Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended			48 Months Ended
	Jul. 27, 2013	Jul. 28, 2012	Jul. 30, 2011	Jul. 27, 2013
Site Contingency [Line Items]
Rent expense	$ 416,000,000	$ 404,000,000	$ 428,000,000
Purchase Commitments	4,033,000,000	3,869,000,000		4,033,000,000
Liability for purchase commitments	172,000,000	193,000,000		172,000,000
Future compensation expense & contingent consideration	1,200,000,000
Brazilian authority claim of import tax evasion by importer, tax portion	385,000,000			385,000,000
Brazilian authority claim of import tax evasion by importer, interest portion	1,100,000,000			1,100,000,000
Brazilian authority claim of import tax evasion by importer, penalties portion	1,700,000,000			1,700,000,000
Minimum
Site Contingency [Line Items]
Warranty period for products, in days	90 days
Maximum
Site Contingency [Line Items]
Warranty period for products, in years	5 years
Acquisition
Site Contingency [Line Items]
Compensation expense connection with the business combinations and asset purchases	123,000,000	50,000,000	127,000,000
VCE
Site Contingency [Line Items]
Investment in Insieme Networks, Inc. including funding and a license of technology	507,000,000			507,000,000
VCE-Cumulative Investor Ownership	35.00%			35.00%
Investments for the period, equity method	93,000,000	276,000,000
Percentage of VCE's losses	36.80%	36.80%	36.80%
Losses from VCE	183,000,000	160,000,000	76,000,000	422,000,000
VCE-Carrying Value	85,000,000			85,000,000
Insieme Networks Inc
Site Contingency [Line Items]
Variable Interest Entities Investment	100,000,000			100,000,000
Insieme Networks Inc | November 2012 amendment [Member]
Site Contingency [Line Items]
Future compensation expense & contingent consideration	863,000,000
Payments to Acquire Additional Interest in Subsidiaries	35,000,000
Ownership percentage as a result of investment	84.00%			84.00%
Insieme Networks Inc | Prior to November 2012 amendment [Member]
Site Contingency [Line Items]
Future compensation expense & contingent consideration	750,000,000
Investor [Member] | Private Equity Funds
Site Contingency [Line Items]
Funding commitments	263,000,000	120,000,000		263,000,000
XpertUniverse [Member] | Patents infringement [Member] | Maximum
Site Contingency [Line Items]
Loss Contingency, Damages Awarded, Value	35,000
XpertUniverse [Member] | Fraud by concealment [Member]
Site Contingency [Line Items]
Loss Contingency, Damages Awarded, Value	70,000,000
TiVo, Inc. [Member]
Site Contingency [Line Items]
Loss Contingency, Damages Awarded, Value	294,000,000
TiVo, Inc. [Member] | Cost Of Sales
Site Contingency [Line Items]
Loss Contingency, Damages Awarded, Value	$ 172,000,000