After dismantling his Donkey Kong video game at the age of 10, V-Novas Obioma Okehie has been hooked on creating content with technology. As he says, if you can dream it then its possible!
By Jenny Priestley
Published: June 20, 2023 Updated: June 21, 2023
After dismantling his Donkey Kong video game at the age of 10, V-Nova's Obioma Okehie has been hooked on creating content with technology. As he says, if you can dream it then it's possible!
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>
Obioma Okehie, group lead ASIC/FPGA at V-Nova Talk us through an average day in your role State-of-the-art video compression technology is computationally demanding and poses a problem of cost, power and processing efficiency on compute resources. ASICs and FPGAs provide a solution to this problem by delivering a highly efficient platform capable of reducing cost, power usage and of course, providing accelerated computation to the video compression task at hand.
We start the process with an RFI (Request for information) or specification request, detailing the intended product/solution, closely followed by several technical meetings and discussions to finalise on an agreed system architecture.
The project is further broken down into smaller blocks that can be worked on by different engineers based on skill and proficiency. Each sub-block will generally involve creating a logic design/architecture via an interactive process with the R&D team and is a challenging but exciting stage in the design process as each engineer gets to squeeze those creative juices to come up with something truly remarkable, the result of which is a streamlined and hardware friendly algorithm as well as a BAM (bit accurate model) of the algorithm in question.
The next step is then to convert the design into HDL (Hardware Description Language, e.g Verilog, VHDL or SystemVerilog) which requires some skill in choosing the best techniques to achieve a certain function which would then be put through a verification process against the BAM created in the earlier design stage.
A key part of the job involves being able to perform a synthesis and timing analysis on the created circuit to ascertain its fmax (maximum clock frequency), logic resources and internal on-chip memory usage (amongst other metrics) followed by a placement and routing exercise to locate the transistor gates and macroblocks in optimal locations on the chip ensuring the design meets the required clock frequency. Once complete, the design is ready to be verified in real life' typically using FPGAs to create prototypes for testing and Demos.
Very little compares to the satisfaction of seeing the real-life pictures on screen being processed and delivered on a platform you just created with hard grafting over the last couple of months. Those technical meetings and discussions, the scribbles on the paper while on your way home on the train, and the eureka moments, which usually take place first thing after waking up from sleep, were all worth it!
How did you get started in the media industry? On leaving university, fresh out of school and with bags of enthusiasm, I got a job with a well-known Japanese company and designed chipsets for the set-top-box industry, particularly the DVB-T market. I then transitioned to V-Nova where I got the chance to lead a talented team in developing the latest and greatest video compression technology on the FPGA platform.
What training did you have before entering the industry? After migrating to the UK in the mid '90s, I attained a GNVQ advanced engineering degree at the South Thames College in Wandsworth before going into undergraduate education to study communications systems engineering at the University of Westminster in London. These courses provided a sound foundation to take on the knowledge provided by the on-the-job training received while working on design projects.
Why do you enjoy working in the industry? At age 10 (or so) having dismantled my Donkey Kong hand-held game only to find some rubber pads and a black-dot' on a board, I was hooked. I wanted to be the one to create such things. I enjoy working in the ASIC industry because it allows the expression of the creative mind. Simply put, if you can dream it then it's possible!
What piece of advice would you offer someone looking to explore a role similar to yours? Having ascertained you have a passion for the creative' then, first and foremost, train yourself on the fundamentals of digital design, and get engaged in design projects and challenges while at school. Explore and experiment with different forms of coding languages (Verilog, VHDL, Python, C/C++, Octave/Matlab) to gain some entry-level proficiency in each, then look for a role that offers the use and extension of the knowledge you have gained so far. Finally, find your creative flames and don't be fearful of trying out new things or techniques.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
03/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/03/2026
NBC Sports selected Imaginary Forces to create the main title sequence for the M...
02/03/2026
The NFL announces the launch of the NFL Draft Innovation Challenge, a new crowds...
02/03/2026
The World Teleport Association (WTA) has named Skyline Communications' DataMiner SatOps solution as a finalist for the 2026 Teleport Technology of the Year ...
02/03/2026
Ventum Tech announces a strategic partnership with Pixotope, a real-time graphic...
02/03/2026
Victory , a free, ad-supported sports streaming service, announces the launch of...
02/03/2026
Global powerhouse Delta Goodrem to represent Australia at this year's Eurovi...
02/03/2026
SBS brings together prominent voices to discuss rising social division and seek ...
02/03/2026
NITV Unveils Wednesday Night Sport Night
Media releases
A Midweek Hub for Blak Sport
Flagship NRL program Over The Black Dot moves to Wednesdays at 9:30pm
...
02/03/2026
Rohde & Schwarz demonstrates FR1-FR3 carrier aggregation, advancing 6G readiness Rohde & Schwarz and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. have reached another pivotal ...
02/03/2026
MELBOURNE, Fla., March 2, 2026 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) today announc...
02/03/2026
Harvey Norman tops New Zealand's biggest ad spenders as retail leads and telcos and beverages sure Auckland March 3, 2026 - Nielsen's New Zealand'...
02/03/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, and Arqit Quantum Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQQ, A...
02/03/2026
Advanced Systems Group, LLC (ASG), a technology and services provider for media creatives and content owners, has appointed Jody Boatwright as Chief Strategy Of...
02/03/2026
Lightware, an industry leader in signal management, is reinforcing its commitment to simplifying complex AV environments with the continued evolution of its TPN...
02/03/2026
ZEISS Cinema opens its doors to an exclusive screening, filmmakers Q&A and hands-on showcase of the new ZEISS Aatma lens family on Tuesday, March 10, 6:00-9:00 ...
02/03/2026
To expand the creative potential of the compact Astera QuikBeam, DoPchoice introduces the SNAPBAG Round. The new light-shaping accessory transforms the powerfu...
02/03/2026
Douglas Dubler
On a rooftop in New York City, veteran photographer Douglas Dubler watched the sun's angle shift across the urban landscape, his internal cl...
02/03/2026
ZEISS is expanding its Otus ML lens family with the introduction of the new ZEISS Otus ML 1.4/35. This manual-focus lens is designed for photographers who live ...
02/03/2026
Matthews Studio Equipment now offers the new Dinkum Systems White FlexiMount and Phone Mount Kit, a compact, highly adaptable setup for mobile content creation...
02/03/2026
Luxembourg, February 26, 2026 - SES and Africa Mobile Network (AMN) have expande...
02/03/2026
02 03 2026 - Media release Ausfilm and Screen Australia launch joint UK market initiative
Ausfilm and Screen Australia have announced Partner with Australia (...
02/03/2026
Monday 2 March 2026
Saturday Night Live UK announces writing team
L-R: Jonno Johnson; Charlie Skelton; Celya AB; Omar Badawy; Gr inne Maguire; Laura Claxton; ...
02/03/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils the Trailer for 53 Sundays, the New Film by Cesc Gay
Entertainment
02 March 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Dis...
28/02/2026
With two features seen in Formula 1 coverage, the broadcaster aims to bring view...
28/02/2026
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth addresses a crowd of approximately 1,500 L3Harris employees in Camden, Arkansas, as part of his Arsenal of Freedom tour....
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Berklee Presents Mambo Mania: Eguie Castrillo and the Berklee All-Stars Big Band...
28/02/2026
Berklee Announces Two New Summer Programs in Los Angeles The Berklee Music Business Program and Electronic Music Production and Sound Design Workshop bring imme...
28/02/2026
AI-RAN is moving from lab to field, showing that a software-defined approach is ...
28/02/2026
Autonomous networks - intelligent, self-managing telecommunications operations -...
28/02/2026
Back to All News
Final Trailer for BEASTARS Final Season Part 2' Roars Tow...
28/02/2026
New way to intentionally discover molecular glues could expand drug discovery Scripps Research scientists and colleagues show how drugs that eliminate certain d...
27/02/2026
The E.W. Scripps Company names Oliver Gray as Vice President, Network Sports and...
27/02/2026
The Gotham Sports App, the exclusive direct-to-consumer streaming home of MSG Networks and the YES Network, is now available for purchase through Prime Video fo...
After dismantling his Donkey Kong video game at the age of 10, V-Novas Obioma Okehie has been hooked on creating content with technology. As he says, if you can dream it then its possible!
