Tag: imagination

Imagination and Chips&Media team up

Imagination Technologies and Chips&Media announced a collaboration to bring IP solutions for GPU and Video Codecs to customers worldwide.

The partners claim they’re ensuring that Imagination GPU IP and Chips&Media Video Codec IP is available as “integrated and tested solutions” that work together to provide system-level benefits, including a range of compression technologies, such as Imagination’s PVRIC lossless compression.

The IPs are designed around compatible formats and drivers and will enable customers to use best in class technology while removing concerns over incompatibility.

Nigel Leeder, EVP PowerVR, Imagination Technologies, said: “By providing best-in-class IPs from two of the leaders in multimedia technology we can bring to market solutions that significantly benefit our mutual customers. There are a wide range of devices where the combination of advanced graphics and video at up to UHD resolutions are key requirements. We are excited to be working together with Chips&Media to ensure customers get the best choice of IP without further complex integration work.”

Steve SangHyun Kim, CEO, Chips&Media, says: “It’s perfectly possible today to pick up a bundle of GPU and Video Codec IP from a single vendor, but the cost is a compromise in product quality as no single vendor has best-in-class video and GPU IP. Working together Chips&Media and Imagination can deliver a powerful and differentiated IP package that excels in both GPU and video. We are delighted to be working with Imagination to deliver the solution the market wants.”

Let’s face it square on. You can’t have a proper press release unless it includes “best in class” – the teacher’s pet.

Chips&Media Video Codec IP covers all major standards (MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX, H.263, Sorenson, H.264, RV, VC-1, VP8, AVS, AVS+, HEVC / H.265, VP9 and AV1) at up to UHD resolutions. Imagination GPUs are designed for up to UHD UI, advanced gaming and apps, and are based on TBDR (tile based deferred rendering), a high-efficiency rendering approach unique to PowerVR.

Nvidia wrestles with ARM connections

arm-wrestlingARM Holdings Chief Executive Officer Simon Segars defended his smartphone graphics technology which Nvidia claims it invented.

Nvidia is currently taking Samsung Electronics and Qualcomm to court for using the technology in its phones and accusing both companies of infringing its property patents on graphics chip technology.

Nvidia said Samsung devices made with graphics technology from ARM, Qualcomm and Imagination Technologies illegally use its intellectual property, or IP.

Segars said that the company stood behind its IP and will work with its partners when something like this happened.

Nvidia is not suing ARM or Imagination yet but it did say it would ask the US International Trade Commission to prevent shipments of Samsung devices containing ARM’s Mali or Imagination’s PowerVR graphics architectures, as well as Qualcomm’s graphics technology.

Nvidia has to play this carefully. Nvidia depends on ARM’s technology to make its Tegra chips for tablets and cars.

Segars said that it did “create a bit of a curious situation… But we do a lot of business with a lot of people.”

Nvidia sues Qualcomm and Samsung

nvidia-gangnam-style-330pxNvidia has sued Qualcomm and Samsung for infringing its patents on graphics processing technology.

Nvidia said Qualcomm and Samsung had used Nvidia’s patented technologies without a licence in Samsung’s mobile devices and the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge.

Nvidia said Samsung devices made with graphics technology from Qualcomm, Britain’s ARM and Imagination Technologies infringed on its patents.

Nvidia Chief Executive Jen-Hsun Huang said that the pair were using Nvidia technology free and were shipping an enormous number of devices.

Nvidia did not say it is suing Imagination – part owned by Apple –  or ARM  – started by Apple really, but it did say it is asking the US International Trade Commission to prevent shipments of Samsung devices containing ARM’s Mali or Imagination’s PowerVR graphics architectures, as well as Qualcomm’s graphics technology.

However, since Imagination technology is also found under the bonnet of Apple’s iPhones, it could be that Nvidia plans to sue Apple.

It is clear that Apple was not a legal cage that Nvidia wanted to rattle yet. Huang said he was focused on Samsung and Qualcomm, and continues to have “productive conversations” with many other companies out there.

In other words the cunning plan is to take out Qualcomm and Samsung and the others will pay a lot of money to make Nvidia lawyers go away.

Samsung has said it will fight Nvidia, while the others have not made a comment.