FME ICs convert between H.264 and MPEG-2 streams

Fujitsu Microelectronics Europe (FME) has announced two IC packages for encoding and transcoding between full high definition (HD) H.264 and MPEG-2 streams.

The MB86H57 (15 x 15mm) and MB86H58 (27 x 27mm) encoder/transcoder ICs include memory-in-package and feature low power-consumption of only 1W in full transcoding operation.

The devices can be deployed for conversion between MPEG-2 and H.264 AVC streams up to full HD (1920 x 1080i) as well as between audio formats; they can also be used as MPEG-2 (SD) or H.264 AVC (QVGA, SD and HD) encoders.

The MB86H57's low power-consumption and small-form factor allow it to be used in applications such as video adapters for wireless transmission in home networks or portable recording devices.

The new ICs include encryption engines, allowing secure transmission of the output streams for digital rights management (DRM) based applications.

Fujitsu has improved the low power-consumption technology used in its earlier H.264 full HD Codec ICs, using proprietary video-encoding algorithms, maintaining high video compression performance by reducing processing load.

This technology has been proven in various products in the consumer arena as well as in battery-powered applications.

Target applications include: PC grabber cards: H.264 encoding supporting flexible video resolutions via PCI I/F or PCI Express I/F; portable digital video recorder (DVR): HD video encoding into mass storage devices (HDD, CF, SD); personal video recorder (PVR): transcoding feature from MPEG-2 HD/SD or H.264 HD content received by an STB into H.264 SD or less resolution, in order to store it on USB sticks for portable video players; home networking: transcoding of HD content received at main STB at home to H.264 SD or MPEG-2 SD that can be transmitted via streaming to client-STBs in a multi-room system.

Using Fujitsu's 65nm process technology, the power consumption in full HD transcoding operation is just 1.0W, including one 512Mb FCRAM-in-package.

In addition, the MB86H57 small form-factor option allows the creation of portable products.

Both ICs integrate all the necessary functions for systems developed to record digital broadcasts, including security functions and an interface to digital TV demodulators.

Building on the functionality of the MB86H52 (to transcode from MPEG-2 to H.264) these new ICs also transcode from H.264 to MPEG-2 SD.

This additional capability allows the devices to support the majority of formats used worldwide.

The combination of transcoding and time re-stamping allows the audio operation to be adjusted to customer needs.

Both products contain a variety of interfaces for improved connectivity.

As a host interface to connect to an external CPU, there is a 16-bit parallel interface and a TS interface for video streaming.

In addition, the MB86H57 and MB86H58 have serial, PCI, PCI Express and USB interfaces.

Connection to external ROM is also possible, enabling high-speed boot-up for equipment deploying the ICs.

Engineering samples are expected to be available for the end of July 2009 and mass production will start in Q1/2010.

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