C-Cube Microsystems Inc has announced the CL9100 multimode video decoder chip. The Milpitas, California-based company says the CL9100 is the first RISC-based chip specifically designed to decode four video compression algorithms: MPEG II main-level, main-profile; MPEG II main-level, simple-profile; Digicipher II; and MPEG I. The CL9100 supports a range of video standards, including NTSC, PAL and film, as well as supporting multiple video resolutions. It provides on-screen display capabilities, efficient memory usage, advanced error concealment functionality and a high-level command-based host interface. The CL9100 implements the Digicipher II technology licensed from General Instrument Corp. The company has also announced the CL9110, a transport demultiplexer chip that implements MPEG II transport layer demultiplexing and is also based on a programmable RISC architecture. The CL9110 processes the transport and packetised elemental stream layers of MPEG II and outputs elemental video, audio and host data streams, the company explains. The CL9110 supports channel rates of up to 60Mbps and a customer-specific descramble algorithm through an external interface. It is designed to interface without glue logic to the CL9100 and a MPEG audio decoder. The CL9100 multimode video decoder chip will be available in sample quantities by mid-year, with set-top volume purchase pricing at $35. The CL9110 transport layer demultiplexer will sample in the third quarter, with volume purchase pricing at $35.
