MediaTek offers improved 8K SoC
November 24, 2021
By Chris Forrester
Taiwan-based smart-home technology company MediaTek and fabrication plant TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co) have unveiled what they say is the world’s first 7-nanometer 8K digital TV flagship system-on-chip (SoC), the MediaTek Pentonic 2000.
Built with TSMC’s N7 advanced process technology, the MediaTek Pentonic 2000 offers “unparalleled performance and power efficiency with features including powerful artificial intelligence (AI) engines, Motion Estimation and Motion Compensation (MEMC), Versatile Video Coding (VVC) decoding and picture-in-picture (PiP) technology”.
The technology is impressive and the pair’s Pentonic 2000 will take 8K televisions to the next stage. The chip-set is claimed as being the first all-in-one chip that supports 8K 120Hz displays with an integrated MEMC engine. The Pentonic 2000 combines MediaTek’s high performance display technology with an APU (AI processor) to power its 8K AI Super Resolution technology and Intelligent View technology which supports multiple PiP or picture-by-picture (PbP) screens. Featuring the TV industry’s fastest CPU and GPU, the Pentonic 2000 is further enhanced with an ultra-wide memory bus and ultra-fast UFS 3.1 storage as well as support for the fastest wireless connectivity for MediaTek Wi-Fi 6E or even 5G cellular modems.
Comparing the new chip-set with the firm’s previous iteration (a 16nm unit) its N7 process provides a 30 per cent speed improvement or 55 per cent power reduction and over three times the logic density. TSMC’s N7 process enables powerful edge AI in consumer electronics devices for tasks such as intelligently upscaling HD or 4K media to 8K resolutions, or quickly understanding users’ voice commands. In addition to the advances in computing performance, the power savings offered by TSMC’s N7 process further provides thermal advantages for consumer electronics designs. As the first semiconductor company to bring 7nm technology to commercial production, TSMC possesses the longest track record for yield and quality improvement, as well as the most extensive design ecosystem support. TSMC’s 7-nanometer technology was also the recipient of the 2021 IEEE Corporate Innovation Award.
“The Pentonic 2000 puts MediaTek at the forefront of smart TV design with its ability to offer consumers rich, crisp images, bright displays and sharp audio, as well as a smart and intuitive user experience,” said Dr. Mike Chang, Corporate VP/GM of the Smart Home Business Group at MediaTek. “We are pleased to mark this latest milestone in our long history of collaboration with TSMC and look forward to more technology breakthroughs to come.”
“By adopting TSMC’s N7 process, MediaTek is bringing technology capable of supercomputing applications into the living room to give consumers the next generation of media experiences,” said Dr. Kevin Zhang, SVP/Business Development at TSMC. “We are proud to work hand in hand with MediaTek once again to deliver the leadership product in the digital TV space.”
The new chip-set is expected to appear in new 8K sets from Q2/2022.