Pixelworks, a provider of power efficient visual processing solutions, has just unveiled a new version of its Iris display processing chipset, the PX8418, which is the company’s fourth-gen Iris chipset. Pixelworks says that this chipset incorporates the world’s most comprehensive tone mapping pipeline, while it also utilizes Pixelworks’ core video processing technology which was originally developed for high-end TVs, and first included in the third-gen chipset.
The PX8418 chip enables HDR (High Dynamic Range) video on both OLED and LCD displays, while it does not go far away from the content creators original intent, says Pixelworks. This chip also comes with a feature which converts SDR (Standard Definition Range) to HDR content, which will basically boost the content your display can show, if it’s not up to par when it comes to quality. The PX8418 also incorporates the company’s auto-adaptive True View and True Color features, which basically help with tuning colors of the content you’re viewing, in order to make it as color-accurate as possible. Pixelworks also notes that the PX8418 chip is made for both high-end and mid-range smartphones, and that we’re looking at a 16-bit internal HDR processing pipeline here. The company also notes that this chip can improve colors up to 10x, and that the conversion of SDR to HDR is happening in real time, which is kind of obvious, but it’s worth noting nonetheless.
Now, True View and True Color features are not exactly new for Pixelworks’ Iris chips, but it’s worth explaining them both. True View auto-adaptive technology basically optimizes the display in real-time, based on the ambient light, color temperature, content, as well as user’s preferences. True Color, on the other hand, can adjust the display gamut to the incoming content and provide a 10x improvement in color accuracy, and it works better than ever before with Pixelworks’ fourth-gen chip, claims the company. Mobile displays are usually noticeably brighter than televisions, which requires some tuning, which is where True Color comes in. Pixelworks’ tech is actually included in Xiaomi’s recently-announced Black Shark gaming smartphone, in case you didn’t know that, and you can read more about it here.
