Amlogic is a fabless system-on-chip (SoC) company that provides open platform solutions for multimedia consumer devices including OTT/IP STBs and Android-based Smart TVs. It’s newly released Amlogic S912 series SoC will include Dolby Vision HDR support allowing set top box makers to add this functionality. The chip set also includes support for HDR10, which is a subset of the Dolby Vision approach.
The Amlogic S912 series SoC include eight ARM Cortex processors and high speed GPUs to handle complicated UI and content. The S912 also features the AVE-10 video engine to accelerate video codec processing. It can decode 4K2K resolution video in both HEVC and VP9 format at 60 frames per second. The AVE-10 also supports Trusted Video Path (TVP), multiple HDR formats and video watermarking technologies for secured 4K DRM applications.
Dolby has engaged with other TV and set top box SoC makers to get the Dolby Vision IP core integrated into silicon. Design wins here include RealTek, MediaTek, ST Micro, HiSilicon and Sigma Designs. These companies don’t pay a royalty, the TV or STB makers do. Perhaps the biggest win is LG Electronics who will also add the Dolby Vision IP to their own TV SoC.
There are no Dolby Vision STB announcements yet with this chip, but with the availability of the SoCs, it might not be too long before we see some design wins. The SoC allows backward compatibility with 8-bit SR video as well.
Amlogic and Dolby demonstrated their new IC and Dolby Vision technology in the Dolby booth at IBC 2016.
