-There are several Open VLSI Tool suites:
-
-* GNU Electric: https://www.gnu.org/software/electric/
-* MAGIC: http://opencircuitdesign.com/magic/
-* The OpenROAD Project: https://theopenroadproject.org/ (using MAGIC)
-* QFlow: http://opencircuitdesign.com/qflow/
-* Toped: http://www.toped.org.uk/
-
-and a few more. We choose Coriolis2 because of its python interface.
-The VLSI Layout is actually done as a *python* program. With nmigen
-(the HDL) being in python, we anticipate the same OO benefits to be
-achievable in coriolis2 as well.
-
-The case for the Libre RISC-V SoC itself was made already in the initial
-2018.02 proposal. That has not changed: there are no Libre / Open Projects
-approaching anything like the complexity and product market opportunities
-of the Libre RISC-V SoC, which is being designed to be a quad-core 800mhz
-multi-issue out-of-order design. All other Libre / Open processors such
-as Raven, and many more, have a goal set in advance not to exceed around
-the 350mhz mark, and are single-core.
-
-Other projects which are "open", such as the Ariane Processor, are
-developed by universities, and in the case of Ariane were *SPECIFICALLY*
-designed by and for the use of proprietary toolchains, such as those from
-Cadence, Synopsys and Mentor Graphics. Despite the source code being
-"open", there was absolutely no expectation that the processor of the
-same capability as the Libre RISC-V SoC would use Libre / Open tools.
-
-Although our first ASIC (thanks to Chips4Makers) will be only 180nm,
-single-core and a maximum of around 350mhz, this is just the first
-stepping stone to a much larger processor.
+There do exist on opencores a number of video encode and decode blocks: these are typically MPEG and h.264. However, the problem is that these are dedicated blocks, specific to those algorithms. They do not help with h.265, Theora, Dirac, vp8, vp9 and anything else that may come out.
+
+Any instructions which exist for OpenRISC1200 or MIPS will not help either, because the instructions need to be evaluated specifically for RISC-V.
+
+So the answer is: this initiative is unique, and there are no peer projects: the RISC-V initiative itself is too recent.