[SatNews] Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM) has announced the industry's first GPS-enabled satellite outdoor unit (ODU) device.
The solution combines Broadcom's BCM4551 satellite TV device with its BCM4771 GPS receiver, enabling operators to better track the location of subscriber equipment and pinpoint subscriber's service issues in the home. Broadcom will demonstrate the new solution at the International CES show, January 6-9, 2015.
Broadcom's new satellite solution resides in the low-noise block (LNB) of a subscribers' satellite dish, enabling operators to better position dish installations and reduce metering equipment costs and truck rolls. Combining GPS-enabled ODU technology with a set-top box (STB), operators can quickly locate and validate a subscriber's home location.
GPS technology within the LNB also allows operators to geo-lock content to subscribers. Content geo-locking uses a subscriber's location to deliver video content specific to the subscriber's service address. This ensures the delivery of personalized services and prevents costly theft of service for operators. Previously, content geo-locking was only available through a costly external device attached to subscriber's STB; this introduction from Broadcom offers best-in-class capabilities at an incremental cost for operators.
"By combining Broadcom's field-proven satellite ODU technology with GPS functionality, we are able to provide operators with the capability to more conveniently and cost-effectively track the location of their equipment and prevent redistribution of content to non-subscribers," said Nicholas Dunn, Broadcom Vice President of Direct Broadcast Satellite Marketing. "This integrated technology can also open the door to operator delivery of location-based social media and business applications, providing subscribers with targeted content such as information on local service providers, retail operations and restaurants, or a specific televised event."
Key Features of the BCM4551
- Highly-integrated 28 nanometer (nm) process with low power consumption
- Allows 24 DVB-S2 channels to be stacked on a single coaxial cable to service any STB to reduce satellite operator installation costs
- 8 RF inputs and 1RF output covering the 250 to 2350 MHz frequency range
- 24 user-band output channels
- 24 output channels selectable from any LNB input
- Frequency shift keying (FSK) and digital satellite equipment control (DiSEqC)
Key Features of the BCM4771
- Highly integrated radio frequency (RF), baseband processor and CPU with smallest complete PCB footprint
- Faster signal searches, accurate real-time navigation and improved tracking sensitivity
- Increased satellite availability: supports GPS, and GLONASS satellites at L1 frequency band
The BCM4551 and BCM4771 are in volume production.
Visit https://www.broadcom.com/ to learn more.
