ARM presents Mali image processor for 4k display at 120Hz

ARM has announced the Mali-D71, an image processor optimized for VR and HDR applications that enables 4k video playback at 120Hz. In addition, ARM presents Assertive Display 5, for HDR and better display in direct sunlight.

ARM has built the Mali-D71 around its new Komeda image architecture and along with the processor, the company is announcing the Assertive Display 5 and MMU-600 components, which can be combined with the image processor. The Mali-D71 is intended for smartphones and should relieve the gpu and cpu for graphical tasks. The MMU-600 is intended for memory management.

Where the previous generation was optimized for 4k90Hz playback, the combination of the DP71 with MMU-600 should be able to handle 4k120Hz images. In addition, the latency has been reduced and the pixel throughput has been doubled. The combination also occupies a 55 percent smaller surface area than the previous combination of Mali-DP650 image processor with MMU-500 part. According to ARM, this makes the image processor better suited for VR and AR applications, among other things. In addition, improvements have been made for multi-window display on Android.

The Assertive Display 5 technique uses tone mapping at the pixel level to adapt the color reproduction and visibility of screens to ambient light. The technique also automatically adjusts the screen brightness, but by being able to increase the contrast ratio, according to ArM, the screen does not have to be set to the maximum brightness to improve the display in incident light. What is new is that the technology can display HDR10 or Hlg on any screen, including SDR screens. In addition, there is standard support for blue light filtering, which should counteract the effect of this light on the users’ sleep rhythm.