--Showcases tru2way-Based DVR Server
At the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) in San Francisco last week, Intel launched the Intel Atom CE4100 processor, the latest system-on-a-chip (SoC) in a line of media processors designed to bring Internet content and services to digital TV's, DVD players and advanced set-top boxes. According to the company, the CE4100, which was formerly codenamed "Sodaville," is the first 45nm-manufactured consumer electronics SoC based on Intel architecture, supports Internet and broadcast applications on one chip, and has the processing power and audio/video components needed to run rich media applications, such as 3D graphics. "Traditional broadcast networks are quickly shifting from a linear model to a multi-stream, Internet-optimized model to offer consumers digital entertainment that complements the TV such as social networking, 3D gaming and streaming video," Eric Kim, SVP and general manager of the Intel Digital Home Group, said in a prepared statement. "At the center of the TV evolution is the CE4100 media processor, a new architecture that meets the critical requirements for connected CE devices."
The new SoC was unveiled by Intel's Kim in a keynote at the IDF, where he was joined on stage by executives from Adobe, the BBC, CBS, Cisco and TransGaming. According to Intel, it is working with these and other companies to advance content, services and infrastructure for connected CE devices. As TV's become more interactive, Intel says, Adobe Flash will serve as an important enabling technology to help content developers blend video, 3D animation and rich graphics: Intel says it is working with Adobe to port Flash Player 10 to its CE media processors, in order to optimize the playback of graphics and H.264 video so as to enable a wide array of Flash-based content on the TV. The companies say that they expect Flash Player 10 to be available for Intel media processor-based CE devices by the first half of 2010. "The architecture of Intel media processors provides a powerful and innovative platform to showcase Flash-based applications in a vivid way," David Wadhwani, general manager and VP of Adobe's Platform Business Unit, told attendees. "Flash Player 10, combined with the performance of the Intel media processor and its support for standards such as OpenGL ES 2.0, offers a compelling environment for Flash-based games, videos and other rich Web content and applications."
Meanwhile 1) Cisco's VP of product strategy, Malachy Moynihan, who also appeared on stage with Intel's Kim, discussed how delivering premium video to the TV will require intelligent networks and content storage: "Cisco is helping service providers evolve their networks to a medianet, integrating the best elements of the existing broadcast infrastructure with carrier-grade IP networks to provide new services like unified video experience. The crucial components to enable a unified video experience include the need for an emerging monetization model across the video ecosystem as well as client devices with quality graphics and a high-performance processor to truly enhance the visual appeal for consumers." 2) Vikas Gupta, president and CEO of TransGaming, announced the launch of that company's GameTree.tv on-demand gaming service, which is optimized for connected TV's and CE devices based on Intel media processors (see article in this issue). And 3) George Schweitzer, president of CBS marketing, discussed the significance of TV widgets and outlined how CBS is using widgets to help viewers find and connect to premium content in "a more personalized manner" (note: Intel CE media processors provide a software framework called Widget Channel for the development of TV widgets). "Navigation is the number-one challenge for today's television viewers," Schweitzer said. "Intel's CE technology and our new TV Widget platform are designed to help people find the shows they want and discover new programs that are relevant to their interests. What's more, the TV Widget gives us another platform to connect and interact with our audience while delivering an exciting new television experience." Intel says that it is working with the industry to expand Widget Channel to provide viewers with a range of services, including movies, music, games and personal videos. A number of TV widgets were demo'd at the IDF by such companies as Accedo Broadband, the Associated Press, Bigstar.tv, CBS, CinemaNow, Dailymotion, Immediatek, Mediafly, MyVideo, Netflix, PlayJam, RadioTime, RallyPoint, Showtime Networks, Tagesschau and WhereverTV.
According to Intel, the CE4100 provides speeds of up to 1.2GHz while offering lower power consumption and a small footprint to help decrease system costs. It is backward-compatible with the Intel CE3100, the company says, and incorporates Intel Precision View Technology, a display processing engine that supports HD picture quality, and Intel Media Play Technology for audio and video. It also supports hardware decode of up to two 1080p video streams and advanced 3D graphics and audio standards, Intel claims. The company also says that it added various new features to the chip in order to provide OEM's flexibility in their product offerings, including hardware decode for MPEG-4 video that is ready for DivX Home Theater 3.0 certification, an integrated NAND flash controller, support for both DDR2 and DDR3 memory, and 512K L2 cache. The CE SoC contains a display processor, Intel says, as well as a graphics processor, a video display controller, a transport processor, a dedicated security processor and general I/O including SATA-300 and USB 2.0
According to Intel, Eric Kim's IDF keynote, and a keynote by Justin Rattner, the company's CTO and senior fellow, were intended to lay out the "opportunities, both short- and long-term, to make the TV experience more visual, more personal and more interactive." "By the year 2015, you can expect 15 billion consumer devices capable of delivering TV content with billions of hours of video available," Rattner told attendees. "We'll need much more sophisticated ways to organize content and provide it on-demand. Intel Labs researchers are working on evolving technology so people can get the TV content they want, when they want it and wherever they want it." Among other things, Rattner's keynote saw him speaking on stage to a life-sized 3D image of 3ality Digital CTO, Howard Postley, about the "intense" computation and bandwidth needed for capturing and managing 3D TV in real time. The two executives discussed a new high-speed optical I/O technology from Intel, codenamed "Light Peak," that the company says will improve bandwidth and flexibility, while reducing complexity and cost for PC users downloading video and other digital media. According to Postley, 50 copper-based cables on the set of a 3D shoot could be replaced by a single optical cable with Light Peak technology, which Intel also claims can simultaneously transport multiple existing I/O protocols.
Intel also used the IDF to showcase a tru2way-based triple-tuner DVR server that was powered by the company's CE3100 processor. More information, together with images and video, is available here.
