Marvell announced that SFR has launched its hybrid set-top box powered by Marvell's ARMADA(R) 1500 Plus (88DE3108) system-on-chip (SoC) platform. The ARMADA 1500 Plus is a full HD media processor designed for a wide range of Smart video products. Underscoring its leadership in the Smart Home ecosystem, the ARMADA 1500 Plus will power SFR's hybrid set-top boxes to enable Google services for Smart TV.

SFR's hybrid set-top box offering Google services for Smart TV, available in a compact form factor and simple set up, provides both broadcast and IPTV services to consumers, at an attractive EUR 3 per month. Customers, who have xDSL can enjoy IPTV services whereas other subscribers can get a bundled SFR TV/OTT experience. The platform is the first hybrid set-top box in the Europe enabling Google services for Smart TV, and its applications enable the convergence between mobiles, tablets and TV services.

The ARMADA 1500 Plus offers significantly improved graphics performance due to its OpenGL ES 2.0 compatible graphics engine, while real-time 1080p video encode capabilities allow the platform to function as a multi-screen source device, enabling an optimal viewing experience for consumers. Additionally, the ARMADA 1500 Plus incorporates an enhanced security engine that further facilitates more seamless adoption by service operators, as well as its Qdeo(R) video processing for HD and 3D video for an immersive entertainment experience. The SoC has integrated HDMI receiver and Gigabit Ethernet, enabling a broad range of low-cost form factors that make the ARMADA 1500 Plus ideal for small set-top-boxes, over-the-top media players, hybrid set-top boxes and Smart TVs at mass-market price points.