Broadcom said it will supply silicon that will power TiVo’s coming line of Ultra HD/4K-capable set-top boxes, packing in a chipset that supports HEVC decoding, 10-bit color and the ability to pipe in video at 60 frames per second, the rate needed for sports and other fast-action content.
Broadcom, which has been supplying chips for TiVo’s Series4 and new line of Roamio DVRs, said it will equip TiVo with its BCM7445 chipset, which has already reached “volume production.”
The expected shipment date for TiVo’s Ultra HD product line was not immediately known, but the company will be demonstrating its 4K tech at the Broadcom booth at the IBC confab in Amsterdam.
Update: "We're committed to remaining on the front edge of technology and we're proactively planning support for UltraHD content," a TiVo spokesman said via email in response to questions about the company's go-to-market plans. "But, this is solely a technology demo and we don’t have any launch dates available."
TiVo’s pursuit of a 4K option isn’t a surprise. At the Consumer Electronics Show in January, Jeff Klugman, TiVo’s EVP and general manager of products and revenue, told Multichannel Newsthat Ultra HD was on the company’s product roadmap for this year, expecting to bring native 4K support to its retail-focused Roamio line as well as MSO-distributed TiVo hardware.
TiVo is getting ready to enter the 4K fold even as there’s still a dearth of content available in the format. Netflix, which TiVo supports now, has already launched a small library of 4K titles. Amazon Instant Video, which is also expected to deliver some 4K fare, is poised to join the TiVo app lineup in late November, according to ZatzNotFunny.
"TiVo is committed to bringing the ultimate viewing experience to our customers, delivering all video content to any room and any screen with the only user experience that allows consumers to easily discover content whether it is linear, On Demand, or over-the-top. With Broadcom, we can deliver the stunning picture quality and color clarity of Ultra HD to our subscribers worldwide," said Klugman said, in a statement. "Demonstrating our 4k capabilities with Broadcom at IBC marks an important next step in our bringing Ultra HD to consumers everywhere."
