If you have a smart TV, then your TV has some kind of decent chipset in it — more than just what a "standard" TV would pack, anyway. MediaTek is a big provider of TV chipsets, and its Pentonic 1000 is the latest flagship smart TV SoC from the company designed for 4K at 120Hz. It has Wi-Fi 6/6E, MEMC for smoother video, Dolby Vision IQ with Precision Detail, and 8-screen Intelligent View so users can watch or preview multiple streams at once.

While specific details given were scarce, MediaTek says that the Pentonic 1000 SoC packs a "multicore CPU", a dual-core GPU, an APU (AI Processing Unit), and video decoding engines. It is capable of VRR up to 4K 144Hz for gaming applications, but will typically default to 4K 120Hz. There is also an Auto Low Latency Mode, or ALLM. Playback options include AV1, HEVC, VP9, and even VVC or H.266, to "usher in the first wave of VVC adoption".

“We designed the MediaTek Pentonic 1000 specifically to accommodate today’s smart TV trends, including 4K streaming, cloud gaming, video conferencing and watch parties,” said Alex Chen, General Manager of the TV Business Unit at MediaTek. “With support for 4K HDR content, 120Hz frame rates, MEMC, AI enhancements, Wi-Fi 6/6E connectivity and cutting-edge codecs like VVC, Pentonic 1000 will deliver the ultimate 4K viewing experience.”

All in all, the Pentonic 1000 shapes up to be a pretty good chipset for TVs. The company's Intelligent View technology is particularly interesting, as it means you can be browsing TV channels, previewing a stream or another channel, and even be on a call with someone at the same time. It's a bit of a power user use case for a TV, but it's more than what most people will ever need, and that's the point.

While specific availability details weren't given, the company says that TVs with the Pentonic 1000 will be available in the market by the first quarter of 2023.