NXP Ships Its 650 Millionth Silicon Tuner

From HDTV to LED backlighting, from Internet connectivity to 3D TV, the newest TV sets introduced in 2012 offer many advanced capabilities that enhance the viewing experience. At the same time, there is another quiet revolution taking place in television design and manufacturing: This is the first year that the majority of flat-panel TVs are using silicon tuners instead of MOPLL-based can tuners. NXP Semiconductors N.V., the global market leader in silicon TV tuners, is at the forefront of enabling this shift, and has shipped its 650 millionth silicon tuner last month.

“Silicon tuners have finally surpassed traditional can-type modules in this year’s line-up of new TV sets,” said Gerry Kaufhold, NPD DisplaySearch analyst. “The major name-brand TV set manufacturers have been convinced of silicon tuners’ performance and reliability. With industry-leading experience in supporting worldwide broadcasting standards, its specialty RF process technology, and a strong global supply chain, NXP is driving forward this epochal shift from traditional can-type tuners to silicon TV tuners.”

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NXP’s silicon tuners can be found in 13 out of the top 15 brand TVs. In addition, NXP plays a significant role in supplying the fast-growing OEM TV set market in China including manufacturers such as TCL and Konka, as well as the major ODMs in Taiwan. As reported recently in the NPD DisplaySearch 2012 Global TV Replacement Study, on average, consumers worldwide are replacing their TVs more quickly, suggesting that there is continued growth potential in the flat-screen TV market, particularly in emerging markets where CRTs are still widely used.

“As one of the top TV module makers in the world, we feel it’s important to work with a world leader in silicon TV tuners. We’re very pleased to confirm that LG IT has once again selected NXP Semiconductors as its main supplier for silicon tuners this year,” said K.S. Park, vice president of R&D, LG IT. “NXP has the advantage of offering a complete range of products covering all terrestrial, cable and satellite standards worldwide. Furthermore, the excellent level of quality and business support distinguishes NXP in the highly competitive tuner IC business.”

Legacy designs using mixer-oscillator phased lock loop (MOPLL) in tuner cans require up to 150 discrete components, many of which require manual alignment. In contrast, NXP’s single-chip silicon tuners such as the TDA18274 feature a high level of integration, incorporating oscillators, IF selectivity and wideband gain control, and eliminate the need for external components such as low-noise amplifiers (LNAs), surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters and baluns. By reducing the number of peripheral components, NXP’s silicon tuner solutions enable higher system reliability in a very small form factor that facilitates the design of ultra-slim, flat-panel TVs. Further, NXP’s silicon tuners are manufactured under NXP’s zero-defect program, which enables manufacturers to simplify product assembly and supply-chain management.

“TV manufacturers today face a very dynamic market landscape, with tremendous potential for forward-thinking players who are able to deliver the right combination of features, functionality, quality and cost to consumers,” said Olivier Harquin, Senior Director, TV front-end business line, NXP Semiconductors. “At NXP, we have been producing silicon tuners for over a decade, and are committed to working with our customers to develop cost-effective, high-performance solutions that enable sleek, reliable flat-screen TV designs.”