Analog in Digital TV

All I/Os to the unit are via threaded coax receptacles and RCA jacks that, along with a phone jack and S-Video socket, are mounted to the back of the unit. The user interfaces and a smart-card receptacle for user authentication are on the front. The receiver centers on a Broadcom chip set. Two separate RF analog satellite inputs each connect to a Broadcom BCM3440 receiver. These chips in turn are connected to Broadcom BCM4500 tuners, which connect to the Broadcom BCM7319 STB decoder chip. The decoder is mounted in a 456-I/O BGA package; the rest are mounted in leaded SMT packages. The receiver chips and tuner chips sit atop dense arrays of vias on the main board for thermal management. A separate remote antenna board, with a Melexis TH71101 FSK/FM/ASK receiver, provides a mechanism for external programming to merge with satellite-based content. A second, shielded daughtercard packs a Motorola MC44BC374 phase-locked-loop-tuned modulator to launch received programming onto a standard TV cable outlet. A Silicon Labs telephone interface chip set (Si3021 and Si3012) is also used. The estimated cost of manufacturing hovers around $90, a figure offset by the various programming and box rental fees associated with Dish service. Hardware enables the Dish service-and, in turn, analog components enable the hardware.

In Brief

Though digital satellite subscriber growth is stagnating in mature markets, worldwide the number is expected to grow by 40 million through 2008, from 61 million active subscribers at the end of 2003 (InStat/MDR). Total revenue is expected to reach $70 billion by 2008. Vying for a slice of that market is the Dish 332 receiver. Designed around a Broadcom chip set, the receiver's guts reside in a two-layer printed-circuit board, with generously spaced SMT and through-hole components supporting most chips. A separate antenna board from Melexis and a daughtercard containing a Motorola PLL-tuned modulator form the TV outlet. Because the satellite system relies on standard telephone service to handle traffic for programming and authentication, a Silicon Labs telephone interface chip set is also used. Estimated cost of manufacturing? $90.