Rambus gets into TVs

Rambus, the memory specialist that a lot of people seem to hate, has inked a deal with Toshiba that will let the Japanese giant put XDR memory into its HD TVs.

XDR memory can pass data at 4.8 gigabits per second, which in turn will lead to faster image processing, according to Toshiba. Texas Instruments has also signed licenses to put XDR into projectors containing its DLP chips.

Sony also uses XDR memory in its PlayStation3.

Rambus doesn't manufacture memory. Instead, it designs memory interfaces that allow data to flow faster. Back in the 90s, Intel selected a type of Rambus memory to serve as a standard in PCs. It wasn't as easy to manufacture and promised (and didn?t deliver all of the promised benefits) and faded away on desktops.

The company has also been engaged in a series of patent lawsuits with many of the big memory makers. Both Rambus and the memory makers have won their victories in these suits but the final outcome is still uncertain.