MPEG-4 SP Codec Product Specification

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Overview :

IndigoVision’s Mainstream™ MPEG-4 silicon-verified video codec IP adds high-performance duplex MPEG-4 video encoding and decoding, as a single combined module, to existing systems. It is particularly suited to adding both video encoding and playback capabilities to cameras, set-top boxes, MP3 players and other portable, battery-powered devices, such as mobile phones and PDAs.

The Mainstream™ MPEG-4 video codec is fully compliant with the MPEG-4 Simple Profile standard. The Mainstream™ IP also contains support for some Advanced Simple Profile (ASP) tools for higher performance and can encode and decode arbitrary resolutions up to full ASP Level 5 (D1/DVD) resolutions, all at full frame rate.

Based on the single clocked, synchronous, fully hardware pipelined Mainstream™ architecture the codec requires minimal intervention from a host processor and can be controlled by a low-cost, low-power processor such as in an ARM or MIPS based SOC. Further, both the encoder and decoder have been combined into a single module for a reduced footprint but maintain the ability to perform duplex operation, such as simultaneous compression and live playback.

Features :

• MPEG-4 Video Codec

• Fully compliant ISO 14496-2 MPEG-4 Simple Profile L0, L1, L2, L3

• Compliant Advanced Simple Profile tools

• Advanced Simple Profile Levels L0 through L5

• Baseline ITU-T H.263 compliant

• Arbitrary resolutions up to 720x576/480 pixels at 25/30fps

• Encodes and decodes bitstreams up to 12Mbps

• Full duplex operation (dependent on clock speed)

• Real-time multi-pass encoding (dependent on clock speed)

• Multi-rate encoding (dependent on clock speed)

• Multi-decode for multi-stream rendering (dependent on clock speed)

• Error resilience including slice resynchronization

Benefits:

• Easy Integration

• Negligible processing from host

• Low power operation

• <5mW for CIF encode at 30fps

• Software bit-accurate models

• Interfaces available

• Simple DMA based

• AMBA

• Requires only a single low-cost external SDRAM device

• Support technology available

• Video display generator (CCIR-656 video output)

• Video capture (CCIR-656 video input)

• Advanced Compression

• I-VOP, and P-VOP frames

• AC/DC prediction

• Method 1 and 2 MPEG-4 quantisation

• Advanced noise reduction spatial pre-filtering for improved coding efficiency

• Motion estimation: +/-16 pel search range using log search

• Support for ½-pel motion estimation

• True edge preservation

• Variable bitrate control

• Inbuilt intra-frame constant bitrate in hardware

• Inter-frame constant bitrate control in software e.g. MPEG-4 Annex L

• Video packets with optional HEC

• Unrestricted motion vector support (decoder only)

• Four motion vector prediction (decoder only)

• Data partitioning and RVLC (decoder only using software)

• Flexibility

• Frame-based control

• Programmable Method 1 quantisation tables

• Encoder statistics including distortion and frame MAD for advanced rate control

• Configurable pre-processing filter strengths

• Programmable motion vector bias

• VTI control

• Programmable forced update control

• Definable inter/intra decision thresholds

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