Image Processing Reference
In-Depth Information
Library code has been developed to integrate the so-called Xlets with the transport
stream, which is represented as a collection of objects.
Further support is provided for tunnelling an IP stream within the video transport
mechanism to provide data services over and above those already described by the DVB
specifications.
21.4.5
Set-Top Boxes
As mentioned above, the TiVo DVR units are built on Linux and implement video encod-
ing/decoding in a very neat package. There is a community of users who upgrade the
TiVo unit to store much more video, and this does tend to put the user interface under
some pressure since it was originally designed around a small disk store that might hold
a few dozen programs. Upgrading the disk on a series 1 TiVo to a 240-hour capacity chal-
lenges the way that the TiVo interacts with the user through the user interface (UI), which
is what the application draws on the screen for you to interact with. With a large 240-hour
video store, this will have to manage hundreds of programs.
Other set-top box systems are gaining in popularity, such as the circa 2000 Con-
vergent design and Linux TV, which is a contemporary design for integration into your
own original equipment manufacturer (OEM) system. An OEM will buy kits of parts,
component software modules, or unbranded systems and will add some value by inte-
grating them in a unique way before shipping them as their own product—in fact, an
OEM probably manufactured the computer you have sitting on your desk
The DirecTV and Sky
+
units also provide video-storage capabilities. In the case of the
Sky
unit, there is no need to code the video because it is just storing what it extracts from
the digital bit stream delivered from the satellite transponder.
During 2003-04 there was a significant increase in the number of boxes offering IPTV
delivery over broadband connection, and as of spring 2004, the H.264 video codec is grow-
ing quickly in popularity. Microsoft is also very keen to develop other product offerings in
this area.
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21.4.6
PDA Devices
The main contender here is the Kinoma video format, but it is likely that H.264 will
rapidly gain in popularity. The principal operating systems in this marketplace
are Windows Mobile and the Palm operating system. The most video-oriented devices
are probably the Sony CLIÉ models, but Sony has discontinued these in markets out-
side of Japan. PDA devices are rapidly converging with cameras and phones. All of
these AV capabilities are being squashed into a box that is roughly the size of a pack of
cigarettes.
Kinoma: http://www.kinoma.com/
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