Socionext ICs support high-resolution video designs
The MB86M30 supports encoding, decoding and transcoding of video and audio in HEVC/H.265, which compresses 4K video data at half the cost of conventional format without image quality degradation. The encoder core integrated in the the MB86M30 was co-developed with Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. The IC is also compatible with conventional formats such as AVC/H.264 and MPEG2, and is capable of handling all codec functions with a single chip. Its power efficiency and high density processing capability suit the MB86M30 for digital broadcasting equipment. The IC also helps to reduce power consumption and minimize the size of data centres for video transmission over the Internet. This IC can also be used in Socionext’s 8K HEVC real-time encoder solution.
The MB86M30 is capable of processing real-time encoding and decoding of 4K/60p video. It also features very low-latency encoding, as low as 10 msec, of 4K/60p video in HEVC/H.265. MB80M30 is compatible with HDR (High Dynamic Range) video. The MB86M30 handles all video processing functions with a single chip, reducing power consumption down to as low as 1/50 of conventional systems built with multiple semiconductor parts and CPUs. Another feature of the MB86M30 includes multi-channel processing, which enhances the processing density of video streaming by up to 4x more than that of conventional systems.
The company has also introduced an 8K HEVC real-time encoder solution, for super-high resolution video distribution, supporting encoding of HEVC/H.265 video at 8K/60p with a single board, using its HEVC encoder MB86M31, which is already in production, as well as the MB86M30 (above).
Test broadcasting of 8K started in August 2016 in Japan and full service is scheduled for 2018. The virtual reality technology, which is seeing rapid growth in the global market, requires an 8K resolution. The current 4K resolution cannot support a full 360-degree wraparound view with adequate resolution. In the field of medical application, 8K is also considered essential for transmitting video images of surgical operations. However, in order to compress 8K video data down to the size which is practical for transmission or storage, the conventional method either took very long time for the entire process, or required to have a very large system with multiple processors, consuming a lot of power.
Socionext says it has developed the first solution that enables users to build devices with the size of one PCIe board for real-time HEVC encoding of 8K/60p video. Advantech (image) provides the “VEGA-3304”, containing four MB86M31 chips on a single board. It is the first product in which the Socionext’s 8K encoding solution is implemented. The “VEGA-3304” achieves immense reduction both in power – as low as 75W – as well as the size of the equipment.
Socionext Inc; socionext.com
Advantech; www.advantech.com.tw/networks-communications/video/videoencoding
