Neotion is introducing the newer generation MPEG-4 decoder chip: the NP4+

Neotion has pioneered the MPEG-4 SoC Industry by being among the first 5 companies in the World that successfully designed and brought to Market an H264 silicon. While blue chip tier one companies have mainly concentrated in building set-top main processors, Neotion has patented and rolled-out a disruptive credit card size MPEG-4 decoder able to tackle the millions of legacy iDTV sets and set-top boxes coming under European regulations with the Standardized Common Interface (DVB-CI).

The newer NP4+ processor is a highly integrated SoC silicon that captures the best of breed of the Neotion know-how and expertise in uniquely combining MPEG-4 decoding, MPEG-2 transcoding, advanced conditional access & DRM security modes – as well as hybrid side functions such as Home Networking and Digital Video Recording.

The NP4+ enables to design single chip based superior Modules, typically MPEG-4 decoders and Conditional Access Cards that are capable of addressing in a plug-n-play seamless way the legacy iDTV that are now deploying in magnitude of tens of millions every year to support the ongoing Analogue Switch Off trend.

Based on an ARM 926 processor running at 144 Mhz, the NP4+ comes in a 256 pins BGA packaging. It indeed meets the drastic low power consumption & heat dissipation constraints that are essential to build Common Interface or CableCard® type Modules.

Beyond being a uniquely tailored co-processor capable of upgrading towards Conditional Access and MPEG-4 any legacy MPEG-2 only receivers, the NP4+ comprises three key additional blocks compared to the former NP4 generation, being:

• a second built-in “secured processor” that meets the highest grade of security requirements that most Conditional Access providers are now pushing forward to defeat key sharing piracy threat. NP4+ also embeds OTP, AES and DTCP blocks to meet DLNA & DRM purposes.
• a more powerful ARM processor capable of running software based additional applications such as audio decoders like AAC.
• a SD card reader fulfilling the new HC profile that shall enable DVR and time-shifting type implementations that both operators and consumers are seeking nowadays.

The NP4+ will be sampled from November 2007 onward. It fully supports H264 Main Profile with all formats up to Level 3 (enabling sustained 10 Mb/s incoming streams). Mass production is set for first quarter 2008. Development boards are already available for large operators and ODM willing to build customized solutions and systems. Going forward, unlike many other chip vendors, Neotion offers turnkey subsystems, including complete schematics and production tools which are also available when industrialisation transfer has to be executed to meet domestic market constraints and very low cost requirements for capturing massive market deployments.

Link: Neotion