Imagination Technologies Share Discussion Threads

[taffy100] 05/1/2017 13:08

MIPS I6500 CPU sub-system with NetSpeed's Gemini IP provides highly efficient processing for vision applications

[roninja] 04/1/2017 21:54

BT and MediaTek Collaborate to Deliver Total Wireless Connectivity for the Home, and Connected World

MT7621 is MIPS based.

[roninja] 04/1/2017 21:37

Blackberry/Renesas automotive collaboration

[sweenoid] 04/1/2017 11:33

interesting blog from our friends and customers at bluwireless



S

[jamesrowe] 04/1/2017 11:12

AMD already supports RT on its top end workstation cards for graphics professionals so presumably the IMG RT solution would just be a more elegant way of speeding it up 'under the covers' instead of using the existing 'brute force' approach implemented on a standard graphics card. I am uncertain about prospects for mass market adoption though. Perhaps if all AMD cards supported RT then software developers could reduce game development costs by using RT rather than standard raster graphics. It is a chicken and egg situation that requires the hardware to support it before developers will commit to it or vice versa.

[twatcher] 04/1/2017 09:47

Interesting thoughts timbob2000. The downside of that approach although it does get IMG RT"out there" the pace of adoption would be pretty slow, as it requires independant software developers to decide to committ to use the functionality on the board, assuming it's just extra functionality on a standard PC board.

Console / Apple licence would mean that the tech would be used immediately.

If AMD/Nvidia see it as a useful addition, I'm imagined they would look to buy the tech in totality/license exclusively, they'll hardly want to act as a pathfinder, and then allow IMG to license on different platforms. In that scenario, they would see it as leverage to get into markets they currently are not in. There have been rumours that AMD are looking to get back into mobile, although AFAIK they don't have any suitable mobile graphics IP.

[milesy] 03/1/2017 21:27

One wonders what the new hard-nosed management saw in RT that persuaded them it was worthy of retaining, not least as it's still some way off any potential return...something we don't know about perhaps?

They ain't held back thus far on pruning the dead wood that's for sure.

[timbob2000] 03/1/2017 14:00

Sweenoid, I think ultimately IMG under Yassaies leadership chose the wrong strategy for their Raytracing IP. Choosing mobile over PC/console was the wrong way to go in my opinion. The small power/performance restrictions that mobile SoC's impose are just not enough to allow raytracing to (excuse the pun) shine. This appears to be reflected in the company’s decision to now focus on the PC/workstation/console markets. Here IMG will need a strategic partner which means working with either NVIDIA or AMD. This also probably means IMG will be looking to license the raytracing component only which gets incorporated into an NVIDIA or AMD Radeon GPU. However I think this solution will still be very rewarding to IMG given the size and potential of the PC/workstation/console markets. Now if I were IMG I would probably choose AMD over NVIDIA for a number of reasons. 1. AMD have very good relationships with the Games Console companies, namely Microsoft and Sony, being that AMD CPU and Radeon GPU technology are present in both XBox One and PS4/Pro. 2. AMD will definitely be more receptive to a technology that would potentially give them an edge over their rival NVIDIA. AMD are currently the underdog in the PC desktop/workstation markets. 3. AMD are NOT and as far as we know have no plans to enter the mobile/automotive spaces. This would be important to IMG because if the raytracing tech gains market acceptance IMG can then begin to roll it out to their PowerVR GPU's for incorporation into a future Apple iphone or whatever. So basically AMD would get overall control of the PC/workstation/Console markets and IMG get to remain exclusive to mobile with no fear of a conflict of business interest occurring with AMD... So the long and the short of it all is that I think IMG now have to go back to work and come up with a design that will be more suited to the desktop PC/console space, so that will require another 12 to 18 months of hard graft... At least that is my take on things anyway.

[sweenoid] 03/1/2017 13:11

IMG are once again talking up their Ray-tracing IP

A great article and demo here, like the sub-section demo's too.

Unfortunately like many other Imagineers I have developed a hard resistant scale to the merits of this IP , based on very reasonable grounds, namely no one has licensed it despite its apparent superiority. It still beggars belief that this has either not sunk without a trace ( sorry couldn't resist) or was well on the way to becoming a denovo standard?

I have always had the feeling that if it takes off it will be a massive earner, but years of frustration leave me less than optimistic that 2017 will see it gain major traction. I would dearly love to be wrong



S

[bukko] 03/1/2017 01:04

Was that a no-brainer's no-brainer then Ted?

[sweenoid] 31/12/2016 08:16

My view on share tipsters is well known, they are usually under researched and transient.
However any person that tips IMG for 2017 must at least have some sense of bravado ;-)
One things for sure, NO-ONE including yours truly was tipping them this time last year

Looking forward to CES end of next week



A Happy and hopefully prosperous year for Imaigineers for 2017, but I echo Hammerd's sentiments above, prosperity ain't worth diddly squat if you aren't healthy and happy

S

EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT

I was incorrect in assuming anyone would be 'daft' enough to tip IMG this time last year, apparently it was the top pick of the aforesaid Sunday Times reporter, I can only assume he had a very merry Xmas last year, and deserves the ultimate credit for his bravery.Well done that man.

[hammerd2] 25/12/2016 16:38

Merry Xmas all Imagineers past and present.

Whatever will be, will be. We'll be taken out, we'll stumble onto doom, we'll soar like a Phoenix. Yada yada yada.

Money's great fun and all but happiness and health are all, so I'll wish you all the best and most of those priceless commodities.

COYI !!

[timbob2000] 24/12/2016 15:21

Ok so we know IMG are in the Mediatek X30/X35 SoC and we know PowerVR should also feature in a Spreadtrum based SoC in 2017 but what else?... Well a little fun speculation here, we know Mediatek have also licensed Series8XE, could this end up in their low/mid range P Series SoC's? Based on some things the CEO has said Series8XE may well also show up in a HiSilicon SoC during 2017. Also and this is just my hunch but I think IMG may have secured a place in LG's new SoC currently being produced by Intel. My reasoning is that LG selected PowerVR for there first go at an SoC (G6400) and of course Intels chip manufacturing are experienced with incorporating PowerVR technology.

In addition the China based Xiaomi are rumoured to be working on there own SoC though no idea exactly what IP will be inside.

Whatever the case lots of opportunities for IMG to improve Android market share in 2017/18.

[sweenoid] 23/12/2016 11:06

Well we have certainly been through the PEAK OF INFLATED EXPECTATIONS ( fed in large by HY) , certainly been through the TROUGH OF DISSILLUSIONMENT, but are we now to embark on the SLOPE OF ENLIGHTENMENT?

2016 followed 2015 in being horrible years for Imagineers

For myself I felt let down and fed up with IMG in the beginning of 2016, I enter 2017 with a reserved feeling of cautious optimism

Happy Chrimbo's to all those Imagineers I have met or communicated with on THE LONG ROAD



Dave

[nearlythere] 22/12/2016 10:29

Not sure it posted before

[twatcher] 20/12/2016 13:11

Whilst we wait for some news of substance, here's a a recent press piece.



"Imagination also wants to regain share in the mobile market as it expands the Series8XE graphics processor into low-end and mid-range phones, said Graham Deacon, senior director of business operations for PowerVR.

That's a market Imagination has lost, with competitive GPUs from ARM and Qualcomm taking share. Imagination introduced Series8XE earlier this year, and the technology is reaching low- and mid-range devices.

The goal is for Series8XT to be a harbinger of many new technologies, but all the GPUs will cram in more performance, Deacon said."

[sweenoid] 18/12/2016 07:58

IT looks like Benny Har-Evan will be/is occupying the seat vacated by Alex Voica
Either way this is a nice little article



Isn't the Apple NDA on publicity pathetic when everyone in the worls know WE ( not a few tinkerer's near Oxford St) do their graphics ;-)

Looking forward to CES , hopefully we will see some of the X30 smartphones previewed.

Ss

[snaffleclamp] 18/12/2016 01:41

Watch CeeLo Green fall to the floor as his mobile phone EXPLODES in his face