MARCH 20--MathStar (Hillsboro, OR, USA;www.mathstar.com), a fabless semiconductor company specializing in high-performance programmable logic, is working with LG Electronics (LGE; Lincolnshire, IL, USA; www.lgcommercial.com) on a solution that supports the migration to MPEG-4 high-definition (HD) video technology in the lodging industry. MPEG-4 is a multimedia standard produced by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG).
LGE selected MathStar's Arrix field-programmable object array (FPOA) technology for high-definition "transcoders" that deliver satellite HD programming to hotel rooms. Specifically, the MathStar chipset in LG's transcoder reformats H.264 MPEG-4 satellite signals so they can be displayed on existing MPEG-2 receivers.
"MathStar's FPOA technology combines the high performance and reprogrammability needed to effectively deploy high-definition video," said Doug Pihl, MathStar CEO. "We are pleased to be working with LG Electronics, a long-time HD advocate."
Richard M. Lewis, senior vice president, technology and research, for LG US R&D subsidiary, said, "Programmable logic technology from MathStar was critical to allowing our satellite transcoders to support a large installed base of legacy TV receivers. In turn, these transcoders are important components in LG's end-to-end solution for bringing HD content to guest rooms."
MathStar's investment in the professional video market includes a Professional Video Library of IP cores, FPOA development software, and an FPOA evaluation system for application development. The Arrix family is MathStar's second generation of high performance, reprogrammable FPOAs.
