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Video SoC from Ambarella can decode and re-encode multiple HD streams

Date: 08/04/2013
Ambarella has launched AmbaCast 8000 System on Chip (SoC) to decode and re-encode multiple HD or SD streams into a variety of resolutions and bit-rates as required for playback on smart-phones and other such mobile computing devices including notebooks and tablets.

AmbaCast 8000 is powered by twin Dual Core ARM Cortex-A9 CPUs for encoding and transcoding multiple channels of audio, including support for Dolby Digital Plus. The SoC transmits video from remote sources, such as satellite news gathering units, to broadcast studios, or from broadcast studios to uplink centers or cable head-ends. Harmonic's Ellipse 300 is powered by AmbaCast 8000.

“The AmbaCast 8000 codec flexibility and 10-bit support make it well-suited for high quality contribution encoding applications,” said Tom Lattie, Vice President of Products, Harmonic. “We are very pleased to be working with Ambarella for the Ellipse 3000 contribution encoder.”

“Ambarella's integration of Dolby audio processing technologies on the AmbaCast 8000 will make it easier for encoding and transcoding professional solutions vendors to support Dolby Digital Plus in their products and will help make high quality surround sound delivery widely available across all media workflows -- broadcast, online, PCs, games, and mobile,” said Jean-Christophe Morizur, Senior Director, Professional Solutions at Dolby Laboratories.

The AmbaCast 8000 SoC supports both the H.264 and MPEG-2 video standards and is capable of transcoding between the two. The chip supports 4:2:2 video encoding and 10-bit video compression and with very low delay. The SoC is capable of simultaneously decoding and re-encoding four full HD channels, eight 720p HD channels or twenty standard resolution SD channels. It can encode video up to 4K or Ultra HD resolution. Fabricated in 32nm CMOS process, the AmbaCast 8000 enables systems with extremely low power consumption, as per Ambarella.

“With the introduction of the AmbaCast 8000, Ambarella is pleased to enter the video contribution market while extending our product portfolio for video transcoding applications,” said Fermi Wang, President and CEO of Ambarella. “We are delighted to partner with Harmonic to deliver its new Ellipse 3000 contribution system and with Dolby to enable Dolby Digital Plus.”

Availability: The AmbaCast 8000 SoC is currently sampling to qualified customers.