Ittiam's Video Communication Offering Now Even Broader, Available on Three Platforms for Next-Generation Applications

Complete Software Systems Designed for Application Specific Performance and Comprehensive Functionality from CIF to HD Video for Future communication-enabled Products

Bangalore. October 29, 2009 -- Expanding on its industry recognized embedded Video Communication System offerings, Ittiam today announced the availability of its new Video Communication System on three Texas Instruments (TI) devices. Together, these platforms cover performance from CIF to High Definition (HD) video for applications ranging from SD-class desk phones, low power VGA-class media phones with HD media play-out, to HD conferencing for peer-to-peer or multi-party scenarios.

Ittiam's Video Communication System (VCS) is a complete software offering consisting of a series of media processing and system functionalities, from Board Support Package and Media Engine, up to overall system management, that can deliver optimal performance across a variety of infrastructure, enterprise and home communication applications. The Ittiam VCS has already been designed into products on TI's TMS320DM642 and TMS320DM644x DaVinci™ video processors, as well as OMAP™ applications processors. Thanks to its scalability, VCS is now available on the next-generation of TI devices for even higher performance and even more tailored use.

The first VCS is utilizing TI's TMS320DM646x DaVinci video processor. On this platform running Linux, Ittiam offers a complete audio-video media engine designed for seamless integration into applications such as HD tele-presence and high-end multi-way video conferencing systems with resolutions from CIF up to 1080p. This system can expand to accommodate the number of channels and targeted resolution needed for infrastructure grade applications.

Ittiam's HD Media-Engine is an ultra low latency system capable of delivering 60 milliseconds end-to-end latency with HD communication that can adapt for several video communication designs. It has a distortion track based error recovery algorithm (DBR) that achieves excellent error resilience for packet-loss scenarios without latency overhead or impact on video quality. The multi-mode slice encoding further enhances the low-latency centric error resilience, another feature ensuring standard interoperation requirements.

The VCS on the TMS320DM36x DaVinci video processor runs on Linux and is a complete package targeted at cost-sensitive, yet high resolution applications. It delivers SD-class hands-free peer-to-peer communication and HD-class asymmetric resolutions for special applications. With Ittiam's DM36x based system, OEMs and ODMs can build full-duplex SD video phones for peer-to-peer communication capable of 3-way multi-party calling at CIF resolution. Additionally, it enables communication with asymmetric 720p video transmit and CIF receive. All of these features are supported without compromising the standard Quality of Service (QoS) and interoperability features. Using an additional DM36x, the performance scales to a symmetric HD (720p) communication system. This configurability of channels and resolutions easily enables conferencing, field reporting/personal broadcasting or high resolution access control use.

The last flavor of the VCS has specifically been developed on the TI OMAP35xx platform with low power yet media and graphics rich applications in mind. It is targeted at portable applications such as media phones or home multimedia managers. The OMAP35xx architecture can run Windows™ Embedded CE or Linux and makes it possible for peer-to-peer calls at VGA resolution with the ARM® clocked at 600 MHz or SD resolution at 720 MHz. The latter can also achieve 720p/CIF asymmetric call for special applications. Such video performance is achieved through Ittiam�s split codec architecture that utilizes both DSP and ARM cores while the PowerVR™ SGX 3D graphics accelerators from Imagination Technologies enable rich graphical user interface. The system is scalable across all variants of the OMAP35xx family and has all the functionalities needed for convergence consumer equipments with features such as media record and playback capabilities, YouTube™ content playback, instant messaging and video communication support.

"Ittiam understands the challenges developers face when creating leading video communications applications. By leveraging TI's broad portfolio of embedded processing solutions, Ittiam is able to deliver a complete software offering for optimal system performance," said J.B. Fowler, TI's video communication business manager. "By taking advantage of Ittiam's new VCS, developers can create a range of video communications end equipments with the functionality and scalability they need."

Ittiam's field-proven expertise in video communications ensures that the system delivers very high perceptual video quality, that is standards compliant and interoperable with major video conferencing and communication products. VCS also leverages its optimized media system architecture to deliver communication grade low latency and best-in-class system performance.

Thanks to its experience, Ittiam also proposes its engineering services and hardware customization work. These hardware customization and system software offerings therefore enable developers to focus their development efforts on the application layers and user interface specifics of their design.

"Increasing adoption of video communication and demand for Ittiam's technology requires us to anticipate and create, thereby reducing our licensees' time-to-market," said Sattam Dasgupta, Vice President Media Streaming Business at Ittiam. "With these systems and customized hardware offering, we intend to stay ahead of both the demand and competitive curve."

The simultaneous introduction of Ittiam's VCS on three silicon platforms reiterates Ittiam's strong focus in providing best-in-class highly innovative solutions to the video communications industry.

The Ittiam VCS on TMS320DM646x, TMS320DM36x and OMAP35xx are available now and can be tuned to your specific needs. For more information on technical details or demonstration, visit the Ittiam Web site at www.ittiam.com/pages/products/vc.htm or contact mkt@ittiam.com.

About Ittiam

Ittiam Systems Private Limited, headquartered in Bangalore, is a technology product company singularly focused on digital signal processing systems in media and communication. The company operates through its network of offices and representatives around the world. Ittiam's customers include Fortune 100 companies and are distributed across U.S., Europe, Japan and Asia. Since 2004 the company has been consistently rated as the 'World's Most Preferred DSP IP Supplier' in the annual surveys conducted by Forward Concepts Incorporated. In 2005 Ittiam had been selected by Red Herring into the top 100 private companies in Asia. In 2007, Ittiam received the NASSCOM India IT Innovation Award, a prestigious recognition of the company's innovative product designs. For more details, visit www.ittiam.com.

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