Posted on Monday, August 17 2009 @ 15:27 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck
NVIDIA send out a press today that Microsoft's Zune HD is one of the first devices to use the company's Tegra processor. This news doesn't really come as a surprise, as we've already known for a while that the Zune HD uses Tegra. NVIDIA talks about some of the strong points of Tegra, and ends the press release by stating that there are 50 active Tegra processor-based design projects currently in the works today.
The Zune HD player, which Microsoft recently announced is available for preorder, is the first portable media player to combine HD-compatible video(1), HD Radio receiver, full-screen Internet browsing, an organic light emitting diode touch screen, and Wi-Fi. These features will connect consumers to a whole new world of entertainment, while delivering excellent battery life. Working closely with Microsoft and optimizing the Tegra processor, NVIDIA has played an important role in helping to bring the next-generation Zune HD portable digital media player to market.
"Tegra provides the multimedia muscle in Zune HD," said Michael Rayfield, general manager of NVIDIA's mobile business. "Users will love the device's new design, amazing multimedia features and HD video out capability. Zune HD is a must-have for anyone looking for the best portable digital media player on the market."
Key to Tegra's rich multimedia features are eight independent processors, each designed for a specific class of tasks - among them are an HD video processor, an audio processor, a graphics processor, and two ARM cores. The processors can work together or independently to minimize power consumption. The Microsoft Zune HD(2) uses the following NVIDIA Tegra technology to deliver a unique visual experience:
an HD video processor dedicated to HD video, providing unprecedented
picture quality and ultra-smooth, vivid movie playback with low power
consumption
an ultra-low power graphics processor for a compelling and intuitive
user interface
NVIDIA nPower(TM) technology, which optimizes system power use and
enables extended HD video and MP3 playback time
