MediaTek chipsets are used in most smart TVs today. The new version of Pentonic 800 processors showcases faster AI processing, VRR support up to 165Hz, Wi-Fi 7 and more. The first TVs with Pentonic 1000 and Pentonic 700 chipsets were released in 2023. These include the Sony A95L series TVs (Pentonic 1000), the 2023-24 Philips Google TV (Pentonic 1000) and the 2023-24 TCL Google TV (Pentonic 700).
MediaTek said: “MediaTek Pentonic 800 delivers best – in-class video, audio and cloud gaming experience. This chipset is ideal for a variety of 4K displays, including smart TVs, smart monitors, commercial displays, and large embedded displays. Compared to previous generation chipsets, MediaTek AI processor delivers 50% faster AI processing . ”
It’s not clear what specific “previous generation chipset” MediaTek is comparing the new chipset to, but the 50% performance boost will allow TV makers to do significantly more to improve the picture. MediaTek noted improved processes such as AI-Super Resolution 3.0, AI-Contrast 2.0, AI-Picture Quality Scene Recognition 2.0+, and AI-Picture Quality Object Recognition 2.5+. But if you turn off picture enhancement on your TV, these enhancements will have virtually no effect.
MediaTek has confirmed that the Pentonic 800 chipset supports 4K video at up to 165Hz. This is the next step up from 144Hz, which is now common in both LCD and OLED TVs. Note that today everything that goes beyond 120 Hz is relevant only for computer games.
Existing Pentonic chipsets support up to two HDMI 2.1 ports for use with gaming consoles such as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. The Pentonic 800 chipset will implement the latest version of HDMI 2.1a, which supports Quick Media Switching (QMS), although it is specific about support QMS is not mentioned. At the same time, MediaTek reports that the Pentonic 800 “supports up to 4 high-speed video/audio input interfaces,” but again it is not clear what exactly the company means – will it support four HDMI 2.1 ports this time? We are waiting for clarification.
The MediaTek Pentonic 800 chipset supports video codecs including HEVC, AV1, AVS3 High Profile and the new VVC (H.266). Previous generations of Pentonic also supported VVC (Versatile Video Codec) on paper, but none of the current Pentonic-based TVs are capable of decoding VVC-encoded content. This is because an accompanying hardware decoder chip is required. Likewise, MediaTek says the Pentonic 800 supports the latest WiFi 7 specification for much faster wireless data transfer. But this will also require a companion chip in TVs.
There is no information yet on the timing of the start of deliveries of the new MediaTek Pentonic 800 chipset to TV manufacturers.
