Intel Moves Further Into Consumer Electronics

Intel is joining the fray of computer companies jumping into the consumer electronics market. CNET has a story detailing the semiconductor company's future plans.

Part of these plans include releasing what they call the "Entertainment PC", or EPC for short. The computer is a full blown PC running Windows XP Media Center Edition, and will run on a 3ghz version of Intel's upcoming update to the Pentium 4 processor, code-named Prescott. The EPC is said to look more like a VCR and will use TV's in place of normal monitors. It will be used for playing music, viewing pictures, watching videos, and will have PVR functionality. Intel will be licensing the EPC out to PC manufacturers, and will have an estimated cost of $799. The EPC's release date is set for sometime in the middle of 2004.

Intel also has introduced a semiconductor designed for projection televisions and displays that are greater than 35 inches across. The platform is called Cayley and is based on LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon) technology. LCOS is a revolutionary way to project images on large screens, but up until recently the five year old technology has suffered from low production yields. Intel (who originally developed LCOS) has found ways around this and is able to produce it cheaply as well. The first TV's based on Cayley are predicted to enter the market near the end of 2004.

The company also claims that during 2004 more and more standalone PVR's and other video players will run on Intel processors and semiconductors, and that in 2005 they expect to sell more imaging chips for digital cameras and camcorders. Intel also announced new graphics chipsets for handhelds.

Comments

[Ray McCollum]

I want to buy a Hi Def TIVO receiver for use with my plasma set...Where can I find this?

rwm