Maxim Integrated Products is paving the way for next-generation consumer video conferencing solutions on TVs with the announcement of its new technology line-up. At the 2011 International CES in Las Vegas, Maxim will be showcasing and demonstrating complete video camera solutions and reference designs that enable pioneering video conferencing features such as 1080p30 HD video, multi-party video, face detection, face tracking, 3D capture, and gesture recognition.
“There is no doubt that soon every TV that ships will have built in video camera solutions such as the one supplied by Maxim,” said Michell Prunty, senior consumer analyst, Semico Research Corp. “The trend is already evident and will accelerate as consumers continue to connect their high-definition televisions to the internet and enjoy the benefits of calling friends and family from the comfort of their living
rooms on a high resolution big screen.”
Multiple HD Video Streams
As the first company to bring a TV camera to market that became widely available earlier this year, Maxim is in a leadership position in TV
video conferencing solutions. The Maxim multi-party video camera solution based on the Maxim MG3500 chipset enables up to four video calls at once to be held on any HDTV, and displayed at 720p30 resolution.
A typical TV system would not be able to process the amount of data needed to decode four video streams while encoding another HD
resolution stream. The Maxim multi-party video feature enables this feature without adding any processing burden on the TV central
processing unit (CPU).
“Maxim’s technology represents a real breakthrough in the system architecture of a TV,” said Vijay Ullal, Maxim Group President.
“Instead of trying to add more processing power into the system core, TV makers can now take advantage of the flexibility enabled by smart interface devices to perform advanced functions.”
More Control and Personalization
Maxim is also showcasing video camera technology that enables pioneering TV videoconferencing features including face detection, face
tracking, 3D capture, and gesture recognition.
With its face detection feature, the next-generation Maxim video camera for TV not only tracks and digitally zooms in on a virtually unlimited number of faces; it can create a mosaic image with all of the faces “stitched” together. This advanced feature enables a clearer image with much better resolution on the individual faces, while at the same time opening new applications for consumers previously reserved for costly higher-end video conferencing systems often used in corporate environments.
Maxim is integrating all of these new technologies into ever smaller form factors. The company’s BezelCam reference design, also shown in the Maxim booth, is small enough to fit inside a TV bezel, but yet powerful enough to run all the new technologies while reducing the
total system cost compared to today’s TV videoconferencing solutions.
Maxim is demonstrating its multi-party video camera solution based on the Maxim MG3500 chipset in Maxim Booth 30869 in the South Hall, Upper Level of the Las Vegas Convention Center along with over a dozen demonstrations of how Maxim technology dramatically improves the way consumers SEE, TOUCH and HEAR the latest mobile handsets, communications and TV products. Additional demonstrations are being shown in a private booth and can be requested by appointment.