Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

Online Media
     
         A company formed by {Acorn Computer Group} plc to
        exploit the {ARM} RISC in television {set-top box} decoders.
        They are wooing {British Telecommunications} plc to use the
        box in some of its {video on demand} trials.
     
        The box will be based on an {ARM8} core with additional
        circuits to enable {MPEG} to be decoded in software - possibly
        dedicated instructions for interpolation, inverse {DCT} or
        {Huffman} table extraction.  They have already moved audio
        {MPEG} to sillicon.  The box will use Acorn's {RISC OS}
        {operating system} as the control environment and is also
        looking at putting {Oracle} and {Microword} on it.  Online
        will reduce component numbers and therefore cost by
        transferring functions presently on boards into the single
        RISC chip.
     
        The interactive set-top boxes are not limited to the
        television - personal computer videoconferencing and extended
        networking are being developed.  Acorn already has
        partnerships with {Bell Northern Research} and {Northern
        Telecom} Limited, News International, Alcatel NV and its
        majority shareholder Ing C {Olivetti} & Co SpA.
     
        The company is presently wholly owned by Acorn, but eventually
        expects to bring in external investment.  Online will start a
        four phase trial in Cambridge with Cambridge Cable Co,
        Advanced Telecommunications Modules Ltd. - the Hermann Hauser
        company promising super-cheap Asynchronous Transfer Mode - and
        Anglia Television, later this year.
     
        [Article by [email protected] cross-posted from
        tandem.news.computergram, 1994-07-7].
     
        (1997-05-14)