Toshiba Launches Notebooks On Quad Core SpursEngine HD Processor

Toshiba Corporation today announced that it will enhance its Japanese line-up of Qosmio AV notebooks with the launch of new models, the Qosmio G50 series (G50/98G, G50/97G) and Qosmio F50 series (F50/88G), that integrate the Toshiba Quad Core HD Processor SpursEngine SE1000 streaming media processor. Both new series will be brought to market in Japan in late July. In parallel, Toshiba also announced the launch of the new dynabook Qosmio FX, which integrates the latest high performance graphics processor.

Derived from the high performance multi-core technology of the Cell Broadband Engine (Cell/B.E.), and combined with Toshiba's image processing technology, the SpursEngine integrates 4 synergistic processing elements (S.P.E.s) and functions as a dedicated co-processor that supports the handling of high definition video streams, image recognition and image processing.

This new processor is designed to remove the burden of processing high-definition video data streams from CPU, and it significantly improves processing power and speeds up the handling of multiple, resource-intensive video processing tasks such as conversion of standard definition video content to high definition quality.

First among SpursEngine capabilities is support for Toshiba's "High-resolution function" that upscales standard definition video sources to high definition.

The "Face navigation function" recognizes and memorizes faces as they appear on screen, and displays them in an index that can be used to playback video segments featuring a specific person. "Scene Thumb" takes thumbnail snapshots of a user-recorded video, lines them up one after another, and any one can be individually viewed by running the cursor over it. "Scene Thumb" provides users with a unique approach to finding just the moment they want to view. Another feature of thumbnail search is the ability to search by highlight level and section bar, allowing viewers to home on in, for example, heavy applause during a concert video.

The Qosmio G50 series also adds "Gesture Control" for gesture-based interfacing: simple hand movements captured by the PC's integrated CCD camera, can be used to control video playback and pause, for example, without a mouse or remote controller.

In addition to upscaling, the new Qosmios are claimed to be able to cut recording time by half, and to boost recording density by a factor of approximately eight - recording up to 8 hours of video on the storage capacity usually required for one hour. This is done by real-time compression of high definition digital terrestrial broadcasts into the H.264 format during recording. Users can select from five recording modes: TS mode (MPEG-2, HD quality, 17 Mbps), XP mode (H.264, HD quality, 10 Mbps), SP mode (H.264, HD quality, 8 Mbps), LP mode (H.264, HD quality, 5.5 Mbps) and LLP mode (H.264, SD quality, 2 Mbps).

Along with the SpursEngine, the new Qosmios also integrate a complete suite of the latest hardware, including a next generation Intel CPU processor and the latest NVIDIA graphic accelerator (see specifications below).

Toshiba has also given the new Qosmio PC a more sophisticated and elegant design, by forming a distinctive pattern on the surface of the case during molding. The high-end Qosmio G50 series complement stylish appearance with an 18.4-inch LCD with 16:9 aspect ratio.

Toshiba also unveiled the dynabook Qosmio FX series (FX/77G) based on the latest NVIDIA GPU and intended for gaming.

Other AV features:

• Integration of REGZA LINK - By connecting the PC to a Toshiba REGZA TV via an HDMI cable, users can watch HD video content stored in the PC on a large-screen TV. Users can also control the PC with a single REGZA remote control unit.
• Integration of dual digital terrestrial tuners - Users can record two different digital terrestrial programs, even when they are broadcast at the same time, and record one program while watching another.
• Support for "Dubbing 10", a new Japanese recording rule - The function allows users to copy digital broadcasts recorded in a HDD up to nine times and move it to different equipment one time.
• Small antenna for digital terrestrial broadcast - The new Qosmio G50/F50 series include an antenna for digital terrestrial broadcast.

Specifications:

Source: Toshiba

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