ENTERTAINMENT

Freescale Semiconductor is bringing cutting-edge video communication capabilities to OEM customers with the introduction of the industry’s first embedded scalable video coding (SVC) solution. The high definition H.264/SVC software offering is complemented with the option of more than 30 off-the-shelf media codecs designed to run on Freescale’s StarCore-based MSC825x high performance digital signal processors (DSPs).

By enabling SVC to run on embedded processors instead of expensive general purpose servers, OEMs can develop higher performing, lower power and more cost-effective end products. Delivering two times the performance of competitive DSPs, Freescale’s MSC825x products combine with the SVC software to enable high quality video applications such as video conferencing infrastructure equipment, high-end video conferencing end points, media gateway applications and IPTV distribution systems.

Helping networks to overcome packet loss and seamlessly deliver smooth video feeds, SVC software allows IP video applications to send and receive multi-layered video streams that enhance resolution, frame rate and quality for a better user experience. With SVC, end users no longer need to suffer through the stutters and stops, choppy frames, long delays, blurred motion and broken pictures often associated with traditional video conferencing systems.

“Freescale’s embedded SVC software solution provides customers with a flexible and programmable platform for the development of optimized video solutions,” said Scott Aylor, director and general manager of DSP Products for Freescale’s Networking and Multimedia Group. “Until now, customers could not get a reasonably priced solution for running high definition scalable video coding. Freescale’s MSC825x DSPs running our embedded SVC software provides a high-performance solution that is ideal for video conferencing and other high-quality video applications.”

The Freescale solution is the first H.264/SVC 1080p30 embedded offering to support up to five layers temporal, three layers spatial and three layers quality scalability. The Freescale solution provides source code that allows customers to customize the codecs to fit their needs for different application scenarios, and to quickly upgrade or adapt to changing market trends.

The rich offering of high-quality, production-tested, multi-format video and audio software libraries includes H.264/SVC, H.264BP, MPEG2 /4, G.729, AAC and other video, voice and audio components. This combination of flexible software, high-performance DSP technology and rich device peripherals including dual 4x SRIO, 4x PCIe and dual GE allows for the creation of flexible, high-quality system solutions.

“Freescale’s SVC software running on its high-performance StarCore DSPs opens the door to a wide range of truly compelling real time video products,” said Will Strauss, president of analyst firm Forward Concepts. “This combination of industry-leading DSP performance and Freescale’s investment in highly advanced software has given them significant differentiation versus other silicon vendors in this space.”

Availability

Software versions are available for single-, dual-, quad- and six-core pin compatible devices for scalable system solutions. Encode and decode evaluation versions are available for quick download and viewable on a demo platform. For more information please visit www.freescale.com/starcore.

About the H.264 standard

Video conferencing systems have traditionally been highly sensitive to packet loss and the resulting stutters and stops. Dropped frames add significant latency, which in turn makes for blurred motion and choppy images on the receiving end. H.264 is designed to address these issues and is considered the most advanced video coding algorithm to date. By separating video bit-streams into high reliability and low reliability channels, H.264 SVC allows the system to dynamically adapt to varying network conditions such as packet loss, jitter, network bandwidth, network delay and the like.