STMicroelectronics revealed that its STiH237 System-on-Chip will be powering the latest generation of High-Definition, non-PVR set-top boxes currently under development by MultiChoice, South Africa's pay-TV operator. The STiH237, part of ST's proven STiH207 family, features a DVB-S2 demodulator, high-performance ST40 processing core with interface to low-cost DDR3 memory, H264/MPEG2/VC-1/AVS video decoder, and connectivity including HDMI1.4, USB2.0 and Ethernet. Ideal for building competitively priced satellite zapper boxes with a small footprint, it delivers best-in-class performance with superior processing and high audio/video quality, enabling operators to add new services quickly and cost-effectively.

MultiChoice is using an advanced conditional access security scheme and middleware in its new set-top boxes, leveraging the STiH237's broad ecosystem that supports a wide range of third-party security and software technologies. This allows customers to determine their preferred content protection, core set-top box functionality, and user-interface look and feel. Moreover, all devices in the STiH207 range, specifically the STiH207, STiH237, STiH239, STiH273 and STiH223 are ball-out and software compatible, enabling faster time-to-market and reduced hardware costs.

In addition, compatibility with decoder ICs, such as the STi7111, allows developers to upgrade legacy equipment designs.