"We are delighted that our semiconductor solution has been chosen by EchoStar for their new satellite receiver," said Jeffrey Crosby, vice president of Set-top Box Products for Conexant. "EchoStar's desire to provide an affordable broadcast receiver without compromising quality or performance paralleled our ability to develop an integrated circuit that met these precise needs. As an added benefit, the device's high level of integration allows EchoStar to offer its customers a power-packed product in a compact package that can be conveniently located in small spaces throughout the home."

"Conexant's satellite decoder system enables us to offer our customers a low-cost, space-saving set-top box solution that allows them to extend their viewing entertainment into multiple rooms within the household," said Mark Jackson, senior vice president of EchoStar Technologies Corporation.

"When we developed the requirements for our new receiver, low overall cost was our primary objective. Conexant's level of integration and performance allowed us to achieve this business objective without foregoing the services our customers have come to expect. Conexant's silicon solution surpassed our initial expectations, and we are very pleased with the quality and performance of both their product and their service."

EchoStar's new satellite receiver was developed to serve the need for additional televisions within the home. The receiver has a small form factor that improves manufacturability and offers easier installation options.

The single-chip CX24154 integrates an MPEG-2 audio/video decoder, an ARM920 32-bit RISC processor, a two-dimensional graphics accelerator, TV encoder, channel 3/4 radio frequency modulator, video/graphics display compositing controller and a set of peripheral input/output ports for STB front and back panel connectors. This high level of integration allows a complete satellite STB hardware system design to be realized with the addition of a minimum number of additional components.

The device also incorporates an innovative set of security technologies that greatly enhances the ability of broadcasters to protect their service against piracy. Using an advanced on-chip one-time-programmable (OTP) memory technology, Conexant offers broadcasters the ability to personalize individual STBs via the system integrated circuit with unique serial numbers and encryption features.

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