Videochips
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Introduction / I-Mode Enabling Technology:
The Video Chip
/ A much more
readable review of this chip
What empowers video telephony? Extremely sophisticated chipsets
and the software that drives them. This technology applies to
the coming generation of handheld video telephones, like the
one I-Mode uses, as well as to larger
models used for satellite working.
The new I-Mode video phones will use a 'video chip' from Toshiba,
described below. If the two pieces that follows my introduction
sounds nonsensical, read them again. I think the new terms and
ideas will get more understandable as you go. We have to master
a new terminology when discussing anything with video, still
images, and high quality audio. This vocabulary hasn't been part
of a telecom discussion before and we have much to learn. If
you're really interested in this subject, download this excellent
.pdf file from Toshiba. The illustration above is from it. One
thing to remember, don't let the word CODEC slip by you. Make
sure you understand what it does. Coding, decoding. Repeat after
me. . .
 Enabling Wireless Multimedia, Low Power,
Single Chip MPEG-4 CODEC
- (13
pages in .pdf, 660K)
TOSHIBA ADDS
TO ITS MPEG-4 LINE-UP WITH THE AVAILABILITY OF A SINGLE-CHIP,
LOW-POWER MPEG-4 ENCODING AND DECODING SOLUTION
Toshiba's Embedded DRAM Expertise Enables Low-Power Dissipation
To Enable Designers to Create New and Innovative Ways to Deliver
Interactive Wireless Media
IRVINE, Calif ., Jan 15, 2001 -- In response to the increasing
demand for streaming media in wireless applications, Toshiba
America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC)* with its parent company
Toshiba Corporation (Toshiba) today announced the availability
of a single-chip, low-power MPEG-4 encoding and decoding (CODEC)
solution. This new chip, designated TC35273XB, integrates an
MPEG-4 CODEC with 12-megabits (Mb) of embedded DRAM to deliver
a low-power, end-to-end solution with encoding, transmission
and decoding functionality that fully supports the MPEG-4 industry
standard. Today's announcement adds to Toshiba's existing line-up
of MPEG-4 solutions, which include the recently announced low-power,
single-chip MPEG-4 decoder as well as Toshiba's software MPEG-4
decoder.
 "As the demand for wireless
media grows, many companies are beginning to develop MPEG-4 solutions,"
said Andrew Burt, director, TAEC wireless market development.
"Toshiba's solution stands out because our leadership in
embedded DRAM allows us to offer significantly lower power dissipation
- a critical feature in the wireless communications arena. Our
new MPEG-4 CODEC opens the doors for designers to create advanced
wireless communication products such as mobile interactive multimedia
devices, digital television or remote security and surveillance.
Toshiba is enabling the industry to envision and create new and
exciting ways to deliver two-way, rich media content anytime,
anywhere."
Low-Power Leadership Toshiba's expertise in embedded DRAM
technology enabled a considerable reduction in power dissipation
due to the lower capacitance on-chip connections, without any
degradation in the chip's performance. The company's new single-chip
MPEG-4 CODEC features 12Mb of embedded DRAM reducing power dissipation
to 80-milliwatts (mW). This is a significant decrease when compared
to similar solutions using off-chip memory. As a result, Toshiba's
solution has the potential to more than double the battery life
in a mobile videophone compared to the same phone using off-chip
memory.
Growing Demand According to Scottsdale, Ariz.-based market
research firm, Cahners In-Stat Group, approximately 30 million
cumulative shipments of MPEG-4 chips are expected from 2001 through
2003, with a steep rise of 60 million shipments in 2004, with
most of the devices going into the mobile handset market. "Video
is the next popular craze in the mobile handset market. MPEG-4
technology is essential to the encoding and decoding of streaming
media for next generation cellular," stated Michelle Abraham,
senior analyst, multimedia, Cahners In-Stat Group.
MPEG-4 technology will give operators and cellular service
providers worldwide the opportunity to provide additional functionality
to their cellular service. These services will include more than
just web pages, and with the success of portable audio players,
MPEG-4 technology can also be considered with its range of high
quality audio options.
Technical Features The TC35273XB performs 15 frames per second
into a QCIF (176 x 144 pixels) video display, along with an audio
CODEC that can support multiple audio CODECs including Adaptive
Multi Rate (AMR) speech CODEC at a clock frequency of 70-megahertz
(MHz). Three signal processing units, an MPEG-4 video CODEC,
an audio CODEC/decoder, and a multiplex/demultiplex unit are
integrated on the single-chip. The video core consists of a 16-bit
RISC processor and dedicated hardware accelerators that allow
programmability while delivering high performance and low-power
dissipation. The firmware program for the RISC processor is downloaded
into the embedded DRAM before beginning any operation. Additional
applications, such as H.263, are performed by using the appropriate
firmware. Features also include a general host interface in order
to support various host processors, as well as a special-designed
gating input/output (I/O) that allows power supply to be cut-off
to the internal circuits while keeping the I/O activated.
Pricing and Availability Sample pricing for the TC35273XB
MPEG-4 encoder and decoder is $55. Samples will be released in
second quarter of 2001, with mass production slated for third
quarter of 2001. The chip is packaged in a 141-pin Chip Scale
Package (CSP), 11 millimeter (mm) on a side.
MPEG-4 Background MPEG-4 is an ISO/IEC standard developed
by MPEG (Moving Pictures Experts Group), the group that also
developed the standards known as MPEG-1 and MPEG-2. MPEG's charter
is to develop international standards for compression, decompression,
processing and coded representation of moving pictures, audio
and their combination. MPEG-4 builds upon the proven success
of three main fields - digital television, interactive graphics
applications (synthetic content), and interactive multimedia
(web services and content) - and provides the standardization
process to enable the seamless integration of production, distribution
and content across these main fields.
The MPEG-4 visual standard has been developed to provide users
with a new level of interaction with visual content. It provides
the ability to view, access and manipulate objects rather than
pixels, with great error robustness at a large range of bit rates.
The MPEG-4 visual standard consists of a set of tools that enable
applications by supporting several classes of functionality.
The most important features covered by MPEG-4 standard can be
clustered in three categories: compression efficiency; content-based
interactivity; and universal access.
MPEG-4 Audience The MPEG-4 standard provides a set of technologies
to satisfy the needs of authors, service providers, and end-users
alike. For authors, MPEG-4 enables the production of content
that has far greater re-usability and flexibility than currently
possible. For service providers, MPEG-4 offers transport information
which can be interpreted and translated into the appropriate
native signaling. For end-users, MPEG-4 brings higher levels
of interaction with content within boundaries established by
the author.
* About TAEC TAEC, recognized as one of the largest suppliers
of semiconductor, electronic component, and storage solutions,
is the North American engineering, manufacturing, marketing,
and sales arm of Japan's Toshiba Semiconductor Company and Toshiba
Display Devices and Components Company. The Toshiba Semiconductor
Company is one of the world's leading manufacturers and suppliers
of semiconductor products including LSIs, microprocessors and
controllers, and advanced memory products, in addition to discrete
and analog peripheral components. TAEC is also responsible for
sales and marketing of other major electronic components including
liquid crystal displays, color display and picture tubes, lithium-ion
and other secondary batteries. For additional information, please
visit TAEC's web site at www.toshiba.com/taec. (Link now dead)
Original press release here:
http://www.toshiba.com/taec/press/to-124.shtml
Market Softer,
Still Oodles of New Products
by Carol Rosen, Western Regional Editor
Copyright 2001, Electronic
Component News, all rights reserved: http://www.ecnmag.com/
 It seems that inventory
bubble that analysts expected to disappear early last fall, then
in mid-fall and finally at the end of 2000, or the very latest
early 2001, remains in place. Analysts now pinpoint the trouble
in the contract-manufacturing arena, which several say had more
stocks than anyone expected.
So some analysts are revising IC forecasts downward, with
Dataquest predicting that growth in 2000 was 31 percent, down
3 percent from its October forecast, according to Mark Giudici,
director of IC supply and pricing services for Dataquest Inc.
in San Jose, CA.
This year's IC outlook remains a bit fuzzy, if demand continues
to soften, then the higher prices aren't likely to happen. In
early January, spot market prices for 64 Mb DRAMs were at about
$2.50 each while contract pricing ranged from $3.80 to $4.25,
definitely softer than early last fall. Forecasts for those devices,
early in the fourth quarter, were at least $2 higher.
Companies continue to introduce an abundance of new products.
As has been the case for the past year or so, the bulk of these
are in the telecommunications, networking and Internet arenas,
and to a lesser extent automotive. Giudici doesn't expect to
see any easing in this area as the boom in cell phones and Internet
connectivity continues to grow.
Toshiba Develops MPEG-4 Codec and Decoder
Toshiba America Electronic Components (TAEC) recently announced
the TC35273XB, an MPEG-4 encoding and decoding chip. The IC contains
12 Mb of embedded DRAM that helps reduce power dissipation to
80 mW.
TC35273XB performs 15 frames per second into a QCIF (176 by
144 pixels) video display along with an audio codec supporting
multiple audio codecs that include an AMR speed codec with a
clock frequency of 70 MHz. TAEC integrated three signal processing
units, an MPEG-4 video codec, an audio codec/decoder and a multiplex/demultiplex
unit onto the chip. Its video core contains a 16-bit RISC processor
and dedicated hardware accelerators for programmability.
The processor's firmware program is downloaded into the embedded
DRAM before operations begin. Applications, such as H.263, are
performed using the appropriate firmware. A general host interface
supports various host processors, and a specially designed gating
I/O allows the power supply to be cut off to internal circuits
but keeps the I/O activated.
Housed in a 141-pin chip scale package, the TC35273XB will
sample in the second calendar quarter with mass production slated
for the third quarter. It is priced at $55 each in sample quantities.
TAEC designated the MPEG-4 decoder
as TX35274XB. It integrates an MPEG-4 decoder with 4 Mb of embedded
DRAM helping decrease power dissipation to 50 mW. It also offers
15 frames per second of MPEG-4 video decoding with QCIF at a
30 MHz clock frequency. This chip's video core contains a 16-bit
RISC processor with dedicated hardware accelerators for programmability.
Its firmware program is downloaded into the embedded DRAM prior
to any operation.
The TC35274XB currently is sampling with volume production
scheduled for the second calendar quarter. Housed in 97-pin chip
scale package, it is priced at $35 each in sample quantities.
Toshiba America Electronic Components1060 Rincon Circle, San
Jose, CA 95134; (800) 879-4963 ext. 263; http://www.toshiba.com/taec
(external link).
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