Question Why don't OEM use Mediatek SOC for TV Boxes and ARM SBC devices?

[spikerguy]

Hello Everyone,

I am new to this forum, but not new to ARM sbc developement.

I have been maintaining some Kernel and support packages for ARM SBC which are based on Allwinner, Amlogic and Rockchip soc but I have never found any SBC or TV Box (Android BOX) with mediatek SOC, except for Google's or amazons devices and Chromebooks.

The reason for asking is that Mediatek is far ahead of the above mentioned SOC Manufacturer that I have been developing packages for. The only reason I can think of is Mediatek might not want to open source their work like other SOC have been doing. I do have 1 SBC which is based on mediatek SOC but that is quite old.

I wish someone can look into getting making some SBC with Mediatek soc.

I would like to hear from the hardware experts.

Thank You.

 

[AmericanLocomotive]

Cost, availability, customization, lead time and more.

 

[Jimzz]

My guess is mostly cost. TV chips are a low cost item, even by arm standards. Cell phones, tablets, etc... have a better profit margin than a basic TV chip.

 

[LightningZ71]

One of the hurdles that SBC and STB ICs face is the need for additional I/O over the mobile SOCs that the leading edge manufacturers are using. In most cases, providing a SOC that has the I/O needed for one would require quite a bit of development work, even if it was based on an already existing design.

The other companies that are currently making them are developing them on trailing edge, commodity nodes with established tools, significantly reducing the R&D costs.

 

[AkulaMD]

Hello Everyone,

I am new to this forum, but not new to ARM sbc developement.

I have been maintaining some Kernel and support packages for ARM SBC which are based on Allwinner, Amlogic and Rockchip soc but I have never found any SBC or TV Box (Android BOX) with mediatek SOC, except for Google's or amazons devices and Chromebooks.

The reason for asking is that Mediatek is far ahead of the above mentioned SOC Manufacturer that I have been developing packages for. The only reason I can think of is Mediatek might not want to open source their work like other SOC have been doing. I do have 1 SBC which is based on mediatek SOC but that is quite old.

I wish someone can look into getting making some SBC with Mediatek soc.

I would like to hear from the hardware experts.

Thank You.

Well, actually they do. A few years or so back, MT8693 was one of the first (if not the first) TV Box SoC that incorporated ARM Big Cores in a form of Cortex-A72 (but it uses PowerVR GPU instead). But somehow it was not as popular as the SoC from Rockchip, Amlogic and others.