Support for mp3PRO builds with computer software and hardware manufacturers
Thomson multimedia today announced hardware support by two leading semi-conductor companies, Texas Instruments and ST Microelectronics for mp3PRO, for mp3PRO -- the enhanced version of mp3 that doubles the amount of music in memory and improves the audio quality of compressed music files managed with the new mp3PRO compression format.
Thomson multimedia is the exclusive licensing representative of mp3 patents and software of Fraunhofer IIS-A, Coding Technologies and Thomson multimedia. After having announced last week full software support for the mp3PRO format, Thomson multimedia has completed the first licensing agreement for introduction of mp3PRO in hardware products with TI. In addition, Coding Technologies has announced an alliance with ST Microelectronics under which Coding Technologies will implement mp3PRO for the digital signal processors (DSPs) of ST Microelectronics.
Texas Instruments to introduce mp3PRO products by year-end
TI is the first semiconductor-company to license the mp3PRO digital audio format and aims to introduce products by the end of this year. Using TI's industry-leading programmable (DSPs), manufacturers will now have the ability to update Internet audio devices to support the mp3PRO format. The first THOMSON portable device ready to take full advantage of mp3PRO will be the new LYRA Personal Jukebox, a portable mp3 player with a 10GB hard-disc drive that will hold hundreds of albums, thousands of songs, and can even be used as a remote hard drive to backup data files for the computer. The LYRA Personal Jukebox will be mp3PRO-ready and is expected to be available this holiday shopping season.
Coding Technologies to implement mp3PRO for ST Microelectronics
A leading producer of decoder chips for the existing mp3 standard, ST Microelectronics is working closely with Coding Technologies, the inventor of mp3PRO, to implement the new algorithm for the company’s MMDSP+ digital signal processor core. This 24-bit digital signal processor (DSP) is optimized for high quality audio processing applications and is used by ST in many products for music decoding, speech recognition, echo canceling. Using this optimal DSP core, ST’s mp3PRO decoder chips will consume less power, extending battery life in portable players.
"Having the backing of two producers as important as TI and ST Micro, guarantees that consumers will be able to play mp3PRO-content on other devices than the PC" said Henri Linde, vice president of new business, patent and licensing unit for Thomson multimedia. "Finally, the immediate availability of software components enables consumers to free up disk-space and artists can now release music in the mp3PRO format while fully managing their rights."
Texas Instruments to introduce mp3PRO products by year-end
TI is the first semiconductor-company to license the mp3PRO digital audio format and aims to introduce products by the end of this year. Using TI's industry-leading programmable (DSPs), manufacturers will now have the ability to update Internet audio devices to support the mp3PRO format. The first THOMSON portable device ready to take full advantage of mp3PRO will be the new LYRA Personal Jukebox, a portable mp3 player with a 10GB hard-disc drive that will hold hundreds of albums, thousands of songs, and can even be used as a remote hard drive to backup data files for the computer. The LYRA Personal Jukebox will be mp3PRO-ready and is expected to be available this holiday shopping season.
Coding Technologies to implement mp3PRO for ST Microelectronics
A leading producer of decoder chips for the existing mp3 standard, ST Microelectronics is working closely with Coding Technologies, the inventor of mp3PRO, to implement the new algorithm for the company’s MMDSP+ digital signal processor core. This 24-bit digital signal processor (DSP) is optimized for high quality audio processing applications and is used by ST in many products for music decoding, speech recognition, echo canceling. Using this optimal DSP core, ST’s mp3PRO decoder chips will consume less power, extending battery life in portable players.
"Having the backing of two producers as important as TI and ST Micro, guarantees that consumers will be able to play mp3PRO-content on other devices than the PC" said Henri Linde, vice president of new business, patent and licensing unit for Thomson multimedia. "Finally, the immediate availability of software components enables consumers to free up disk-space and artists can now release music in the mp3PRO format while fully managing their rights."
