ARM, Dolby and Ittiam to bring optimized home audio solutions to market

CAMBRIDGE, UK: ARM and Ittiam, embedded media processing systems company, announced at IBC in Amsterdam, the implementation of the Dolby MS10 Multistream Decoder on ARM Cortex-A Series of processors including optimization on NEON.

This implementation includes Dolby Digital Plus (DD+), Dolby Digital (DD), Dolby Pulse decoder and Dolby Digital Encoder in a single package for next generation digital televisions (DTV) and set-top-boxes (STB).

As DTVs and STBs rapidly evolve into multipurpose digital media platforms for the home, there is an increased requirement for highly optimized platforms that can meet these demands, especially high performance audio. Such platforms enable consumers to receive and play content not only from traditional broadcast sources, but also from the Internet and other popular sources like portable storage and computers.

The combination of high-efficiency processing in the ARM Cortex-A9 processor, leading audio standard from Dolby and the high level of software optimization from Ittiam have made this possible. This is a great example of the ARM partnership model and is key to reducing the complexity in broadcasting HDTV audio services via satellite, cable, terrestrial and IPTV networks.

This highly optimized technology quickens time to market by reducing design complexity through tailored offerings that meet increasing market demands. The processing bandwidth required for the decoding of a Dolby Digital stream at 48 kHz in 5.1 multi-channel mode is just 22 million cycles per second (MCPS) on the ARM Cortex-A9 processor.

The bandwidth requirement for HE-AAC v2 (5.1) and DD+ decoders is lower than 50 MCPS each. For encoding, the average performance bandwidth required for the DD 5.1 encoder is less than 70 MCPS , making it very easy to perform both decode and encode on a readily available Cortex-A9 processor based platform.

“The optimized implementation of Dolby MS10 on a Cortex-A9 processor based platform shows the benefits of the extensive ecosystem behind ARM Cortex processors in home consumer devices” said Kevin Smith, VP, Segment Marketing, ARM. “Our ecosystem partners together with our leadership position in the development of high-performance, low-power multi core technology bring the user experience to life.”

“The availability of Dolby MS10 Multistream Decoder on the ARM Cortex-A9 processor is an important milestone. Televisions and set-top boxes are rapidly evolving into multipurpose digital media platforms for the home. As more customers begin to deploy the Dolby MS10 Multistream Decoder, its availability on the ARM Cortex-A9 processor will help speed the development of compelling new devices that deliver an unparalleled audio experience.” said Jason Power, Senior Director, Broadcast, Dolby Laboratories.

"Support for High Definition and high quality, bandwidth efficient audio is of prime importance in the next generation DTVs and STBs. Dolby MS10 Multi format decoder enables HD and IP content delivery to the home, while ensuring interoperability with existing home entertainment devices. We are proud to be the first to offer a fully optimized implementation of Dolby MS10 Decoder on the ARM Cortex-A9 processor." said Shantanu Jha, Vice President, Media Processing at Ittiam.

"Fully utilizing the NEON engine, our MS10 implementation takes up less than 10 percent of the processor load while offering cost and time benefit in the integration of advanced audio technologies."