Toshiba releases SpursEngine graphics co-processor for testing

Toshiba just pushed its SpursEngine co-processor chip out the door for sampling. Derived from the Cell processor at the heart of Sony's PS3, the SpursEngine SE1000 contains 4 processor cores (not 8 like the Cell) and a hardware codec for encoding and decoding MPEG-2/H.264 video. It's designed to manhandle real-time graphics processing and video manipulation when used in a potent three-way with your computer's CPU and GPU. The processor is expected to cost as little as $50 by the time it appears in the first consumer electronics devices -- likely graphics cards -- early next year. A very good thing if the production experience is anything like the demonstrations we've seen.

[Via Impress]

[rayza563 @ Apr 8th 2008 7:36AM]

Hmm, cant wait to play Doom with 4 cores.

wait! IT DOES PLAY DOOM?

lol first comment.

[Zmitten @ Apr 8th 2008 8:00AM]

No.

[steve @ Apr 8th 2008 8:02AM]

I think those seriously intrested in video editing/encoding vidoe will already have a powerful gpu, making this pointless.

For those on a budget who just want to watch ordinary video, then can't that just be done on integrated grapics, more cheaply?

[Kurian @ Apr 8th 2008 8:12AM]

I doubt its indented target is a PC like stated in the article. It'll probably be used in portable devices or other underpowered crap like the Eee PC or Macbook Air which cant decode a HD stream on its own.

[Dani @ Apr 8th 2008 8:13AM]

If I know anything about PC enthusiasts, it's that if it has a slot, they must fill it.

Toshiba are partnering with Corel, CyberLink and Leadtek for this initially so I'd say they have a more than fighting chance.

[Ysleiro @ Apr 8th 2008 9:36AM]

Guys you are missing the point.

This device is capable of upconversion of SD video to higher than 720p.

Around 960p actually

[Munkcy @ Apr 8th 2008 10:23AM]

@Dani: "...if it has a slot, they must fill it."

- If that was intentionally written with innuendo in mind, then kudos.

[Andrew Jones @ Apr 8th 2008 10:33AM]

There's definitely a PC market for this sort of thing - there's nothing to prevent them from using this as a hardware MPEG-2 encoder. Maybe I'm the only one, but I see some value in the ability to have a content distribution system using existing coax cables running ATSC signals. The primary problem to now, the way I understand it, has been a lack of inexpensive encoders.
Sure - you can use a media extender box in every room, but I don't WANT an extra box in my home theatre system.

[phanbouy @ Apr 8th 2008 1:47PM]

@Dani: "...if it has a slot, they must fill it."

that's what you said.

xD

[LiqwidZero @ Apr 8th 2008 8:27AM]

The Cell doesn't have 8 cores. It has SPEs. 4 SPEs do not equate to the speed of 4 processor cores.

[Zeus.:God @ Apr 8th 2008 4:55PM]

Thank you.

I'm getting pretty tired of all the commenters on this site and others, along with some publications going on about how the Cell has 8 cores or whatever...

Its rather annoying to see people spread misinformation.

[Nando @ Apr 8th 2008 9:36PM]

Actually, a spe CAN be called a core, see it for yourself:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-core
so the ps3 has 7 spe + 1 ppe = 8 cores. and we can say the same about this chip, it has 4 cores, but we don't know the configuration of spe's + ppe's.

[LiqwidZero @ Apr 9th 2008 12:06PM]

SPE means "Synthetic Programing Environment". What an SPE does is act like a pseudoprocessor. It is not a processor. It's sort of like Super Dooper Hyper-threading.

[Mobius_1 @ Apr 8th 2008 8:55AM]

"Potent three way"

indeed

[pinchies @ Apr 8th 2008 9:03AM]

This is what we have been needing. Finally decent h264 encoding!

[Jason @ Apr 8th 2008 9:10AM]

Oh!!! now i def have a reason to build a new rig

[Deadmeat @ Apr 8th 2008 9:16AM]

This chip is for Super Upconversion. A 960p native output extracted from standard DVD via fusion of 9 frames.

No Blu-Ray needed to enjoy high-definition, a Super Upconversion DVD player is all you need.

[Ysleiro @ Apr 8th 2008 9:31AM]

Yeah dude.

I see what you are saying. I looked at some pics and saw that the device is capable of sharpening images. Makes me wonder.

Will they put it in TV's or DVD players?

Will competing brands develop their own so as not to be outdone by Toshiba?

Will SONY !!! ??? considering that this might derail blu-ray take over for a while if it picks up speed and is affordable?

With that being said I hope its affordable, I wouldn't mind paying an extra 50 dollars to watch all my DVDs on high definition. (granted not 1080p but it still sweet)

What do you guys think?

[Ysleiro @ Apr 8th 2008 9:39AM]

Every body missed the point.

It's for upconversion too people.

Read into it.

[BobTurbo @ Apr 8th 2008 9:45AM]

Everybody is missing........

[kal326 @ Apr 8th 2008 11:01AM]

Maybe Toshiba should talk to manufactures of the dedicated add in physics cards and see how well that product did. Even if they were to add these into graphics cards, its going to be pretty hard to tack on $50 of additional cost onto a cheap underpowered card which would be the only ones to benefit from the additional hardware. Most of the newer Nvidia cards and probably ATI cards already support some sort of HD assist.

[Kamar Zaman @ Apr 8th 2008 11:19AM]

You know the old joke, somebody bought a large screen HD TV and complained that the picture quality is shitty, no realising that they are still watching standard definition broadcast. A HDTV with this chip built-in will upscale SD TV, not just DVDs, giving them a tremendous advantage in the highly competitive HDTV market.

[islab1 @ Apr 9th 2008 3:36AM]

ATI的HD3450市價大約60美元，支援VC-1,h.264，是否已經涵蓋這個產品功能。如果是的話，那這個成本50美元的產品賣誰?
遑論還有主機板內建ATI 780G晶片！

[RapidKiller @ Apr 10th 2008 11:24PM]

hmm, now i can encode to H.264 and use my email at the same time, this seems great, id buy it as an add in card to help with video encoding so that i can use my computer for more than one thing at a time.