Advanced real-time, high definition video/audio encoder/transcoder single-chip solution

Broadcom Corporation has announced what’s said to be the industry's most advanced 65 nanometer (nm) real-time, high definition (HD) encoder/transcoder solution. The new single- chip transcoder enables a wide range of consumer devices, with varying video and audio formats, to share a wide variety of video and audio content while maintaining a high degree of digital rights management and security. The new chip is the foundation for capturing audio and video content and for reconciling disparate video and audio content in cable, satellite and IPTV set-top boxes, home media centers, portable media players, cell phones and a wide range of entertainment devices for the connected home.

Industry research indicates that there is a strong desire by consumers to easily connect their entertainment devices within a home network. A part of this simple portability challenge is the wide proliferation of disparate video/audio playback devices and a wide variety of incompatible sources of content. As a result, the need has emerged for a fast, efficient, high quality, yet flexible transcoding solution that can change the format, the bit rate and the resolution of audio/video content in real-time.

Announced today is the single-chip Broadcom BCM7043 that solves the industry problem of being able to share non-compatible video and audio content by transcoding (or matching) it to the proper format being used by a particular playback device. It provides the most up-to-date foundational technology for encoding and transcoding content in cable, satellite, IPTV and terrestrial set-top boxes, portable media players, cell phones, home media centers, personal video recorders, digital video recorders, HD DVD, Blu-ray Disc and universal DVD players/recorders, and personal computers.

The new BCM7043 also provides the encoding and transcoding foundation for future devices that support H.264/AVC, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4SP video compression. Its security features (which are particularly important to content owners), and its real-time high definition media encoding and transcoding capabilities make it ideally suited for home entertainment and network applications. In addition to performing real-time, high definition H.264/AVC, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4SP encoding and transcoding, the BCM7043 is also capable of real-time, simultaneous quad-channel standard definition (SD) encoding and transcoding. Alternatively, the BCM7043 is capable of transcoding SD content to lower resolutions at up to six times faster than real-time.

Designed in a 65 nanometer CMOS process, the BCM7043 enables consumer electronics device manufacturers to add more features, provide portability and offer more flexible product offerings to their service provider customers. As a result, service providers now have a solution that allows them to provide current and future subscribers with advanced services that include more hours of stored programs, as well as the ability to transfer non-compatible video and audio content to various playback devices. Broadcom's 65nm process
provides lower power consumption, smaller footprint size and higher levels of integration and functionality than other CMOS processes.

The BCM7043 incorporates a new and advanced encoding engine that leverages Broadcom's market leading experience in encoding. Additionally, the BCM7043 utilizes a broad range of in-production capabilities currently found in Broadcom's set-top box and digital TV SoCs, including an advanced video decoder that supports high definition AVC, MPEG-2, VC-1, MPEG-4, and DVD playback; a security processor; an advanced video pre-processor; and audio codecs that enable the highest performing platform for robust, high quality encoding and transcoding of connected home devices.

Broadcom Corporation