ViXS Systems, a specialist in media processing silicon solutions, unveiled the Thunder Ultra HD 4K P60 IP client set-top box (STB) reference design that is based on the company’s XCode 6403 chipset.

Sally Daub, President and CEO, ViXS Systems said, “The transition to Ultra HD 4K and HEVC-based content is moving at an unprecedented pace, and ViXS is helping the industry stay abreast by creating the Thunder reference design.”

The small form factor device measuring only 4x5-inches was developed by ViXS in collaboration with DVD. The Thunder reference design is small in size although it features 4K resolutions and HEVC support.

According to officials the chipset XCode 6403 on which the new device is based on features efficient processing architecture, ultra-low power consumption and Ultra HD 4K 10-bit support. These features are expected to allow equipment manufacturers to design new products that are high on performance but small in size.

As media products need optimum decoding, networking and streaming features to serve the 4K media client market, manufacturers and service operators can leverage the capabilities of the chipset to deliver incredible color depth and picture clarity of 10-bit processing.

The baseline features of the Thunder Ultra HD 4K reference design which is customizable includes Ultra HD 4K HEVC 10-bit 60p decoding; 2D/3D GUI support; HDMI Out; gigabit Ethernet,  Wi-Fi and USB 3.0 and 2.0.

“Using the Thunder platform, OEM’s and ODM’s can now very quickly provide a full-featured yet ultra-compact IP Client STB product that delivers stunning video quality at market leading price points,” Daub added.

ViXS also announced that the XCodePro family of products, designed for cloud-based and traditional broadcast distributors of premium content can support processing MPEG2, advanced video coding (AVC), and high efficiency video coding (HEVC) up to 4K resolution, setting a new bar for density, quality and low power in broadcast infrastructure applications.