Los Angeles, CA — (press release excerpt) — PlayMedia Systems, Inc. has optimized its popular AMP MP3 playback technology for the Intel StrongARM and XScale embedded processors, and has introduced a new “audiovisual framework” called NewArk, which is making its embedded system debut on the XScale and StrongARM processors at the Intel Developer's Forum next week.

NewArk enables developers to easily execute a variety of important audiovisual-related tasks, including MP3 encoding and decoding, video encoding and decoding, and special audio effects such as cross-fades and echo. PlayMedia's AMP decoder is available both as a NewArk module and as a stand-alone application.

Previously, MP3 playback on portable devices required a costly and inflexible dual-chip design: a dedicated digital signal processor was needed to handle decoding functions while a main processor executed other playback tasks. On the XScale processor, NewArk and AMP can perform both these tasks on a single processor resulting in lower costs and reduced power consumption.

Consumers want the ability to listen to digital music files not only on the PC, but wherever they are, said Brian Litman, PlayMedia Systems chief executive officer. “This mandate for ubiquity is driving demand for a full spectrum of MP3-enabled consumer electronics devices such as portable digital audio players, handheld computers, GSM phones, car stereos, set-top boxes, home theater systems, and many others that can play back the MP3 digital music standard.

PlayMedia's AMP and NewArk technologies support the Linux operating system, as well as other popular desktop and embedded OSes.

 
This article was originally published on LinuxDevices.com and has been donated to the open source community by QuinStreet Inc. Please visit LinuxToday.com for up-to-date news and articles about Linux and open source.