The QL201B targets 2 key application segments:

• Portable consumer devices, such as digital still cameras (DSC) and digital video cameras (DVC)
• Digital home appliances, such as enhancing a STB/DTV with higher efficiency storage, analog recording, videoconferencing and place-shifting capability

The benefits of low bit rate result in both increased storage capacity, as well as reduced bandwidth utilization. The QL201B encodes broadcast content to enable 50% more storage capacity than MPEG-2 in a set top box with PVR. In videoconferencing over IP or other video streaming applications, the QL201B enables efficient use of typically limited upstream bandwidth. 

This feature opens up service provider options for supporting more video streams, or other value added services such as place-shifting and videoconferencing, generating additional revenue or enhancing the consumer experience.

Qpixel’s Technology

Video compression algorithms

At the crux of Qpixel technology lies breakthroughs in video compression algorithms that have allowed efficient implementation of the computation-intensive H.264 compression standard. While the market is focused on MPEG4 Part 2 or H.264 Baseline Profile only devices, Qpixel’s innovative algorithms jumps ahead by offering H.264 Main Profile, enabling a video compression solution which can provide a superior balance of high quality, low cost and low power consumption. Qpixel's unique algorithm implementation also comes with value-added versatility, enabling multi-format support with essentially no cost overhead. 

Qpixel’s technology comes from a thorough, careful analysis of how each coding tool in the H.264 encoder contributes to the video quality as well as the implementation cost in an ASIC environment. Starting from scratch without any bias from pre-existing coding standards such as MPEG-1/2/4, Qpixel’s technology group focused on the best cost-performance advantage for each block in the H.264 encoder. In addition to the video coding algorithm, a highly intelligent TDM-based scheme was adopted to reduce the amount of data traffic required to handle the large amount of video data, thus further reducing power consumption.


Power algorithms

Qpixel employs an innovative low-power algorithm that is the core of its ability to deliver products that not only can handle the complex processing, but can do it with the most efficient power that is required in portable devices.

Qpixel products use the latest techniques to keep gate count and power consumption low. The advanced standby power mode of the QL201B keeps power consumption to < 5mW when the device is in standby mode, reducing the drain on battery life when the device is not in use, making it ideally suited for portable devices. With a highly efficient memory controller allowing for use with a low power 16-bit wide external memory, the power consumption of the overall system is also greatly reduced.


Flexible Architecture

Given the constantly evolving nature of the mass consumer market as well as the desire for OEM customers to differentiate their products, a flexible architecture is a highly desired feature. There are of course, tradeoffs between flexibility and cost/complexity, power consumption, and software development effort, translating to time-to-market.

Qpixel’s architecture was designed to be highly flexible to easily migrate to future product families to enable quick time-to-market for future devices. From the start, Qpixel designed the architecture to be highly modular so that the process of migrating to future compression standards starts with modifications to this architecture as opposed to a grounds-up design. Qpixel’s architecture strikes the perfect market balance.


Application-focused Design Methodology

Qpixel’s design approach takes into consideration its target applications so there are no surprises. Qpixel has had a high first tape-out success rate of its IC designs, and was able to bring its customers quickly to market with its first product the QL201. As a result, Qpixel was the first to ship an H.264 Main Profile solution. As the right market timing is crucial to mass market consumer success, Qpixel already has a successful track record in keeping up this momentum to bring future products to market.

For more information on integrating QL201B and Qpixel technology into your design applications, contact Nuvation at sales@nuvation.com.

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