Ce4100
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Samsung still thinking over Google TV?
By some reports Panasonic and Samsung were going to easily pass on Sony / Google / Intel's Google TV initiative, but a report today from the Korea Herald indicates that may not be the case. While LG has stated it "has not considered" making a Google TV, the newspaper states an executive from Samsung says they are looking into making Android-powered TVs. We'll see if the company is too worried about losing control over its Samsung Apps marketplace to jump in --or just turned off by the high price Panasonic claimed as a deterrent -- but we'd estimate three or four more completely bogus rumors of unknown provenance before we hear anything official from the parties involved.
Microsoft, Broadcom and Intel to bring Silverlight to set-tops
Set-top boxes are great because they usually just work, but the downside to this reliability is that adding functionality isn't a download away --- like on a PC. So if Microsoft wants to get Silverlight content on to set-tops it needs to work with the people who make the chips, and there's no one better than Broadcom and Intel. In fact Broadcom powers more TVs, Blu-ray players and DVRs than anyone, but that doesn't mean Intel isn't trying to move in on that market. Of course you'll never know if your set-top includes the Intel BCM7420 or Intel CE4100 series chips, but you will surely appreciate the additional internet delivered HD video (like the Olympics or Netflix Watch instantly).
Who doesn't want Android and Intel in their HDTV? Panasonic & Samsung
Sure, selling $150~ 3D glasses and $80~ WiFi adapters for their HDTVs is no problem, but according to Bloomberg Samsung and Panasonic have drawn the line at the rumored Google TV initiative. Panasonic VP Bob Perry said in an interview that the Intel hardware to run Android "adds too much to the cost of the set," while Samsung similarly declined to join, looking towards a future built on its own apps platform. The widget experience at CES 2010 did appear to be much improved, but so far the sometimes slow and clunky interfaces have left us with CE4100 dreams and open Market wishes. Judging by our last poll on the subject, opinions on the future of such displays are split, but without anything in the way of an official announcement from the Google / Intel / Sony / Logitech cabal we'll hold off on deciding who has made the right choice.
Intel announces Atom CE4100 for insanely powerful cable boxes and Blu-ray players
Intel's CE3100 media chip has been behind some of the cooler demos they've done here at IDF, and it's just gotten a big brother, the Atom CE4100. As you'd expect, the big change is the replacement of the CE3100's Pentium M core with an Atom core, but this thing is actually kind of a monster -- it can decode two 1080p video streams with various high-end audio codecs, it adds MPEG-4 support and 3D graphics capability, and it can even capture uncompressed 1080p video. Of course, it's up to manufacturers and cable companies to actually put all this power to use, but Intel's promised us some hardware demos from partners -- stay tuned.
