Freescale Semiconductor, Fujitsu Microelectronics and Alpha Systems Develop New Digital Media Server Development Platform

(Product News, 12 May 2008)

Freescale Semiconductor, Fujitsu Microelectronics Ltd. and Alpha Systems Inc. have co-developed a digital media server (DMS) development platform that enables real time transcoding of video content and is compliant to the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) Networked Device Interoperability Guidelines.

As DLNA guidelines gain acceptance, the market is expected to expand for home servers that can transcode, store and distribute digital audio and video content throughout the home to networked devices in each room. Using the platform jointly developed by Freescale Semiconductor, Fujitsu Microelectronics and Alpha Systems, manufacturers can quickly create DMS products that not only conform to DLNA guidelines, but also transcode MPEG-2 HD (High Definition) video content into the more compressed H.264 HD or H.264 SD (Standard Definition) format in real time. For example, products based on the solution enable consumers to stream HD-resolution content captured on an HDD recorder in a home's living room to a bedroom, where it can be displayed on a small SD-resolution television. Highly compressed formats allow for in-home streaming of rich digital content such as video without requiring the purchase of new or expensive equipment.

The new development platform integrates Freescale's PowerQUICC II Pro communications processor and Fujitsu Microelectronics' MB86H52 transcoder LSI, which can efficiently compress video from MPEG-2 to H.264 in real time. The platform also deploys Alpha Systems' DMS application (ADMS) conforming to the DLNA Guideline v1.5.

Freescale's MPC8349E-mITXE reference board integrates the PowerQUICC II Pro communications processor, gigabit LAN switch, USB hub and hard disk controller n a single board. The PowerQUICC II Pro communications processor is a high-performance, high-functionality and low-cost SoC processor integrating the Power Architecture technology-based e300 core (533MHz) with a rich set of peripherals such as Gigabit Ethernet and Security Engine.

Fujitsu Microelectronics' MB86H52 transcoder LSI can convert full HD (1,920 dots x 1,080 lines) MPEG-2 video data into H.264 video data. The MB86H52 utilizes high-quality imaging technology developed by Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd to transcode input MPEG-2 video data into H.264 video data without image quality deterioration. Fujitsu's MB86H52-RB development kit integrates the PCI bridge to allow I/O of MPEG-2 and H.264 streams from the PCI bus. It also allows HDMI output of decoded base-band video sound as well as encoding of video sound from HDMI input into H.264.

ADMS, Alpha Systems' DMS application, is developed using APIs included in the alpha Media Link SDK, a middleware stack conforming to the DLNA Guideline v1.5. Using these APIs, developers can build home networking devices that can be connected to various digital AV devices conforming to the DLNA Guideline.

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