TI has announced it is currently developing a chip that enables handsets to double as miniature digital TV. Code-named "Hollywood", the chip can receive broadcasts of up to 30 frames per second. This technology is made possible as TI integrates chips of a tuner, OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing), and channel decoder processor, into one chip.

 

The Hollywood chip is expected to support two non-proprietary standards: DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting - Handheld), a European specification that is expected to extend to North America, and the Japanese specification, ISDB-T (Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting - Terrestrial).

 

Samples of the chip will not be available until 2006, and mass production is tentatively slated in 2007. Pilot production is currently conducted in regions such as the US, Europe, and Japan.

 

Meanwhile, Samsung also unveiled development of a TFT LCD (Thin Film Transistor Liquid Crystal Display) driver IC chip. Adopting four-color sub-pixel rendering technology, the chip is able to drive up to 260,000 colors on a handset display. Panel brightness will also be enhanced by over 50%. The offering is slated for introduction in the second quarter of 2005.