DVxplore loads the sound encoding on the host CPU, to be done in software. iCompression does it on chip. iCompression doesn't transcode, and its consumer version is pixcel impaired..................................
electronicproducts.com
iCompression chips bring studio
MPEG-2 to consumer electronics
Devices encode audio, video, and system
signals together on chip
The iVAC family of MPEG-2 encoders incorporates
audio, video, and system encode functions in a
single low-cost chip, bringing MPEG-2 out of the
studio and into mass-market applications. The
iTVC12 MPEG2 encoder chip provides
interoperability of broadcast and high-end
consumer systems, as well as transport layer
processing. A lower-cost version, the iTVC10, is
a subset chip for consumer and USB applications.
The iTVC12 encodes MPEG-1 Layer 2 audio and
MPEG-2 video at D1 (720 x 480/576) resolution. It
also features MPEG-2 transport- and
program-stream support for communications, D-VHS,
and broadcast applications. The chip appears to
be the first to integrate all these functions,
which were limited to studio equipment until
recently.
The video functions also include DVD encoding and
temporal filtering. In addition to the MPEG-1
Layer 2, the device can encode 32-kHz,
44.1-/48-kHz, and Dolby AC-3 audio. Its
system-layer encoding encompasses the elementary,
program and transport streams. The chip requires
12 Mbytes of 108-MHz SDRAM.
The iTVC10's MPEG-2 video is limited to 480 x 576
for PAL and 480 x 480 for NTSC. Its DRAM
requirements are correspondingly reduced to 6
Mbytes of 125-MHz SDRAM.
Audio encoding in the '10 is limited to MPEG and
32 kHz. The system layer encodes only the
elementary and program streams. Both iVAC devices
are packaged in 456-pin BGAs and require 2.5- and
3.3-V supplies. (iTVC10, $29 ea/10,000/month;
iTVC12, $49 ea/4,000/month--available now.)
iCompression
Santa Clara, CA
Robert Ervin 408-727-5077
Fax 408-727-5077
info@icompression.com
icompression.com
EEM FILE 3130
This article appeared in the Dec 1999 issue of Electronic Products |
