Fujitsu Launches New Ultra-Low Power Full HD H.264 CODEC LSIs

Fujitsu Microelectronics Asia Pte Ltd (FMAL) has announced two new LSIs to expand its line-up of H.264 CODEC LSIs, that encode and decode Full HD (1,920 dots x 1,080 lines) video in the H.264 format. The first of the two products to be launched, the ultra-low power MB86H55, features power consumption of only 500mW during Full HD encoding including the in-package memory, an industry-leading level for low power consumption. Sample shipments of the MB86H55 will start in January 2009. In addition, the upcoming LSI, MB86H56, will offer processing of Full HD video at 60 frames per second (progressive), 60p , to improve picture quality even further. Samples shipments of the MB86H56 will start from April 2009.

The two new products have memory in-package to offer a small package size of 15mm x 15mm, thus making it ideal to record, play and transmit superior picture quality HD video on portable devices such as digital camcorders, as well as on home networked appliances, commercial broadcast equipment, and security cameras.

For digital camcorders, the H.264 compression format has become mainstream, providing longer recording times than the previous MPEG-2 compression format. At the same time, longer battery life is essential to increase the length of time you can continuously record or play on one battery charge. However, with the ever-shrinking size of digital camcorders, large batteries can’t be used, thus making low power consumption of the internal components a key requirement.

Since 2007, Fujitsu Microelectronics has been providing its MB86H51, which is a Full HD H.264 CODEC featuring in-package memory. The new low power MB86H55 has a power consumption of only 500mW during Full HD encoding, including the in-package memory power consumption. This allows an extension in the length of time one can continuously record and play HD video on digital camcorders and other portable devices while maintaining superior picture quality.

The other new CODEC LSI, MB86H56, continues the reputation for high picture quality of the existing MB86H51, by even further increasing the picture quality with processing at 60 frames per second (progressive).

These two new products, as well as the existing MB86H51 CODEC LSI, utilize Fujitsu Laboratories’ proprietary picture quality algorithm to realize superior picture quality and a reduced video processing burden enabled by high-compression technology. Leveraging Fujitsu’s highly regarded expertise in image processing-related technologies and products, Fujitsu Microelectronics will continue to strengthen its imaging and video processing ASSPs.

Fujitsu Microelectronics Asia Pte Ltd, www.fujitsu.com