Zoran Datasheets?

I'm trying to find a datasheet and programming manual for a Zoran ZR36966

Zoran do not put their datasheets on the web, and none of the usual suspects seems to have them either.

An email to 'general support information' yielded nothing. An email to the 'company contact' listed in their press releases yielded a curt 'who are you and why do you want it?' But I obviously failed with my answer as the contact went silent. :-(

A clue may be found in the footnote of the 'product brief's :-

"Copyright 2005 Zoran Corporation's Vaddis 888 incorporates Macrovision, Dolby and CSS Technologies. To obtain Vaddis 888, the recipient must have the appropriate licenses with these entities. Due to the programmability of the Vaddis 888, other licenses may be required."

Well, given I've already got one at home, and you probably have too, I've already obtained one, I just want to know a bit more about it ;-)

Any help would be appreciated.

Reply to
mvandere
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You got it as part of DVD player, which is different.

They are right, though. To get the complete info, you most likely have to sign an NDA with Zoran and other parties. I am afraid, Zoran is the only one who can help you.

Try telling them you are considering using it in a new design.

Rudolf

Reply to
Rudolf

other parties.

I'd be happy to sign an NDA, but it never even got that far.

Reply to
mvandere

get the complete info, you most likely have to sign an NDA with Zoran and other parties.

Unless you are a company, e.q. "legal entity", they will not talk to you.

It is all down to how good you can b@@@@t them. Seriously, what is the point for them do deal with you? Absolutely nothing. Unless they can see a case for more sales, they will not.

Rudolf

Reply to
Rudolf

On Thu, 18 Jan 2007 12:45:55 +1100, "Rudolf" put finger to keyboard and composed:

I look at it in a different way. What is the point of *not* releasing information about how your chips work? If Zoran, or any other chip manufacturer, wants maximum market penetration, surely they should welcome the thousands of programmers and enthusiasts who would develop applications for their chips at no cost to Zoran. For example, if Zoran were to release the programming details for their chips, I'm sure that the entire Linux community would be interested. As it is now, the Chinese manufacturers take a reference design, layout a PCB, and tick the checkboxes for the various firmware options. Zoran does virtually all the hard work.

- Franc Zabkar

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Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.
Reply to
Franc Zabkar

Yes,

But if one big DVD manufacturer produces a million DVD players, Zoran only have to provide technical support to a handfull of engineers. The support can be deep focused.

Rather than, support a 1000 engineers for very few sales per engineer support.

Sure, one or two designs may take off, but if Zoran may have already targeted them (with proper marketing).

It's the ratio of support costs / number of chips sold.

JG

Reply to
Joe G (Home)

Anyone with a brain will put all the info on the internet so it's available to everyone. Siemens is a good example, you can find everything ever published by them on the net, and it's free to us. If a company won't give you support you don't buy their product, it doesn't get much simpler than that.

Friday

Reply to
Friday

Hey all, my $0.02 worth from a little experience.

The Zoran and other chips that contain macrovision and CSS hardware modules and are prevented from releasing technical details under the license terms for incorporating the aforementioned technologies.

In order for them to release the full data, you need to get a macrovision license and a CSS license from the relevant licensing bodies. Then you can show these to Zoran and they can release the datasheet that contains confidential (proprietary) data about these technologies.

Neither of these licenses are cheap or easy to get. Unless you're planning on making lots of units (10,000+) with these chips, the cost of obtaining the licenses is prohibitive.

Zoran have their hands tied on this issue by legal (BS) stuff.

Friday wrote:

Reply to
Brenden

On Thu, 18 Jan 2007 13:42:24 GMT, Brenden put finger to keyboard and composed:

Then why not just withhold the CSS and Macrovision stuff and release the rest? In any case, what prevents PC motherboard chipset manufacturers and graphics chipset manufacturers from releasing their info?

- Franc Zabkar

--
Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.
Reply to
Franc Zabkar

Tell me about it! I wish, Zoran were the only ones.

I am an engineer and this is a constant pain in the a@@@. Sometimes it is difficult, if not impossible to get information for the commercial projects. I can understand things like specialised micros, like Zoran, but currently I am trying to get manuals (hell, even datasheets) for integrated network switches from Marvell and for SLIC chips from Legerity. And those are the things that we plan to use in the commercial products (thouthands of chips).

Rudolf

Reply to
Rudolf

The only pleasant experience I had was with Philips. Needed to use one of their USB host contrroller IC in a design. To get the info, all I needed to do is to submit an application on their web site. Next day I received acecss to all the info including sample drivers and source code application software. Fair enough, they have to protect their IP, but they have an efficient system to release stuff.

Rudolf P.S. Many chip manufacturers will not release the info in fear of competition. Try to get any info on WiFi chip sets, like PRISM.

Reply to
Rudolf

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