MediaWorks, a Fabless Semiconductor Company, Launches with the Highest Integrated System-on-a-Chip for Solid State Camcorders
IRVINE, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Feb. 12, 2004—
MediaWorks, a fabless semiconductor company:
-- MediaWorks' MW301 enables OEMs and ODMs to offer high
resolution and performance at a fraction of the cost and size
as compared to costly tape-based digital video camcorders
-- The highly programmable SoC enables OEMs and ODMs to address
forthcoming standards, ensuring leadership with rapid delivery
of products to market
MediaWorks, a fabless semiconductor company, today announced its
launch of the company's first product, the highly integrated MW301
System-on-a-Chip (SoC) providing ISO standard MPEG4 video. This
media-centric SoC is designed to enable OEMs and original design
manufacturers (ODMs) to offer DVD-quality resolution for video and
stills for solid state camcorders along with a high level of
functionality, reduced size, power and price. As such, MediaWorks'
technology provides significant improvements over existing bulky and
costly tape-based camcorders. Underscoring this technology is
MediaWorks' investment in a unique, adaptable and programmable
platform design with ASIC-like power, die size efficiency, and full
programmability that, in total, ensures a fast time-to-market for ODMs
and OEMs.
Target Market Segments
The MW301 is the first in a family of high performance digital
video semiconductor system solutions to be offered by MediaWorks. With
a mission of enabling the transition to digital video capture products
for consumer applications, the company will also target segments
including digital still cameras, digital video surveillance and the
digital portable video recorder market.
High Integration & Performance
MediaWorks offers a true SoC with a proprietary platform-based
architecture -- a complete system incorporating a high level of
integration and performance. With the incorporation of MediaWorks'
proprietary Application Specific Media Processor (ASMP(TM))
technology, the MW301 interfaces directly to the CCD and CMOS sensors
and directly drives a large array of storage devices including flash
memory, hard drives, TFT displays (up to VGA size) and communications.
Due to this high level of integration and resulting performance, the
customer benefits through a significant reduction in the
manufacturer's total bill of material (BOM) and shortening development
time.
Programmability
MediaWorks' technology is highly programmable, offering efficient
die size and power consumption as well as an environment that empowers
ODMs with leading developer tools (such as easily-programmable true C
compilers) enabling in house development.
The complete programmability of the MW301 shortens the typical
design cycle for manufacturers and allows ODMs and OEMs to support
future standards and algorithms through simple firmware upgrades.
"We've designed our SoC so it can easily meet the compression
standards of today and tomorrow in this fast evolving market of
consumer digital video," said Dennis Cocco, co-founder, president and
CEO of MediaWorks. "Because MediaWorks' technology is easily
adaptable, OEMs and ODMs will benefit by being able to incorporate
newly-developed standards, thus ensuring their product(s) are on the
cutting edge despite the uncertainty of forthcoming standards."
Heterogeneous Processors -- Power & Size Efficiency
The MW301 is powered by five custom, fully programmable parallel
processors optimized for image processing running at 300 megahertz
(MHz). This provides a level of performance not previously seen in
digital still or video cameras. This compute power allows high quality
still and 30 frames per second (fps) DVD resolution (720 x 480) video
capture, processing and compression utilizing ISO standard MPEG4
(fully compatible with QuickTime) with concurrent stereo advanced
audio coding (AAC) compression. The MW301 allows hours of DVD-quality
video and CD-quality audio to be stored on widely available flash
memory cards -- a fraction of the physical size of today's smallest
existing DV cassette tapes.
ODMs do not need to ship a software driver because the MW301 MPEG4
supports ISO compliant MPEG4 players, reducing the support and
compatibility issues associated with a custom software driver.
The MediaWorks MW301 allows manufacturers to build high quality
digital camcorders in new compact form factors using small memory
cards. This allows users to completely abandon existing bulky,
expensive tape-based camcorders.
"MediaWorks' SoC will be the highest integrated SoC for solid
state camcorders," said Eric Collins, co-founder, senior vice
president and chief technology officer of MediaWorks. "Combining our
technology with our methodology that calls for largely complete
operating firmware at the time the chip is taped out, enables the
timeframe from design start to the (consumer product) mass production
to be dramatically reduced."
Internal Peripherals & Interfaces
To lower the total cost of products based on the MW301, MediaWorks
has included a large number of internal peripherals and interfaces
such as the following:
-- High-speed USB 2.0 -- NTSC/PAL encoder and -- TFT display
triple DAC interface up to
VGA support
-- CCD/CMOS sensor -- Multiple I2C -- S/PDIF and I2S
interface interface audio interface
-- Motor control -- IDE hard drive -- 30 programmable
for lens interface GPIOs
-- CF, SD, MMC -- Multiple UARTs
removable flash
memory interfaces
Supported Standards
The audio standards that the MW301 supports includes AAC, MP3, and
Windows Media Audio (WMA). The supported video standards include
H.264, MPEG4, and Windows Media Video (WMV). The still standards that
are supported include JPG and JPEG2000. The standards supported with
firmware are either available for first shipments or during the second
half of 2004.
Customer Support Commitment
MediaWorks is committed to supporting its customers with an
unequaled level of customer service. MediaWorks distinguishes itself
by providing the chip as well as production-worthy operating software,
tools, turnkey reference designs and support to get to market quickly.
In addition to a software developer tool kit and compilers all running
on an industry standard real-time operating system, MediaWorks
includes a user interface builder and a full set of production and
calibration tools.
Because customers will have varying needs for specific products,
MediaWorks does accommodate special requests that include development
of specialized ASIC designs and software.
Pricing & Availability
The MW301 device is scheduled to be available in sample quantities
in the second quarter and will begin volume production in the third
quarter of 2004. It will be in a 384 pin, 19 mm2 ball grid array (BGA)
package, and priced at $20 per unit (including production worthy
software) in OEM quantities.
MediaWorks' Leadership
The MediaWorks team has executed in excess of 100 ASIC designs,
ten camera designs (that offer high quality, power and speed), has
knowledge of both analog and digital technologies and a significant
number of the team holds PhDs.
The executives who manage the MediaWorks team all have successful
records of developing and leading cutting-edge companies that have
been on the forefront of innovation. As Founder, President and CEO,
Dennis Cocco successfully managed Micronix Integrated Systems. During
his tenure, the company created over 250 ICs and became a leading
mixed-signal ASIC provider. MediaWorks' Senior Vice President and
Chief Technology Officer, Eric Collins, founded and led Motorola Labs'
DigitalDNA Systems Architecture Laboratory. In this position he
developed advanced SoC architecture ICs among numerous other
profitable silicon products. Notably, he led the creation of
Motorola's MPEG4 encoder IC and CMOS sensor IC chipset that served as
the basis for the first Motorola 3G cellular video phone.
About MediaWorks
MediaWorks is a fabless semiconductor company focused on driving
the transition to digital video. The company's first product -- a
media-centric SoC -- is targeted at the convergence of digital still
cameras and camcorders, lowering the cost and time-to-market for its
customers while providing best-in-class image quality. The company
targets ODMs and OEMs for solid state digital video camcorders,
digital video surveillance and the digital portable and
recorder/player market. MediaWorks' highly integrated SoC technology
enables high quality video with MPEG4 compression at DVD
resolution-quality, and high quality digital still images with
best-in-class performance and a lower end user price point.
Underscoring this technology is an unparalleled customer service
model. MediaWorks offers a partnership approach enabling collaboration
on all efforts from design and BOM budget to timeframe requirements
that include supplying ODMs and OEMs with complete turnkey reference
designs. MediaWorks is located in Irvine, Calif., and can be accessed
via the Web at www.mediaworks-isi.com.
Contact:
S+S Communications
Sheryl Pearl, 562-986-9599
Sheryl@sscommunications.net
or
Sandra Eckardt, 949-706-0570
Sandra@sscommunications.net
