Harmonic selects Ambarella semiconductor platform

The A6's small footprint, low power and flexible multi-streaming architecture are said to enable a new class of high-density, high-quality systems that use less power and space than traditional solutions.

Harmonic is a provider of video delivery solutions to any device.

The A6 supports 1080p60 encode and full HD MPEG-2 and H.264 BL/MP/HP transcoding using full decode and re-encode with rate-distortion-optimisation (RDO) and 3D motion compensated temporal filter (MCTF) noise reduction to ensure high compression efficiency.

A6 requires 32-bit DDR for the full feature set, allowing for up to 24 HD channels of H.264 encode in 1RU.

The software architecture supports multiple input and output streams with on-the-fly configuration of resolution, frame rate and quality for three-screen/many-screen delivery and adaptive/smooth streaming with support for the Adobe, Apple and Microsoft formats.

The A6 SDK offers a rich feature set and flexible ARM API's allow for developer differentiation and tuning.

The multi-streaming software architecture supports virtually any combination of inputs and outputs while preserving PTS throughout the system and managing discontinuities and metadata.

In addition to encode and transcode functionality, the A6 ADK adds rate-shaping, splicing, overlays and ad insertion.

A range of coding modes allow on-the-fly changes of GOP, resolution, profile, and quality.

Other features include 3D, scene detection, telecine handling, F-code assessment and advanced rate control.