Frontier Silicon is the leading provider of digital radio chipsets, with a 75% market share of in-home receivers. They have pioneered internet and hybrid radio technologies, and are developing solutions for mobile, automotive, and home audio applications. Future digital radios will offer enhanced features like pause, rewind, recording and electronic program guides. They will also support hybrid radio through broadcast and internet, allowing interactive experiences. Connectivity and larger touchscreens will become standard, shifting radios toward multimedia platforms.

1. Evolution of digital radios, and future
trends in receiver technologies
Carsten Friedrich
June 2012

2. Frontier Silicon is the leading chip-set provider for
digital radio
Market leader in Digital
Radio solutions (75% share
of in-home digital receivers)
Pioneer in Internet and Addressing home audio,
Hybrid Radio with award automotive; developing
winning technology solutions for mobile
4th generation chip currently
in development
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3. For ten years, we have supplied the world’s leading
audio brands – often on an exclusive basis
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4. Modern Radios are digital
• Digital Radios …
– … can receive FM too
– … are future proof
– … have a better sound than pure FM radios
– … offer more features than pure FM Radios
– … are easier to use than pure FM Radios
– … are high value radios anyway compare to pure FM Radios
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5. Entry priced receivers, enabled by the cost reductions
of solutions
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6. Dockers, enabled by increased processing capability
of solution
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7. Portable radios, enabled by reductions in power
consumption of solutions
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8. Ultra-portables / handhelds, enabled by reduction in
size of solutions
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9. Digital radio integration into audio systems
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10. Radios with colour screens and enhanced user
interfaces, enabling easier content access
• Colour touch-screen allows
user to tap to select and
swipe to change views
• Broadcasters are making
increasing use of visual
functionality
• Allows the industry to follow this
trend and introduce new
technologies which become
• Colour touch-screen – for more mainstream
Slideshow either broadcast
or via RadioVIS (IP)
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11. Digital radios will provide the ability to pause, rewind
and record, and with EPG data
Digital Radio with EPG
(Electronic Program Guide) and Record
• Functionality which is familiar to
consumers from digital TV will also
become available on digital radio
devices
Record DAB/FM radio
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12. With hybrid radio (broadcast plus IP), users will be
able to receive an enhanced listening experience
• Radio TAG
• Mechanism to interact with broadcast service
• Example uses of RadioTAG
RadioTAG (via IP)
New song Listen later Advertiser
• Hear new song on radio • Listening to programme is • Hear ad on radio / see
interrupted visual display
• Hit Tag button
• Tag and listen later • Tag to interact
- for info
- access more information
- to add to own playlist
- register interest
- to share with friends
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13. Connectivity to become a standard feature within
products
• Cost of adding wireless
technology to CE products fast
reducing
• Increasing number of products
with wireless connectivity
• Alternate platform to colour
radios
- Reuse display from smartphone /
tablet
Wireless (wifi /
Bluetooth) link • Availability of connectivity within
devices provides platform for
Hybrid Radio
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14. Next Generation Radios - A shift to multimedia
platforms rather than audio-centric devices
Key Features of Next Generation radios
include :
• Display – better / larger displays to show
more contents
• Memory - Built-in memory for data caching
applications (pause/rewind)
• Connectivity – for interfacing with smart
phones / tablets, with Apps to enable
advanced features
• Interactivity – support for further listener –
broadcaster interaction (via IP backchannels)
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Frontier Silicon Confidential

15. Thank you
Carsten Friedrich
Automotive Marketing Manager, Frontier Silicon
Carsten.Friedrich@frontier-silicon.com
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