Addressing Memory Bandwidth Needs For Next-Generation Digital TVs With Cost-Effective, High-Performance Consumer DRAM Solutions

The FCC has mandated that by 2009, digital TV (DTV) broadcasting must replace the analog format used since the early 1950s. In order to meet the stepped-up the demands of an imminent all-digital market, makers of DTV and set-top box (STB) systems will have to incorporate more bandwidth-hungry applications into their designs, such as high-definition 3DTV and multiple, full high definition (HD), Picture-in-Picture (PiP) data streams.

DDR solutions are not practical for consumer-electronic systems because of silicon pad count limitations, electromagnetic interference (EMI), and design complexity, which translate into high system costs and longer time-to-market. This paper explains why XDR-based solutions are much more effective, satisfying ever-increasing memory bandwidth demands.