Conexant and Amstrad Join Forces to Deliver HDTV Satellite Set-Top Boxes
Monday June 12, 8:00 am ET
Sky Italia to Deploy Advanced STBs for HDTV Service Launch in Italy
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 12, 2006--Conexant Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CNXT - News), a worldwide leader in semiconductor solutions for broadband communications and the digital home, today announced that its complete DVB-S2/MPEG-4 satellite set-top box (STB) solution has been chosen by Amstrad PLC, a leading international manufacturer of digital STBs, for their new high-definition television (HDTV) satellite receiver. DVB-S2 and MPEG-4 are advanced, industry-standard technologies that allow operators to offer additional HDTV channels and content, including interactive services, using their existing bandwidth and infrastructure. Amstrad's DRX700i STB is based exclusively on Conexant's semiconductor solutions, and will be deployed by Italian satellite broadcast operator Sky Italia this summer.
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"Amstrad established its reputation as an industry leader by making advanced technology accessible to the mass market," said Lewis Brewster, executive vice president and general manager of Conexant's Broadband Media Processing business. "This parallels our commitment to delivering innovative products that leverage key technology developments such as the advanced modulation and compression technologies that power our complete satellite set-top box solution. We're pleased to join forces with Amstrad on this important HDTV product launch."
"Amstrad has commenced shipments of the DRX700i," said Sir Alan Sugar, chairman of Amstrad PLC. "We chose to work with Conexant because their award-winning, complete HDTV satellite set-top box solution allowed us to bring our high-performance DRX700i receiver to market more quickly, and capitalize on this new market opportunity."
About Conexant's HDTV Satellite STB Solution
Amstrad is using six Conexant chips in the DRX700i receiver. They are:
* The CX24116 DVB-S2 demodulator/decoder: DVB-S2 leverages key developments in channel coding and modulation to provide up to a 35 percent capacity increase over the previous DVB-S standard.
* The CX24182 MPEG-4/H.264 decoder: H.264 compression provides greater recording capacity on STBs with personal video recording capabilities, and increases the number of HDTV channels a broadcaster can transmit.
* The CX24177 MPEG-2 HDTV decoder: This device navigates through a digital broadcast service and securely decodes authorized program content for presentation on an HDTV display.
* The CX24118 direct down-conversion satellite tuner: This solution offers excellent phase noise performance and very low implementation loss, required for advanced modulation systems such as 8PSK and DVB-S2.
* CX20493 SmartDAA and CX86500 V.92 Modem: These chips are based on patented technology that enables a reliable digital communications channel, allowing users to send and receive data across a PSTN via modem, fax, STB or embedded appliances.
Conexant offers a comprehensive suite of digital STB components and system solutions for worldwide satellite, terrestrial and cable entertainment broadcasting networks.
The company's product offering includes silicon tuners, satellite demodulators, MPEG audio and video decoders, and dial-up modems for back-channel applications. Reference designs that help manufacturers reduce cost and speed time-to-market are also available, bundled with a range of operating systems, middleware, drivers and development tools.
About Conexant
Conexant's innovative semiconductor solutions are driving broadband communications and digital home networks worldwide. The company has leveraged its expertise and leadership position in modem technologies to enable more Internet connections than all of its competitors combined, and continues to develop highly integrated silicon solutions for broadband data and media processing networks.
Key products include client-side xDSL and cable modem solutions, home network processors, broadcast video encoders and decoders, digital set-top box components and systems solutions, and dial-up modems. Conexant's suite of networking components includes a leadership portfolio of IEEE 802.11-compliant WLAN chipsets, software and reference designs, as well as solutions for applications based on HomePlug® and HomePNA(TM). The company also offers a complete line of asymmetric and symmetric DSL central office solutions, which are used by service providers worldwide to deliver broadband data, voice, and video over copper telephone lines.
Conexant is a fabless semiconductor company with an annual revenue run-rate in excess of $900 million. The company has approximately 2,500 employees worldwide, and is headquartered in Newport Beach, Calif. To learn more, please visit www.conexant.com.
About Amstrad PLC
Amstrad PLC is a manufacturer and supplier of Telecoms, Audio, TV, Video and Digital Satellite products. Founded by present Chairman Sir Alan Sugar in 1968 as an electrical goods trader, the company has established its reputation as making innovative technology accessible to the mass market.
Listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1980, Amstrad launched the first mass market home computer package in the mid 1980s and was the founder supplier to Sky TV when the service launched in 1988. Additional information can be found at www.amstrad.com. |
