Date: 28/11/2012

H.264 High-Profile encoder IP from CAST for FPGAs and ASICs

An H.264 High Profile video encoder IP core is now available from semiconductor intellectual property provider CAST, Inc for high-definition applications like HD broadcast, professional video cameras, and video storage and is suitable for AVC-Intra 50 and 100 implementations.

The hardware video encoder accepts standard incoming video (4:2:2 and 4:2:0 with up to 12 bits per color), and outputs a constant or variable bit rate H.264 compressed stream at up to 240 MBits/sec. Its efficient design requires as few as 2.5 clock cycles per pixel and provides high throughput at lower clock frequencies, enabling Full-HD video compression in low-end FPGA devices and over 1920x1080@60 input rates in ASICs, as per CAST.

Cast says "The encoder’s advanced bit rate control rapidly adapts to content variations, providing excellent quality for even challenging video. Its generated H.264 stream respects a decoder’s Coded-Picture Buffer (HRD-CPBB compliance), ensuring uninterrupted video decoding and achieving a level of live streaming quality rarely met with other hardware encoders."

“We believe this new H.264 encoder core offers the best available combination of capability, performance, and easy integration while producing great video quality that beats or matches anything out there,” said Nikos Zervas, vice president of marketing for CAST. “It builds on years of compression technology experience, cleverly combining carefully-engineered powerhouse technical features with a sensitivity to practical integration matters like memory interfaces and CPU-free operation that really help customers succeed with their system design.”

The ISO/IEC 14496-10 and ITU-T H.264 High Profile specification compliant H264-HP-E is sourced from technology partner Alma Technologies, and is available now from CAST worldwide.