Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on Broadcom BCM7218X STB SoC Comes with AV1 Hardware Decoding, WiFi 6

Broadcom BCM7218X STB SoC Comes with AV1 Hardware Decoding, WiFi 6

Broadcom-BCM7218X STB SoC AV1 Codec

CNX Software first covered AV1 open-source, royalty-free video codec aiming to compete against H.265 and succeed VP9 in 2016. I also tried the reference implementation and both encoding and decoding were really slow at that time and an AMD FX8350 powered computer would only achieve 0.36 fps encoding on a 352 x 288 video, while decoding was much faster at over 1,000 fps. This was really early work, and the final AV1 specifications were only released in March 2018, before companies like YouTube and Netflix started to publish AV1 video samples, and now I’ve noticed the former is sometimes streaming videos using AV1 codec on desktop computers and laptops. This still relies on software decoding, and most Arm platforms and entry-level level Intel computer may not be able to handle AV1 decoding, so hardware decoding will eventually be required, especially on battery-operated devices since it will consume much less power. […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 17 Comments on VIP1111 TV Box is Powered by Realtek RTD1395 Processor

VIP1111 TV Box is Powered by Realtek RTD1395 Processor

RTD1395 TV Box

A few days ago, the U-boot & Linux source code for Realtek RTD1296 processor was released, and when we checked out the code we found out references to a completely new Realtek RTD1619 hexa-core Arm Cortex-A55 processor, as well as code for the previously announced Realtek RTD1395 processor. The CES 2018 announcement was really short on details though: “Realtek’s Android & RDK STB platform (RTD1395) supports 4K UHD, HDR, an advanced DRM security system, and OTT integration, giving MSOs a reliable SoC partner”.  We now have more details thanks to Taiwan based Compal Broadband Networks and their VIP1111 4K IP set-top box powered by RTD1395 processor.VIP1111 TV box specifications: SoC – Realtek RTD1395 quad core Cortex-A53 processor, Arm Mali-470 MP4 GPU System Memory – 2GB DDR4 (4x 512MB x 16bit) Storage – 8GB  eMMC Flash Video & Audio Output – HDMI 2.0 Video Codec – HEVC 4Kp60+2Kp60, VP9.2 4Kp60, HDR10 […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments on SDMC DV8020 & DV8035 Full HD HDR TV Boxes Feature Amlogic S805X Processor

SDMC DV8020 & DV8035 Full HD HDR TV Boxes Feature Amlogic S805X Processor

Most new Android TV boxes on the market today support 4K resolution at least up to 30 Hz, but Amlogic decided to target the lower end of the market with S805X quad core Cortex A53 processor that supports VP9, H.265 and H.264 up to 1080p60 only. However, so far I could not find any products based on the new processor, but this has changed this afternoon, as I’ve come across SDMC DV8020 & DV8035 TV boxes powered by Amlogic S805X processor. Both models share most of the same specifications, with the main differences being an extra S/PDIF output, and the enclosure: SoC  Amlogic S805X quad core Arm Cortex-A53 up to 1.2GHz with penta core Mali-450MP GPU up to 650MHz System Memory – 1GB DDR3 Storage – 8GB  eMMC flash (option: 4GB to 64GB), micro SD slot Video Output – HDMI 2.0b up to 1080p60 with CEC & HDR support (HDR10 […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 11 Comments on Mecool KII Pro Set-Top-Box Upgraded to Amlogic S905D Processor, Android 7.1.2

Mecool KII Pro Set-Top-Box Upgraded to Amlogic S905D Processor, Android 7.1.2

VideoStrong is making some of the most popular – at least on this website – Android set-box boxes with digital TV tuner on the market with products like Mecool KIII Pro, or KI Pro, mostly because of their affordability. Software may be hit or miss depending on your local requirement (e.g. AC3 on DVB-T2, language encoding issues, etc..), so there’s fairly large number of users and some community tools or firmware such as DVB Channel Editor or Vitmos OS that may make them better devices. Most models are based on Amlogic S905 or S912, but Amlogic launched S905D processor some time ago with better tuner support (multiple demodulator support) which for example allowing me to watch terrestrial TV (DVB-T2) while recording satellite TV (DVB-S2) on Sen5 TV box. VideoStrong decided to upgrade their KII Pro Android set-top box  with S905 processor, DVB-T2/T/C and DVB-S2/S tuners to the new Amlogic S905D […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments on SATXTREM OTT Box & WiFi Router Combo Runs Android 7.1 on Amlogic S905X Processor

SATXTREM OTT Box & WiFi Router Combo Runs Android 7.1 on Amlogic S905X Processor

There are so many Amlogic S905X/S912 TV boxes on the market that offer the same features, I’ve long stopped reporting on all new models, unless they have very specific features, or are made by some of the most popular companies. SATXTREM OTT Box & WiFi Router appear to be a difference beast – as its name implies -, as it’;s both an Android 7.1 TV box, and an Android WiFi router thanks to three Ethernet ports. SATXTREM TV box & router specifications: SoC – Amlogic S905X quad core Cortex A53 processor @ up to 1.5 GHz with ARM Mali-450MP3 GPU System Memory – 2GB DDR3 Storage – 8GB eMMC flash (Options: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB) + micro SD slot up to 32GB Video Output – HDMI 2.0a up to 4K @ 60 Hz, AV port (composite) Video Codecs – 4K 10-bit H.265 up to 60 fps, VP9 up to 60 fps, […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments on AMBE+2 Vocoder Promises High Voice Quality at Low (2.0 to 9.6 Kbps) Data Rates

AMBE+2 Vocoder Promises High Voice Quality at Low (2.0 to 9.6 Kbps) Data Rates

Opus 1.2 open source audio codec was release a few months ago with the ability to deliver low power low high-quality audio bitrate for speech with bitrates as low as  12 Kbps. Digital Voice Systems (DVSI) claims to have gone even lower thanks to their AMBE+2 vocoder (Advanced MultiBand Excitation) providing high-quality speech at data rates from 2.0 to 9.6 kilobytes per second. AMBE+2 vocoder is said to outperform the company’s previous generation AMBE+ Vocoder as well as the G.729 and G.726 vocoders, while operating at only 4.0 Kbps. The vocoder is suitable for mobile radio, secure voice, satellite communication, computer telephony, digital voice and storage applications The solution can be integrated into product either using software licensing, or through Vocoder chips, and the company lists the following key benefits: Maintains speech intelligibility and speaker recognition at rates as low as 2.0 kbps Resistant to background noise and channel bit errors […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments on ARRIS Showcases Android TV Set-Top Boxes at IBC 2017

ARRIS Showcases Android TV Set-Top Boxes at IBC 2017

Just last week, we found out there was a fair amount of TV boxes running Android TV with certification from Google, with most of them from PayTV providers or OEMs. Today, I’ve come to better understand what that means thanks to ARMDevices.net interview of ARRIS at IBC2017. I used to think getting a device with official Android TV support would mean getting Google’s Leanback launcher, but there’s more to it, as Google also offers “operator tier” Android TV certifications, which allow manufacturer to use Android TV operating system with their own launcher/user interface, and official support for Google services like Google Play Store, Google Play Music and so on. ARRIS International has a whole family of certified Android TV devices with 4K UHD set-top boxes and DVR systems as shown in the table below, all likely based on Broadcom SoCs. Wi-Fi Set-Tops Wi-Fi Processor DMIPS Type Size Zx4430 2×2 802.11ac […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 19 Comments on BLOMC ONE is a Linux IPTV/OTT Set-Top Box Compatible with Stalker Middleware Portal

BLOMC ONE is a Linux IPTV/OTT Set-Top Box Compatible with Stalker Middleware Portal

Infomir MAG boxes are popular for people running their own IPTV network with content managed using Linux servers to store media files and run Stalker open source IPTV middleware portal developed by the company. A new company has now launched a competing set-top box compatible with Stalker called BLOMC ONE. BLOMC ONE specifications: Processor – Unamed 667 MHz CPU with LQFP144 package System Memory – 2Gbit (256 MB) DDR3 memory Storage – 16 MB flash Video Output – HDMI 1.3 port up to 1080p, AV (CVBS) Transport Stream & Profile Level – MPEG-4, H.264, H.265, MPEG-2 [email protected],MPEG/AVC Audio – S/PDIF output, HDMI, and AV Audio Decoding – MPEG1 Layer I&II, MPEG4 AAC, and MPEG4 AAC-HE (AAC+), Dolby Digital(AC-3), MP3, WMA Connectivity – Ethernet (RJ45) port USB – 2x USB 2.0 host ports Misc – RS232 connector, IR expansion port Power Supply – 12V/1.5A; standby Power – 0.5 watts max. Dimensions […]