Samsung Electronics, in collaboration with STMicroelectronics and Metalink, have announced the launch of a set-top box with support for High-Definition (HD) TV through the aid of the wireless 802.11n IPTV standard. The model is called Samsung SMT-H6155 and features a chipset from STMicroelectronics, the STi7109 which allows for HD video decoding and an 802.11n wireless chipset from Metalink to provide video streaming.

Hee-Won Park , Vice President of Samsung's STB Development Group said: "Our customers have shown great demand for high-definition multimedia contents via IPTV and the ability to facilitate content using Wireless LAN. We believe that Samsung's SMT-H6155, equipped with STMicroelectronics' decoder and Metalink's 802.11n chipsets, will satisfy our consumers as a top-of-the-line set-top box for HD IPTV. The SMT-H6155 will be a product that consumers can come to trust and believe in as it represents Samsung's highest standard for quality."

STMicroelectronics' STi7109 chipset works by decoding MPEG-4 AVC and VC-1 formats, and is said to feature in its single-chip design all of the facilities of a set-top box device. The wireless chipset from Metalink, on the other hand, is formed out of an MtW8170 baseband device and the MtW8150 radio frequency integrated circuit. This product using the 802.11n specifications is able to provide multiple HD streams on a radius of about 100 feet from the set-top box.

Christos Lagomichos, Corporate Vice President, Home Entertainment Group General Manager at STMicroelectronics also stated that: "Samsung is a global leader in set-top box products and a major customer of ST. We are happy that our market leading HD decoder in cooperation with Metalink's WLAN Plus allows us to provide Samsung with the most innovative and robust solution in the market today. This platform demonstrates the capability of ST's advanced decoders, such as the STi71xx family, which allows the set-top box to become a core multimedia appliance in the home network, for both operator and retail markets."