Silicon chip supplier for the set top box (STB) STMicroelectronics and Osmosys which provides DVB Multimedia Home Platform (MHP) middleware, have announced the first deployment of a production-ready Osmosys DVB-MHP software stack. This runs on ST's advanced System-on-Chip (SoC) for STBs, the STi5517, and Stapi which is ST's fully integrated suite of software drivers.

A company release states that in Italy, consumers are benefiting from interactive TV applications through the combination of a powerful silicon platform for STBs and the most widely recognised MHP software solution. Osmosys' MHP is now in a multitude of STBs based on ST silicon with products already deployed in several horizontal retail markets.

The release adds that the implementation combines a robust MHP software stack, a STB hardware solution and a mature suite of drivers to provide customers with a solution that requires minimal engineering effort to take to production. The STi5517 combines a high-performance 32-bit CPU, MPEG decoder, transport stream demultiplexer and many of the peripherals required by today's STBs on a single device. The device is provided with Stapi a free suite of software drivers that support all the major blocks within the chip.

ST added that the combination of Osmosys' high performance MHP software and its STB decoder achieves the functional and cost targets set by mutual customers. The company has stated that it believe that this solution provides the market with a product that will help trigger mass deployments of DVB-MHP STBs.

Osmosys was created in July 2003 in order to focus on providing the latest generation of Open Standard Middleware solutions and services for the fast growing interactive TV market.