Blackfin selected for Media Center Extender reference design

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Jan. 26, 2004

Analog Devices Inc. (ADI) announced today that its Blackfin processor manages the Windows Media audio/video decode processing in the new Media Center Extender set-top products recently unveiled by Microsoft at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. ADI says Microsoft selected the Blackfin Processor to be part of the standard reference design that OEMs and ODMs will use to bring Windows Media Center Extender Technology to market in hardware designs that include set-top boxes and Media Center-ready televisions.

According to ADI, the Windows Media Center Extender design uses the Blackfin processor to decode Windows Media Video 9 Series content, delivering D1-resolution video streams at 30 frames/sec. Additionally, the Blackfin performs stereo audio decoding of Windows Media Audio 9 Series and MP3 streams, and can also support decoding of other popular media formats commonly used by PC-based systems.

The purpose of the Windows Media Center Extender technology is to extend the reach of Media Center PCs (running Microsoft's Windows XP Media Center Edition OS) to television displays in various locations around the home. Capabilities will include access to live and recorded television, photos, movies, and music -- all supplied by the home's Media Center PC.

Architecturally, the Media Center PC serves as the hub of a home network, with Media Center Extenders delivering content to television screens throughout the home. The extender technology, which is powered by Windows CE .NET, can either be embedded directly in the TV, or it can be provided via a specially designed TV set-top box. (A prototype Media Center Extender set-top box is pictured above.)

Microsoft has stated that several consumer electronics device manufacturers are currently developing various types of Media Center Extender products, including set-top boxes and TVs with the technology built in, for introduction by the 2004 holiday season. These companies include Alienware, Dell, Gateway, HP, Samsung Electronics, Tatung, and Wistron.

ADI states that its Blackfin Processor is the first in a new class of embedded processors designed specifically to meet the computational demands and power constraints of today's embedded audio, video and communications applications. The processor utilizes the Micro Signal Architecture (MSA) jointly developed by ADI and Intel, which combines a 32-bit RISC-like instruction set with 16-bit dual multiply accumulate (MAC) signal processing functionality and ease-of-use attributes normally found in general-purpose microcontrollers.

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