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TI OMAP series receives Netflix HD certification

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Texas Instruments becomes first company to be certified for 1080p Netflix streaming through Android devices

Texas Instruments has landed a mobile first today with the announcement of official certification for the Netflix HD application on the Android platform. More specifically, TI’s OMAP 4 series of mobile chips will now ship with the capability to stream high-definition (1080p) Netflix movies and TV shows.

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 out service to the broader mobile environment smoothly and securely,” Said VP of Business Development at Netflix.

In order to receive the certification from Netflix, TI has implemented special security features into the processor as well as better connectivity technology for smoother streaming. The new features will supposedly allow up to 1080p video playback at 30fps while maintaining low CPU load. Output through HDMI, if the device allows, will be supported as well.

The number of tablets with an OMAP 4 processor is still low, as only the recently released RIM PlayBook comes to mind. However, any future tablet releases sporting the TI-made CPU should be ready to stream as the Netflix HD application is expected to come pre-installed. As for any existing OMAP 4-powered device owners, PCMag claims the Netflix HD app can still be installed by an OTA update if the device is certified.

The OMAP 4 series is a dual-core SoC (system on chip) with ARM Cortex-A9 origins. Each chip in the 4th generation thus far includes an integrated PowerVR GPU with LPDDR2 RAM. We expect future advances in the OMAP series to carry the Netflix HD certification as well. Currently, Netflix streaming is already available on select smartphones and the HTC Evo View 4G tablet.

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Allen Ngo, 2011-07- 6 (Update: 2012-05-26)