ARM processors are already everywhere around you, but this is one company that will not rest until you find their chips in every device you own since ARM has just announced the implementation of a Dolby decoder in their processors in order to build the next generation digital televisions and set-top-boxes.

This is possible thanks to the Dolby MS10 Multistream Decoder that, added to the Cortex A9 processor  together with some special software optimizations offered by Ittiam, enables Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital, Dolby Pulse decoding and Dolby Digital encoding capabilities while having a really small hardware footprint, utilizing less then 10% of the processors computing power.

“The availability of Dolby MS10 Multistream Decoder on the ARM Cortex-A9 processor is an important milestone.  

Televisions and set-top boxes are rapidly evolving into multipurpose digital media platforms for the home.  

As more customers begin to deploy the Dolby MS10 Multistream Decoder, its availability on the ARM Cortex-A9 processor will help speed the development of compelling new devices that deliver an unparalleled audio experience,” said Jason Power, senior director, broadcast, Dolby Laboratories.

Although I am not so sure about the unparalleled audio experience part, this is a an important announcement none the less since Cortex A9 processors are now capable of providing Full HD decoding capabilities (video as well as sound) making it a much better option for HD enabled devices.

No word on when the very first devices built using this processors will hit the market, but ARM seems to have a pretty strong following these days so this are bound to make their way in consumer devices sooner rather then later.  

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