IBM Expands Digital Video Offerings with New Single-Chip MPEG-2 Encoders
Fishkill, N.Y (March 30, 1998) – IBM today announced four new single-chip MPEG-2 video encoders, a move which significantly expands IBM’s family of professional digital video products.
IBM’s new encoder products support the demanding requirements of the communications and broadcast industries for DVD mastering, authoring, and other content-creation applications. IBM’s MPEG S-Series is also suitable for applications where encoding equipment is used throughout the transmission process, including routers and switches, cable head-ends, and satellite news-gathering and up-link equipment.
“IBM’s powerful encoder architecture provides an optimal balance between search range and accuracy of motion estimation which delivers superior picture quality,” said Luis Arzubi, general manager of ASICs and embedded controllers at IBM Microelectronics. “We are using IBM’s latest CMOS and packaging technologies to help our customers incorporate more features into smaller, less costly products.”
Product Highlights
The newly-announced single-chip products are:
MPEG-2 Professional Studio Encoder (MPEGS422) – Supports applications requiring very high quality video compression. This product offers support for international standard MPEG-2 4:2:2 Profile at Main Level.
MPEG-2 Professional Broadcast Encoder (MPEGS420) – This solution offers support for the international standard MPEG-2 Main Profile at Main Level or MP@ML, with extensions beyond MP@ML, for applications requiring high quality, 4:2:0 chroma video compression, like DVD mastering, authoring, or editing.
MPEG-2 I-frame Video Encoder (MPEGSI) – This low-power solution offers the flexibility and edit capability of an intra-frame bitstream, along with exceptional picture quality achieved through many rate-control features. The MPEGSI is the industry’s only product dedicated to I-frame encoding.
MPEG-2 Extended Search Range Video Encoder (MPEGE422) – This solution provides video quality and picture addressibility suitable for the rigorous demands of high-end users in high-definition applications where motion estimation and the attendant larger search range is of paramount importance. It offers extended motion estimation features and capabilities, and extends support for the international MPEG-2 standard 4:2:2 Profile beyond Main Level. This solution is available in two-chip and four-chip kits.
A flexible microcode package is also provided for all of IBM’s encoder offerings which allow developers to control the encoder chip hardware and dynamically select video compression parameters through real-time commands.
Source: IBM