MediaTek has announced a new chip that will bring more TVs into the next generation. The Pentonic 1000 system on a chip (SoC) will power a host of 2023 models according to MediaTek, most likely from brands such as Sony, Samsung, Philips and Panasonic, who already use MediaTek chips in their TVs.
So what makes this new chip so special? Well, gamers might want to take note here as it opens up the possibility of having four fully featured HDMI 2.1 ports – MediaTek's current top chip, which powers flagship models from the TV brands mentioned above, has only two HDMI 2.1 sockets with two HDMI 2.0 ports. You may think that two HDMI ports is plenty, but when one of them is also the eARC port that's used t connect a soundbar or AV receiver, you're left with just one for an Xbox Series X, PS5 or gaming PC.
Each of the new chip's four HDMI 2.1 sockets will support 4K 120Hz or 144Hz depending on the panel, so you'll have more than enough ports for your games machines and whatever other HDMI 2.1 devices might come in the future, just as you already do if you buy a top LG or Samsung TV.
VRR and ALLM will also, of course, be supported, just as they are now, and while it's not specifically been confirmed by MediaTek, the expectation is that gaming in Dolby Vision at 4K 120Hz will also be possible. Currently, that's a feature exclusive to LG's top TVs.
In other Dolby Vision-related news, the Pentonic 1000 brings Dolby Vision IQ with Precision Detail for greater contrast control and dark detail improvements, all automatically optimised based on ambient lighting conditions. This is another feature that's currently exclusive to LG's top TVs.
Motion also gets some love from the Pentonic 1000 thanks to Motion Estimation, Motion Compensation (or MEMC) onboard, which is a system of inserting extra frames for smoother movement. It will be interesting to see if this can overcome the reservations that many AV aficionados have about motion processing.
The Pentonic 1000 brings other improvements across the board, with Wi-Fi 6E support for low latency wireless internet connectivity, as well as the promise of vague AI enhancements – we’re not sure if that relates to the picture or software experience on upcoming MediaTek-powered TVs but the suspense is killing us. The processor itself features a multi-core CPU which is tasked with keeping the user interface running smoothly, as well as a dual-core GPU for graphical rendering.
As mentioned before we can expect to see TVs with this new processor launching in 2023, with a target of Q1 according to MediaTek. Expect lots of related news at CES in January.
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