VIA EPIA-P830 Pico-ITX board promises 1080p HD in tiny footprint

VIA has made its name with tiny mainboards, and the EPIA-P830 Pico-ITX is no different. Featuring a 1.2GHz VIA Nano E-Series processor and VX900 media processor, the EPIA-P830 measures 10 x 7.2 cm but is still capable of up to 1080p HD video playback and HDMI connectivity.

While onboard connectivity is minimal – though you do get plenty of pin-outs – you can add the P830-B I/O add-on-board to get a VGA port, gigabit LAN and two USB 2.0 ports. VIA Vinyl HD audio codec provides 6 channel, DTS capable audio with S/PDIF support, and there are two SATA ports.

VIA reckons the EPIA-P830 is ideal for embedded applications, but we can see it gaining favor among the DIY HTPC community. No word on pricing at this stage. Read Full Article

Press Release:

VIA EPIA-P830 Pico-ITX: Multimedia Prowess Meets Networking Versatility in the Smallest of Places

Latest Pico-ITX board offers incredible HD multimedia over HDMI plus dual Mini-PCIe slots for enhanced connectivity options, delivering the smartest, most connected Pico-ITX board ever

Taipei, Taiwan, December 15, 2010 – VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the VIA EPIA-P830 Pico-ITX board for advanced portable and network connected embedded applications. The VIA EPIA-P830 features the VIA Nano E-Series processor and the latest VIA VX900 media system processor with additional support for dual Mini-PCIe modules, bringing a wealth of 3G and wireless connectivity options.

“Modern enterprise environments in healthcare, logistics and fleet management require more connected and portable devices that don’t hold back on multimedia ability,” said Daniel Wu, Vice President, VIA Embedded Platform Division, VIA Technologies, Inc. “The VIA EPIA-P830 addresses these needs, creating the most complete Pico-ITX board on the market with great HD video performance and a variety of display and network connectivity options.”

The VIA EPIA-P830 extends the Pico-ITX form factor further than ever, using low profile expansion boards to provide easy on-board access to VGA, RJ45 and two USB ports plus dual Mini-PCie slots ideal for accommodating a range of Mini-PCIe modules.

The Ultimate Embedded Platform – VIA Nano E-Series & VIA VX900
The latest microprocessor platform from VIA is tailor-made for embedded applications, a potent combination that comprises the mature and optimized VIA Nano E-Series processor and the latest VIA VX900 media system processor. VIA embedded processor platforms have extended longevity support of up to seven years and offer the most compelling low power microprocessor design in the industry today.

The VIA Nano E-Series processor delivers out-of-order 64-bit processing that keeps in step with the need for raw performance while remaining within rigidly low energy, low heat parameters. The latest VIA VX900 MSP adds support for DDR3 memory, HD audio support, advanced display connectivity and a high performance hardware HD video decoder with the latest VIA ChromotionHD 2.0 video engine.

The VIA ChromotionHD 2.0 delivers advanced filtering and cutting edge post-processing to perform ultra smooth decoding of MPEG-4/AVC, H.264, MPEG-2, VC-1, WMV-HD, providing smooth playback of the most demanding multimedia titles at resolutions up to 1080p without incurring a heavy CPU load.
To learn more about VIA Nano architecture and the embedded focused E-Series processors, please go to: http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/processors/nano/

For information about the VIA VX900 media system processor, please visit:
http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/chipsets/v-series/vx900/index.jsp

VIA EPIA-P830 Pico-ITX – Product Overview

Measuring a mere 10cm x 7.2cm the ultra compact VIA EPIA-P830 features a 1.2GHz VIA Nano E-Series processor and supports up to 4GB of DDR3 800/1066 SODIMM system memory. The highly integrated, all-in-one VIA VX900 Media System Processor provides flawless hardware acceleration for the latest HD video codecs at display resolutions of up to 1080p with very low CPU utilization. The VIA Chrome9™ HCM 3D integrated graphics core boasts full DirectX 9.0 support and a 128-bit 2D engine with hardware rotation capability.

The VIA EPIA-P830 uses a specially designed I/O add-on-board which supplements the native HDMI port to add a VGA port, a Gigabit LAN and two USB 2.0 ports. The VIA Vinyl HD audio codec provides 6 channel, DTS capable audio with S/PDIF support. Storage is provided via two SATA ports. On board pin headers provide support for 1 channel LVDS display support, an additional 5 x USB 2.0 ports, an LPC connector, SMBus connector, PS/2 support, audio jacks, LVDS, 4 pairs of DIO and two UART ports. A DC-in power connector is also provided.