Fujitsu Launches Industry's First One-Chip LSI for Full HD H.264 Video Processing with Embedded Memory

Tokyo, May 21, 2007

Fujitsu Limited today announced a new large-scaled integrated (LSI) chip that can compress and decompress full High-Definition (HD) video (1,920 dots x 1,080 lines) in the H.264 format⁽¹⁾ in real-time. The new chip, the MB86H51, is the industry's first one-chip LSI for full HD H.264 High Profile⁽²⁾ video processing with embedded memory. Sample shipments will start from July 1, 2007.

This new chip enables high image quality recording, playback, and transmission of full high-definition video over a wide range of fields from consumer to industrial applications, such as for digital video cameras (camcorders), hard disk digital video recorders (DVRs), home network devices, security cameras, and broadcasting equipment.

Digital AV equipment, such as video cameras, are increasingly becoming higher in definition, and it is anticipated that there will be demand for the highest definition specification, known as full HD (high-definition).
H.264 format is rapidly becoming widespread as a technology for compression and decompression of large volumes of high-definition video data, as H.264 features higher compression performance compared to previous formats such as MPEG-2⁽³⁾.

From an early stage in the industry, Fujitsu has commercialized MPEG-related LSIs. For H.264 as well, by participating in standardization organizations from the stage when standards are formulated, Fujitsu has accumulated a depth of technologies related to H.264.

This new chip, MB86H51, is an enhanced version of Fujitsu's chip MB86H50 for HD (1,440 X 1,080) that is currently being shipped. Using high-compression technology from Fujitsu Laboratories Limited to reduce processing burden, while leveraging embedded memory technologies from Fujitsu Limited to enable compactness and low power consumption, Fujitsu's new chip is the industry's first one-chip full HD H.264 High Profile LSI with embedded memory.

The new chip will be exhibited and demonstrated at ANGA Cable, a trade fair for cable, satellite & multimedia, to be held in Cologne, Germany from May 22 to May 24.

Sales Target

5 million units in fiscal 2007 (April 2007 - March 2008), inclusive of all H.264 LSIs

Key Features

1. Industry's first, embedded memory enables compactness and low power consumption

This LSI contains two blocks of 256 Megabit memory (FCRAM)⁽⁴⁾ embedded on-chip, and utilizes optimized LSI design to realize smaller size and low power consumption. Fujitsu's new chip is the first in the industry to feature one-chip embedded memory and full HD as a standard product (Fujitsu survey as of May 1, 2007).

2.Real-time compression & decompression of HDTV video & audio

Compared to previous formats, real-time H.264 format video compression requires more than 10 times the data processing that was necessary for previous formats. By realizing further high-speed processing, Fujitsu's new chip can support H.264 High Profile Level 4.0. Also, with this new chip audio is compressed and decompressed in real-time by utilizing formats such as MPEG-1 Audio Layer

3. Proprietary technologies for compression and high quality video

This chip utilizes a proprietary algorithm developed by Fujitsu Laboratories that automatically applies less compression to areas in the image where compression artifacts are most noticeable to human vision, such as human faces or slow-moving objects, and greater compression to other areas. Thus, high image quality for the critical zones is maximized. This feature also makes it possible for image size to be reduced to one-half to one-third that of the MPEG-2 format with an equivalent level of image quality.

Future Developments

Fujitsu plans to continue to be an industry leader of H.264 video processing LSIs with full HD transcoders and full HD multi-decoders that can handle various video formats, and will provide customers with video processing LSIs for high-performance digital equipment.

Specifications (56 KB)