VideoBits.org
home principles standards vendors publications  
intro 3D graphics home mobile security production general  
 


Vendors of General Purpose Video Technology

Contents

digital video IP coreIP Cores
digital video chipChips
digital video PC boardBoards
digital video softwareSoftware
digital video systemSystems

IP Cores

Hardwired compression core vendors

  • 4i2i
    • Location: Scotland
    • Founded: 1995
    • Notes: Until 2000 4i2i was the employer of Iain E G Richardson, H.264 video expert, author of H.264 and MPEG-4 Video Compression, and maintainer of the web site vcodex.com
    • Products:
      digital video IP core H.264 (MPEG4 Part 10) AVC Video Encoder IP Core is a 10.1 megapixel/second 56 MHz H.264 video encoder core. It requires 60k gates or 4500 Xilinx Virtex II slices. 4i2i has provided a data sheet with nice benchmarking analysis.
      digital video IP core MPEG4 Video Codec IP Core is a 10.1 megapixel/second 58 MHz H.264 encoder/decoder. It requires 21k gates for decode and 58k gates for encode or 1300 Xilinx Virtex II slides for decode and 3000 Xilinx Virtex II slices for encode. The core requires 13k bytes of on-chip memory or 13 Xilinx Virtex II BRAMs for decode and 22 Xilinx Virtex II BRAMs for encode. The core is also capable of encoding and decoding H.261, H.263, and JPEG.
      digital video software H.264 Video Codec Software is a H.264 encoder/decoder. It is unclear what pixel rates are achieved. It is designed to run on a PC processor or a Broadcom/Alphamosaic VC-01 processor.
      digital video software 4i2i also sells H.263 and H.261 codec software.
    • Customers:
      • 4i2i has over 100 IP core licensees.
      • NASA will use a 4i2i digital video encoder in space helmet mounted video cameras.
    • Partners:
      • 4i2i worked with LSI Logic to ensure compatibility with ZSP processor based systems before LSI Logic sold ZSP to VeriSilicon. Has demonstrated H.263, H.264, and MPEG-2 video (decode?).
      • 4i2i has implemented a high-definition H.264 video encoder in a single Xilinx FPGA chip.
  • IndigoVision
    • Location: Scotland
    • Products:
      • Mainstream is IndigoVision's name for its suite of "silicon verified" IP cores, including:
        digital video IP core MPEG-4 Advanced Simple Profile L0-L5 Encoder, 10.4M pixels per second, <5 mW for CIF at 30 fps (3M pixels per second), +/- 16 pel motion estimation search range at 1/2 pel resolution
        digital video IP core MPEG-4 Advanced Simple Profile L0-L5 Decoder, 10.4M pixels per second, <5 mW for CIF at 30 fps (3M pixels per second)
        digital video IP core MPEG-4 Advanced Simple Profile L0-L5 Encoder/Decoder, 10.4M pixels per second, <5 mW for CIF at 30 fps (3M pixels per second), +/- 16 pel motion estimation search range at 1/2 pel resolution
        digital video IP core H.264 Baseline Profile Encoder, 10.4M pixels per second, <12 mW for CIF at 30 fps (3M pixels per second), +/- 16 pel motion estimation search range at 1/4 pel resolution
        digital video IP core H.264 Baseline Profile Decoder, 10.4M pixels per second, <12 mW for CIF at 30 fps (3M pixels per second)
        digital video IP core H.264 Main Profile Decoder, 73 megapixels per second, up to 12 megabits per second, <12 mW for CIF at 30 fps (3M pixels per second)

        All IP cores are available in FPGA ports to both Altera and Xilinx.

      • digital video IP coreIndigoVision's primary business is in TCP/IP (internet protocol) networked CCTV video encoder and monitoring systems for security. I sometimes wonder if IndigoVision stays in the business of IP (intellectual property) cores just so that they can claim to sell "video systems IP" as well as "IP video systems".
    • Customers:
      • The Winbond W99702G CIF 30fps and W99802G VGA/D1 30fps MPEG-4 encoder/decoder chip for cell phones uses one or more IP cores from IndigoVision.
    • IndigoVision IP core products are distributed in Taiwan by Sinostar Technologies
  • Sarnoff
    • Location: Princeton, New Jersey
    • Notes: Sarnoff is perhaps best known in the world of digital video for their test bitstreams used to verify the compliance of video systems to video coding standards. However, Sarnoff also develops and licenses digital video processor IP cores.
    • Products:
      Notes: Sarnoff semiconductor IP cores are designed to work in a system with an ARM, MIPS, or x86 host processor running Sarnoff-written software.
      digital video IP core H.264 / AVC Encoder / Decoder operates on Baseline Profile bitstreams at up to D1 resolution at 30 fps at an unspecified encoded bitrate, GOP pattern, and motion search range/algorithm. Gate count, size, clock speed, and power consumption unknown. This product is a combination of processor optimized software and hardware accelerator IP.
      digital video IP core H.264/AVC Decoder, a H.264 (AVC) Baseline profile decoder capable of 9.2 megapixels/second. This is implemented as a hardware accelerator for motion compensation, interpolation, inverse transform, quantization, and deblocking filtering that is meant to be attached to a microprocessor core and controlled by software calls.
      digital video IP core MPEG-4/H.263 SelectCore CIF Codec, capable of 3.0 megapixels/second. It can operate at MPEG-4 Simple profile levels 0-3 and H.263 profiles 0 & 3 at levels 10-50. Half-pel motion estimation is supported. Many other performance enhancements are configurable. This core requires 340k of data memory for CIF sequences and 240k of instruction memory and a processor with 32k data and instruction caches. Clock speed required of an ARM processor is 100-200 MHz for encode, depending on the IP core configuration and 100 MHz for decode.
      digital video IP core High Definition Audio/Video System Processor, a MPEG-2 decoder is capable of 62.2 megapixels/second. It takes in an a/v transport stream and also does Dolby AC-3 audio decode.
      digital video IP core MPEG-2 Audio/Video System Processor MPEG-2 decoder is capable of 10.4 megapixels/second at 81 MHz. It takes in an unscrambled DVD stream or MPEG-2 program stream and also does Dolby AC-3 audio decode.
      digital video software MPEG-4/H.263 SelectCore All Software CODEC is a MPEG-4 encoder/decoder that runs at 0.4 megapixel per second and is designed to run on ARM 9 or x86 processors. In ARM 9 it require 50 MHz for MPEG-4 encode, 14 MHz for MPEG-4 decode, 47 MHz for H.263 encode and 12 MHz for H.263 decode.
      digital video software MPEG-4/H.263 SelectCore CIF CODEC is a MPEG-4 encoder/decoder that runs at 3.0 megapixel per second and is destined to run on ARM 9 or x86 processors. In ARM 9 it requires 100-200 MHz for encode and 100 MHz for decode.
    • Partners:
      • Sarnoff provides ports of its video software optimized for use with MIPS Technologies processors, providing an unspecified level of video performance.
      • Sarnoff provides its video codec IP cores optimized for use with MIPS Technologies processors, supporting up to 640x480 resolution (Baseline profile?) at 30 fps.
  • Chips & Media
    • Location: Seoul, South Korea
    • Sells chips and semiconductor IP cores for video, audio, CPU, DSP, PCI, and other peripherals
    • Targets digital TV reception, video-on-demand, video over IP, HD-DVD playback and personal video recording
    • Products:
      digital video IP core MPEG-2 MP@ML decoder at 40.6M pixels per second
      digital video IP core MPEG-2 MP@ML encoder at 20.3M pixels per second
      digital video IP core MPEG-2 MP@ML encoder/decoder at 10.2M pixels per second
      digital video IP core MPEG-2 MP@HL decoder at 31.1M pixels per second
      digital video IP core MPEG-4 SP@L3 decoder at 10.2M pixels per second
      digital video IP core MPEG-4 SP@L3 encoder at 10.2M pixels per second
      digital video IP core MPEG-4 SP@L3 encoder/decoder at 10.2M pixels per second
      digital video IP core MPEG-4 ASP@L5 decoder at 40.6M pixels per second
      digital video IP core MPEG-4 ASP@L5 encoder at 20.3M pixels per second
      digital video IP core MPEG-4 ASP@L5 encoder/decoder at 10.2M pixels per second
      digital video IP core H.264 BP@L1.3 decoder 3.1M pixels per second (available 2005/Q1)
      digital video IP core H.264 BP@L1.3 encoder 3.1M pixels per second (available 2005/Q1)
      digital video IP core H.264 MP@L3.0 decoder 10.2M pixels per second (available 2005/Q2)
      digital video IP core H.264 MP@L3.0 encoder 10.2M pixels per second (available 2005/Q2)
      digital video IP core H.264 MP@L3.0 encoder/decoder 10.2M pixels per second (available 2005/Q2)
      digital video IP core H.264 MP@L4.0 decoder 31.1M pixels per second (available 2005/Q2)
      digital video IP core H.264 MP@L4.0 encoder 31.1M pixels per second (available 2005/Q4)
      digital video IP core H.264 MP@L4.0 encoder/decoder 31.1M pixels per second (available 2005/Q4)
      digital video IP core DivX v5.x decoder 10.2M pixels per second (available 2005/Q3)
      digital video IP core DivX v5.x decoder 31.1M pixels per second (available 2005/Q3)
      digital video IP core WMV9 AP@L3 decoder 10.2M pixels per second (available 2005/Q3)
      digital video IP core WMV9 AP@L3 decoder 31.1M pixels per second (available 2005/Q3)
      digital video IP core also audio decoder and encoder cores
    • Vendors:
      • Chips & Media has licensed the ARC 605 processor core for use in a MPEG2 codec design.
    • Customers:
      • Freescale has licensed cores from Chips & Media and integrated them into an i.MX processor chip.
    • Partners:
      • Tsinghua-Novel Electronics of China is working with Chips & Media on a digital set-top box chipset for DTV in China.
  • Ocean Logic
    • Location: Sydney, Australia
    • Vincenzo Liguori and Kevin Wong of Ocean Logic have written a DesignCon 2006 paper.
    • Products:
      digital video IP core H264-E Baseline HDTV 1080p H.264/AVC Encoder & Decoder Encodes in Baseline Profile, decodes the full set of H.264 coding tools used by the encoder, operates at 27 megapixels per second in a Xilinx Virtex 4 FPGA. Does not encode non-raster ordered slices or macroblocks, which ensures that the bitstream can be decoded by a Baseline Profile or Main Profile decoder. Capable of 62.2 megapixel per second encode in an ASIC at 250 MHz. No host CPU is required. Supports CBR and VBR encoding. 129k gates and 100k bits of RAM for VGA, 178k gates and 100k bits of RAM for HDTV. Available in Verilog and VHDL. Available with a C simulation model. Ocean Logic has published benchmark results for its H264-E encoder core. This core primarily targets closed system applications.
      digital video IP core OL_H264MCE Baseline multichannel H.264/AVC Encoder Has the same features as the H264-E but the encoding capability can be divided among up to 6 SDTV streams at 30 fps or 20 CIF streams at 30 fps or a combination of sub-HDTV stream. digital video IP core OL_MPEG4 is a 12.2 megapixel/second MPEG-4 encoder that runs at 98 MHz. It requires 39k gates and 25k bytes of on-chip RAM.
    • Customers:
      • BeHere uses the OceanLogic H264 encoder/decoder core in its TotalView product.
    • Partners:
      • Ocean Logic develops video cores sold by CAST
  • Innovative Semiconductors
    • Location: Sunnyvale, CA
    • No complete video encoder or decoder core is offered, but components of such chips, including a Huffman decoder and IDCT core, are offered.
    • ISI has delisted their SL264 H.264 level 3 SDTV baseline profile decoder product and seems presently to be focused on USB and other communication interface logic.
  • eInfoChips (Ahmedabad, India)
    • eInfoChips is primarily a design services company
    • employs more than 100 DSP engineers
    • No complete video encoder or decoder core is offered, but many components of such cores, including a DCT, IDCT, and DDR SDRAM controller core, are offered.
    • Partners:
  • CAST
    • Location: New Jersey
    • Products:
      digital video IP core H.264-E Baseline H.264/AVC Video Encoder is a H.264 video encoder capable of 250 MHz in 0.13 um technology with 37 MHz required for 9.2 megapixel/second encoding using 129k gates and 106k bits of RAM. A Xilinx port is available. Capable of level 4.1 encode at 250 MHz. Operates independently of a microprocessor. Supports CBR and VBR output. Supports most intra prediction modes. Supports multiple slice encoding. Supports single slice encoding for content destined for Main profile decoders.
      digital video IP core MPEG4-E Video Encoder is a MPEG-4 video encoder capable of 114 MHz with 97.3 MHz required for 12.2 megapixel/second using 39k gates and 25k bits of RAM. A Xilinx port is available. The encoder encode I- and P- video object planes.
      digital video IP core MPEG4-MCE Multi-channel Video Encoder is a MPEG-4 video encoder supporting up to 16 channels and capable of 135 MHz in TSMC 0.13um technology in which it consumes 66.6 kgates and 25 kbits of RAM or 108 MHz in TSMC 0.18um technology in which it consumes 72.0 kgates and 25 kbits of RAM. The core provides 125 kpixels per second per megahertz. The encoder encode I- and P- video object planes.
    • CAST's products are distributed in Taiwan by Maojet Technology Corp
    • Notes: Cast offers many video processor component cores, including a tile-to-raster, raster-to-tile, Huffman encoder, Huffman decoder, DCT and IDCT cores. Also offered are JPEG and JPEG 2000 decoder and encoder cores.
    • Partners:
  • PixSil Technology
    • Location: Newport Beach, CA
    • PixSil is developing a Configurable and scalable decoder and encoder as a fabless chip company.
    • Presently (2005/May) PixSil Technology offers inverse integer transform, and context-adaptive variable-length coding (CAVLC) video decoder components as IP cores.
    • PixSil also offers training and multimedia design services.
  • The Athena Group
    • Location: Gainesville, FL
    • Partners:
    • The Athena Group sells many video processor component blocks, including DCT, IDCT, and FIR filters as well as pre/post processing blocks such as color space converters and data interleavers. Also available is a video cross correlation core for motion recognition and target detection applications.
  • MetaVideo
    • Location: Los Gatos, CA
    • Products:
      digital video IP core MVIP4100 SDTV MPEG-2 decoder

    • digital video IP core MVIP4200 HDTV MPEG-2 decoder
      digital video IP core MetaVideo also has a broad range of video cores for display control, de-interlacing, scan conversion, image enhancement, and wireless network control.
  • Silicon Valley Technology Marketing, LLC
    • Location: San Jose, CA
    • Silicon Valley Technology Marketing is primarily a design services business
  • intoPIX
    • Location: Belgium
    • Founded: 2005
    • JPEG 2000 encode and decode for FPGA-based broadcast and digital cinema applications
    • Products:
      • IPX-JPHD HD video JPEG 2000 encoder / decoder for broadcast
      • IPX-JP2K 2K video decoder for digital cinema
      • IPX-JP4K 4K video decoder for digital cinema
    • other supporting encryption, networking, and memory interface cores also available
    • Partners:
      • Xilinx is apparently intoPIX' preferred FPGA wheras Altera is apparently Barco's preferred FPGA
  • Barco-Silex
    • Location: Belgium
    • Founded: 1934 as the Belgian American Radio Company (Barco)
    • Barco is in a wide range of markets including traffic, surveillance, broadcasting, presentation, simulation and virtual reality, edutainment, events, media, digital cinema, air traffic control, defense & security, medical imaging, avionics, and textiles
    • Barco-Silex is a system vendor with internal chip design capability
    • Barco has acquired many companies and sold/spun-out many divisions over the years
    • The Silex design services group develops and sells the following semiconductor and software IP products:
      digital video IP core BA132 MPEG-4 Simple Profile Level 5 Decoder, 12.2M pixels per second
      digital video IP core BA131 MPEG-4 Simple Profile Level 5 Encoder, 12.2M pixels per second
      digital video software BA151 MPEG-4 Simple Profile Level 3 Encoder software written for NXP Nexperia PNX1300 chip, capable of 2.3M pixels per second, supporting constant bitrate (CBR) and variable bitrate (VBR) operation.
      digital video software MPEG-4 Decoder software
      digital video software M-JPEG Decoder software
      digital video software H.264 Baseline Profile Encoder / Decoder software
      digital video IP core DCT / inverse DCT
      digital video IP core forward and reverse wavelet transforms
      digital video IP core JPEG and JPEG2000 encoders and decoders
      digital video IP core memory controllers
      digital video IP core audio and voice cores
    • Partners:
      • Altera and Barco have worked together on building demonstration systems and jointly marketing each other's products.
      • Eastman Kodak and Barco have a partnership to build and sell digital display projectors to movie theaters.
  • Ateme
    • Location: France
    • The Ateme web site was down recently
    • Ateme also sells digital video software
    • Products:
      digital video IP core H.264 (AVC) encoder FPGA binary image for a single-chip standard definition resolution encoder.
      digital video IP core H.264 (AVC) VHDL core source code for real-time standard definition encode.
      digital video IP core H.264 component function blocks as VHDL IP cores for standard definition and high definition encoders. Including CABAC and CAVLC bitstream encoders, motion estimation, and deblocking filters.
      digital video software H.264 Baseline, Main, High Profile offline (non-real-time) encoder for PC platforms, accelerated by the Ateme encoder core. Encodes progressive or interlaced content and uses MBAFF and PAFF. Operates on content from QCIFF resolution up to 4096x2048 (level 5.1). Supports configurable picture groupings (GOP), configurable sub-pixel interpolation for motion estimation, selectable constant or variable bitrates (CBR or VBR) and dual-pass encoding. Includes pre-processing, including de-interlacing, noise filtering, and 3:2 pulldown). Also supports audio encoding.
      digital video software H.264 encoder for PCs with support for an optional acquisition/encoding board to enable real-time encoding and transmission.
      digital video software H.264 decoder for PCs, including all Main and Baseline profile features (CABAC, MBAFF, MPAFF, ASO, and more).
      digital video software H.264 decoder for Texas Instruments DSP chips.
      digital video software Windows Media Video encoder for Texas Instruments (TMS320C64x and TMS320DM642) DSP chips.
      digital video software Windows Media Video decoder for Texas Instruments (TMS320C64x and TMS320DM642) DSP chips.
      digital video software MPEG-4 encoder and decoder for Texas Instruments C64x and DM64x DSP chip families and PC platforms at up to CIF resolution. The core is also capable of decoding DivX 3.11, DivX 4, DivX 5, XviD, and 3ivx streams.
      digital video software MPEG-2 encoder and decoder for Texas Instruments C6000 DSP chip family. The software supports Main profile at Main level at up to 720x576 pixel resolution and 30 frames per second at up to 15 megabits per second with 4:2:0 chroma coding.
    • Partners:
      • Ateme has ported its video software to TI DaVinci chips.
      • Altera's Stratix II FPGAs were used by Ateme to create a real-time broadcast quality H.264 encoder system, demonstrated at the NAB2005 trade-show. The system, presumably, operates at SDTV resolution.
      • Ateme is partners with end-user security software vendor ObjectVideo
  • Seda Solutions
    • Location: San Francisco, CA
    • IP cores are delivered as a combination of hardware accelerator logic and software
    • Products:
      digital video IP core RGB to YUV Conversion
      digital video IP core YUV to RGB Conversion
      digital video IP core Motion Estimation
      digital video IP core DCT / IDCT
      digital video IP core 4x4 block transform
      digital video IP core Quantizer
      digital video IP core Inverse Quantizer
      digital video IP core Interpolation
      digital video IP core De-Block Filtering
      digital video IP core Variable Length Coding
      digital video IP core Post Filtering
    • The above products have been used to create MPEG-4 and H.264 offerings. It is unclear what performance level is achievable.
    • Seda is more a design services company than an IP company
  • Silicon Laboratories
    • analog and mixed-signal chip maker
    • acquired Silembia in 2006 for $20M cash
      • Location: Rennes, France
      • Founded: 2004 by ex-Philips Semiconductor employees
      • Products:
        digital video IP core EMB5000 DVB-C and ITU J.83 Annex A,B,C digital cable receiver IP core.
        digital video IP core DVB-T mobile terrestrial receiver IP core
        digital video IP core EMB6500 DVB-H receiver IP core
        digital video IP core ISDB-T (segment 1 or 3) mobile terrestrial receiver IP core
        digital video IP core EMB4000 DVB-S and DSS demodulator IP core
        digital video IP core DVB-DSNG satellite channel receiver IP core
        digital video IP core ISDB-S satellite channel receiver IP core
        digital video IP core DVB-S2 satellite channel receiver IP core
        digital video IP core EMB6000 DVB-T receiver IP core
        digital video IP core ISDB-T (segment 13) receiver IP core
        digital video IP core E8VSB receiver IP core
      • sells the Embeddia product line:
        digital video IP core DVB-C cable channel receiver
        digital video IP core DVB-S / DSS satellite channel receiver
        digital video IP core DVB-DSNG satellite channel receiver
        digital video IP core ISDB-S satellite channel receiver
        digital video IP core DVB-S2 satellite channel receiver
        digital video IP core DVB-H mobile terrestrial receiver
        digital video IP core DVB-T receiver
        digital video IP core ISDB-T receiver (13-segments)
        digital video IP core ISDB-T (1 or 3 segments) mobile terrestrial receiver
        digital video IP core E8VSB ATSC receiver

DSP (software programmable) processor core vendors

  • ARM
    • Location: Cambridge, England
    • Acquisitions:
      • Artisan standard cell library vendor 2004 $1B
      • Adelante, a 25-person Belgian company with a highly configurable digital signal processor architecture 2003.
    • Products:
      digital video IP core OptimoDE configurable digital signal processor core, derived from the Adelante acquired technology.
    • Licensees:
  • Imagination Technologies
    • Location: Hertfordshire, UK
    • Target Markets:
      • digital TV
      • set top boxes
      • mobile handheld devices
      • car navigation and entertainment systems
    • Products:
      digital video IP core MSVDX PowerVR H.264 Main, High, and Baseline Profile Level 4.1, MPEG-2 MP@HL, VC-1 Advanced, Main, and Simple Profile Level 3, MPEG-4 Simple Profile Level 3, DivX HD, WMV9 MP@HL, MPEG-1 decoder capable of 62.2 million pixels per second running at 150 MHz, supporting trick play and error concealment and recovery.
      digital video IP core PowerVR Vigo Mobile TV demodulator supporting DVB-H, T-DMB, and DAB
      digital video IP core PowerVR MBX graphics core.
      digital video IP core PowerVR PDP (Pixel Display Pipeline) display controller.
      digital video IP core PowerVR TVE digital TV encoder for PAL, NTSC, S-Video, RGB, YUV display.
      digital video IP core Metagence META multi-threaded RISC/DSP core.
      digital video IP core Ensigma UCC (Universal Communications Coprocessor) complete DVB decode system.
      digital video IP core Prism personal media player (PMP) IP core with video encode and multi-standard video decode support all at SDTV resolution as well as DVB-H, T-DMB, and ISDB-T mobile TV receiver functionality.
    • Customers:
      • The PowerVR MBX core can be integrated with Texas Instruments' OMAP 2 core in TI ASICs for mobile devices.
      • The Texas Instruments' OMAPV2230 UMTS chip for 3G handsets includes a PowerVR MBX Lite Graphics Core.
      • The Samsung SPH-M7000 mobile phone uses the Intel 2700G "Marathon" multimedia accelerator chip supporting up to 1M polygons per second for 3D games. The 2700G chip includes the PowerVR MBX graphics core.
      • The PowerVR MBX Lite 2D/3D graphics core powers the Freescale i.MX31 mobile entertainment multimedia processor. A Hantro 5250 MPEG-4 encoder core is used in the same chip.
      • Intel has licensed the "Eurasia" architecture of the PowerVR core and a multistandard video codec core. Eurasia includes advanced polygon shading technology.
    • Partners:
    • Subsidiaries:
      • PowerVR sells a has a multi-format core for WMV8, WMV9, MPEG2, MPEG4 (H.264 support listed by marketing, not yet by engineering). Also provided is Linux, Windows CE, and Windows Mobile 5.0 (with Direct3D) driver support.
      • Metagence
  • Tensilica
    • Tensilica is a designer of general purpose CPUs, sold as synthesizable IP cores, with a particular strength in their ability to be customized through the addition of proprietary function logic.
    • First video specific product released in 2005
    • Products:
      digital video IP core Diamond 388VDO is a 2 Xtensa programmable core with codec software for encoding MPEG-4 ASP and deocding H.264 MP, BP, MPEG-4 ASP, VC-1/WMV9, or MPEG-2 at D1 pixel rates. digital video IP core Tensilica Video Engine is a 2 Xtensa LX core offering of software and hardware capable of 10.4 million pixels / second (SDTV resolution) decode of H.264 Main Profile (level 3) at 5.4 Mbps, MPEG-4 Advanced Simple Profile (ASP), MPEG-2, or VC-1 (WMV9) Main Profile at 200 MHz, requiring 10.5 square millimeters in a 0.13um process technology.
    • Customers:
    • Partners:
      • Tata Elxsi is an authorized design center for Tensilica in Bangalore, India
      • Ittiam developed the software for Tensilica's video engine product offering.
      • Silicon Image / SciWorx uses multiple Xtensa LX cores in its video processor cores.
      • Tensilica is a member of the IBM IP Collaboration program.
      • Xtensa V cores are available directly to ASIC IP library customers of NEC Electronics America.
      • eInfoChips develops software at its India offices for Tensilica
      • InterVideo has ported MPEG-4 encoding and decoding software at CIF and QCIF resolution at 15fps to Xtensa.
  • Ceva
    • Location: Herzelia, Israel
    • Products:
      digital video software H.264, MPEG2, and MPEG4 video software
      digital video IP core CEVA-X1620 software programmable VLIW-SIMD dual-MAC 16-bit DSP processor core
      digital video softwaredigital video IP core Mobile-Media2000 mobile multimedia platform supporting WMV9 at unspecified performance as well as H.263, H.264, MPEG2, and MPEG4 encoding and decoding software at up to D1 pixel rate on a CEVA-X1620 processor with audio and RTOS support as well.
    • Customers:
      • DigiBee Microsystems has licensed the CEVA-X1620 for use in a single chip baseband and application processor chip for wireless devices
      • Augusta Technology (formerly Alliantek) has licensed the CEVA-X1620 for use in portable multimedia chips
      • Spreadtrum Communications uses a CEVA-X DSP in TD-SCDMA baseband processor chips
      • Sharp uses Xpert-Teak for portable multimedia devices
      • Zoran uses a CEVA-TeakLite core for the servo controller in DVD chips
    • Partners:
      • ASTRI develops audio codec software for low end CEVA-TeakLite cores
      • Ceva is a member of the IBM IP Collaboration program.
  • StarCore
    • Founded: 2002 as a joint venture between Agere, Freescale, and Infineon
    • Shut down: 2006
    • Products:
      digital video IP core SC2000 (600 MHz in 90nm processes) 6 stage pipeline DSP core.
      digital video IP core SC3000 (1 GHz in 90nm processes) 12 stage pipeline DSP core.
    • Customers:
      • Freescale's MSC8144 chip used four 1-GHz StarCore cores
      • Samsung Semiconductor licensed the StarCore SC1000 and SC2000 cores for use in mobile multimedia chips.
    • Partners:
      • StarCore implemented a H.264 video decoder system based around a StarCore SC2400 and a Hantro 6100 video decoder core. Capable of D1 resolution, it performs CIF (352x288) at 30 fps with 64 MHz. H.264 encoder, MPEG-4 encoder and decoder, and MPEG-2 encoder and decoder are planned.
      • StarCore was a member of the IBM IP Collaboration program.
  • ARC International
    • Location: Elstree, England
    • Products:
      digital video IP core ARC Video Subsystem MJPEG, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, VC-1, H.264 decoder. 260k gates. H.264 D1 resolution requires 166 MHz and 44 mW in 0.13um. MPEG-4 D1 resolution requires 135 MHz and 36 mW in 0.13um. Internal datapaths are 128 bits wide with 16-bit SIMD operations.
      digital video IP core ARC 700 CPU with SIMD extensions. Capable of H.264 Baseline Profile at D1 resolution and 30 fps at 166 MHz. Runs at 533 MHz in TSMC 0.13um LVLK-OD process worst-case. 2.36 mm² with no memories. ARC has published performance data for many codecs.
    • Customers:
      • Conexant has licensed the ARC-600 core and MQX real-time operating system (RTOS).
      • Atmel licensed ARC Video to create multimedia handheld devices.
      • Broadcom signed a multi-year, comprehensive licensing agreement with ARC for system-on-chips (SoCs) for "high-growth" consumer applications.
      • Chips & Media uses an ARC 605 processor core in its own digital set-top box chips an IP cores targeted at high-volume applications.
      • Fujitsu uses an ARC 700 processor core in its SmartMPEG chips for set-top boxes from companies such as Digenius, GSS, Grocos, Conrad, Medion, and LaSat.
      • Siano uses an ARC processor in its SMS1000 mobile digital TV receiver chip.
      • Sony Semiconductor has licensed an ARC processor core with DSP extensions for "next-generation consumer electronic devices".
      • some Toshiba digital cameras use third-party chips with ARC processor cores.
      • some Hewlett-Packard digital cameras use third-party chips with ARC processor cores.
    • Partners:
  • MIPS Technologies
    • Location: Mountain View, CA
    • MIPS cores make excellent host processors and/or audio processors in digital video chips, but not great digital video processors. I have long been waiting to see who MIPS will eventually partner with in order to show its customers a high performance digital video solution.
    • Products:
      digital video IP core MIPS-3D SIMD FPU extensions accelerate 3D graphics
      digital video IP core 24K is a good host processor
      digital video IP core 24KE has DSP extensions that make it a good host / audio processor
      digital video IP core 4KE processors are good audio processors. The 4KEc is about 1.0 mm^2 in 0.13um technology.
    • MIPS Technologies has ported MP3, Dolby ProLogic, AAC, and SRS TruSound XT software to MIPS32 processors and had the software certified by Dolby Labs.
    • Except at low pixel rates, no products shipping today perform digital video encoding or decoding on a MIPS instruction set processor. The MIPS RISC instruction set is general-purpose, not specialized for video processing. Despite its lack of video processing strength, MIPS instruction set processors have gained a reputation as good processors for "living room" applications. Such applications include video game systems and television set-top boxes. In the chips for such applications, the MIPS processor typically performs system management and host tasks that are not critical to real time video performance.
    • Customers:
      • For use in set-top box chips Cheertek has licensed the 4KEc core and MIPS Technologies' Dolby® Digital AC3 and Dolby Prologic II audio decoder software.
      • NXP is a licensee of 4KE core for use in set-top box chips and PC TV tuners
      • Magima is a licensee of the 4Kc core for use in set-top box chips
      • Huaya Micro is a licensee of the 4Kc core for use in set-top box chips
      • Adimos wireless Video Module multimedia networking chips include a MIPS 4KEp core.
      • ASUSTeK Computers uses the MIPS 4KEc and 4KEp cores in audio and multimedia chips.
      • ATI is a MIPS (core? or architecture?) licensee for use in set-top box chips.
      • Broadcom uses its own high performance processor designs that implement the MIPS instruction set in its set-top box chips. Broadcom acquired its own line of high performance MIPS processor designs when it acquired SiByte.
      • Cirrus Logic (or were the MIPS licenses transferred to Magnum?) uses the MIPS M4K and 4KE cores in its DVD and PVR chips.
      • Entropic Communications uses the MIPS 4KEm core in its video home networking chips.
      • ESS Technology uses the MIPS 4Kc core in its consumer video product chips.
      • Genesis Microchip uses the MIPS 4KEc core in its digital TV chips.
      • LSI Logic uses MIPS instruction set processors in many of their digital video chips.
      • Micronas uses the MIPS 24K core in digital TV and set-top box chips. Micronas uses the Lexra LX4280 processor core in other TV and set-top box chips.
      • Motorola Broadband Communications Sector uses MIPS instruction set processors in its set-top box chips and products.
      • NEC Electronics uses its own design of high performance processors that implement the MIPS instruction set in its personal video recorder and DVD recorder chips.
      • NeoMagic uses MIPS 4K processor cores in its handheld internet appliance chips.
      • NXP uses MIPS instruction set processors in its Nexperia video chips.
      • Pixelworks uses the MIPS 4KEc and M4K cores in its television and multimedia projector chips.
      • PMC-Sierra uses its own high performance processor designs that implement the MIPS instruction set in its chips for a range of markets, including set-top boxes. PMC-Sierra acquired its own line of high performance MIPS processors when it acquired QED.
      • Scientific Atlanta uses the MIPS 24Kc core in their digital set-top box chips.
      • Sony is a MIPS architecture licensee. Sony's commitment to the MIPS instruction set has come into question since its latest entertainment chip developments are based around the PowerPC architecture.
      • Sunplus has licensed the MIPS 4KEc and 4Kp cores for use in DVD, VCD, and S-VCD player chips.
      • Toshiba including Toshiba America Electronic Components implements its own high performance processors the execute the MIPS instruction set in a wide range of chips for a wide range of applications.
      • Wipro Technologies has access to the MIPS 4KEc and 64-bit 4Kf cores for the purpose of supporting joint MIPS customers.
      • Zoran uses the MIPS 4KE cores in their digital camera, digital TV, and DVD chips. Zoran is also a licensee and has used Lexra processor cores in the same line of chip products.
    • Partners:
  • Improv Systems
    • Location: Beverly, MA
    • Founded: 1997
    • Improv executives and managers founded Vivace Semiconductor to make video chips using Improv Systems DSP processor technology.
    • Products:
      digital video IP core Jazz configurable DSP cores
      digital video IP core Crescendo Jazz-based media processor DSP cores. ~0.1W in 0.13um for 500k gates for H.264 decode D1 30 fps at 150 MHz
    • Customers:
      • NXP
      • STMicroelectronics
      • Kawasaki LSI U.S.A.
      • Conexant Systems
      • Thrane & Thrane
      • TAK'ASIC
      • Silicon Motion
      • ITRI
    • Partners:
      • ARM
      • MIPS Technologies
      • Wind River Systems
      • GAO Research
      • Denali Software
      • ARM / Artisan
      • Virage Logic
      • Magma
      • Synopsys
      • D&R
      • EEMBC
      • ECL
      • VCX
      • VSI Alliance
  • Silicon Hive
    • Location: Eindhoven, The Netherlands
    • A Philips technology incubator company relying on Philips' patents
    • Sells programmable "silicon accelerators" as IP cores, with the goal of using transistors as efficiently as a hardwired core, but with benefits of programmability
    • Targeting "media processing" (video) and "channel processing" (wireless) devices
    • Products:
      digital video IP core Avispa-CH1: Scalable C-programmable ULIW communications processor
      digital video IP core Avispa-IM2: General purpose C-programmable ULIW data processor
      digital video IP core Moustique-IC1: C-programmable SIMD & ULIW processor for camera applications
      digital video IP core Moustique-IC2: C-programmable SIMD & ULIW processor for camera applications
    • Customers:
      • Agere has licensed the Avispa IP core for use in unspecified SoC products
      • Posdata uses Avispa-CH1 in a mobile WiMax terminal chip
  • Module Research Centre
  • Videantis
    • Location: Hannover, Germany
    • A technology spin-out from the University of Hannover
    • primarily targeting surveillance applications for now
    • Products:
      digital video IP core v-MP2000 HD high definition video processor core. Capable of 62.2 megapixels per second decode of H.264 (Main profile?), MPEG-2, or WMV9 using a 3 core configuration, depending on bitstream processing support from an external general purpose processor (e.g. ARM, MIPS, etc.) connected through a dual-port RAM. Runs at 300 MHz in 0.13um technology. 450k gates logic for 3 cores, 11 square millimeters for 3 cores, including RAMs in 0.13um technology. Comes complete with software available for HD decode and SD encode of H.264 (AVC) (which profile?), MPEG-4 ASP, DivX, MPEG-4 SP, WMV-9, VC-1, MPEG-2, (and motion JPEG?).
      digital video IP core v-MP2000 M mobile video processor core. Capable of 10.4 megapixels per second decode of H.264 Baseline profile at 200 MHz, depending on bitstream processing support from an external general purpose processor (e.g. ARM, MIPS, etc.) connected through a dual- port RAM. 120k gates logic, 2.61 square millimeters including RAMs in 0.13um technology. Consumes 90 mW at 200 MHz. Comes complete with software available for encode and decode of H.264 (AVC) (which profile?), MPEG-4 ASP, DivX, MPEG-4 SP, H.263, WMV-9, VC-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-1, (and motion JPEG?).
      digital video IP core v-MP 1000
      digital video software A surveillance software package including region of interest detection, object tracking, support for H.264/AVC, MPEG-4, and JPEG2000.
    • Former Products:
      digital video IP core HiBRID-SoC software programmable multimedia processor core capable of being programmed for H.264/AVC, MPEG-4 Advanced Simple Profile & Simple Profile, JPEG2000, and M-JPEG. Consists of three cores: a 16-way by 8-bit SIMD datapath with a row or column addressable data storage array, a 64-bit VLIW processor, and a 32-bit RISC core. Runs at 145 MHz and consumes 81 square millimeters in a .18um process.
  • Infineon
    • Location: Munich, Germany
    • Infineon makes many semiconductor products, including memory, and with an apparent emphasis on communications and networking.
    • Products:
      digital video chip modulators and front-end DVB-T (COFDM), ATSC, and ISDB-T tuner chips
      digital video IP core offers TriCore 1 32-bit software programmable DSP processor core
      • 300 MHz in 0.13um process technology
      • 2.2 sq mm including CPU, code, and data memory interfaces but not the, presumably configurable-sized, code and data memories themselves.
      • 0.65mW/MHz for Dhrystone 2.1
      • TriCore is available as a synthesizable soft core or as off-the-shelf chips manufactured by Infineon.
    • Acquisitions:
      • SciWorx (formerly known as Sican) a 74.9% ownership stake in 2000.
  • Avieon
    • Products:
      digital video IP core Neuron 1 is a complete SoC design sold as an IP core available with DVB-H and H.264 software. It consists of four Multimedia Signal Processors (MSP), and ARM 9 CPU, and AHB peripherals.
      digital video IP core The MSP is a proprietary architecture described as Same Instruction Different Operation (SIDO). Each MSP is 50K gates and about 1 mm square using .13um standard cell technology.
  • On Demand Microelectronics
    • Location: Vienna, Austria
    • Founded: 2002
    • Founded as a spin-off from Analog Devices
    • Products:
      digital video IP core SVEN "platform" encompassing a video control processor (VCP) and a VLIW / SIMD vector signal processor (VSP) with multiple execution units along with software for signal demodulation, MPEG-2, VC-1, and H.264 bitstream extraction, bitstream decoding, deinterlacing, scaling, and noise filtering all at up to 1080i resolution (presumably 30 frames per second)
      digital video IP core Scalable Video Processor (SVP)
      • 8 32-bit PEs in 0.13um at 200 MHz is 350 mW (unknown video performance)
      • H.264 PAL decode with 16 16-bit PEs at 2.55 mm^2

      digital video IP core cores to handle demodulation, decoding and image processing
    • Has two "big player" flat screen TV maker licensees (2005/07)
    • VSP license fee is $300k-$700k with $100k-$200k for each software library
  • InterQoS
    • Location: Hong Kong
    • funded by the Hong Kong government
    • originally in the networking/communications space
    • modifying its multiprocessor NPU architecture with 8 processing engines and 1 RISC for H.264 video algorithms, software development work is in progress
  • Toshiba MeP (Media Embedded Processor)
    • 32-bit RISC software programmable image, audio, and video processors available as synthesizable RTL cores.
    • An internal IP platform similar to Matsushita Unifier or NEC platformOViA.
    • Products:
      digital video IP core MeP-c1 five stage pipeline performs MPEG-2 decode at HDTV resolution at 133 MHz or simultaneous (presumably SDTV resolution) MPEG-2 encode and decode at 150 MHz
      digital video IP core MeP-c2 five stage pipeline acts as a single chip DVD player at 142 MHz and used for Visconti image recognition at 150 MHz.
      digital video IP core MeP-c3 five stage pipeline used as a multimedia accelerator for mobile terminals at 125 MHz among other applications.
      digital video IP core MeP-h1 nine stage pipeline 1 GHz in 65nm technology (presumably in a Toshiba fab)
      digital video IP core MeP-c4 under development
  • Dresden Silicon
    • Location: Dresden, Germany
    • funded to productize technology developed at Technische Universität Dresden.
    • Software programmable IP cores will be delivered complete with software for major video standards.
    • First IP core product available in summer 2006
    • Partners:
  • Interuniversity MicroElectronics Center (IMEC)
    • Location: Leuven, Belgium
    • IMEC is a general purpose nanotechnology research center
    • Products:
      digital video IP core Architecture for Dynamically Reconfigurable Embedded System (ADRES) is a VLIW processor with a reconfigurable logic array. Good H.264 decoder performance is claimed, but no specific performance numbers are published.
  • Lenslet
    • Location: Herzelia Pituach, Israel
    • Founded: 1999
    • The OmniDesign web site has gone down. I am curious to know what happened to the company.
    • makes optical digital signal processor chips, claiming up to 8,000 GMACs
    • Products:
      EnLight 256 8000 GMAC per second fixed point DSP chip. Operates internally by optical switching. Promises great performance on video applications, though no specific applications or performance have been quoted.
  • Volcano Media Chips
    • Founded: 2005
    • Developing a multi-format programmable video processor core for H.264/AVC, VC-1, MPEG-2, and H.263 video encode and decode.

EDA tools

These companies' products are not quite IP cores, but instead electronic design automation (EDA) tools that generate customized IP cores

  • Celoxica
    • Location: Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK
    • Products:
      digital video IP core C to RTL
      digital video IP core C to FPGA
    • Partners:
      • Celoxica is a member of the TI TMS320 third party partner program.
  • Synfora
  • PACT XPP Technologies
    • Location: Munich, Germany
    • architecture consisting of ALU, RAM, and I/O processing elements configurable as in an FPGA
    • PACT XPP offers a chip (and reference design) but also their elements as IP
    • Also available/required is PACT's design software
    • Also available is hardware/software IP to implement video codecs as an AMBA bus co-processor
  • Spiral Gateway
    • Location: Edinburgh, UK
    • low power is the mantra for Sprial Gateway products
    • Products:
      digital video IP core Hybrid IP cores components for algorithms such as sum of absolute differences (SAD) motion estimation (ME) search, and discrete cosine transform (DCT)
      digital video IP core RICA (Reconfigurable Instruction Cell Array) software programmable architecture for low-power digital signal processing applications
  • Poseidon Design Systems
    • Products:
      digital video software Triton Tuner embedded application performance analyzer and architecture configuration tool
      digital video IP core Triton Builder accelerator coprocessor builder

Transmission and Interface cores

  • Commsonic
    • Location: Cambridge, United Kingdom
    • founded in 2000
    • Products:
      digital video IP core CCMS0009 DVB-T modulator
      digital video IP core CMS0014 DVB-S2 adaptive APSK demodulator
      digital video IP core OFDM, QAM/PSK, and other modulators and demodulators
    • Partners:
      • Built SkyPlug DVB-S2 demodulator / decoder for FPGAs around the CMS0014 with TurboConcept decoder, verified it with the Zarlink ZL10038 tuner.
  • TurboConcept
    • Location: France
    • founded 1999
    • Products:
      digital video IP core TC1000 / TC1000-xX DVB-RCS decoder
      digital video IP core TC4000 DVB-S2 low density parity check (LDPC) decoder
    • Partners:
      • Built SkyPlug DVB-S2 demodulator / decoder for FPGAs around the TC4000 with Commsonic demodulator, verified it with the Zarlink ZL10038 tuner.
  • Apical
    • Location: London, UK
    • specilists in image enhancement algorithms
    • Products:
      • digital video software iridix C3-5 dynamic range compression
      • digital video IP core iridix H3-5 dynamic range compression
      • digital video software iridix C5 color correction
      • digital video IP core iridix H5 color correction
      • digital video software iridix C5NR noise reduction
      • digital video software iridix C4-5 fine detail preservation
      • digital video IP core iridix H4-5 fine detail preservation
      • digital video software C-NLS1 non-linear sharpening
    • Customers:
      • Nikon
        • Coolpix cameras
      • Sony
        • Alpha SLR cameras
      • Sony Ericsson
        • A1404S handset
        • W31S handset
      • Samsung
        • SCH-V700 portable media player handset

Chips

Contents

Semiconductor giants
Computer graphics (polygon) chip vendors
Flat panel, LCD, projector display controller chip vendors
Communications chip vendors
Media networking chip vendors
System vendors with their own fabs
Taiwanese consumer chip vendors
Chinese consumer chip vendors
Multi-market ASIC vendors
DSP chip vendors
Programmable logic chip vendors
Tuner chip vendors
CMOS image sensor chip vendors
Analog chip vendors

Intel

  • Location: Santa Clara, CA
  • A system vendor with its own chip design and fabrication capability
  • Acquisitions:
    • Intel acquired the UK based business of radio frequency (RF) front-end (tuner and demodulator) chips for consumer products from Zarlink in 2005 for $70M. The Zarlink products include:
    • Digital television and display controller chip maker Oplus (Israel), 2005, 100 employees, $100M, will continue selling products under the Oplus name.
  • Divisions:
    • Intel China Research Center, in Beijing, has created the Zephyros "concept PC" for videoconferencing and other next generation video and multimedia applications.
  • Groups:
    • Intel is a member of the Mobile DTV Alliance

Samsung Semiconductor

  • Products:
    digital video chip S5M8600 DVB-H CMOS RF tuner for mobile phones
    digital video chip S3C4F10 DVB-H and DVB-T channel decoder with an unspecified CPU for mobile phones
    digital video chip S5K53BE CMOS image sensor, 1/5.8 inch aperture size, 640x480 resolution
    digital video chip S5K3AAE CMOS image sensor, 1/3.2 inch aperture size, 1280x1024 resolution
    digital video chip S5K4AAF CMOS image sensor, 1/4 inch aperture size, 1280x1024 resolution
    digital video chip S5K3BAF CMOS image sensor, 1/3.2 inch aperture size, 1600x1200 resolution

Texas Instruments

  • Location: Dallas, TX
  • NYSE: TXN
  • Products:
    digital video chip DTV1000 and DTV1001 "Hollywood" mobile phone chip with a DVB-H / ISDB-T tuner, OFDM demodulator, and video decoder in an OMAP architecture. Capable of 24 to 30 fps video. Implemented in 90nm technology.
    digital video chip TMS320C6455 fixed-point digital signal processor at 720 MHz to 1 Ghz with support for DDR2 SDRAM at 500 MHz. Samples available now, production quantities available later.
    digital video chip TMS320C6414T, TMS320C6415T, TMS320C6416T fixed-point digital signal processors at 600 MHz to 1 GHz. Chips ranging from $99 to $250.
    digital video chip TMS320DM6443 / TMS320DM6446 "DaVinci" digital media processors perform 62.2 million pixel per second (1080i HDTV) MPEG-2 decode and 27.6 million pixel per second (720p HDTV) MPEG-4 Simple Profile encode (with unspecified bitrate, GOP, and other coding parameters). Basedon a 300 MHz ARM926EJ-S with a 600 MHz TI C64x DSP core, a video display controller, and in the DM6446 a CCD image sensor controller.
    digital video chip TMS320DM642 digital media processor runs at 720 MHz. Video conferencing devices with 1280x720 resolution (at an unspecified frame rate) can be implemented with multiple DM642 chips. TI has written software for the VC-1, H.264 (AVC), and other coding standard to run on the DM642 chip. Processor cores share a 133 MHz SDRAM interface.
    digital video chip TMS320DM342 digital multimedia processor, capable of MPEG-4 video (decode?) at 720x480 resolution at 30 fps. Based on a 126 MHz ARM 926 RISC CPU and a 100 MHz TI C54x DSP core with a 180 MHz iMX SIMD image processing engine. Processors share a 32-/16- bit 100 MHz SDRAM interface.
    digital video chip TMS320DM270 digital multimedia processor, capable of MPEG-4 video (decode?) at 640x480 resolution at 30 fps. Based on a 88 MHz ARM 7 RISC CPU and a 100 MHz TI C54x DSP core with a 180 MHz iMX SIMD image processing engine. Processors share a 32-/16- bit 120 MHz SDRAM interface.
    digital video chip OMAPV2230 dual-mode UMTS baseband processor and application processor chip for 3G wireless phones. (Encodes? and decodes?) video at VGA (640x480) resolution at 30 fps with an unspecified video coding standard and bitrate, while operating a 5 megapixel camera and performing other 2-way real-time multimedia functions.
    digital video chip OMAPV2430 performs the same functions as the OMAPV2230, but with the same IVA 2 video accelerator technology from DaVinci TMS320DMx chips. Includes an ARM1136 RISC host processor core.
    digital video chip The TI DDP3020 is an coprocessor ASIC for DLP chip based systems. Its "BrilliantColor" technology enhances the brightness of mid tone colors. This technology is similar to chips offered by Genoa Color Technologies. The DDP3020 supports SVGA, XGA, 720p, WXGA, and SXGA+ resolutions. Customers for this chip include:
    digital video chip TPS65150 power supply chip for large sized TFT-LCD displays priced at $2.60
    digital video chip many other chip products serving a broad range of applications and functions
  • Customers:
    • NEC uses the OMAPV2230 in FOMA 3G wireless handsets.
    • Panasonic uses the OMAPV2230 in FOMA 3G wireless handsets.
    • TI Digital Media processors are used in Archos portable personal video recorders.
    • Hundreds of products from many digital video product companies use DLP technology either for forward projection or rear projection devices.
    • Tut Systems' Astria line of low bit rate MPEG-2 and "MPEG-4 AVC" broadcast head-end video "processor" equipment uses the TI TMS320DM642 and TMS320C6415 video DSPs.
    • The Humax RG100 set top box, including a satellite receiver, IPTV receiver, and personal video recorder uses MPEG-4, H.264, and Windows Media 9 on a TI TMS320C64x series chip, which has the DM642 processor. The set top box presumably operates at SDTV resolution. Also, presumably the three video coding standards mentioned above can all be decoded in real-time though it is unclear which standards are used for the real-time encode required for the personal video recorder functionality.
    • The Inlet Technologies Fathom 2.0 product uses a TI TMS320C64x chip for VC-1 encode for the video post production market.
  • Partners:
    • Ateme has ported video software to TI DaVinci chips.
    • Ittiam Systems ports a range of its video software to TI DaVinci chips.
    • UB Video was one of the first software developers to port H.264 software to TI C64x processors.
  • Groups:
    • TI is a member of the Mobile DTV Alliance

Infineon

  • Products:
    digital video chip TUA6041 and TUA6045 3 to 5.5 volt tuners for laptops, USB dongles, and PDAs, including the intermediate frequency (IF) and RF functions in a single chip with automatic gain control. Supports PAL, SECAM, NTSC, DVB-C, DVB-T, T-DMB, DAB, ISDB-T and ATSC digital TV standards.

Renesas Technology

  • large Japanese chip maker with products serving diverse markets
  • Sells chips with its own internal SuperH general-purpose processor architecture implemented in cores such as the SH-2.
  • Products:
    digital video chip VPU4 video processing unit accelerator with support for MPEG-4 simple profile and H.264 (AVC) Baseline profile at 10.4 million pixels per second.

STMicroelectronics

  • 50,000 employees
  • dominant vendor of satellite receiver set-top-box chips
  • Products:
    digital video chip STx5300 MPEG-2 decoder for low-cost STBs and DVD recorders based on a 300 MHz ST231 CPU core. Pin compatible with STi5100. Priced at $11.
    digital video chip STB5525 and STB5524 set-top box (STB) decoder chips supporting dual TV and digital video recorder (DVR) functions for satellite, cable, and terrestrial STB receivers, including a serial ATA disk drive interface. Based on a 300MHz ST231 CPU core. Priced at $15 and $14.
    digital video chip STB7100 decoder, including a SH4 and two media processors, for H.264 (AVC) high profile at level 4, VC-1, WMV9, or dual streams of MPEG-2 all at HDTV resolution with supporting features for set-top boxes, DVD audio, and DVD security. With DVI and HDMI outputs and a serial ATA HDD interface. Manufactured in ST's 90nm fab process technology and based around a 300 MHz ST40 SuperH architecture 32-bit RISC host CPU. Available at $29 in high volume (early 2005). Customers:
    • an unnamed "leading Japanese broadband provider" for a set-top box
    • more than one "international telco operator" for IP set-top boxes

    digital video chip 7109 chip, similar to the STB7100 but with enhanced security featuyres for HD-DVD and Blu-Ray players/recorders. Available at $26 in high volume (late 2005).
    digital video chip Nomadik ARM-based multimedia processors for mobile devices are certified by Microsoft for Windows CE 5.0.
    • STn8800 Nomadik processor including an ARM 926EJ processor along with audio and video accelerators
    • STn8810 with higher processor clock speed, data security features, and added power management features
    • STn8811 with the STn8810 features, plus 512 megabits of NAND flash and 256 megabits of SDRAM as stacked die within the same package
    • STn8812 with the features of the STn8811, but 512 megabits of SDRAM
    Nomadik chips can achieve 30 frame per second VGA resolution MPEG-4, H.263, and H.264 (AVC) video encode or decode. It is unclear who provides such software.
    • Nomadik chips are used in Nokia devices

    digital video chip STI5518 STB chip with a ST20 core, a programmable MMDSP 32-bit processor for 24-bit audio, and a hardwired MPEG-2 decoder. Has sold more than 250M units.
    digital video chip STV0370
    digital video chip STD2000 HDTV processor chip. Decodes 2 simultaneous analog or digital SDTV signals or two HDTV digital decodes. Has multipath interference reduction features. Enhances and displays video on CRT or flat-panel TVs. Includes ST proprietary deinterlacing and 3D motion adaptive noise reduction. Manufacutred in 90nm CMOS.
    digital video PC board DTV100 dual-channel digital TV reference based on the STD2000. Audio is processed with a STV82x7/8 DSP.
  • Internal processor cores (not available outside of ST):
    digital video IP core ST20
    digital video IP core ST200 VLIW media processors capable of being programmed for MPEG-2, H.264, etc.
    digital video IP core ST231 capable of standard definition video (presumably decoding H.264 Main Profile) and audio.
    digital video IP core ST40 (SuperH SH4 equivalent) can run Windows CE and other operating systems
  • The processor core licensing company, SuperH is a joint venture of ST and Hitachi.
  • Partners:
  • Acquisitions:
    • Santa Clara, CA based flat panel display controller chip company, Arithmos, in 1999 for $43M.

Computer graphics (polygon) chip vendors

Flat panel, LCD, projector display controller chip vendors

  • Pixelworks
    • Location: Tualatin, OR
    • Nasdaq: PXLW
    • Founded: 1997
    • about 350 employees, about 1/3 in China
    • Products:
      digital video chip PW1220 (formerly nDSP NV221)
      digital video chip BSP-15 88mm2 chip runs at 400 MHz and consumes 3W
      digital video chip PWBSP-16 (formerly Equator BSP-16) fully software programmable with good software development tool support and per-chip prices for consumer digital video devices. Pixelworks marketing appears to be especially focused on IPTV with this chip. WMV9 at high definition resolution, VC-1, MPEG-2 at high definition resolution, MPEG-4, H.264 (AVC) Baseline and Main profiles at standard definition resolution, Real Video, and H.263 are supported. Programmability is beneficial because other simpler high-performance video codecs with lower royalties, such as VP7, can be implemented on the PWBSP-16. The PWBSP-16 runs at 500 MHz with 8 GMACs, consumes 1.7 watts, and is 60 mm2 with DDR SDRAM and NAND flash interfaces. The chip sells for $20 in volume.
      digital video chip The PWBSP-17, expected in late 2006, will support H.264 at HDTV resolution
      digital video chip The PWBSP-18, expected in the distant future, will support multiple SDTV and HDTV streams
    • Customers:
      • Sichuan Changhong uses the PS12x0 chip for deinterlacing in progressive scan CRT televisions.
      • TCL uses the PS12x0 chip for deinterlacing in progressive scan CRT televisions.
      • Hisense uses the PS12x0 chip for deinterlacing in progressive scan CRT televisions.
      • Skyworth uses the PS12x0 chip for deinterlacing in progressive scan CRT televisions.
    • Vendors:
      • Pixelworks' Pearl image processor chip uses a Silicon Image HDMI receiver IP core.
    • Target Markets:
      • video SoCs with embedded DRAM
    • Acquisitions:
      • RISC-VLIW multi-CPU core video processor chip manufacturer with 75 people, Equator, for $109M in 2005
      • Frame rate conversion, deinterlacing, noise reduction, motion compensation, and resolution enhancement chip vendor, nDSP, for about $15M in stock, in 2001
      • Panstera 2000
  • DiBcom
    • Location: Palaiseau, France
    • Founded: 2000
    • DVB-H and DVB-T receiver chipsets
    • Products:
      digital video chip STK3000-P small DVB-T receiver
      digital video chip DIB7000-H is a DVB-H receiver chip, fabbed in 0.13um technology and consuming less than 20mW.
      digital video chip DIB7070-H is a DVB-H receiver chip with integrated tuner and demodulator, fabbed in UMC 0.13um technology and consumes about 40mW. The chip supports L-band, VHF, and UHF reception. The chip is priced at $10 in high quantities.
      digital video chip DIB3000-M, for fixed and portable reception of DVB-T signals, performs coded orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (COFDM) demodulator does demodulation of quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM). Fabbed in .18um technology.
      digital video chip DIB3000-P is a low cost implementation of the DIB3000-M with reduced Doppler compensation, making it better for digital TV and PC applications rather than applications likely to be used in automobiles. Fabbed in .18um technology.
      digital video chip DIB7700-P DVB-T chip with a USB 2.0 interface for pen-sized receiver devices as PC peripherals.
      digital video chip DIB7710-P DVB-T chip with a PCI interface for PC peripherals.
    • Partners:
      • Intel has invested an undisclosed sum of money in DiBcom, apparently with an interest in the DVB-H market. UMC is also a strategic investor in DiBcom.
      • with Cypress for building USB 2.0 video products
    • Customers:
      • A Siemens mobile phone plays DVB-H video broadcasts using a DiBcom chipset
  • Focus Enhancements
    • NASDAQ:FCSE
    • Videonics
  • BenQ (formerly Acer)
  • Chrontel
  • AverLogic
  • Silicon Motion
    • Location: Jhubei City (near Hsinchu), Taiwan
    • Founded: 1995
    • $115M IPO in 2005
    • Primarily sells display controller chips, including some low-power ones for mobile multimedia, and including some with MPEG-2 motion compensation for DVD playing devices. Silicon Motion also makes Flash memory controller chips.
  • Techwell
    • Location: San Jose, CA
    • Founded: 1997
    • more than 70 employees
    • Products:
      digital video chip TW9900 family of NTSC/PAL analog video decoder chips
      digital video chip TW2800 family of security/surveillance analog video decoder chips
      digital video chip TW8800 family of LCD display controller chips
    • Investors:
  • Vativ Technologies
    • Location: San Diego, CA
    • Products:
      digital video chip VTV2320 HDMI receiver chip with 3 inputs and 2 display outputs.
      digital video chip VTV1110 10GbE UTP Transciever
      digital video chip VXP-10-010A1; 10GbE XENPAK module
      digital video chip VTV3xx0; DS3 LIU

Communications chip vendors

Broadcom

  • Nasdaq: BRCM
  • Products:
    digital video chip BCM3563 dual channel 1080p60 DTV decoder chip with picture-in-picutre and picture-by-picture fabbed in 65nm technology with LVDS transmitters to LCD displays with motion adaptive deinterlacing, 3D comb filter, PC input, dual component input, S-video input, and RGB input, multiple audio format support. Pricing is not published. digital video chip BCM7400 AVC/VC-1/MPEG-2 video decoder chip with security features for cable, satellite, and IPTV receivers. Based on a proprietary multi-threaded MIPS ISA CPU with audio processing and a 2D/3D graphics engine. Priced at $49.50.
    digital video chip BCM7401 AVC Main and High Profile level 4.1, VC-1 Simple, Main, and Advanced Profile at level 3, and MPEG-2 HDTV chip for embedded hard disk drive DVR and home gateway applications including a MIPS32 CPU and a 64 bit 200 MHz DDR SDRAM interface. Priced at $30.
    digital video chip BCM7402 AVC / VC-1 chip for non-DVR or networked DVR client applications including a MIPS32 CPU. Priced at $27.
    digital video chip BCM7411D HD A/V decoder chip meant for Blu-Ray DVD players and supporting H.264 (AVC) High Profile at Level 4.1, VC-1 Advanced Profile at Level 3, and MPEG-2 Main Profile at High Level. The chip also decodes Blu-Ray standard audio and includes Thomson "Filme Grain Technology". Priced at $25.
    digital video PC board BCM97438 BCM7411D chip based reference design, available only to qualified OEMs.
    digital video chip BCM2133 WCDMA/EDGE 3G mobile phone chip based on an ARM926EJ processor with a 2 megapixel digital camera interface, video record and playback capability, and a TV output.
    digital video chip BCM2722 VideoCore II Multimedia Processor, used in the Apple Video iPod, is capable of MPEG-4 video encode and decode at up to VGA resolution at 30 fps (9.2 megapixels per second) or H.264 encode and decode at up to CIF resolution with design for low power consumption for battery powered devices. The package contains a stacked 32 megabit SDRAM, a USB 1.1 slave interface, a camera interface for up to 5 megapixels, and an LCD controller interface among other interfaces. The BCM2722 is manufactured in a 0.13um CMOS process technology.
    digital video chip BCM2124, the same as the BCM2122, but with 64 megabits of stacked SDRAM.
    digital video chip BCM2702, the same as the BCM2122, but with no SDRAM.
    digital video chip BCM7038 dual-channel HDTV and digital video recorder (DVR) and BCM7411 AVC video decoder/audio processor chip. Used by:
  • an AVS decoder chip is planned
  • Acquisitions:
  • Lawsuit filed in 2005 pending against Qualcomm alleging infringement of multiple patents on communications and multimedia related inventions

  • Fresco Microchip
    • Location: Toronto, Canada
    • $14.7M first VC funding in 2005
    • Making a R/F signal demodulation chip to extract video bitstreams from received digital broadcasts.
  • C2 Microsystems
    • most engineering in Beijing, most sales in Taipei, management in Silicon Valley
    • founded by ex-C-Cube, ex-Chromatic Research engineer Stephen (Steve) Purcell
    • chips for portable media players and recorders and IPTV STBs
    • Products:
      • CC1100 SDTV based on a 220 MHz (MIPS?) superscalar RISC SIMD CPU with media coprocessors supporting MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.264, WM9, and audio formats with motion aware deinterlacing, scaling, noise filtering, and 2D graphics overlays, fabbed in 0.15 micron technology
      • CC1000 (available soon) HDTV supporting MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.264, WM9, and audio formats with motion aware deinterlacing, scaling, noise filtering, and 2D graphics overlays
  • Tokyo Electron Devices
    • Location: Yokohama, Japan
    • Founded: 1985
    • primarily a design services company but with a 3 chip set for JPEG video cameras
    • Products:
      • digital video chip TE3310RPF JPEG Encoder chip
      • digital video chip TE3320PF JPEG Decoder chip
      • digital video chip TE3410PF Video Multiplexer chip
  • Augusta Technology
    • Location: Santa Clara, Shanghai, Beijing
    • Founded: 2006 (as Alliantek)
    • A portable media device ODM
    • A licensee of a Ceva DSP core, presumably designing a chip
  • DigiBee Microsystems
    • Location: Bangalore, India
    • A licensee of a Ceva DSP core, presumably designing a chip
  • Media networking chip vendors

    • Quartics
      • Location: Irvine, CA
      • Target Markets:
        • chips for video billboards and signs
        • chips for wireless home video transmissions
      • Products:
        • QV1303 decoder for PC graphics on high resolution display over USB
        • QV1401 remote PC processor for lossless PC graphics on high resolution displays over IP networks
        • QV1501 remote PC processor for compressed PC graphics and audio on high resolution displays over IP networks
    • Vweb
      • Location: San Jose, CA
      • Founded: 1998
      • Products:
        • VW2010 MPEG-2, MPEG-4, and H.263 encoder/decoder/transcoder. Supports up to D1 resolution interlaced video.
        • VW2005 MPEG-2, MPEG-4, and H.263 encoder. Supports up to D1 resolution interlaced video.
        • VW2002 MPEG-2, MPEG-4, and H.263 decoder. Supports up to D1 resolution interlaced video.
        • VW3010 MPEG-2, MPEG-4, and H.263 encoder/decoder/transcoder. Supports up to D1 resolution. Pin-compatible with older VW2010 chip.
        • VW4012 MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.263, and H.264 encoder/decoder/transcoder. Supports up to D1 resolution.
        • VW4010 MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.263, H.264, and VC-1 encoder/decoder/transcoder. Supports up to D1 resolution and interlaced and progressive video.
        • VW6010 MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.263, H.264, and VC-1 encoder/decoder/transcoder. Supports up to HDTV resolution and interlaced and progressive video.
      • Partners:
        • Toshiba has created STB reference designs with a Toshiba MIPS chips and Vweb VW2010 chip.
          • Espial has ported IPTV software and web browser to the reference design.
          • TVblob has developed video conference application software for the reference design.
          • SkipJam has developed digital home application software for the reference design.
          The reference design is used in the Sumitomo Networks IP set-top box for NTT VOD networks in Japan. Toshiba is working on future reference designs with Vweb VW3010 and VW4012 chips and a Toshiba TX4939 CPU chip.
        • Intel has created a home gateway reference design using a VW2005 encoder and Xscale and IA processors. Syabas and Oregan Networks have ported software to the reference design.
        • IBM has created an IP-STB reference design with a PowerPC chip and a Vweb VW2010. The reference design also supports DVB-C and is used by CNC for VoD services in Hangzhou, China.
        • Taifatech, using software from NewSoft, has developed a wireless AV capture device for WiFi-TV on PCs using a Vweb chip to capture MPEG-2 and MPEG-4.
        • Sigma Designs
      • Vendors:
        • Synopsys chip design tools
    • VisionFlow
      • Location: Austin, TX
      • Founded: 2003
      • significant operations in China
      • has proprietary H.264 encode/decode also VC-1, MPEG-4/2
      • also has AAC, AC3, MP3 audio
    • Vixs
      • Loca