Sigma Begins Sampling The Industry's First Media Processor With Dual High-Definition Decoding of H.264, VC-1 and MPEG-2
New 64-bit SMP8634 Provides Substantially Increased
Performance and Peripheral Support To Meet Market Requirements
For High-Definition IPTV and DVD Products
MILPITAS, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Aug. 18, 2005—
Sigma Designs (Nasdaq:SIGM), a leader in digital media processing
for consumer appliances, today announced that it has begun sampling
its new SMP8634 media processor, designed for the latest Internet
Protocol Television (IPTV) set-top boxes and high-definition DVD
players. The SMP8634 represents a substantial milestone for the media
processor industry, providing the first system-on-chip processor that
not only decodes H.264 (AVC), VC-1 and MPEG-2, but also supports
multi-stream decoding of any format, up to the equivalent of two
simultaneous high-definition streams, along with full-screen graphics.
"Sigma has worked closely with some of the largest network
operators, set-top box manufacturers, and consumer electronics
companies to develop a media processor that meets the needs of next
generation IPTV services and high-definition DVD players," said Ken
Lowe, VP of strategic marketing. "We are proud to be the first company
to introduce a chip that matches these new decoding needs,
demonstrating our entrenched, technological leadership. In the coming
months, our top-tier customer announcements will demonstrate the
SMP8634's market acceptance."
Next Generation Consumer Products Demand High Performance
The increasing pervasiveness of digital media, coupled with a
fundamental need for entertainment alternatives are paving the way for
explosive growth in new types of consumer products and services.
Telcos around the world are preparing to launch premium video
services, DVD is moving to high definition, and consumers are
employing wireless networks to pass this new media anywhere within the
home. The common denominators in turning these concepts into
commercial realities are advanced compression technologies, and high
performance media processors.
Driving this movement is a transition from the digital media
monopoly, held by MPEG-2 for the past 10 years, yielding to a duopoly
shared by two new video codecs that provide more than twice the
compression efficiency: VC-1, a SMPTE specification based on
Microsoft's Windows Media Video 9 (WMV9), and H.264, a shared
specification from ITU and MPEG associations, also known as AVC
(advanced video codec) or MPEG-4 part 10. Moving forward, VC-1 and
H.264 appear destined to equally share the role as next generation
digital media standards.
The IPTV industry, which is just now showing signs of dramatic
growth on a worldwide basis, is rapidly moving toward advanced set-top
boxes that support both VC-1 and H.264. For network operators, these
advanced codec solutions enable the delivery of high-quality video
services, such as high-definition broadcasts and video-on-demand (VOD)
over bandwidth limited broadband networks. By deploying set-top boxes
that incorporate all codec standards, operators ensure that their
investment in customer premise equipment can support future content
streams in any major format.
For future DVD products, the movement to high-definition content
and players is just around the corner, in two competing formats -
namely HD-DVD and Blu-ray. Both camps have selected the same VC-1 and
H.264 codecs, along with MPEG-2, as the basis for encoded content.
Furthermore, these new DVD players will call for network connections,
enhanced graphics and user interactivity that demands a very powerful
media processor.
Defining A Powerful Media Processor
Sigma's SMP8634 media processor integrates a complete complement
of next generation capabilities for a system-on-chip (SOC) solution
for most consumer products. Key features include:
-- Video decoding of H.264 (MPEG-4 part 10), VC-1 (WMV9), MPEG-2
and MPEG-4 (part 2) with multiple streams, up to the
equivalent of two high-definition streams.
-- High performance graphics acceleration with bit-BLT, raster
operations, vector font rendering, JPEG decode acceleration
and line drawing functions.
-- Audio decoding capability for Dolby Digital, WMA, WMA Pro,
AAC, and MPEG audio layers I, II and III (MP3) and other audio
standards.
-- Content security management with on-chip secure processor,
flash memory, and DRM engines for high speed payload
decryption of AES, DES, triple-DES, RC4, CSS, DVB-CSA and
Multi-2.
-- Advanced display processing capabilities, including
multi-plane architecture with advanced scaling, motion
adaptive de-interlacing, and image composition with
pixel-based alpha blending and colorimetry and image control
features.
-- An array of video output options including HDMI/HDCP digital
video, plus analog component and separate NTSC/PAL encoder
with analog composite and S-video outputs.
-- Single-chip solution with on-chip CPU, unified memory
controller, Ethernet 10/100 controller, dual USB 2.0
controller, IDE controller and general purpose IO.
To ensure quick time-to-market and engineering convenience, Sigma
provides a multimedia library for handling real-time
video/audio/graphics, board support packages for Windows CE(R) and
Linux, and sample applications for streaming media, DVD navigation,
and hard-disk playback.
Sigma Designs - Powering The Digital Media Generation
For more than five years, Sigma Designs has been investing in the
development of advanced high-definition media processors to drive the
expansion of the digital media consumer market. Based on its advanced
hardware architectures and related streaming software technologies,
Sigma has established a leadership position in single-chip solutions
for IPTV set-top boxes, digital media receivers and advanced DVD
players. Taking advantage of this technology, consumer products are
being distributed on a worldwide basis by such leading manufacturers
as Cisco/KiSS Technology, D-Link, I-O Data, Kenwood, LG Electronics,
Samsung, Sharp, Sony and many others.
Availability
The SMP8634 media processor will be sold through Sigma's direct
sales force. Samples of the SMP8634 are available immediately.
Production availability will begin in November.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release may contain forward-looking statements,
including statements about the projected timing and extent of customer
shipments, as well as the expected use of Sigma's MPEG decoder
products. Actual results could vary from those projected in the
forward looking statements as a result of various factors, including
worldwide economic conditions, changes in the customer's ability or
desire to complete the roll-out, consumer reaction to the new products
and services being offered, the ability of Sigma to deliver sufficient
quantity and quality of MPEG decoder chips, prices for the Sigma
chips, alternative offerings by competitors, and the ability of the
parties to work together successfully to achieve the rollout.
About Sigma Designs, Inc.
Sigma Designs (Nasdaq: SIGM) specializes in silicon-based media
processors for IPTV set-top boxes, digital media receivers, high
definition DVD players, HDTV, and portable media players. The
company's award-winning REALmagic(R) Video Streaming Technology is
used in a variety of consumer applications providing highly integrated
solutions for high-quality decoding of H.264, WMV9, MPEG-4, MPEG-2 and
MPEG-1. Headquartered in Milpitas, Calif., the company also has sales
offices in China, Europe, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. For more
information, please visit the company's web site at
www.sigmadesigns.com/.
REALmagic and Sigma Designs are registered trademarks of Sigma
Designs All other products and companies referred to herein are
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
Contact:
Sigma Designs, Inc.
Ken Lowe, 408-957-9850
Email Contact
|
Be the first to review this article
