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Tag: h-264

  • ZiiLABS Introduces 1080p Blu-ray Quality Handheld Media Processor

    ZiiLABS announced the ZMS-08, its 3rd generation media-rich applications processor that brings 1080p Blu-ray quality H.264 decode to low-power devices.

    ZMS-08 delivers the low-power, high performance processing required of next-generation connected devices such as web tablets, netbooks, connected TVs, video conferencing systems and home media hubs.

    ZiiLABS says the ZMS-08’s proven StemCell Computing array provides the media processing capabilities to deliver full HD 1080p high-profile H.264 video decode, simultaneous H.264 encode and decode at 720p, 1080p 24fps encode, accelerated OpenGL ES 2.0 3D graphics at up to 1 Gpixels/sec, 2D processing, compositing, image processing and advanced Xtreme Fidelity X-Fi Audio effects.

    With the low-power ARM Cortex processor running at up to 1GHz, the ZMS-08 is aimed at small form factor devices that enable content currently accessed via the PC to spread to mobile and low-energy devices.

    "Combining advanced ARM technology with their own media processing IP has enabled ZiiLABS to deliver the high performance and low-power consumption required to enable the next leap in the mobile internet revolution" said Ian Drew, EVP marketing at ARM.

    Full HD video playback at 1080p supporting H.264 High Profile at up to 40Mbps means users can experience Blu-ray quality video playback direct to their 1080p TV utilizing the integrated HDMI controller.

    Block Diagram

    Support for OpenGL ES 2.0 3D graphics and 1 Gpixels/sec fill rate enable a new class of user experiences including enhanced user interfaces, PC-like 3D gaming and Adobe Flash 10.

    The tightly coupled 1 GHz ARM Cortex-A8 provides a secure, high performance main CPU that features a 256K L2 cache, NEON, TrustZone security technology and 1 GByte addressable RAM.

    According to the company, dual USB 2.0 OTG controllers with PHY and ULPI interfaces provide direct connection to USB hosts, peripherals and high-speed modems. Four HD video processing units support camera and display input and output processing with the integrated HDMI and Analog video encoders supporting HD-TV 1080p output at 60fps.

    The secure Boot ROM, three SDIO/MMC ports, UARTs, SPI, GPIO and 64-bit and 32-bit memory controller supporting mDDR and DDR2 at up to 333MHz provide the interfaces and memory bandwidth required for today’s media rich connected devices.

    The ZMS-08 is sampling to certain customers now and is scheduled for volume shipment in the 1st quarter of 2010. The chip is housed in a 13x13mm, 424-pin FBGA package.

  • Telairity Intoduces Hot-Switchable HD/SD H.264 Encoder


    The BE8500, a H.264/AVC video encoder capable of hot-switching between a high-definition or standard-definition video source, was introduced by Telairity at HD World.

    The 1-RU BE8500 works either as a full-featured HD encoder or as an SD/SDI encoder. It auto-senses whether the video source is SD or HD, and enables users to switch live between the two video formats without powering down. Switch-over conversion is virtually instantaneous, enabling a smooth transition for live or live on tape programming.

    BE8500 delivers H.264/AVC (MPEG-4) compression technology capable of achieving more than twice the compression efficiency of the older MPEG-2 standard, with settable encode latencies ranging from 150ms to 2 seconds, according to the company.

    Since the BE8500 is based on Telairity’s proprietary TVP2000 video processor, which delivers 50 billion operations per second, and Telairity’s custom direct-execute AVClairity encoding software, the BE8500 features the same "instant on" capability, encode latencies as low as 150ms, “exceptional reliability”, “simplicity of operation”, and full software upgradeability, the company assures.

    "Our new encoder combines features widely sought by our customers in mobile production trucks and OB vans, small-market stations, IPTV, ITV, and government and military installations," said Richard Dickson, Telairity president.

    "Operations that need to switch smoothly between HD and SD feeds now have the choice of a single cost-effective unit able to satisfy both of their encoding needs. Moreover, they can combine Telairity’s top-of-the-line Series 8000 HD performance with either our 150ms low-latency Series 7000 or our 500Kbps low bit-rate Series 9000 technology. This is a system that, quite literally, can do any sort of H.264 encoding a customer might need or want."

  • CAST Releases H.264 IP Core for HD Video Compression


    Silicon Intellectual Property (IP) provider CAST has launched a new H.264 encoder core intended for applications that require the transmission of the highest quality video over low bit-rate channels.

    The company claims that the CAST H264-E Encoder Core delivers some of the best looking compressed video available.

    Possible uses include remote medical diagnostics, military targeting, satellite reconnaissance and advanced surveillance systems.

    The core offers this quality for screen sizes from handheld (CIF, 352 x 240 pixels) to full HD (1080p30, 1920 x 1080 at 30 frames per second).

    It fully supports the Baseline Profile, Level 4.1, of the H.264 specification (MPEG-4 Part 10, also known as MPEG-4 AVC, Advanced Video Coding).

    The company said that every design decision in the CAST H264-E development process was made in favor of improving video quality.

    "This uncompromising approach led to excellent output and nearly constant-quality video for even the most demanding compression challenges: high-motion scenes, quick camera panning, rapid scene changes, artificial motion, and frequent zooming," according to a CAST statement.

    "Achieving this video quality with just Baseline Profile support means the CAST H264-E generally requires fewer resources—processing time, chip area, and power consumption—than competing cores that support higher-level profiles."

    The H264-E Encoder Core was developed by long-time CAST partner Alma Technologies in Greece.

    The core is available now, in RTL source code for ASICs or optimized netlists for programmable devices.

  • AMD Launches Chip For HDTV-on-the-PC


    AMD has launched a chip offering HDTV viewing capabilities on desktop and notebook PCs around the world using analog, digital and free-to-air broadcast signals.

    The company says the ATI Theater HD 750 PC TV chip uses advanced video processing and signal reception technologies to give an authentic HD home theater feel on the PC.

    Matt Skynner, vice president and general manager, GPU Division, AMD Products Group, said that with the proper connectors, the chip allowed notebook users to enjoy TV on their PC virtually anywhere in the world.

    He said the ATI Theater HD 750 is compatible with HDTV/DTV/analog broadcast signals including NTSC, PAL/SECAM, ATSC, ClearQAM and DVB-T.2.

    The ATI Theater HD 750 is scheduled to be available later this year in a variety of solutions including PCI Express add-in cards, USB "stick" and others.

    Other features offered include:

    • Ability to take recorded content on the go by capturing and converting recorded TV shows into popular video formats such as H.264, AVI, MPEG, DivX, WMV and MPEG4 for use on portable media devices.
    • By using Windows Vista Media Center, Windows® XP Media Center Edition or the forthcoming Windows 7, consumers can schedule recordings and watch, pause and rewind live TV programs
    • Consumers can also store recorded programs on the PC hard drive, eliminating the problem of limited storage capacity found with most digital video recorders (DVR)

    A preview trailer is embedded below:

  • Visualon Integrates On2 VP6 Video Into Mobile Apps


    On2 Technologies has licensed its On2 VP6 video format and software to VisualOn Inc.

    VisualOn is to integrate VP6 decoding software into its multimedia application suite for mobile platforms.

    These software applications allow consumers to play rich multimedia content on mobile devices without expensive dedicated hardware.

    The power-efficient software codecs and multimedia applications offer everything needed to enable video, audio, and still image applications on a range of devices.

    Last month, On2 Technologies announced a 1080p video encoder aimed at improving image quality and compression performance in battery operated devices and consumer electronics.

    The new hardware design, the Hantro 8270, supports H.264 Baseline, Main and High Profile video along with 16Mpixel JPEG still images.

    Yang Cai, CEO of VisualOn, said the widespread presence of On2 VP6 content on the web makes it an essential format for VisualOn’s product portfolio.

    "Adding VP6 to our application suite will enable mobile users to watch high-quality VP6 without requiring a bleeding-edge processor or a pocketful of batteries," he said.

    "Our customers as well as consumers ultimately benefit from the high quality, lower power, and reduced cost achieved through VisualOn’s partnership with On2."

    On2 VP6, through its inclusion in the Adobe Flash and Sun JavaFX application platforms, has become the de facto format for web video and a fundamental requirement for Internet-connected mobile devices.

    Matt Frost, COO and interim CEO of On2 Technologies, said that when compared to H.264 Baseline profile (a video format used in wireless applications) On2 VP6 content offers 10-20 per cent better video compression performance while requiring less computing power to play.

    He said that as a result, VP6 enables a wider range of mobile devices to play high-quality content without sacrificing battery life.

    "We are pleased to have VisualOn optimize and integrate On2 VP6 to their application suite," he said.

    "They have exceptional skill and experience in delivering highly optimized multimedia software for mobile devices, and we look forward to seeing high-performance playback of our codec as an integral part of their solutions."

  • 1080p Processing Added to Elgato H.264 Dongle


    Elgato has launched a successor to its Turbo.264 USB video conversion dongle with the addition of 1080p compatibility.

    Called the Elgato Turbo.264 HD, the upgraded – and much faster – device converts videos into the H.264 format from camcorders and digital cameras.

    The converted video is compatible with iPods, iPhones, Apple TV and Sony’s PSP and similar devices.

    Users simply plug the dongle into a Mac and the software allows video to be previewed and trimmed before converting – without the need to import into iMovie.

    The device also adds support for HD camcorder formats such as AVCHD as well as MPEG-2- and MPEG-4-encoded HD content.

    Elgao says that while it normally takes an hour to make a fifteen minute movie from video taken on an AVCHD camcorder, the Turbo.264 HD takes less than 20 minutes.

    The Turbo.264 HD is priced at USD $150/ €149.

  • TI Unveils Video Processor Aimed at Removing Format Concerns







    Texas Instruments has launched a new video processor specifically aimed at removing video designers’ concerns about video format support, network bandwidth or system storage capacity limitations.

    Called the TMS320DM365 DaVinci, the processor includes production-qualified H.264, MPEG-4, MPEG-2, MJPEG and VC1 codecs.

    The DM365 also has an integrated image signal processing (ISP) solution for intelligent video processing capabilities and a suite of on-board peripherals.

    TI says this has the potential to save developers up to 25 per cent on their system cost.

    The company is aiming the processor at video designers of media playback and camera-driven applications, such as video doorbells and portable media players.

    According to TI, by using the DM365 it will allow them to expand their product portfolio on one platform with the ability to select the right HD video codec for multiple product designs – 1080p MPEG-4 at 24 fps or 720p H.264 and MPEG-4 at 30 fps.

    An example is video security applications supporting 1080p H.264 at 10 fps to provide high-quality video with greater compression efficiency.

    As a result, TI says developers can attain increased video storage without straining network bandwidth.

    In addition, by having a built-in ISP with capabilities including face detection, developers can focus on differentiating their products with smart video features.

    These include enabling intelligent digital signage to detect its viewers and display relevant advertising or video doorbells to instantly recognize family members and automatically unlock the door.

  • Broadcast International and Fixstars Develop Software-based H.264 Real-time Encoder


    A PC-based H.264 software encoder that offers advanced encoding solutions has been developed by Broadcast International and Fixstars Corporation.

    The CodecSys CE-100/200 has been designed to improve the productivity of IPTV content creation in areas like Blu-ray disk authoring, digitization of video archives and large scale surveillance camera networks.

    Rod Tiede, president and CEO of Broadcast International, said the availability of the CE-100/200 is significant because it fills a "huge void" in terms of solving the global bandwidth crisis.

    "We’ve seen over and over that the biggest technology problem the world will face in the coming years with regards to video content is video compression and making more bandwidth available to accommodate the popularity and demand for more online video," he said.

    CodecSys CE-100/200 is comprised of Broadcast International’s ultra-high speed video compression software running on IBM’s BladeCenter QS21 server, powered by the Cell/B.E. processor.

    It was originally developed by IBM, Sony and Toshiba to provide the computing power for cutting-edge gaming applications.

    Tiede said the the Cell/B.E. processor on the QS21 helps CodecSys AVC set a new standard for H.264 encoders.

    He said it gave the broadcast industry the ability to handle a high volume of premium quality video and a large number of video channels.

    The CE-100/200 is available immediately.

  • On2 Technologies 1080p Video Encoder Improves Image Quality and Compression Performance


    On2 Technologies has announced a 1080p video encoder aimed at improving image quality and compression performance in battery operated devices and consumer electronics.

    The new hardware design, the Hantro 8270, supports H.264 Baseline, Main and High Profile video along with 16Mpixel JPEG still images.

    Mika Hakala, SVP and general manager(Embedded Solutions) at On2 Technologies, said it incorporates proprietary technologies for video stabilization and automatic scene change detection.

    With a minimal clock frequency requirement – less than 250MHz needed for 30fps 1080p video – Hakala said the Hantro 8270 is highly suited for low powered chipsets and is intended for wireless, consumer and surveillance applications.

    The technology is designed to improve the viewing experience for transcoded content such as movies and TV shows, and consolidated streams from multiple cameras typical to surveillance systems and live event coverage.

    The video stabilization feature improves the quality of captured video by counteracting the effects of camera shake.

    Analyzing each frame of raw video, undesired movement is removed by cropping and re-positioning the frame. The process is executed prior to encoding, and thereby increases overall compression efficiency.

    "With power consumption a critical design issue for semiconductors, maintaining a low overall clock frequency is an imperative," said Hakala.

    "A key challenge in designing a 1080p encoder is the transfer and encoding of the data needed with a clock frequency acceptable to the chip manufacturer.

    "Through efficient pipeline utilization and smart parallelism for key functions, we have not only met, but exceeded our customers’ expectations for 1080p video."
    The Hantro 8270 will be available for licensing from March.

  • VOD Will Reach Blu-ray Quality – And Beyond

    hdtv.biz-news.com spoke to Mark Horchler, corporate marketing director with video compression provider ATEME, about its plans to deliver video of Blu-ray quality and beyond.

    The Blu-ray Disc Association doesn’t take kindly to satellite and cable providers claiming their products deliver high definition picture and sound “equal” to that delivered by Blu-ray Disc.

    The trade body recently described just such assertions of equality as irresponsible and misleading to the consumer.

    Yet if the noises coming out of video compression provider ATEME are anything to go by, the BDA might have to get used to it.

    ATEME is a leading provider of MPEG-4 AVC / H.264 video compression technology.

    Its offline and streaming encoders power numerous high-end digital video applications, including mobile TV, Video on Demand (VOD) and IPTV.

    These solutions support both standard and HD content, deployed across any platform – from mobile to Ultra HD.

    Mark Horchler, corporate marketing director with ATEME, said there was room for continued improvement with H.264.
    He said the 3rd generation of the codec had just been released and was 25 per cent more efficient.

    “I think we are reaching near Blu-ray quality,” he said. “I have not made a set by set comparison but we are there.”

    Horchler said image quality was continually improving and the company was experimenting with Ultra High Definition video.

    “That’s the future of high definition,” he said. “H.264 will take us to Blu-ray quality and beyond. Blu-ray is largely based on H.264 technology.”

    France, where ATEME was founded in 1991 and has its head office at Bièvres near Paris, is a strong market for the company.

    It recently announced that its H.264 encoding solutions were now serving over one million French IPTV customers in HD.

    This was as a result of major French broadcasters using the encoders to provide HD video over low bitrates.

    IPTV has reached mass market status in France, largely because of its strong ADSL subscriber base of over 15 million customers, value for money offered by triple play services and healthy competition amongst ISPs.

    By the end of this year, France is expected to have up to six million IPTV subscribers, with a quarter having access to HD channels such as France 2 and M6 that use ATEME’s H.264 encoders.

    “France is a leading market for IPTV and is miles ahead of any other country in Europe, if not the world,” said Horchler.

    However, he said that while there was a lack of HD content in some markets, it was only a matter of time before that changed.

    “The potential for HDTV is huge. We are only at the beginning,” he said.

    “As more and more people adopt HD equipment, flat-screen TVs and so on, there will be a snowball effect. People will ask for more HD content.”

    Every market is different

    While IPTV is particularly strong in France, Horchler said that in other countries the infrastructure favored cable or satellite.

    In the US, where the cable market uses MPEG-2, he said there was a strong argument for using H.264 and he believed cable providers would start adopting it.

    “Our solutions carry over all these platforms,” he said.

    Another area where ATEME saw potential for H.264 was the mobile market, something that fitted well with its partnership agreement with Adobe.

    Horchler said the codec could adapt to various sizes and shapes of media device and had a scaleability that allowed the same video to be broadcast on HDTV or a mobile phone, for instance.

    This was a feature that would fit well with the live broadcast of sporting events.

    The internet offers immense possibilities for video and Horchler said he was confident that H.264 would be able to adapt to new opportunities as they emerged.

    He said there were many interesting applications, such as bundling video with advertising services, that were just beginning to take shape.

    “We are in that space. We work with Adobe Flash and this is compatible with 90 per cent of PCs out there,” he said. “I am sure by next year there will be some crazy idea for a business.

    “But the codec will adapt to the business model. It’s so flexible.”