Marvell have just announced that their Armada 1500 HD Media SoC (system on a chip) will be used to power Google TV 2.0.

As more and more internet-ready “Smart TVs” come to market, the ability to access Web-based content in addition to broadcast television in a high-quality format is critical. With the launch of the second-generation Google TV platform, Marvell technology takes center stage in this convergence of TV, gaming, streaming video, web-based applications, and social networking for the home entertainment system. Powered by the Armada 1500 HD media SoC with a superscalar dual-core CPU, Google TV 2.0 devices can deliver the varied, robust content and applications that users demand.

The ARMADA 1500 is the central hardware component of the Google TV 2.0 platform. With its high-performance superscalar dual-core CPU, the ARMADA 1500 is capable of powering search engines, rendering streaming video from HD and SD sources, as well as enabling a seamless user interface with the 3D graphics Qdeo processing engine. Its unique chip architecture gives users the power to access broadcast TV and Web content from a single device.

Using Marvell’s award-winning Qdeo video processing technology, the Armada 1500 is designed to deliver superior 3D video, impressively rich audio, striking 3D graphics and TV-friendly Web content. In addition, the second-generation Google TV platforms feature a simpler design, more intuitive interface, and the new Android Honeycomb OS. Coupled with the powerful Armada 1500 processor, Google TV 2.0 solutions can provide unprecedented, seamless access to YouTube, Netflix, Pandora, Skype, Picasa, and the latest Android applications all optimized for your Smart TV.

Here is the press release:

Santa Clara, California (January 5, 2012) – Representing a major breakthrough in the convergence of TV, gaming, streaming video, popular web apps and social media, Marvell (Nasdaq: MRVL), a worldwide leader in integrated silicon solutions, today announced that the new Foresight Platform, powered by the Marvell® ARMADA™ 1500 HD Media System-on-a-Chip (SoC), has been designed into the next generation of Google TVs debuting at CES 2012. Using Marvell’s award-winning Qdeo™ video processing technology, the ARMADA-based Foresight Platform is designed to deliver superior 3D video, impressively rich audio, striking 3D graphics and TV-friendly Web content.

“Marvell and Google have teamed up to change home entertainment forever – transforming the TV into the command center for our connected lifestyle. Marvell and Google are fundamentally changing the relationship between the producers and consumers of content – from Hollywood to Madison Avenue to publishing and major news networks – creating a dynamic, two-way experience featuring real-time global news, social network, entertainment and information,” said Weili Dai, Co-founder of Marvell. “I believe this is a major breakthrough movement and it’s just the beginning of our bigger vision. The same forces that are revolutionizing today’s television experience will transform numerous vertical applications for small businesses and large enterprises, enhancing the way we all work, connect with each other and collaborate globally.”

"The Google and Marvell teams have been working closely together to bring our combined software and chipset technologies to market to grow the Google TV ecosystem of manufacturers and devices. Marvell-powered Google TV solutions will enable powerful products to be brought to market at attractive prices,” said Mario Queiroz, VP, Product Management Google TV.

For consumers, today’s digital home offers an endless choice of devices and content. For OEMs and service providers, it’s an all-out sprint to create offerings that perform noticeably better than competitors and at mass-market prices. The Connected TV Marketing Association (CTVMA) estimates 123 million connected TVs will be sold worldwide in 2014. Those consumers will expect access to the services they love – Netflix, Pandora, YouTube, Picasa and many more – in a lightning-fast, crystal-clear and resource-friendly package.

Powerful, energy-efficient, ultra-scalable and immensely affordable, the ARMADA 1500 contains Marvell’s highest-performing ARM v6/7-compatible PJ4B SMP super-scalar dual-core CPU. The chip is designed to enable PC-like processing power to support Web browsing with support for Flash™ and other key technologies – with the aid of more than 6000 Dhrystone MIPS of computing horsepower, FPU v3.0, 512KB of L2 cache and WMMX2. The Foresight Platform is energy efficient and has advanced cell-phone like power management.

The ARMADA 1500 also contains Marvell’s award-winning Qdeo video processing for state-of-the-art HD and 3D video, including scaling, noise reduction, de-interlacing, low bit-rate internet video enhancement and FRC and color/contrast enhancement. The chip offers VMeta™, a multi-format video decoder/encoder/transcoder that can decode up to two simultaneous 1080p streams as well as a host of other video formats and containers. These features make the Foresight Platform ideal for Google TV, which requires tremendous processing power for its numerous applications at a cost effective price point.

About Marvell

Marvell (NASDAQ: MRVL) is a world leader in the development of storage, communications and consumer silicon solutions. Marvell’s diverse product portfolio includes switching, transceiver, communications controller, wireless and storage solutions that power the entire communications infrastructure, including enterprise, metro, home and storage networking. As used in this release, the term "Marvell" refers to Marvell Technology Group Ltd. and its subsidiaries. For more information, visit Marvell.com.

Let’s hope Google TV 2.0 will be better than the original Google TV!