Development of Transcoding Device

Executive Summary

Our customer is a leading network company which enables interactive video, voice and data services over cable, telecom, satellite, wireless and terrestrial broadcast networks.

Our customer wanted to develop a Transcoding device that enables the transfer of interactive video, voice and data services over cable, telecom, satellite, wireless and terrestrial broadcast networks. The customer being a startup company did not have any engineering team for this development. They engaged eInfochips with this project to design, develop and test the transcoding device right from specification stage to the final working use-case application and installation at their first 3 customers.

A cross-functional team of 30 engineers and managers worked as the customers engineering hands for over 3 years for this project.  eInfochips was involved in the full product-development-life-cycle of the transcode device based on the requirements laid down by the customer.  We enabled the transcoding device to convert various media files in one format a required format supporting all the known media formats, and also provided options for Graphics and test overlay on input media file. eInfochips, though our scalable off-shore-amplified execution model and CMMI Level-3 based processes, executed this project and reduced the cost of the project for the customer by more than 50%.

The Customer

Our customer is a market leader in transactional video transcoding; the fundamental technology enabling the content owners, network service providers or video delivery platforms to support the proposition of “any content, anywhere, anytime, any device”

They provide industry-leading transcoding concurrency and scalability for real time and on-demand transcoding to accommodate the immediate needs of media market.

The Challenge

• Developing a true "any-to-any" transcoding system which supported various resolutions (sub-QCIF to D1), different audio/video formats (ASF. AVI, MPEG1 PS, MPEG2 PS, FLV, MP4, WAV, QT, 3GP) and stream formats (UDP (MPEG-2 TS(H.264 BP, MPEG-4 AAC-LC)), RTP/RTSP (H.264 BP, MPEG-4  AAC-LC), HTTP(ASF(WMV9 SP, WMA9)))
• Supporting 3 different transcoding scenarios [1] Live Streaming (Stream to Stream) [2] On Demand Transcoding (File to Stream) [3] Offline Batch Processing (File to File)
• Enabling the transcode device to provide options for Graphics and test overlay also on input media file for supporting various media input files.
• Developing transcoding solution within specified span of time with limited technical support from the customer’s  side

Design & Development

eInfochips team was involved in designing, testing and building the complete solution/application for a transcoding device.
We were involved in bringing up and testing hardware and, supporting the transcoding device. On the software side we were involved in the development of MPEG2-TS Mux Library and Diagnostic Software for TI 6446 and Xilinx FPGA

• Team eInfochips developed TI 6446 and Xilinx FPGA based Hardware Bring up to address the requirements of the transcoding device.
• With this we have enhanced transcoding device with boot loader, Linux driver, Linux Kernel for TI 6446 based hardware. This enables transcoding device in various media file’s operations.
• We enhanced transcoding device with Diagnostic Software based on TI 6446 and Xilinx FPGA
• For system requirements fulfillment we integrated various modules developed for Xilinx FPGA  and also team integrated coded for TI 6446
• We provided the solution of transcode device with MPEG2-TS Mux Library
• We enhanced our support to the customer with Transcoding Demo/Prototype software
• Development, porting, optimization & integration of containers like MPEG2TS, QTFF, 3GPP, ASF, FLV, AVI and MP4
• Integration of Codec like WMA , WMV, MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, H.264,H.263, MJPEG, AAC, AMR, MP3, AC3, WAV, PCM, MP2, G711 & JPEG

QA & Testing

• We provided testing and support for transcoding device with TI 6446 and Xilinx FPGA based hardware Bring up.
• Team eInfochips has developed test application for TI 6446 based hardware.
• We carried out testing and debugging of various modules developed for Xilinx FPGA.
• QA for software based Transcoding product which ensured the functionality of the transcoding device to the customer.

Technology

• TI 6446 DSP Platform
• Freescale MPC8548 Host Platform
• MV Linux 2.6.10

The Benefit

• eInfochips acted as the engineering wing of the startup customer to allow him to launch a state-of-art technology transcoding product with practically no engineering team
• In adherence to our brand promise of “on time every time”, we provided a market-ready solution to the customer with successful development and proper testing, which enabled the customer to successfully release their product on time at the first go to capture maximum market share
• eInfochips' team added support for 18 different multimedia codecs and 6 container formats to support all types of equipment which allowed to customer to target a 80% larger market segment than their original plan
• eInfochips enabled the customer to complete the product development at a 50% lower project cost though our amplified offshore engagement model by leveraging expertise in the area of encoding/transcoding/transmission and the DM6446 technology based development