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.