Next Gen. Broadcom Crystal HD Technology brings HD to the Intel Atom Netbook Platform

[btarunr]

Broadcom Corporation, a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today announced that its Crystal HD technology will be available to OEMs wanting to deliver best-in-class video playback on the new Intel Atom processor platform for netbooks. The Broadcom BCM70015 Crystal HD solution will be offered as an option for OEMs designing netbooks using the Intel Atom processor N450 and Intel NM10 Express chipset platform. Crystal HD technology provides netbook users with a rich multimedia experience by enabling cost effective, quality playback of multi-format, high definition (HD) video and will be featured on select 2010 netbook platforms from top-tier OEMs including ASUS, Dell and Samsung.



Highlights/Key Facts:

• Broadcom Crystal HD technology (based on the Broadcom BCM70015 single-chip HD video decoder) will be offered as an option for OEMs designing netbooks based on the new Intel Atom processor platform.
• The BCM70015 Crystal HD chip provides manufacturers with a low power, low cost solution that addresses one of the key performance challenges of netbook platforms: cost effective and quality playback of streaming HD video.
• Broadcom Crystal HD technology leverages the company's widely deployed and field proven HD set-top box and consumer media player technologies to provide high quality video playback of multi-format (H.264/AVC, MPEG-2, VC-1, WMV9, MPEG-4, DivX, Xvid and AVS) standard and high definition content for netbooks, enabling users to enjoy a mobile media experience with no frame drops or jitter. Broadcom Crystal HD technology:
  o Provides one of the industry's best low power, HD video playback experiences on low cost netbooks.
  o Provides software support for Adobe Flash Player (v10.1), Windows Media Player (v12), as well as support for other third-party media players including both commercial and open source.
• The Intel Atom processor N450, Intel NM10 Express chipset (formerly known as Pine Trail) is the next generation processor platform for netbooks and the entry-level desktop segment. This new two-chip platform integrates graphics and a memory controller onto the CPU, enabling lower power consumption, improved performance, and smaller, more compact designs in next generation netbooks and entry-level desktop PCs.

Dan Eiref, Vice President & General Manager, Broadcom's Consumer Electronics Line of Business, says "We recognize that OEMs have the desire to offer HD video playback on netbooks, and are pleased that Intel has validated Broadcom as an HD solution provider for the Intel Atom platform for netbooks. Our Crystal HD technology provides high quality video playback within a low power, low cost solution that will enhance the consumer netbook experience in 2010."

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[Frick]

Hey, I didn't even know Broadcom made such stuff.

 

[lemonadesoda]

What's the point? If the max output is 1400x1050, you still cant display full HD 1080p content.

 

[btarunr]

What's the point?

[the new] Atom is underpowered for even 1280x720 video.

 

[lemonadesoda]

Blimey! Fair enough, pair the broadcom with an Atom to display standard definition video.

 

[filip007]

Some quality presentation i like it...why not use 9400GT it will do the same or better?

 

[Trigger911]

better as there could be a cuda app made to play it with out even using the cpu.

 

[filip007]

Well OK, but then 9400GT it will take more power and cpu will take less and run cooler.

Notebooks and laptops are not for games anyway so whatever...i have 9600GTm in my Acer and it's like a hairdryer if i try to play some games...anyway good job Broadcom and my laptop has Broadcom Netxtreme card.

 

[btarunr]

NVIDIA chipset with GeForce graphics on the new Atom platform is impossible from a technical standpoint.

 

[LAN_deRf_HA]

And that fact probably won't help them with their FTC case.

 

[RejZoR]

My Aspire One can easily output 1920x1080 through VGA output.

 

[gvblake22]

My Aspire One can easily output 1920x1080 through VGA output.

It may be able to display that size screen resolution, but have you tried playing HD video at that resolution? I doubt it will be smooth; that's what the discussion is about. Displaying static windows is totally different than trying to process video playback. This is what Broadcom is trying to solve here because the Intel Atom processor is not powerful enough (by its self) to successfully decode and playback HD video (720 or 1080) without dropping frames and stuttering.

 

[Roph]

Wonder if it cares about container (ogm or mkv etc) or exotic codecs. And whether or not it supports all h.264 features.

 

[wiak]

its just like UVD/purevideo its all based on DXVA ;P

 

[Mussels]

and from previous experience with these broadcom chips, its compatibility is limited to very few programs (its designed for bluray media, really)

 

[TAViX]

What's the point? If the max output is 1400x1050, you still cant display full HD 1080p content.

Yeah, but the image quality is still great! Shrinking full HD to a lower monitor resolution only makes the image more sharper.

It's simple. Is just like seeing an 12MP image on a 1920x1200 monitor. Very sharp and detailed.

 

[Mussels]

Yeah, but the image quality is still great! Shrinking full HD to a lower monitor resolution only makes the image more sharper.

It's simple. Is just like seeing an 12MP image on a 1920x1200 monitor. Very sharp and detailed.

going above a monitors resolution cant give you a better picture. its a 1:1 image - pixels either there or it isnt.

 

[InTeL-iNsIdE]

Blimey! Fair enough, pair the broadcom with an Atom to display standard definition video.

How is 1400x1050 standard def??

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard-definition_television

 

[Mussels]

How is 1400x1050 standard def??

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard-definition_television

1280x720 is considered high definition.

lemonade brainfarted

 

[InTeL-iNsIdE]

1280x720 is considered high definition.

lemonade brainfarted

I know 1280 x 720 is considered high def, and you just made me LOL at

lemonade brainfarted

 

[Meizuman]

going above a monitors resolution cant give you a better picture. its a 1:1 image - pixels either there or it isnt.

For some reason when I downsized a few photos for my cell, the image was very crappy on native resolution... Then I tried to double the size, and voila! Nice and crisp background pic. Don't really know what could affected that.

 

[Mussels]

For some reason when I downsized a few photos for my cell, the image was very crappy on native resolution... Then I tried to double the size, and voila! Nice and crisp background pic. Don't really know what could affected that.

compression.

 

[ToTTenTranz]

going above a monitors resolution cant give you a better picture. its a 1:1 image - pixels either there or it isnt.

That's not really true.

People have been using video card (down)scaling to play games at virtually higher resolutions than their monitors can output, resulting in an anti-aliased image, giving them a "perfect quality" Anti-Aliasing without too much performance hit.

 

[Baum]

yay! please bring them on! with mini pcie that would be fine as my current BCM70012
and for all thos disbelivers it's drivers installs a direct show filter you can add it in media player classic and watch 1080p on via 1,2Ghz CPU right from a mkv container.
I haven't got an additional pcie slot and because i wanted to keep my w-lan, i was able to acquire an pci express card 54mm to HDMI and HDMI to miniPCIe from hwtools.net which runs now my external hardware hd decoder