C-Cube lines up PictureTel for new video codec

Electronic News, May 1, 1995 by Anthony Cataldo

ATLANTA, GA. - C-Cube Microsystems last week rolled out an H.261 video codec based on two of its VideoRISC processors and tapped PictureTel as its initial customer (EN, April 24) for a new group video conferencing system. Separately, C-Cube and AuraVision at Spring Comdex announced a reference platform for designing PC add-in cards enabling MPEG capture and playback - with a bill of materials of less than $110.

The CLM4200 codec conforms to the H.261 format, a video telephony standard developed by the International Telecommunications Unit that is a subset of the broader H.320 videoconferencing standard.

The solution uses two of C-Cube's proprietary VideoRISC processor chips and microapplication software to encode and decode H.261 video. Although PictureTel is C-Cube's initial customer, the CLM4200 will be offered on the merchant chip market for $500 in single unit quantities. A PCI-based design example will be available in June.

Picturetel, which has previously been a customer of AT&T Microelectronics AVP chipset, marks a significant design win for C-Cube. PictureTel last year had also been cited as a possible customer for Texas Instruments C80 processor (EN, March 14, 1994), but has yet to announce any systems built around that device.

In addition, C-Cube's new relationship with PictureTel is a further sign of the importance of programmable architectures in the videoconferencing market. Integrated Information Technology (IIT) is also working with vendors such as Compression Labs Inc. and VTEL (EN, July 19, 1994).

CLM4200 features include support for Annex D compression, used for transmitting high-resolution photographs and still images, and picture-in-picture operation, which allows a user to view through a small window any picture being sent.

PictureTel has adopted the codec into its new Venue 2000 group video conferencing system, which was demonstrated last week simultaneously at a New York press conference and C-Cube's booth at Spring Comdex. "Good video quality at low data rates is a goal that has eluded H.261 system providers until now. With C-Cube's compression technology, we believe that we can lead that field," said Robert Becker, director of PictureTel's Group Systems Division.

Meanawhile, the MPEG reference board, code-named Redfox, combines C-Cube's CL480PC system decoder and AuraVision's VxP501 capture and playback processor for bringing MPEG-1 playback to the PC. Additionally, the adding card OEMs will be able to allow users to capture full-motion video clips and view up to 122 cable TV channels. The reference design will be available this month.

"This design is the first to combine video capture, MPEG playback and TV tuning on a single board," said Wayne Ricciardi, AuraVision's VP of marketing. "We're making it easier for board developers to bring high-quality, full-motion video to the PC for learning, business and entertainment."

Now in production, the VxP501 processor provides two-dimensional interpolated scaling, cropping, filtering, zooming, color adjustment and color space conversion without requiring external line buffers or memory. It also incorporates a multi-buffer architecture that omits motion distortion and other artifacts that degrade digital video image quality.

C-Cube's CL480PC, which was introduced last month, integrates MPEG system, audio and video decoding independent of the CPU. It is designed to work directly with windowing/scaling devices such as the VxP501 without the need for separate frame buffers and windowing chips.