(18 April 2007 5:00 pm)

MUMBAI: Computer chip major Intel has unveiled a integrated media processor for the consumer electronics (CE) market segment.

This will power a new generation of devices, such as digital set top boxes and networked media players, and bring consumers advanced in-home information and entertainment services.

The Intel CE 2110 Media Processor is a complete system-on-a-chip (SoC) architecture that combines a 1GHz processing core with powerful A/V processing and graphics, and I/O components, onto a single chip. This all-in-one component design the company says becomes increasingly important in today’s marketplace as CE manufacturers look to accelerate time to market, and develop smarter, more cost-effective consumer electronics designs that provide the processing performance, flexibility and headroom needed to deliver advanced revenue-generating services, such as Voice over IP (VoIP), video phone, interactive gaming, enhanced karaoke and e-learning.

Intel’s Consumer Electronics Group GM William O. Leszinske Jr. says, "The Internet is a powerful disruptive opportunity for the CE industry. Intel’s work with the CE ecosystem to power new intelligent devices will help accelerate the availability of a new range of exciting Internet-based information and services, and video entertainment experiences for consumers throughout the home."

Chunghwa Telecom, a telecom service provider in Taiwan, has adopted the new SoC media processor for its Multimedia on Demand (MoD) service deployment. Based on the new Intel media processing platform, Chunghwa Telecom will expand its high-definition video content, karaoke, e-banking and e-learning services, and introduce emerging usage models to consumers.

Intel and Chunghwa Telecom will conduct research to ensure a deeper understanding of consumer needs and desires in Taiwan, which will then help Chunghwa Telecom design and deploy solutions that transform how consumers absorb television-based content and services.

Intel works with CE companies to bring advanced video and interactive services to consumers. ASUS has a set top box with the new Intel SoC media processor today. Digeo plans to deliver new Moxi Multi-Room HD digital media recorders, and OKI and ZTE will build set top boxes based on the Intel CE 2110 Media Processor. System integrator Hwacom plans to provide application layers for IPTV services using the new Intel media processing platform.

In addition, Radvision will deliver VoIP and video conferencing capabilities; Amino Communications will provide the IntAct IPTV client software stack and Verimatrix will deliver content protection software based on the new media processing platform.

The Intel CE 2110 Media Processor includes an embedded 1 GHz Intel XScale® CPU, MPEG-2 and H.264 hardware video decoders, DDR2 memory interface, 2D/3D graphics accelerators, and is supported by a modular software development environment. The platform architecture also allows CE developers and manufacturers to deliver pure IP or hybrid set top boxes designed to receive content from IP and digital broadcast pipes.