science

Media processor

Media processor is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Media processor rather than just read about it. In short: A media processor, mostly used as an image/video processor, is a microprocessor-based system-on-a-chip (SOC) which is designed to deal with digital streaming data in real-time (e.g. display refresh) rates. These devices can also be considered a class of digital signal processors (DSPs).

Key takeaways

Media processor belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Media processor to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Media processor from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A media processor, mostly used as an image/video processor, is a microprocessor-based system-on-a-chip (SOC) which is designed to deal with digital streaming data in real-time (e.g. display refresh) rates. These devices can also be considered a class of digital signal processors (DSPs). Unlike graphics processing units (GPUs), which are used for computer displays, media processors are targeted at digital televisions and set-top boxes. The streaming digital media classes include:

uncompressed video compressed digital video - e.g. MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 digital audio- e.g. PCM, AAC Such SOCs are composed of:

a microprocessor optimized to deal with these media datatypes a memory interface streaming media interfaces specialized functional units to help deal with the various digital media codecs The microprocessor might have these optimizations:

vector processing or SIMD functional units to efficiently deal with these media datatypes DSP-like features Previous to media processors, these streaming media datatypes were processed using fixed-function, hardwired ASICs, which could not be updated in the field. This was a big disadvantage when any of the media standards were changed. Since media processors are software programmed devices, the processing done on them could be updated with new software releases. This allowed new generations of systems to be created without hardware redesign. For set-top boxes this even allows for the possibility of in-the-field upgrade by downloading of new software through cable or satellite networks. Companies that pioneered the idea of media processors (and created the marketing term of media processor) included:

MicroUnity MediaProcessor - Cancelled in 1996 before introduction IBM Mfast - Described at the Microprocessor Forum in 1995, planned to ship in mid-1997 but was cancelled before introduction Equator Semiconductor BSP line - their processors are used in Hitachi televisions, company acquired by Pixelworks Chromatic Research MPact line - their products were used on some PC graphics cards in the mid-1990s, company acquired by ATI Technologies Philips TriMedia line - used in Philips, Dell, Sony, etc. consumer electronics, Philips Semiconductors split off from Philips and became NXP Semiconductors in 2006 Consumer electronics companies have successfully dominated this market by designing their own media processors and integrating them into their video products. Companies such as Philips, Samsung, Matsushita, Fujitsu, Mitsubishi have their own in-house media processor devices. Newer generations of such devices now use various forms of multiprocessing—multiple CPUs or DSPs, in order to deal with the vastly increased computational needs when dealing with high-definition television signals.

External links http://www.equator.com http://www.philips.com http://www.nxp.com

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Media processor

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Media processor claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Media processor before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Media processor ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Media processor

In research: Media processor appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Media processor in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Media processor is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Central processing unit, Coprocessors, Digital electronics, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Media processor outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Media processor in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Media processor means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Media processor out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Media processor in simple terms?

Why does Media processor matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Media processor?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Media processor.