Intel Atom-based netbooks to benefit

Jun 2, 2009 07:52 GMT  ·  By

For a long time now, NVIDIA has been actively promoting the additional capabilities of its GeForce lineup, bringing GPU acceleration into the mainstream market. One of the most recent examples of the company’s work in the field is the announcement regarding bringing GPU acceleration to one of the most widely used applications on the market, Adobe's Flash Player. The chip maker and Adobe announced that GPU graphics and video acceleration would be enabled on a wide range of mobile Internet devices, including netbooks, tablets, mobile phones and other similar devices. Broadcom also announced its supporting solution, namely bringing hardware acceleration for Adobe Flash technology on Intel Atom-based systems.

“NVIDIA and Adobe share precisely the same vision – visually compelling applications running on every device,” said Michael Rayfield, general manager, Handheld Business at NVIDIA. “Consumers don’t have to sacrifice streaming video performance on small inexpensive platforms such as netbooks. A Tegra-based platform enables the rich, smooth playback they expect from a desktop PC.”

As part of the engineering collaboration between NVIDIA and Adobe, the successful Flash Player will benefit from hardware acceleration across a wide range of NVIDIA products, including Tegra. This solution will enable end-users to enjoy a full Web video experience, featuring full H.264 video playback on a considerable number of devices and form factors.

Like NVIDIA, Broadcom is also participating in the Adobe-led Open Screen Project, which is committed to delivering Web content and standalone applications that use the Adobe Flash Platform on a number of computer devices. Broadcom’s solution will enable Intel Atom-based netbooks to provide users with an enhanced web experience. These new netbooks will be featured with Broadcom's Crystal HD netbook solutions and deliver H.264 video support.

“Enabling Adobe Flash Player with our industry-leading Crystal HD video technology provides an essential advantage in accessing and viewing online multimedia content,” said Dan Eiref, vice president & general manager of Broadcom's Consumer Electronics Group. “Our Crystal HD solutions will optimize the playback performance of Adobe Flash technology based videos, at lower power consumption, paving the way for more exciting mobile Web content and entertainment experiences for netbook users.”