictures/scans of business cards to all the companies that I video interview at trade shows around the world.

2. Buy some of the best value ARM Powered devices that I find, when I can get the manufacturer to agree to sell them at a good price directly to members. Consider those sample sales, but you can buy many also, and contact the manufacturer directly if you’d like to import a larger quantity. I expect to be able to provide members with some of the worlds most interesting ARM Powered tablets, laptops, HDMI Sticks, Set-top-boxes, E-readers, game players, development boards, robots, and more. Check for a status on available devices in the Members Store.

Thanks for supporting my work.

Read more about why you should become a Member of ARMdevices.net here.

LG Google TV

Posted by – September 2, 2012

Available in the USA, LG’s dual-core ARM Powered Google TV solution is going to be released to more countries at Google TV becomes available worldwide.

Geniatech HDMI stick and AmLogic AML8726-MX Dual-core Set-top-box


Geniatech probably is one of the lead partners of AmLogic in the Set-top-box space, here also presenting the first AmLogic based HDMI stick.

AdLink OMAP4430/OMAP4460 Android Set-top-box


This is perhaps one of the first makers to use the TI OMAP4430 and later OMAP4460 in a set-top-box.


[s2If !is_user_logged_in()]

Logged-in Members of ARMdevices.net ($50/year) can see the full contact information for this company from the business card here. Become a Member Now!
[/s2If]
[s2If is_user_logged_in()][/s2If]

The Inevitable Convergence, Exynos 4412 getting too powerful for just being in a phone, SGS3 needs to use MHL for ICS+Chrome OS+Google TV

Posted by – May 6, 2012

The new 32nm Exynos 4412 1.4Ghz Quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 with Quad-core Mali-400 (probably cranked up at a higher frequency than before) launched by Samsung in the Galaxy S3 looks to be totally amazing. It may be one of the absolute fastest ARM Processors to date. That brings awesomely smooth and fast Android 4 ICS user interfaces on the gorgeous 4.8″ 1280×720 pentile Super AMOLED HD screen. And with advances in Android, new features using hardware acceleration, they’ll always find a way to put to use the extra performance. But if these newest ARM Processors now come with enough memory bandwidth to run a full Laptop as smoothly as using x86, if these newest ARM Processors can run 1080p Set-top-box user interfaces at 60fps on any 55″ HDTV, if these newest ARM Processors have amazing GPU power that can in theory run console quality games even on a 1080p HDMI, then why aren’t there accessories and docks to allow for that? Why didn’t Samsung announce a range of Laptop Docks and Google TV docks for the Galaxy S3?

Here’s my quick concept image for an MHL LapDock accessory that I’d like to see accessory makers sell on the market at $99-$149 depending on the quality/size, it should be similar to the Motorola LapDock 500 Pro but designed for MHL phones:

MHL enables a new market for LapDocks similar to the Motorola Atrix series, where you dock your smartphone and it powers your ARM Powered Chrome OS Ultrabook, Google TV Set-top-box and Home Console.

I think it is important to notice the huge leap in performance year/year of these latest and upcoming new ARM Processors. The new Exynos 4412 is nearly 2x more powerful than last year’s Exnoys 4210. Not just by the doubling of cores, that doesn’t actually double performance but more like increases it by 50% (at same frequency, and only for very multi-threaded tasks), the main thing is the smaller process node design, the increased memory bandwidth, cleverer memory bandwidth architecture also enabling a faster higher clock speed Mali-400 GPU. Basically what you are getting is 2x more performance for less power consumption, that’s pretty exciting and pretty kick-ass in my book. And we are not even yet arrived at the ARM Cortex-A15 which then again upgrades the performance even more!

Now all that is needed is for Google and the industry to merge Android, Chrome OS and Google TV. When you dock it in a Laptop Dock or Desktop Dock, it should switch to a full Chrome OS mode (or Ubuntu, not to forget Microsoft is welcome to add the Windows 8 app for $29.99 in the Google Play store. Or somewhat pre-install “Windows 8 mode” as a secured dual-boot when partnering with the smartphone maker). When you dock it to a Multimedia Dock it should switch to a full Google TV mode, maybe even with HDMI input and IR blaster if the Dock supports that, and also the new GPU is now near XboX 360 power even though it’s not yet the Mali-T604 and Mali-T658 which increases graphics even further next year.

The issue is Samsung and some others are maybe afraid to disrupt their own existing markets of selling Laptops, Chromebooks, Set-top-boxes and new 3DTVs with built-in Google TV, so maybe, just maybe, at the corporate headquarters of Samsung they fear the inevitable convergence. But if Samsung doesn’t want to promote the convergence that these new post-PC ARM processors enable, then competitors have a wide open door to use that for marketing. One little pocketable soon enough wearable device can now power all your productivity, content consumption and entertainment. The performance has arrived, it’s only a matter of someone deciding to start making, selling and marketing the new user interfaces that enable the full convergence.

RealPlay shows $60-$90 1.5Ghz ICS Set-top-boxes

Posted by – March 9, 2012

Right now they are showing it with the AmLogic Single-core ARM Cortex-A9 but the pricing they are talking about is using a Dual-core 1.5Ghz processor which they have yet to confirm the chip maker.

Valueplus TizzBird Stick N1

Posted by – March 6, 2012

Using the new Telechips 8925 ARM Cortex-A5 processor platform, here’s the new computer/set-top-box on a USB Stick, with a full sized HDMI port on one side, a full sized USB Host port on the other, a Micro-USB port for power, MicroSD card slot, that’s it. Valueplus plans for a sub-$100 retail price, my guess is that the Bill of Materials for something like this can be done below $30 if mass manufactured. The market for these ARM Powered HDMI Sticks is going to be huge! Imagine a fully smoother Chrome on Android 4.0, a fully smooth Google TV user interface, this is awesome.

Coolech shows HiSilicon Single-core ARM Cortex-A9 Android Set-top-box with DTV support

Posted by – March 6, 2012

It supports the DVBT standard and to use any RJ11 telephone as a VOIP phone through that device. IT can record and timeshift any DTV signal to any USB storage.

Google Entertainment System (GES)

Posted by – February 10, 2012

Can be as cheap as $49 or $99, run a full ARM Powered Google TV with advanced 3D video-gaming. For example using Mali-T604 graphics, the graphics are comparable to an xbox360. It basically plays all Android games on the TV. Use a Bluetooth or RF Keyboard/mouse and you’ve got a full Chrome Desktop on your HDTV. It also includes the Android@Home RF protocol for connecting all your home appliances to the web. USB host for hard drives, becomes a WiFi hotspot, may also dock a White Spaces modem/router later so you share your unused home bandwidth to your whole neighborhood. Google can brand as much hardware they want, and I think they should, they just also make that hardware and software open source and let any other hardware makers sell it also.

You can discuss this and share it on Google+: https://plus.google.com/106075758531242552855/posts/YSLEdSYj5aj

Source: my logic/speculation and the Wall Street Journal