forecast & imagine: Chips for set-top-box in future

The main chipset for Set-Top Box (player):
The main chipset for Set-Top Box is basically the same as low-grade tabletpc chipset scheme.But increase some functions

Some display functions different as low-grade tabletpc chipset:
All support HDMI output (Support HDCP)(All of support HDMI 1.4)
Support one DVI output
All have a video DAC in the main chip, can support YCbCr and CVBS-video output

DSP unit (the different as low-grade tabletpc chip):
Have all the functions as the low-grade tabletpc chip scheme. And increase these functions:
All support H.264,MPEG4(support to DivX 6 & Xvid),VC-1,WMV9,MPEG2,MPEG1 decode by hardware,all of these formats can support to 1920*1080 30fps max.
Some more high-grade chips support these formats up to 2160P or higher (But MPEG2 still support 1080I or 720P max)(support 3D video) decoding by hardware.
All support M2TS(blue-ray),MP4,MKV,DivX,WebM,OGM,MTS,F4V,FLV,WMV,ASF,AVI,MOV,3GP,TS(TP),VOB,MPEG(mpg,dat) etc. video container
All support AAC(HE-AAC), WMA, MPEG2 layer 1 & 2 audio, AC3 (two channel only) audio decoding by hardware
Some of support RM/RMVB decoding by hardware
Some more high-grade chips support DTS,DVD-audio,MLP,Ture-HD,DTS-HD,WMA-HD,ALAC etc. decoding by hardware, some of support decoding multichannel these audio format by hardware.
Some more high-grade chips support DSD audio (also support SACD (Super Audio Disc))
Some of support H.264 encoding by hardware

Other different as the low-grade tabletpc chipset scheme:
Support 3* TS Stream input port (Can support DVB-SH,DVB-T,DMB-TH,ISDB-T,DVB-C,DVB-S,DVB-S2 etc. digital TV demodulation chipset)
If the DSP unit support DSD audio and SACD, so the audio DAC support DSD playback

More high-grade main chips (for set-top-box), not only the CPU and GPU's performance more higher (have double or multi-core CPU),and the DSP unit support more kinds video and audio decoding by hardware

Many equipments will use Lithium ion battery for power supply in future

In future, most of remotes (include: TVset, set-top-box, Air conditioner, etc.), wireless keyboard, wireless mouse, LED flashlight, alarm clock, Electric toys, etc., will use an universal model Lithium polymer battery (The battery's size will be small, maybe the capacity will be less than or equal to 300mAh.) for power supply. Will not use "AAA" or "AA" size battery.

Fixed telephone and xDSL will decline more and more

Fixed telephone and xDSL will decline more and more:
1 In some developed countries, such as: Many European countries, Canada, South Korea, Taiwan (Republic of China), Singapore, Japan etc., fixed telephone and xDSL will decline more and more. Because the operating costs of fixed telephone and xDSL will be higher than phone and FTTx, since now or future.
2 Phone will replace most of fixed telephone.
3 FTTH and FTTB+LAN will replace xDSL.
4 If a user want to use fixed telephone, can install FTTH, and use phone line to connect telephone and GPON (or EPON) modem.
5 Fixed telephone will be still used for internal telephone, or be used for a VOIP terminal equipment.
6 But in USA, Australia, New Zealand, many user will still use traditional fixed telephone.

Middle and high-grade x86 PC in future

forecast , imagine and recommend:
Middle and high-grade x86 PC (all in one PC & laptop)in future

laptop and all-in-one PC in future

Middle and high-grade x86 PC,include laptop and all-in-one PC,not include desktop PC.
The price of the cheapest laptop in future, will be nearly about US$605. The cheapest all-in-one PC (not include self assembly very low-grade all-in-one PC), will be nearly about US$485.
In future, maybe only these manufacturers will produce all-in-one PC and laptop, such as: TOSHIBA, Fujitsu, Samsung, LG, ACER, ASUS, MSI, DELL, Lenovo, HP, Gateway etc.
Most of new laptops ,have three USB2.0 (or USB2.0 & 3.0 2in1) port.
All of all-in-one PC, at least have 4 or more USB port.
Many of laptops and all-in-one PC, have one USB3.0 and USB2.0 2in1 port. Some of have a eSATA and USB2.0 2 in 1 port.
All of laptop and all-in-one PC,have a HDMI output port. Many of laptop and all-in-one PC will not have VGA output port.
All of laptop and all-in-one PC,have a SD/MMC card reader,and all have a 1000Mbps Ethernet port(RJ45 port)
All of laptop and all-in-one PC,have a camera,the camera above the LCD screen.

New feature:
All of laptop and all-in-one PC,will not use traditional "BIOS" as the bootloader.Will all use Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) as the bootloader.
The new kind of bootloader,can't allow to boot from any other disk,such as: any usb disk, other SATA hard disk, SATA or USB cdrom, SD/MMC card etc. Can only boot from the SSD disk on the motherboard only!
And the new kind of bootloader, will prohibit user to install anyother operating system. And the bootloader not have the API  to guide any other operating system. For example, if a laptop or all-in-one PC have been installed Win8.1 or Win9 in advance, so user can't install anyother operating system into the x86 PC (such as:any Linux release edition, MS-DOS, Winxp, Win7, or other Win8.1 or Win9 etc.)
All of laptop and the all-in-one PC, will use SSD disk to have been installed the operating system on the PC.And also have free space on the SSD disk (as another partition),for user to use. The SSD disk will be all PCI-E interface. And the SSD disk will be all welded on the motherboard.
The operating system on the SSD disk,can't be deleted,so the system partition on the SSD disk can't be formated. And user can't copy or creat new file, or can't delete any files on the system partition of the SSD disk.
Except when the system will allow user to update.
Have a function, to recover the system to original status.

Nearly all of new laptops,the body type will be more slim.
Many ot new laptops,will use metal shell.
Nearly all of new laptops,the shape of the keyboard,will nearly like Apple Macbook.
Nearly all of new laptops,the battery will be in the internal of the laptop.
Some of laptop and the all-in-one PC,will have capacitive touch screen,support multi touch.

All of laptop and the all-in-one PC, will have WIFI function, but many of the Wireless Network Adapter will be not common, and the chip of Wireless Network Adapter will be all welded on the motherboard.
All of laptop and the all-in-one PC, the RAM chips will be welded on the motherboard. But have a slot for RAM,allow user to expand RAM. On any laptop,the DIMM or SIMM slot for expand RAM, on the bottom shell,and the expanding RAM compartment have a cover.

All of the all-in-one PC,and some of new laptops,have a 2.5 inch hard disk compartment,allow user to install a hard disk (SATA interface).
Some of laptop and the all-in-one PC, will not have DVD-ROM or Blu-ray drive.
Some of laptop and the all-in-one PC, will have a DVD-ROM or Blu-ray drive, but the DVD-ROM or Blu-ray drive will be not common.

laptop in future

all-in-one PC

About low-grade x86 PC in future

About very low-grade x86 CPU:
Intel will not make ARM or MIPS cpu in future, only make x86 cpu.
Intel will still make "ATOM" series CPU, or other series very low-grade x86 CPU. (Maybe not be called as "ATOM".)
Very low-grade x86 CPU will be for low-grade "x86" PC.
Very low-grade x86 CPU can be used for mini motherboard and mini chassis computer (x86 mini PC).(mini chassis computer use mini motherboard). Maybe Very low-grade x86 CPU will also be used for some x86 tabletpc.
The models of Intel low-grade x86 CPU will be very less.
Some kinds of "ATOM" series CPU can be used for servers.
Maybe AMD will also produce a few of very low-grade x86 CPU.

Very low-grade x86 CPU and mini chassis computer:
Mini motherboard (x86) will be all use very low-grade x86 CPU (Such as: Intel "ATOM" series CPU.)
All of the CPU will have been welded on the motherboard, so user can't replace it.
On the x86 mini motherboard, all of have these ports, such as: DC power in, 2* USB 2.0 port (Some of have a USB2.0 & eSATA 2 in 1 port), one 3.5mm audio output port, one 3.5mm microphone port, one Ethernet port, one VGA output port, one HDMI output port.
On the x86 mini motherboard, all of have welded some pins on motherboard, for expand some ports or function, such as: 8 pins to expand 2* USB 2.0 port, some pins for SD/MMC card reader (some of SD/MMC card reader welded on the motherboard), some pins for LVDS LCD screen, 2 pins for Power button, 2 pins for power led, 2 pins for hard disk drive led, and etc.
On the x86 mini motherboard, all of have welded 2 or more SATA sockets.
All have a jumper on the mainboard, for clearing the BIOS setting.
Some of the mainboards, will have been welded memory chips (RAM chip) on the mainboard. (At least have 2GB RAM)
X86 mini motherboard can be used for finished product x86 mini chassis computer (x86 mini PC), or can be used for finished product finance and cashie computer.
The manufacturers will also sell x86 mini motherboard, and sell the case for x86 mini motherboard. So user can buy the motherboard and the case to assemble a mini PC or an all in one PC (need a LCD screen and a LVDS signal cable) by theirself.

Desktop PC will stop to produce:
Desktop PC and their component,will stop to produce soon, include: CPU, main chipset, GPU, RAM chipset.
But the big capacity of 3.5 Inch hard disk (2TB at least now) will still be produced.
In future, laptop and "x86 mini PC" and "all in one PC" will replace Desktop PC.

AMD obtain the ARM cpu authorization,start to make ARM cpu for middle-grade and high-grade tabletpc and mobile phone.

forecast: New version Uboot

forecast , imagine and recommend:

1 Support boot from SD/MMC card, boot from USB disk (include USB flash disk, USB SD/MMC card reader, USB hard dirver), boot from SATA disk, boot from SATA CDROM, boot from USB CDROM
When turn on the equipment, if a SD/MMC card has been inserted, and in the SD/MMC the first partition is a Linux kernel system's mirror, or the SD/MMC card's active partition is EXT2/3/4 or Yaffs2 flie system and have a Linux kernel system, will boot system from the SD/MMC card
2 If boot from usb disk, SATA disk, sata cdrom and usb cdrom, will be identical than boot from SD/MMC card.
3 Support multiple system to boot on the internal NAND flash (or eMMC), and when turn on the equipment, allow user to choose which operating system will be started.
4 The information (The configuration file) of multi system boot, maybe will use the "MISC" partition on the internal NAND flash (or eMMC).
5 Support multiple operating system choice menu when turn on the equipment (If the equipment have multiple operating system on the internal NAND flash (or eMMC))
6 Support black and white 2 colors display.(for multiple operating system choice menu)
7 Support MCU, RGB, TTL, LVDS interface of LCD screen.
8 Support Display port, HDMI (or DVI), VGA video output port for display.
When user turn on the equipment, if the equipment will use Display port, HDMI (or DVI) or VGA to connect a monitor, "Uboot" will use DDC(Direct Digital Control) or AUX channel on Displayport to test and distinguish the monitor, and use the monitor to display at priority.
9 Support USB keyboard, USB mouse and infrared remoter.
(When use the multiple operating system choice menu, the mouse wheel can move the selection cursor up or down.The left button on mouse is confirm key, identical to "Enter" key on keyboard.)
10 About the multiple operating system choice menu: Press Volume+ or Volume- button (on the equipment) to move the selection cursor up or down, press the Power button (on the equipment) to enter (confirm).
11 In future, nearly all of low-grade tabletpc, set-top-box, ARM or MIPS computer (for office use or cash register), etc.,will use the newest version Uboot as the bootloader.


Multi-system choosing menu when the equipment turn on:

Many softwares for linux will be compiled and released ARM & MIPS edition

forecast, conceive and recommend:

Maybe since the near future, when many Linux Release edition for ARM & MIPS will be released. Many softwares for linux, will be compiled and released for Linux ARM & MIPS edition.
Such as: LibreOffice, Apache OpenOffice, Vim Editor, gEdit Editor, GNU Emacs, GIMP, Inkscape, MySQL, Apache, PHP, Mozilla Firefox, Chrome, MPlayer, SMPlayer, VLC player, Banshee, Clementine, Audacious, XMMS etc. (More softwares will have ARM & MIPS edition)

Linux Release edition for ARM or MIPS cpu

In the near future,some of Linux Release edition,such as: Ubuntu, Debian etc., will release ARM or MIPS edition for tabletpc and set-top-box.
Linux Release edition for ARM or MIPS, will be nearly same as for x86 edition.
Maybe some Linux Release edition for ARM or MIPS,will support Multi-touch more better.
Some Linux Release edition for ARM or MIPS,such as: Ubuntu and etc.,will support more old ARM cpu,such as: Rockchip RK 30xx, VIA 8650, VIA 88xx, Allwinner A1x, Allwinner A2x and etc. And also have integrated the corresponding GPU (display adapter)'s driver.
Support all of common kinds LVDS, TTL, RGB interface of LCD screen.(The LCD screen on tabletpc)
User can install the Linux Release edition (for ARM or MIPS cpu) into their tabletpc or set-top-box.
These linux for ARM or MIPS, can be easy to be installed on tabletpc or set-top-box. Can be installed on a SDcard ,or can be installed on NAND flash (or eMMC)(creat a new partition on NAND flash or eMMC, for the Linux system), can coexisted with Android.
If user want to install the Linux Release edition to the NAND flash (or eMMC). The installing program can be used on Android. The installing program can auto create a new partition (EXT3/4) on the NAND flash (or eMMC), and can auto build Multi-system boot menu when the equipment starting to choose use Android or the Linux or anyother operating system. (The Multi-system boot menu maybe use the "MISC" partition on the NAND flash or eMMC to achieve.)
Can encode and decode many formats of video, audio and image by hardware.(If the hareware support.)
Have this new function: User can adjust the capacity of GPU(display adapter) RAM:
User can adjust the capacity of GPU(display adapter) RAM, so can save more capacity for system RAM. But at least the capacity of GPU RAM must greater than or equal to 16MB. For example: If a equipment have 512MB RAM, and have assigned 16MB capacity for display RAM, so 496MB capacity of system RAM will be visible.

Some features about support hardwares:
Support USB 2.0, USB 3.0, SATA 3.0, Ethernet, PCI Express, I2C,SPI,SDIO,UART,CAN bus, etc.
Support usb game handle
Support usb camera
Support usb blueteeth adapter
Support usb audio acquisition and playback device
Support blueteeth keyboard and mouse.
Support usb barcode scanner
Support USB MIDI keyboard
Support USB to RS232 or anyother serial ports device
Support Irda. Also support infrared remoter.
Support TS Stream input port.Can support DVB-SH,DVB-T,DMB-TH,ISDB-T,CMMB,DVB-C,DVB-S,DVB-S2 etc.Can support digital TV receive.(Also support digital radio,push vod or other broadcast TS Stream receive)
Support some sensor input port,as temperature,humidity,Illumination,Air pressure,Acceleration etc.
Support gravity sensor
Support capacitive touch screen and multi touch
etc.

New function about display devices:
If use Displayport, HDMI, DVI, VGA as the display equipment, user can set the screen resolution.
User can choose display equipment,as:
Lcd screen (Lcd screen on the tabletpc or phone)
displayport (If support)
hdmi (If support)
dvi (If support)
vga (If support)
video out (YCbCr, CVBS-video or S-video, If support)

Another possible about Android equipment (phone and tabletpc)

Another possible about Android equipment:
Maybe Android will be used for low-grade phone only, and be used for a few of tabletpc (cost at least US$155). Not for anyother tabletpc and set-top-box. In future, Android tabletpc all will not use original edition of Android operating system, and will lock the bootloader (will be hard to brush anyother firmware), and user will be hard to get "root".(This aspect of is same as Android phone.)

Mini speaker and any other audio equipment in future

Mini speaker and any other audio equipment in future

Chips for audio player:
The chips can be used for Mini speaker, Tour Guide Megaphone, Public broadcasting Amplifier, HIFI Amplifier, Car audio system, MP3 audio player and etc.

All of these kind of chipsets have these function:
These chips' design will reference some open source hardware program.
Support MP3, OGG, FLAC decoding by hardware.
Some of support AAC (include aac+) decoding by hardware
Support MP3 encoding by hardware.(When encoding 320kbps mp3,the encoding speed faster than realtime)
Support many kinds of EQ sound by hardware.
Support max to 72 polyphonys for MIDI fm synthesize by hardware.
Support JPEG, GIF, TIF (LZW), PNG, WebP image decoding by hardware.(When decoding JPEG image,the speed is very fast.)
Many of support low resolution Xvid video format decoding by hardware.(support AVI video container)
Support 24bit ture color OSD display (support transparent effect) by hardware.
Have a 32bit risc cpu (mcu) in the chip,compatible 8051 instruction Set.
Have a audio DAC & ADC in the chip,support 2 channel,max to 48khz 24bit per channel playback and acquisition.The signal to noise ratio are all higher than 90db. About the acquisition function,support one microphone input, 2 way two channel audio input(line in, aux in)
Support SPDIF in & out put port.
Have a USB 2.0 salve port. The Nand flash in the equipment,or the inserting SD/MMC card, can be used as a usb disk. Also can be used to brush firmware into the Nand flash.
The USB salve port also can be used as USB sound adapter,can be used for playback and acquisition.
If the equipment hava Bluetooth function, the USB salve port can be used as USB Bluetooth adapter
Have a USB 2.0 host port. Support usb flash disk,usb SDHC/MMC card reader, usb hard disk, usb cdrom.
Support FAT, FAT32, CDFS file system.
Support SD/MMC card.(support SDHC)
Support NAND flash, NOR flash, and some other kinds of flash memory chip
Have a BROM in the chip
Have one UART (Can connect Bluetooth chip)
Support four wire resistive touchscreen port
Support infrared remote control receiver.
Support some buttons.(include button lock.)
Real time clock function
Support power Management function
Can connect some kinds of sensor,such as: temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure etc.
Support segment code display or dot matrix display, support LCD, LED, OLED screen, and support TFT/STN color LCD screen (CPU interface)
Can connect external video DAC chip,can support YCbCr,S-video,CVBS-video output (If the chip support color display)
Can support external audio power amplifier chip.
Can support external FM/AM/SW radio receive chip.
Can support external FM radio transmit chip.

Expand function (some of chips have function):
Some of support WMA decoding by hardware.
Some of support AAC or WMA encoding by hardware.
Some of support support Apple 30-pin dock connector, some of support Apple new 16 pin connector.
Some of chips for middle-grade and high-grade equipment,support AC3, DTS, DVD-audio, MLP, TureHD, DTS-HD, WMA-HD, SACD, DSD audio, and multi channel audio decoding by hardware

Another possible:
All of low-grade mini speaker, Tour Guide Megaphone, Public broadcasting Amplifier, low-grade Car audio system will not support audio files play function, so not support usb disk and SD card, and can't be used as a usb audio adapter,because these kinds of chips has been stopped to produce. But many of low-grade mini speaker, Public broadcasting Amplifier and Tour Guide Megaphone support FM & AM radio receiveing .All of mini speaker and Tour Guide Megaphone still will use USB (DC 5V) powersupply.

Public broadcasting Amplifier:

MP3 audio player (maybe will be stopped to produce):

MP3 audio player (maybe will be stopped to produce):

Tour Guide Megaphone:

Mini speaker (maybe only support FM/AM radio and Sound amplification only,not support mp3 playing):

HIFI:

About Another possible,

maybe low-grade mini speaker only support FM/AM radio and Sound amplification only,not support mp3 playing:

Many external equipment will all use USB interface in the near future

Customer displays (whether segment display or dot matrix display) will all use USB interface to communicate. Some of will support both USB and 9pin RS232 to communicate.
Cash register will use USB2.0 interface to connect PC to communicate (Can export and import data, brush firmware, debug and etc.). All not support RS232 interface to communicate.
Currency Detector will all use USB interface to connect PC to communicate.(Can update firmware, debug and etc.) All not support RS232 interface.
Barcode scanner will all use USB interface.

Colors of Electronic Equipment's shell in the near future

All of electronic equipment's shell's color,have black, white and gray, the 3 kinds of classic color.
Laptop's shell, have these common color: black, white, gray and brown, and a few of are navy blue.
All in one PC's shell's color,some of are black, some of are white.
All of LCD TVset and LCD monitor's shell's color are black.
Router, Modem, Switch, set-top-box, x86 mini PC's case, the common color of the shells,are black, white and gray.
Some of Router and Modem's shell color are blue.
Tabletpc and phones' shell's common color,are black, white and gray. But a few of phones' shell's color are gold. And some of Nokia Lumia's shell are blue.
Mini speaker's shell color,are black, white, gray, brown, blue, navy blue and red.
No electronic equipment's shell have these color: pink, purple, green, yellow, orange and etc.


Classic colors laptop's shell

black color shell of a tabletpc:

Blue color Nokia Lumia's shell:

gold color Iphone:

Not have these colors of laptop and other equipment's shell since the near future:

Push Vod will extensive to use

Push Vod:
"Push Vod" can be used on any digital TV system (DVB-SH,DVB-T,DMB-TH,ISDB-T,CMMB,DVB-C,DVB-S,DVB-S2,ABS-S etc.).It use data broadcast to push Video files (also can push other kinds of flies) to users.
"Push Vod"'s transmission speed is more faster than real time of video stream.The transmission speed is about 4Mbps or faster
Now,all of "Push Vod" use H.264 video and AAC audio code.Also have HDTV and SDTV.
"Push Vod" usually use conditional access (CA).So the user of not authorized can't receive the "Push Vod"'s data stream,and  can't play the received files.
All of the received files is encryption,not a standard video file.User must install the smart card into the Set-Top Box or TV  set (if the TV set support digital TV receive) ,or other digital TV receive equipment,and the user's smart card has been granted for the channel and the program,so can open the file and watch the program.
Each user's smart card have unique number.
User's receive equipment must install a harddriver or usb disk or SD/MMC card to save the received files.
In the disk for received files,the directory structure is "/The name of the channel/Date of received/received files"
When a received file have not received complete,when the TV station repush this file at another time, can go ahead to receive this file.