Mediaplayer Reference Design from Sharp

Sharp Microelectronics Europe and PACE Soft Silicon, a provider of software-based CODECs, have collaborated to deliver faster compression and decompression capabilities for ARM based devices. Available now, PACE's decoding software supports Sharp's recently announced QCIF+ and QVGA reference designs for media-rich applications, including portable media players, audio jukeboxes and other handheld devices. Sharp also plans to utilize encoding software from PACE to support ist next-generation multimedia reference designs and system solutions. Software-based CODECs available in the future will include an MJPEG video encoder and a JPEG still picture encoder and decoder with support for up to 2 megapixels. PACE's decoding software includes an MPEG-4 video decoder that delivers frame rates of up to 30 frames per second for the QCIF+, and 24 frames per second for the QVGA reference design. Additionally, PACE offers software support for popular MPEG-4 compatible video decoders, an MP3 audio decoder, GSM-AMR audio decoder and AAC audio decoder to meet the range of decompression standards required by media-rich, portable applications. Other software that will be available to Sharp customers in the future includes a WMV9 video decoder, with support for up to 20 frames per second for the QCIF+ and 15 frames per second for the QVGA design, as well as a WMA9 audio decoder and DRM10 decoder. Additionally, PACE will offer G.726 and NB-AMR audio CODECs.