TI OMAP 4 Receives Netflix HD Certification for Android

Today, Texas Instruments Incorporated announced that its OMAP 4 platform is the first to achieve the Netflix Silicon Reference Implementation (SRI) certification fort the Netflix HD mobile application on handsets running under Google's Android platform.

The company notes that its OMAP 4 platform, along with the M-Shield security technology and the quad-radio WiLink 7.0 connectivity combo solution can run up to full high-definition (HD) 1080p video within security measures, and that they meet Netflix requirements for mobile content streaming.

“This milestone reflects the strength of TI’s M-Shield technology on the OMAP 4 platform and marks the first time Netflix has certified its 1080p streaming application with end-to-end protection on a mobile device,” the company notes.

TI’s OMAP 4 platform comes with a dual ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore foundation, and can deliver a rich Netflix experience on mobile devices, with capabilities that include full HD 1080p 30fps multi-standard video, among other.

At the same time, TI’s M-Shield security technology was meant to protect both the premium content and the mobile phones from various attacks, during the streaming process with the Netflix application.

“The M-Shield solution implements a hardware-protected, trusted execution environment (TEE), which runs on the OMAP processor, yet does not require a dedicated chip or extra CPU cycles,” the company explains.

Thus, M-Shield and the OMAP architecture can deliver optimal playback time while ensuring the CPU is loaded to the minimum, enabling users to run other applications simultaneously.

Moreover, the company notes that it managed to achieve streaming security with the use of Wi-Fi-based WEP, WPA and WPA2 protocols, through the WiLink 7.0 solution, a single chip solution that packs Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and FM technologies.

All smartphones and tablet PCs that will use the Netflix application on the OMAP 4 platform will offer users the possibility to connect to HDMI-supported televisions, as the solution also comes with HDCP encryption over these connections.

The OMAP 4 platform comes with Netflix certification on Google's Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system flavor, and is planned to include support for more versions of the OS later during the ongoing year.

At the same time, the company announced that it should not be too long before the first devices packing the OMAP 4 processor and the Netflix application arrive on the market.

“Netflix already has a rich heritage of streaming to PCs, Macs, game consoles, Internet-connected TVs, iPhone and iPad, and many set-top-boxes, so we sought a semiconductor partner that could bring our service to the broader mobile environment smoothly and securely,” said Bill Holmes, vice president of Business Development, Netflix.

“TI's OMAP architecture and M-Shield security will set the stage for a high-performance, low-power, secure platform that will help Netflix members instantly watch unlimited TV shows and movies on Android devices.”