Just Add Power

The Just Add Power 2G Processor is a proprietary Silicon On Chip (SOC) design built with several patented features.  The heart of the 2G Processor is an ARM9 CPU with a maximum running frequency of 275MHz.  The CPU core includes 16KB I-cache, 16KB D-Cache, a Memory Management Unit (MMU), and two AHB system buses.  The ARM9 family of processors has been embraced by hundreds of prominent companies (see the listing at http://www.arm.com/products/processors/licensees.php).  The same Just Add Power 2G Processor is used for both the HD over IP Transmitter and the HD over IP Receiver, allowing us to build a tightly coupled solution while keeping the bill of materials to a minimum.

The Just Add Power 2G Processor integrates a very powerful patented Video Compression engine providing a wide range of options to control the video quality level and the compression ratio.  This gives the 2G solution the ability to deliver a visually lossless output.  The compression algorithm is a proprietary one, specially developed to enhance both the video compression ratio and the graphics compression ratio that can be achieved.  It should be noted that graphics compression is typically much more difficult to handle and consumes a great deal of network bandwidth. Basically, the visually lossless compression algorithm adopted by the Just Add Power 2G Processor is built on a block-based compression scheme. The block size is always 8 pixels by 8 pixels and the color format is YUV format. Before compression, the captured RGB-format video stream is automatically converted to a YUV format video stream. The Video Compression Engine automatically monitors any scene change block by block.  Only the blocks with a scene change will be compressed again. This scheme significantly reduces the average network bandwidth requirement.

One of the primary goals of the 2G HD over IP solution was to significantly improve the video quality in comparison to the already popular and well received 1G solution.  The objective is to deliver distributed HD video over the LAN that is visually identical to the source content.  In order to achieve this visually lossless objective we were forced to move from a 100BT network architecture to a 1000BT platform.  This 1000% increase in specified network speed gives us the necessary bandwidth to implement the patented visually lossless CODEC referenced above.  Users of standard data compression utilities are already familiar and comfortable with the concept of lossless compression.  Interested parties with a more technical perspective can get a better understanding of the nature of our proprietary compression algorithm by studying Steganography with an eye towards the role of the least significant bit (LSB) in identifying overhead bandwidth in a video signal.  It should also be noted that we are achieving our visually lossless compression of 1080P content with a Maximum RGB Error equal to or less than 1 LSB.  The end result is the ability to replicate stunning 1080p video that cannot be distinguished from the source content, allowing Custom Installers to satisfy the video quality demands of the most demanding clients.  This is a claim that we could not make for the original "game changing" 1G solution (http://www.cepro.com/article/dealer_hdmi_over_ip_is_game_changing/), and is the most distinctive characteristic of the 2G HD over IP design.

Another key aspect of the 2G HD over IP solution is the transition from a totally fixed IP address on the Receivers to an IP address that can be set in the field.  This addressability enhancement eliminates the possibility of accidentally shipping a duplicate Receiver IP address to a customer, while at the same time keeping the original benefit of a fundamentally plug-n-play solution.  Professional installers can now keep spare Receivers on the shelf with the confidence that they can be used to expand any new or existing 2G installation.

The last significant difference between the 1G and 2G solution is the elimination of the scaler function in the HD over IP Receiver.  While many customers have benefited from the scaler function in the 1G family, it has also been an occasional problem for some high end installations.  This is due to a combination of factors such as undesirable EDID settings in some screens and double scaling.  Furthermore, the scalers integrated into the high end monitors installed by professional installers often have a far superior range of features.  The introductory 2G HD over IP Receivers will not provide any sort of scaling function at all.  Instead, the original video signal that is connected to the 2G HD over IP Transmitter will be output at the source resolution.  This change will make it necessary for the installer to ensure that the selected screens for a 2G HD over IP solution are able to support the video signal resolution settings of the distributed source devices.

NOTICE:  HD over IP and HD/IP are global trademarks or registered trademarks of Just Add Power Cardware Co., Inc.  HDMI, the HDMI Logo, and High-Definition Multimedia Interface are trademarks or registered trademarks of HDMI Licensing LLC in the United States and other countries.