Sigma Designs is sampling a media processor chip for IPTV set-top boxes and high-definition DVD players. The SMP8634 supports Linux, and is claimed to be the first system-on-chip processor to support multi-stream decoding of any format, including up to two simultaneous high-definition streams, along with full-screen graphics.

About a year and a half ago, Sigma claimed to be the marketshare leader in IP set-top box and high-definition DVD chips, having shipped “about a million” DVD/IP-STB SoCs (system-on-chips) designed to run its custom uClinux distribution.

According to Sigma, the SMP8634 integrates a complete complement of next generation capabilities suitable for most consumer products. Key features include:

• Video decoding of H.264 (MPEG-4 part 10), VC-1 (WMV9), MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 (part 2) with multiple streams, up to the equivalent of two high-definition streams.
• High performance graphics acceleration with bit-BLT, raster operations, vector font rendering, JPEG decode acceleration and line drawing functions.
• Audio decoding capability for Dolby Digital, WMA, WMA Pro, AAC, and MPEG audio layers I, II and III (MP3) and other audio standards.
• Content security management with on-chip secure processor, flash memory, and DRM engines for high speed payload decryption of AES, DES, triple-DES, RC4, CSS, DVB-CSA and Multi-2.
• Advanced display processing capabilities, including multi-plane architecture with advanced scaling, motion adaptive de-interlacing, and image composition with pixel-based alpha blending and colorimetry and image control features.
• An array of video output options including HDMI/HDCP digital video, plus analog component and separate NTSC/PAL encoder with analog composite and S-video outputs.
• Single-chip solution with on-chip CPU, unified memory controller, Ethernet 10/100 controller, dual USB 2.0 controller, IDE controller and general purpose IO.

Sigma says it supports the SMP8634 with a multimedia software library for handling real-time video/audio/graphics, board support packages for Linux and Windows CE, and sample applications for streaming media, DVD navigation, and hard-disk playback.

SMP8634 Block Diagram
(Click image for larger view)
Sigma contends that the IPTV industry is rapidly moving toward advanced set-top boxes that support both VC-1 and H.264, two new video codec standards that provide more than twice the compression efficiency of the venerable MPEG-2. These advanced codecs enable network operators to deliver high-quality video services, such as high-definition broadcasts and video-on-demand (VOD) over bandwidth limited broadband networks.

Samples of the SMP8634 are available immediately. Production availability is expected to begin in November, acording to Sigma.

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