TI's OMAP chips land Netflix HD certification for Android
updated 09:55 pm EDT, Tue July 5, 2011
Move expected to expand Netflix on Android
Texas Instruments has announced that its OMAP 4 platform has received official certification for Netflix HD content on Android devices. The chip maker claims it is the first company to secure official blessings for a 1080p Netflix application on any mobile device. Although current smartphones and tablets lack displays capable of presenting content in native 1080p resolution, the feature will be supported via HDMI output using HDCP encryption.
The company reportedly collaborated with Trusted Logic to build an OMAP implementation of Microsoft's PlayReady DRM technology, a content-protection system required by Netflix. The dual-core chips are said to be capable of 30fps playback, even at 1080p resolution.
Netflix HD support initially will be limited to OMAP 4-based devices running Android 2.3, though the company expects to expand support to other Android versions later this year. Devices with pre-installed Netflix HD apps are said to be on the way in the near future.
Although TI limits its current announcement to Android products, it remains unclear if other devices, such as RIM's PlayBook, will be added to the list of OMAP 4-equipped gadgets to support Netflix' HD streaming content.
