ASUS’ plans for its next-generation of set-top boxes have been tipped, with the company expected to add wireless HD support to an upcoming model.  According to DigiTimes’ usual shadowy industry sources, ASUS are using Taifatech’s TF-600 chipset, presumably in a new O!Play box, which is capable of streaming Full HD video over wireless or wired networks.

The talkative industry insiders also reckon ASUS are considering slapping the TF-600 into their netbooks, which would presumably allow them to wirelessly connect with a remote media source.  According to the TF-600 data sheet , the Taifatech chipset has onboard rescaling functionality, controllers for keyboards and mice, and can natively support IR remote controls.

Set top boxes are very common today to pick up over the air HD broadcasts and to view cable channels. If you live in an area where broadcasters transmit over the air HD signals you may need a set top box to send those signals to your TV. ePVision has announced a new HDTV receiver called the PHD-205LE that offers lots of connectivity and features.
The device has an ATI video MPEG2 decoder chip and a 3D graphics engine. The box supports 1080i and 720p digital HD channels and sports an HDMI 1.3b output. Other features include OTA ATSC digital channel capability and support for Clear QAM digital cable channels.

The box also supports pass through of analog NTSC channels from RF to TV. Connectivity options include HDMI, component, VGA, composite, and S-video. Audio connectivity includes stereo L/R and a single optical audio out. The box is available now for $139.95.

It might not mean much to the Android smartphone lurking in your pocket (or that you’d like to have there), but MIPS and Sigma Designs have been demonstrating an Android-based set-top box capable of 1080p high-definition video.  The STB prototype is being positioned as “a major milestone toward the creation of a reference platform” for Android-powered home entertainment devices, with the two companies adding support for Sigma’s hardware graphics acceleration and decoding.

They also made enhancements to Android libraries and the MIPS architecture so that the OS could run on a full-sized display at HD resolutions, rather than the more compact handset displays on Android smartphones.  While the specific Sigma SoC (system-on-chip) used for the prototype was not named, it’s possible that it’s their SMP8640-series chip already in use in Blu-ray players, STBs and other video devices.

Meanwhile MIPs also suggest that their enhancements to Android could make it useful for mobile internet devices (MIDs) and digital picture frames too; they’ll be releasing the changes at an unspecified point in the future, as part of their “MIPS32 architecture for Android” project.  There’s still no timescale for Android-based set-top boxes based on the new technology.