At 3GSM World Congress this week, Texas Instruments demonstrated an applications processor that plays back 720p high-definition (HD) video for high-end mobile phones. The OMAP3430 processor is also the first application processor to integrate the newly defined OpenGL ES 2.0 graphic standard, bringing “life-like” 3D graphics to the handset and creating a mobile gaming experience comparable to today’s handheld gaming devices, stated TI. In addition, TI introduced two new members of the scalable OMAP 3 processor family that will enable handset manufacturers to provide smartphones with robust multimedia functionality at a lower cost.

With support for up to 720p HD-video playback (1280 pixels x 720 pixels), the OMAP3430 application processor gives consumers direct access to personal video content stored in high-definition formats. Users can transfer and view HD-video content on the mobile handset or connect the handset to a projector or large screen TV, giving consumers the flexibility to determine how and where they view video programs.

The OMAP3430 processor embeds Imagination Technologies’ PowerVR SGX graphics core, making it the first applications processor to support Open GL ES 2.0 and OpenVG, providing superior graphics performance and advanced user interface capabilities. OpenVG provides hardware acceleration of 2D scalable vector graphics for creation of advanced, immersive user interfaces and flash-style animations. TI also is enabling sophisticated and dynamic images in the mobile gaming environment with “smart pixel” technology offered via OpenGL ES 2.0. This unique technology allows each pixel in an image to be programmed individually, giving game developers the power to create rich effects with cinematic realism. Users will now experience “lifelike” facial features, advanced reflection effects and multitextured backgrounds in mobile games.

In addition, the OMAP3430 embeds the powerful ARM Cortex-A8 processor to deliver quick response times and the performance levels necessary to accommodate the growing complexity of mobile games, sustaining a fast-paced, graphics-intensive gaming experience in real-time. OMAP3430 processor samples are available today, with the first handsets using the OMAP 3 platform expected to be in the market in early 2008.