New TV to use the CELL ~

[DarkNight_DS]

drkohler said:

DarkNight_DS said:

No hostility, just simple logic dictates that this is a rather silly move (pointless).  It adds too much to the cost of the TV.  It'll be a niche product with no software support once the systems get pulled from shelves.

The only reason Toshiba is doing this is due to that Fab they bought off Sony that's mostly sitting idle due to the lack of Cell orders.  It's probably at 10-15% efficient at the moment. 

You do really have no clue about hardware, don't you? In your small world, you see Toshiba execs looking at each other and wondering "Gee, we bought this $1 billion fab from Sony, now what could we do with it?" Getting a TV signal onto your screen with best results takes a lot of digital signal processing and decoding (forget that X86 processor you wanted to use for that in another of your even sillier posts). Now you can do the signal processing with an expensive DSP and the the decoding with a cheap decoder/array of decoders and all the other nifty stuff required to get a brilliant display with other hardware chips - or you can use a modified cell chip for all of it/ most of it. Much cheaper also, with a fab that runs at much higher yields than your silly quote of 10-15% efficiency implies. If you google long enough, you will find reports of Toshiba / cell driven TV plans years old.

Dude... let's just say I do know what I am talking about. ;)  And yes that is exactly what the Toshiba execs did.  It was a panic reactionary.  Yes they had the idea to use it this way before however now they are doing it out of exasperation and not due to some greater plan.

A video signal DSP can be bought for pennies on the dollar these days.  HD ones might cost a buck or 2.  No one will ever record 6 shows on one TV at the same time, never mind watching more then 2 on one tv at a time.  Most people have a set top box that already does many PVR functions.

On this topic I know quite a bit.