SiPort in the News

The Zune HD: more than an iPod touch wanna-be?
The latest iteration of Microsoft's portable-multimedia-player series started shipping just a few weeks ago. Notably more competitive with Apple's products than was the case with prior Zune generations, it even one-ups the iPod touch in several areas. How did Microsoft implement these accomplishments?
http://www.edn.com/article/CA6702276.html?nid=2551

Microsoft's Zune HD: The Prying Eyes Accessory
Hopefully by now at least some of you have gotten a chance to peruse my Prying Eyes teardown of Microsoft's new Zune HD portable multimedia player, published yesterday. And some of you might have seen my hands-on observations on the device from a month ago. Reviews of the Zune HD have been quite positive, albeit with a few grumbles:
http://www.edn.com/blog/400000040/post/180050018.html

HD Radio Puts New Zip In Zune
The SP1010 digital radio chip from SiPort adds cachet to Microsoft’s new Zune HD media player.
SiPort SP1010 SiPort’s SP1010 single-chip HD Radio solution is an RF receiver capable of analog FM as well as HD radio in the FM band, 88 to 108 MHz. It also includes HD AM reception in the 530- to 1700-kHz range, and it can receive Europe’s Eureka 147 Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB) and Japan’s Digital Multimedia Broadcast (T-DMB) signals in the 174- to 240-MHz range.
http://mobiledevdesign.com/hardware_news/hd-radio-puts-new-zip-in-zune-092509/index1.html

SiPort IC Brings HD Radio(TM) to Microsoft's Zune HD Portable Media Player
Digital Terrestrial Broadcast Receiver Delivers Improved Reception, New Programming Functions with long battery life and excellent form factor
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- SiPort Inc., a leading developer of digital terrestrial broadcast receiver ICs for use in consumer electronic devices, announced today that Microsoft's new Zune HD media player uses SiPort's single-chip Digital Broadcast Receiver to incorporate HD Radio capabilities. Utilizing the industry's lowest power HD Radio solution, the Zune HD Radio offers access to a wide range of new HD FM Radio music, news, and sports programming in crystal clear digital sound without any subscription fees.
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS91843+15-Sep-2009+PRN20090915
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=conewsstory&tkr=MSFT%3AUS&sid=aKVp1wVLo1IM
http://hollywoodindustry.digitalmedianet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=843383
http://hd.broadcastnewsroom.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=843383&afterinter=true
http://it.einnews.com/article.php?nid=216270
http://newsblaze.com/story/2009091503200200001.pnw/topstory.html
http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/3480237
http://content.usatoday.com/topics/quote/Places,+Geography/Countries/Denmark/09oF8Wsf1f8zH/02R1gJ40tg78S/2

Zune Media Player Exploits HD Radio Receiver, Power Management IC
Microsoft’s new Zune HD portable media player delivers high-sound-quality HD radio using very little power by employing a terrestrial broadcast receiver chip and a highly-integrated power management IC. The Zune HD is the latest generation of Microsoft’s portable digital media player. Available in 16-Gbyte and 32-Gbyte capacities, the player is Microsoft’s first to feature HD Radio technology and a touch-screen. It also adds video playback technology to give users a different way to experience media on the go.
http://electronicdesign.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=21759&bypass=1

Microsoft's Zune HD already cracked open and photographed (updated)
by Darren Murph
Considering that even now only a swath of Zune HD owners are able to update their software in order to -- you know -- have a working device, we can understand Anything But iPod's eagerness to stop trying and just crack open Microsoft's newest entrant into the portable media player market. Without getting too gushy, we can definitively say that the innards look just as sexy as the exterior, but unfortunately the make and model of the internal WiFi chip (amongst other things) remains a mystery. Hit the read link for a nice gallery of closeups, but be sure and shield your screen from any lingering cube passers.
http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/microsofts-zune-hd-already-cracked-open-and-photographed/

SiPort Chip Brings HD to Microsoft Zune
The Microsoft Zune HD, now hitting Best Buy and Walmart store shelves, includes an SP1010 chipset from SiPort. The chip gives the new Zune HD improved radio reception and new programming functions with long battery life in a small size without compromising cost, say SiPort officials.
http://www.rwonline.com/article/87114

Zune HD goes on sale.
The music player had been available for pre-orders at retailers like Best Buy for weeks, but it’s now for sale on store shelves. The new Zune HD touch-screen media player includes an HD Radio, a feature that’s drawn positive reviews. “Microsoft stepped up the Zune HD’s FM radio functionality,” writes PC World.
http://www.insideradio.com/Article.asp?id=1502409&spid=32061

SiPort brings HD radio to Micosoft's Zune
by John Walko
LONDON — Fabless chip group SiPort (Santa Clara, Calif.) is trying to give a much needed boost to HD radio in the U.S., and has persuaded Microsoft to include it in the latest version of the software giants Zune portable media player, which goes on sale this week.
http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=220000350

Zune HD Teardown Reveals Sleek, Powerful Device
Brennon Slattery, PC World
After tearing down the latest iteration of the iPod Touch and revealing some choice tidbits such as 802.11n wireless and the capability for an absent camera, the folks at iFixit dismantled and explored Microsoft's Zune HD. There were some wonderful surprises, including a sentimental message to a member of the Zune HD team who passed away before the device was released.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/172043/zune_hd_teardown_reveals_sleek_powerful_device.html

Microsoft's Zune tunes in to HD Radio
By Aharon Etengoff
San Francisco, Calif. Microsoft has introduced its long-awaited HD Zune. The upgraded device - powered by Nvidia's Tegra processor - is capable of rendering high-quality video and playing HD radio. SiPort CEO Aiman Kabakibo told TG Daily that his company had proposed the HD Radio concept to Microsoft shortly after the next-generation Zune was announced.
http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/43972/97/

Despite murders, SiPort completes its radio chip for Microsoft’s Zune HD media player
The SiPort chip is a single sliver of silicon that lets the Zune HD tune into HD radio signals that are broadcast in a wide variety of markets around the country. In addition to HD FM Radio music, users can use it get news, sports programming and talk shows with crystal clear digital sound — without the subscription fees of satellite radio. Microsoft is counting on the HD Radio feature to set its media apart from Apple’s iPod.
http://venturebeat.com/2009/09/15/despite-murders-siport-manages-to-get-its-radio-chip-done-for-microsofts-zune-hd-media-player/
http://www.thestandard.com/news/2009/09/15/despite-murders-siport-completes-its-radio-chip-microsoft-s-zune-hd-media-player

Microsoft Zune HD: Under the hood
by Brooke Crothers
iFixt in short order has done a tear-down of the Microsoft Zune HD media player, which hit retail Tuesday.
The core silicon in the Zune HD is an Nvidia Tegra processor (see photo) based on the power-frugal ARM chip design. The system-on-chip uses less than 0.5 watts of power. Tegra's defining feature is the integrated Nvidia GeForce graphics chip, which gives the Zune its graphics processing oomph.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-10352992-64.html
http://www.trolleyblog.com/2009/09/15/microsoft-zune-hd-under-the-hood/

Microsoft Zune HD Teardown
http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Microsoft-Zune-HD/1170/1

Microsoft Zune HD Teardown
Here's a couple of interesting items found or noted by iFixit...
The SIPORT HD Radio receiver supports AM, FM, HD Radio, Microsoft MSN Direct Data Services and Weather Band {Now, that's interesting!}
http://www.mediabistro.com/mobilecontenttoday/

Zune HD Officially Goes Live, Already Considered a Hit On The Streets
It’s here! Microsoft officially rolls out its highly rated Zune HD media player, and boy this thing looks good. Yes, we know, most details are pretty much known at this point, but still deserve a round of applause, aren’t they? And just in case you missed the buzz, those fancy shcmancy specs we get, include a beautiful 3.3-inch Gorilla glass 480 x 272 OLED capacitive 16:9 aspect-ratio touchscreen, which hides underneath a built-in HD Radio receiver, seating along with a wireless WiFi antenna connection and a fine batch of accelerometer sensors for landscape use. Excited? We are, but that’s not all, since Redmond has wisely tossed in Nvidia’s mighty Tegra processor, which is technically constructed from eight different sub processors inside, that flawlessly handle their tasks at a time. Now that’s a real beast, isn’t it? OH Yeah. Storage wise, you get to choose between 16GB or 32GB flash capacities that fairly priced at $219.99 and $289.99, respectively.
http://smartech.blogetery.com/2009/09/16/zune-hd-officially-goes-live-already-considered-a-hit/

Low-power HD Radio IC is fully integrated
SiPort Inc. has launched the SP1010 single-chip HD Radio receiver, claimed to be the lowest power HD Radio solution.
http://www.eetasia.com/ART_8800566685_499488_NP_426acd19.HTM

SiPort: Getting HD-R on Mobile Devices Is Essential
Silicon Valley chipmaker SiPort agrees that many consumers are not going to buy a new radio these days and that they want their audio entertainment as part of their portable, personal devices.
http://72.52.213.140/article/76090

HD Radio chip marks SiPort's recovery
NEW YORK — SiPort, a fabless chip vendor based in Santa Clara, Calif., has re-emerged this week, three months after a horrific tragedy in which three SiPort executives, including its CEO, were fatally shot by a former employee.
SiPort is heralding its return to normalcy by rolling out a low-power, single-chip HD Radio solution, now in mass production at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. using its 130-nm RF CMOS process technology.
http://www.dspdesignline.com/products/215801648

iBiquity Digital Certifies LG Innotek's HD Radio™ Modules
Shenzhen, China – October 8, 2008 –iBiquity Digital Corporation, the developer of digital HD Radio™ technology for AM and FM audio and data broadcasting, announced today that it has certified LG Innotek’s TMHS-S001T. The HD Radio™ modules introduced by LG Innotek, characterized by their small footprint, are the first certified HD Radio™ modules designed with SiPort’s SP1010 single-chip HD Radio™ receiver. The SiPort SP1010 solution received full HD Radio™ certification in mid-August 2008.
http://www.ibiquity.com/press_room/news_releases/2008/1247

SiPort's All-In-One SP1010 Terrestrial Radio Receiver Chip Gains HD-Radio Certification
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- SiPort Inc., a leading developer of digital terrestrial broadcast receiver ICs for use in consumer electronic devices announced today that its SP1010 single-chip HD Radio™ Receiver has received HD Radio Ready™ certification from iBiquity Digital Corporation, the developer and licensor of HD Radio™ technology. The SP1010 single chip HD Radio™ Receiver provides category leading digital and analog FM performance for the mobile, tabletop and automotive aftermarket market segments.
http://ibiquity.com/press_room/in_the_news/2008/1221

Location-dependent localized terrestrial data services
As GPS functionality becomes increasingly ubiquitous in portable electronics devices, a new market is emerging for terrestrial digital data services. This market is being driven by the introduction of terrestrial data services from Microsoft MSN Direct Band and HD radio, the in-band, on-channel (IBOC) technology selected by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 2002 for terrestrial digital audio broadcasting in the U.S. Offering static-free crystal-clear reception and CD-quality performance, HD radio allows broadcasters to offer more channels while integrating a wide array of data services such as name, song title, and localized news.
http://www2.electronicproducts.com/Location-dependent_localized_terrestrial_data_services-article-facnsiport-feb2008-html.aspx

Terrestrial digital radio goes mobile: From the car to the palmtop
By, Junko Yoshida
Among the new IC offerings is Samsung's HD Radio™ chip set, consisting of an RF-IF peripheral processor and a baseband processor and billed as the first low-power solution for portable HD Radio™. Not to be outdone, fabless chip company SiPort (Santa Clara, Calif.) will demonstrate a single-chip HD Radio™ solution at CES that integrates the RF, baseband, memory, ADC and PLL. SiPort's chip, now in production-silicon form, will show up in commercial portable products by the third quarter, Sid Agrawal, SiPort's CEO, told EE Times.
http://www.audiodesignline.com/news/205206077;jsessionid=KEAB55KR35ZUIQSNDLOSKH0CJUNN2JVN?pgno=1

New HD Radio™ Chips Should Push Portable, More Alternatives
By, Glenn Fleishman
EE Times reports that Samsung and SiPort will both offer new HD Radio™ chipsets to manufacturers of digital AM/FM receivers. These new chips will consume much less power than the chips used in current hardware, and that will, at long last, make it possible to embed digital reception into portable, battery-operated devices, as well as smaller equipment. SiPort's chipset comprises a single chip; Samsung's two.
http://digital-am-fm.com/

CES: Mobile content and personal area networks key themes in Las Vegas
By, Caroline Gabriel
Digital radio is also a hot topic this year, with the merger of the two US satellite radio providers, Sirius and XM, looming, but with a host of alternatives evolving. Most of these are internet-based, but there is also HD Radio™, and its creator, iBiquity, is drumming up support for its free over-the-air terrestrial digital radio broadcast systems at CES. HD Radio™ allows radio stations to simulcast compressed digital audio and traditional analog audio without shifting to new frequency bands. Latest features include 'iTunes tagging', to make it easier to purchase music. iBiquity unveiled chips and reference designs developed to put HD Radio™ in mobile devices as well as car radios. Samsung is offering an HD Radio™ chipset, consisting of an RF-IF peripheral processor and a baseband processor; and fabless chipmaker SiPort demonstrated a single-chip HD Radio™ solution.
http://www.mobilenettrends.com/2008/01/ces-mobile-content-and-persona.html

CES Plays Up Connectivity
By, Leslie Stimson
Some of the biggest news for the technology developer is the availability of chipsets from Samsung and SiPort that cost less and consume less power. The Samsung chip specifically could be in portable devices in the second half of the year, according to company president/CEO Bob Struble.
http://www.rwonline.com/leslie_report/

Portable IBOC May Be on Its Way
By, Skip Pizzi
A company called SiPort has developed an IBOC receiver chip with small size and low power requirements — attributes that previous HD Radio™ receiver chipsets have not included — and the company expects the device to be widely available later this year.
http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0054/t.2231.html

SiPort Unveils 100 Milliwatt HD-R chip
By, Leslie Stimson
SiPort displayed a 100 milliwatt HD Radio™ chip at NAB2007.
The Ibiquity-certified chip would enable HD-R reception in portable devices, such as radios and cell phones. It has been Taiwanese development for two years; production in initial quantities is targeted for Q3 of this year.
http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0049/t.6493.html

Lower-Power HD-R Chip to Debut at CES
Radio Portable HD Radios appear poised for debut later this year.
EE Times reports that Samsung intends to introduce low-power chipsets for portable HD Radios at the Consumer Electronics Show next week, while SiPort will demo a single HD-R chipset that that integrates the RF, baseband, memory and other functions. SiPort CEO Sid Agrawal told EE Times the chip will be incorporated into commercial products in Q3 of 2008.
http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0101/t.10495.html

Terrestrial digital radio goes mobile
By, Junko Yoshida
Like XM and Sirius, which bank on new car sales as the biggest generators of new subscriptions, iBiquity considers the in-car radio an essential market for HD Radio™. But if iBiquity hopes to succeed, it needs to pay attention as well to the retail radio market. That's where portable designs enabled by chips from Samsung and SiPort come into play.
http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=205205995&pgno=2