DSP-based multi-format video decoding engine for media adapter applications

There are four major components in a generic digital home framework: media center, set-top box, media adapter and portable viewer. In this paper, we present a DSP-based multi-format video decoding engine for realizing media adapter application. By choosing a powerful DSP core and designing an efficient and configurable software engine, the proposed solution is believed to possess low-cost and high-flexibility advantages at the same time. In our current implementation, the video decoding engine can decode most of the major video formats in the market, such as MPEG-1/2/4, H.264/AVC baseline/main, VC-I and its precedents, and some other MPEG-4-like formats. Simulation results demonstrate the efficiency of the decoding engine: videos up to SD resolution can be decoded seamlessly. The engine has been successfully integrated into an available media adapter module and the corresponding product. Our future work is to enhance the engine performance capable of handling HD contents.