Texas Instruments Integrates New ANT Galio(TM) Software onto Digital Media Processor for Advanced Digital TV Applications

Running on TI's high performance DSP-based DM642, ANT Galio combines interactive content applications with feature-rich digital TV programming and services. W3C standards-based Galio presents and controls everything from local device set-up menus and controls, through to complex remote services such as Electronic Programming Guides (EPGs), Video on Demand (VoD) interfaces and dynamic news, information and communication applications.

Using TI's solution allows manufacturers to use a wide range of advanced content technologies such as H.264, MPEG4, MPEG2 and Microsoft Windows Media(R) Audio/Video Series 9 (WMV9) in their consumer electronics product applications such as Internet protocol TV (IPTV) decoders, set top boxes (STBs), TVs and video phones. The DM642 also supports other software from ANT. This includes ANT Fresco(R), the IPTV industry's most reliable and widely-deployed browser-based content presentation solution and ANT Pureplay(TM), a highly configurable digital-media management solution for organizing, viewing and playing photos, audio and video content on consumer products.

"Combining TI's high performance digital signal processors and their support for advanced software coding technologies with ANT's feature-rich, HTML-based Galio allows OEMs to get to market faster and to enhance both their products design and the end-user experience of their products," said Arnaud Duclap, business development manager for TI's Video/Imaging DSP group in Europe. "It also allows them to quickly address the needs of operators by enabling additional, value-driven services over the existing bandwidth."

The inherent flexibility of the TI DSP-based architecture allows manufacturers and operators to preserve their investments by using the TI platform to migrate their existing MPEG2-based designs to MPEG4, H.264 and WMV9, minimizing the impact on content, user interface or middleware implementations.

"We are very excited that TI is the first silicon vendor to formally adopt ANT Galio," said Paul Jensen, Vice President Sales, the Americas for ANT Limited. "Galio running on the TI DSP brings a new range of opportunities to broadcasters and operators, enabling them to deliver superior digital TV services, with broader ranges of highly dynamic interactive content, using existing hardware, infrastructure and off-the-shelf development tools."

TI will be demonstrating ANT Galio, Fresco and PurePlay on the DM642 at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas, 6-9 January, in their hospitality suite in the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel.

TI's DM642 generation of digital media processors

The DM642 offers flexibility to the customer by supporting a full range of advanced audio and video coding algorithms from MP3, AAC and Windows Media Audio Series 9 to MPEG2, MPEG4, H.264, Windows Media Video Series 9 and other codecs. Ideal for streaming video applications, including web browsing, video on demand, personal video recording features, high definition TV (720 lines) and video conferencing systems (H.323, SIP, H.263, H.264), the device also supports the Linux operating system.

By decoding the stream locally, the TI platform is making the content format virtually invisible to the consumer and expanding the inherent functionality of the streaming media appliance. In addition, having a programmable core at the heart of the design enables OEMs to upgrade to new or revised standards through a simple software download. All of these capabilities combine to provide OEMs flexibility to evolve their designs to keep up with ever-changing technology demands.

The DM642 generation ranges in performance from 500MHz to 720MHz giving to customers multiple performance, price and integration options. TI hardware, third party software, video codecs and middleware for the DM642 are available now alongside hardware and software development kits to reduce time to market.

With integrated peripherals optimised for video and imaging applications, the DM642 pushes features innovation to the next step. TI delivers real expertise in video and imaging systems to OEMs by offering leading-edge silicon as well as a full suite of software blocks from third parties and makes advanced streaming applications over IP a reality today.

ANT Galio

ANT Galio is designed for embedding within TV set-top boxes and network- enabled consumer electronics devices such as digital TVs, DVD players and Personal Video Recorders (PVRs). Based on the latest W3C standards, ANT ensures that ground-breaking interactive content can be developed easily, quickly and cost effectively. ANT Galio has been designed to present and control complex TV-based applications built by web developers using existing knowledge and off-the-shelf tools. It also allows a wide range of existing web content to be quickly re-purposed for TV use.

ANT Galio combines the latest Cascading Style Sheet standards (CSS2.1, CSS-TV and aspects of the draft CSS3), with a highly dynamic, JavaScript- driven Document Object Model (DOM2). This allows total creative flexibility with full separation of content from behaviour and style to streamline and optimize the development process. This flexibility allows quick re-branding or co-branding of content and enables graphical user interface themes or re- skinning to coincide with major sports events and public holidays.

ANT Fresco

ANT Fresco is a lightweight but powerful embedded browser, ideal as an entry-level content presentation software for digital TV. It is currently the most widely implemented browser by IPTV set-top box manufacturers and service operators, including Amino, Pace Micro Technology, SaskTel and Chunghwa Telecom. Fresco is a focused solution for user interfaces and interactive content and services, including menu navigation, EPGs, content control, interactive TV services and access to "walled garden" content. ANT's product focus is on speed, reliability, customization and a small footprint for a minimized bill of materials.

ANT Pureplay

ANT PurePlay is a digital-media manager for consumer electronic products, for organizing, viewing and playing photos, audio and video content on consumer products, such as Personal Media Players (PMPs), digital TVs, PVRs, DVD players and other connected-home devices. Pureplay also supports all common audio and video formats, including MP3, AAC, WMA, OGG Vorbis, MPEG1/2/4, H.264, DivX, Xvid, WMV9 and also supports DLNA UPnP-AV, Windows Media Connect, and other media server standards. The software provides sophisticated, easy-to-use on-screen display with support for multiple languages and multiple screen resolutions and is a powerful way for manufacturers to add considerable customer value to their products for little additional cost or risk.

About ANT Limited

ANT Limited (http://www.antlimited.com/ ) is a leading provider of embedded application software and support for the broadband TV, hospitality and consumer electronics markets.

ANT's unique combination of proven browser, digital-media management and user interface software enables device manufacturers and TV operators to present digital-media content and services to end users via branded interfaces.

The company's products can be integrated quickly and cost-effectively into any platform and operating system, across a wide range of devices such as set top boxes, TVs, DVD players and multimedia handhelds.

ANT software has been extensively deployed by customers throughout the world such as Thomson multimedia, Pace Micro Technology, Amino, HUMAX and Sagem.

About Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments Incorporated provides innovative DSP and analog technologies to meet our customers' real world signal processing requirements. In addition to Semiconductor, the company's businesses include Sensors & Controls, and Educational & Productivity Solutions. TI is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has manufacturing, design or sales operations in more than 25 countries.

Texas Instruments is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TXN. More information is located on the World Wide Web at http://www.ti.com/

Trademarks

ANT, the ANT logo, Galio, Fresco and Pureplay are trademarks or registered trademarks of ANT limited.

Microsoft, Windows Media and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp.

All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

CONTACT: Daniela Koeppe of Texas Instruments Incorporated,
+33-0-493-22-29-47, or koe@ti.com ; or Melanie Pankhurst of ANT Limited,
+44-0-1223-716400, or melanie.pankhurst@antlimited.com . Please do not
publish these numbers or e-mail addresses.

Web site: http://www.ti.com/
http://www.antlimited.com/
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