TI's newest streaming media processor reduces size, cost and power while increasing compatibility in consumer electronics for the networked home
From TI’s press release:
Making the networked home more user-friendly and compatible, Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) has delivered a new level of cost-effective performance with its latest digital media processor solution for networked streaming media electronics in the home. Announced today, TI’s recent streaming media solution will enable a fresh level of functionality for consumer electronics:
- Less bandwidth needed for the transmission of video throughout the home
- 30 percent improvement in media storage
- Music, movies and photos in any format without user action
- Video to a new class of consumer electronics, including consumer videophones, and digital media adapters
- Support for multiple functions on a single product (See www.ti.com/dmstreaming.)
“Our research indicates that the number of media receivers and adapters shipped will increase with a compound annual growth rate of 87 percent year-to-year from 2004 through 2008,” said Mike Wolf, Principal Consumer Content and Connectivity Analyst for In-Stat/MDR. “A driving factor of this expanding market is the evolution of technologies that enable the flow of media throughout the home—and TI is at the heart of this growth with its digital media platform of digital media processors.”
“Consumers will purchase networked home consumer electronics that are affordable, without compromising quality, features and functionality,” said Tom Kelly, business development manager for TI´s Streaming Media group. “TI´s latest streaming media processor meets this need by providing technology for the next generation consumer electronics while enabling manufacturers to cut their bill of materials in half—and potentially reducing the retail cost of these products by half as well.”
Coming Soon to Your Home
TI´s Streaming Media group is working with consumer electronics manufacturers now on products that are expected to hit store shelves in 2005. Specific products that consumers can expect to see include:
- Digital media adapters that enable consumer electronics products to play audio, video or photos from the Internet or hard disk drive on any type of viewer.
- Desktop LCD video phones and TV video phones that will boast a frame rate of 30 frames per second (fps) at CIF resolution on a broadband connection. In addition, sound will be delivered with real-life quality.
- DLP, flat panel and LCD televisions with built in media adapters and videophone capabilities, allowing the connection of virtually any product that manages media.
Further down the road, gaming functionality will be built into digital media adapters. In addition, we will see the emergence of support for high definition in streaming media products.
