It has long been considered that a common European standard for Terrestrial Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB-T) would be impossible, but thanks to a new chip technology it is becoming reality. Siemens Semiconductors and Nokia Multimedia Network Terminals signed a letter of intent for their joint development of a new, integrated receiver chip to be designed for the use in terrestrial digital TV reception equipment. Terrestrial digital services will be launched in a trial starting before end of 1997. The chip supports both the 8k and the 2k Coded Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex (COFDM) standards, enabling one type of receiver unit to be used in continental Europe, in Scandinavia and in the UK. 

The new chip is to be designed to integrate the digital demodu-lation functionality of a fully DVB-T compatible receiver offering both the European/Scandinavian and British standards in a single unit. Based on Siemens technology, and using the combined system know-how of Siemens and Nokia, the chip is being hailed as the most economic IC solution available for this complex problem.
The fact that the chip is being designed to integrate both 8k and 2k COFDM demodulation standards means that the countries of continental Europe and Scandinavia can use the more advanced 8k-COFDM technology while the United Kingdom can, at least initially, use the simpler 2k-COFDM standard.
”The main target was to accumulate all the necessary functions into one chip in order to create a device which would reduce the cost of a Digital Terrestrial TV receiver at the consumer level”, says Ari Nieminen, Assistant Vice President, Business Development, Nokia Multimedia Network Terminals.
”Our combined resources can guarantee the timely delivery of the coming generation of digital terrestrial receiver technology. In the light of recent developments on this front in both the UK and Scandinavia, the market potential of digital terrestrial distribution is set to rapidly grow”.
According to Fabian Rüchardt, Senior Marketing Manager for Video and Audio at Siemens Semiconductors, this joint development allows Siemens to offer a single attractive solution to both the British and Scandinavian markets. ”In this way, our customers will have the advantage to receive a single system created for a volume market which will greatly contribute towards keeping down costs. We cooperate with Nokia to develop the technology due to its extensive experience in digital STB development and design. It also has strong research capabilities and good contacts, and a close cooperation, with the Scandinavian broadcasters who are actually making Digital Terrestrial TV a reality.”
The first chips will be available in time for the launch of terrestrial digital services in Sweden at the end of 1997 and in the UK in mid 1998./ins


For further information, please contact:
Georg-Ludwig Radke/Head, Press Office Siemens Semiconductors
Tel: +49 89 4144 84 80 Fax: +49 89 4144 84 82

Ari Nieminen, Assistant Vice President, Business Development, Nokia Multimedia Network Terminals.
Tel: +46 708 38 27 19 Fax: +46 141 2151 74