ViXS unveils set-top SoC with transcode capability

Canada-based chipset specialist ViXS is using next week’s IPTV World Forum to unveil a new set-top chipset that can provide transcoding capability to enable home networking and over-the-top applications.

ViXS’s new XCode 4210 system-on-a-chip is a processor that the company says can transcode, as well as encode and decode multiple video streams up to 1080p50/60 and provide 3D graphics support.

The chipset provides the ability to transcode multimedia content to any format to allow streaming, downloading and transfer to other in-home equipment including set-top, PC or laptop, TV, games console or any device with a DLNA client. According to the company, it provides over 400Mbps of throughput and allocates over 3,200 DMIPS of processing power for consumer allocations.

ViXS has been active in providing SoCs to integrated digital TV manufacturers for the Japanese market, as well as being active in the Blu-ray market and in providing co-processors for the set-top market, including Iliad Telecom’s Freebox. However, the XCode 4210 is its first major foray into the wider SoC space, addressing set-top boxes and other consumer devices. According to CEO Sally Daub, the key market opportunity is the IP video market, with transcoding capability to deliver video to multiple devices or from multiple sources to the TV. “We are seeing a lot of interest where there is a storage device and in transmitting to other devices,” said Daub. “We see transcoding as a key technology if you want to connect to all these devices without requiring the consumer to do a lot of heavy lifting. Transcoding in the headend will be required for specific cases but there are so many different types of streams that encoding in the consumer box is also required – most set-tops will require that.”