Broadcom Cell Chip Designed for HD on Phones

Broadcom Corp. has unveiled a low-power multimedia processor that it said would give cell phone users access to HD video playback and 12-megapixel camera capabilities with a minimum drain on batteries.

The processor (branded VideoCore III) is designed to support HD camcorder functions, allowing the encoding/decoding of 720p, according to Broadcom, which said it’s the first firm to employ a chip to deliver HD images in 720p on cell phones.

The company, based in Irvine, Calif., had no data on how large cell phone screens would need to be in order for the typical user to appreciate 720p images over lesser video.