Turns out that the Conexant chip only decodes H.264 and is a companion chip to their MPEG decoding solutions. -- Keith Jack author "Video Demystified" new 4th edition now available! > -----Original Message----- > From: opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > [mailto:opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Manfredi, Albert E > Sent: Monday, November 29, 2004 10:00 AM > To: OpenDTV (E-mail) > Subject: [opendtv] H.264 chip ready for market > > Note the 130 and 90 nm process used for all these chips. > > Bert > > > -------------------------------------- > H.264 decoder chips begin to hit the market By Junko Yoshida > , EE Times November 29, 2004 (10:26 AM EST) > URL: http://www.eet.com/article/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=3D54200808 > > TOKYO - Conexant Systems Inc. has begun sampling a new chip > capable of decoding advanced video coding technology based on > the H.264 video codec, the company announced Monday (Nov. 29). > > The video compression technology, designed for > high-definition video transmission and storage applications, > is a key driver for satellite TV, IP set tops and > high-definition DVD recorders scheduled for launch in 2005. > > Service providers and consumer system companies have been > eagerly awaiting H.264 chips as a catalyst for > high-definition video products and broadcast services. > > While Conexant (Newport Beach, Calif.) is claiming the > industry's first H.264 decoder ICs, it also has plenty of > company as it aims for the lead in the emerging market. > Rivals include Broadcom, STMicroelectronics and Sigma > Designs. These competitors are reportedly either "already > sampling" or "ready to sample" H.264 chips. > > Citing pent-up demand, Christos Lagomichos, general manager > of ST's Home Entertainment Group, called initial demand for > H.264 chips "incredible." Lagomichos said ST began sampling > its own H.264 decoder chips earlier in the current quarter. > > Leveraging its June acquisition of Amphion Semiconductor Ltd. > (Belfast, Northern Ireland), Conexant has rolled out a family > of H.264 chips based on Amphion's high-definition > H.264 hardware video decoder core. > > The first two chips to be sampled in early December include > high- and standard-definition versions of fully-compliant > H.264-only decoders. Both chips are fabricated using a > 0.13-micron process technology. > > Conexant's H.264-only decoders are stand-alone chips, not > integrated into Conexant's own MPEG-2-based SoCs for set-top > boxes or other digital consumer systems. Jeff Crosby, vice > president of Broadband Media Processing for Conexant, said, > "By providing the H.264 function in this separate IC, it can > be married with our SoCs, which are optimized for the > different segments." > > Conexant is planning to integrate the H.264 and multiformat > decoder capabilities into SoCs that are scheduled for > sampling at the end of 2005, Crosby said. > > ST is claiming a leg up on its competitors, with a highly > integrated H.264/MPEG-2-based set-top IC that takes advantage > of ST's proprietary 0.09-micron process technology. "Our > competition today is only capable of providing a two-chip > solution - main set-top box device and companion coprocessor > for H.264 video decode," ST's Lagomichos stressed. "ST is not > doing a companion device, but going straight to a single > 90-nm chip for the most cost-effective H.264 complete set-top > box solution." > > ST's H.264 decoding solution is built around "our own unique > advanced ST2xx family VLIW Processors and some dedicated > hardware acceleration," added Lagomichos. > > Meanwhile, Conexant's CX2418X family of H.264 chips are based > on the ARM926EJ-S core integrated with H.264 hardware > engines. Syntax parsing and control firmware are hosted by > the on-chip ARM9 microcontroller. > > Conexant is currently sampling its high- and > standard-definiiton versions of stand-alone H.264-only > decoder ICs, with volume production scheduled for the second > quarter of 2005. The chips are priced at $20 each in > quantities of 10,000. > > Copyright 2003 CMP Media > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > You can UNSUBSCRIBE from the OpenDTV list in two ways: > > - Using the UNSUBSCRIBE command in your user configuration > settings at FreeLists.org > > - By sending a message to: opendtv-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with > the word unsubscribe in the subject line. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- You can UNSUBSCRIBE from the OpenDTV list in two ways: - Using the UNSUBSCRIBE command in your user configuration settings at FreeLists.org - By sending a message to: opendtv-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word unsubscribe in the subject line.