Consumer encoding. From the CUBE link on digital video editing:
C-Cube Microsystems recently introduced its fourth generation video processor
architecture, a single chip codec (encoder/decoder). The architecture provides for a
programmable video processor/compression engine that uses a micro-SPARC RISC
core and includes special hardware for video I/O, video compression pre-processing,
motion estimation, motion compensation, DCTs, (Discrete Cosine Transforms - see
glossary) IDCTs, (Inverse Discrete Cosine Transforms) variable length encoding and
decoding, video scaling and compositing, and audio capture. It interfaces with 8 MB of
SDRAM and includes a standard PCI interface and an inter-processor channel used for
advanced standard definition MPEG-2 encoding and high-definition TV (HDTV)
encoding using multiple processors.
The architecture can be programmed to address any number of applications: broadcast,
low-delay communication, and authoring.
C-Cube's DVxpress product line implements the architecture to meet the unique
requirements of non-linear editing applications. The product line includes single chip
codecs for both prosumer and professional studio applications. Each DVxpress product
is capable of performing all of the major editing functions: single stream encode, dual
stream decode with alpha compositing and/or scaling, and audio capture.
Achieving this level of integration means that an MPEG-2 4:2:2@ML-based non-linear
digital editing system can be made for a PC with a PCI AIB that contains a single
DVxpress chip, A/V I/O chips, and 8 MB of SDRAM. The same low-cost AIB can
serve both consumer and professional markets, although truly high-end products might
use two DVxpress chips and/or additional hardware.
6.2 Prosumer/Consumer systems
Because a Dvxpress-powered editing AIB can be made with so few components, a
product can be made that is affordable for prosumers (high-end consumers) and
consumers. And, because of the high compression ratios obtainable with MPEG-2, an
editing AIB can be added to a standard PC without the need for high-performance
memory or a faster and larger hard drive. (In comparison, A JPEG editing AIB put in
PC can only capture low-quality, low-resolution images ).
Real-time two-stream decode and compositing has, until now, been available only in
high-end editing systems. This was not because these features appealed only to the
professional, but because they were simply too expensive for low-end systems. Putting
these features - along with superior video quality - in an inexpensive system will
significantly increase the attraction of non-linear editors to the masses.
We are waiting.... |
