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To: J Fieb who wrote (37565)	12/2/1998 9:14:00 AM
From: BillyG	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 50808

Broadcom Announces OpenCable Silicon Platform; Platform Merges High-Speed Cable Modem with Advanced Graphics and Video for Interactive Cable-TV Set-Top Boxes newsalert.com Western Cable Show ANAHEIM, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 2, 1998--Broadcom(R) Corporation (Nasdaq:BRCM), a leading developer of integrated circuits enabling high-speed broadband communications to the home and business, today announced an OpenCable silicon platform for high-end, interactive cable-TV set-top boxes. This highly integrated solution merges a high-speed cable modem with studio-quality graphics, text, and video. This allows cable operators to provide web enhanced video programming, multiple video windows and broadband interactive access for applications such as web surfing, email, online gaming or video conferencing using a low-cost, integrated set-top box. Broadcom's solution consists of the BCM3120 QAMLink(tm) Set-top Box Transceiver, BCM3300 QAMLink Single-Chip MCNS/DOCSIS Cable Modem, BCM7014 Advanced 2D/3D TV Graphics System, and BCM7010 Set-top Box Decoder. The platform supports next-generation interactive set-top boxes with the following advanced features: -- A dual-tuner architecture that supports two 42 megabits-per-second (Mbps) downstream channels, a 2 Mbps out-of-band channel, and a 20 Mbps upstream channel. -- An integrated MCNS/DOCSIS 1.1 cable modem. -- Integrated MPEG II transport and video decoding with AC3 audio decoding. -- The ability to cost-effectively display studio-quality text and graphics, Internet HTML content and 3D effects on a standard television monitor. -- The ability to support both analog and digital video. -- The ability to seamlessly integrate Internet Protocol (IP) telephony and videoconferencing. -- A high-performance 250 MHz MIPS RISC Microprocessor -- The ability to operate with industry-standard software platforms - Aperios(tm), Java(tm), OpenTV(tm), PowerTV(tm), and WindowsCE(tm). "Silicon integration and high performance are necessary to support digital video and interactive applications over television," said Dr. Henry Nicholas, Broadcom's President and CEO. "By merging our communications expertise with our advanced graphics and video technology, we are yet another step closer to a single-chip set-top box that will cost-effectively enable consumers to use their televisions as an interactive multimedia appliance." "Manufacturers and end users will benefit from Broadcom's long term integration plan for set-top box semiconductors. As the market for Digital Cable heats up, Broadcom is positioned perfectly to become a key worldwide supplier, offering lower costs, smaller footprints and higher performance for interactive set-top boxes," said Gerry Kaufhold, Principal Analyst with Cahners In-Stat Group. To facilitate the design of set-top boxes using Broadcom's silicon platform, the Company has developed the BCM93714 OpenCable set-top box reference design. The BCM93714 is a fully operational set-top box reference design that cost-effectively supports the ability to simultaneously view high-quality Internet content and web sites, interactive electronic program guides and multiple layered graphics and video windows using standard TV monitors. It provides an interface to Ethernet, UARTs, IDE, Universal Serial Bus (USB) and PCI, which will allow networking within the home to printers and other devices. The BCM93714 includes the BCM3120, BCM3300, BCM7014, BCM7010, a MIPS processor, and two tuners. The reference design comes with schematics, a bill of materials, software, source code, and drivers. Broadcom's set-top box silicon platform and reference design are available today. Each chip is priced separately. The BCM3120 is packaged in a 256-pin ball grid array (BGA) and is priced at $34 in 100K quantities. The BCM3300 is packaged in a 256-pin BGA and is priced at $35 in 100K quantities. The BCM7010 is packaged in a 272-pin plastic BGA and is priced at $24 in 100K quantities. The BCM7014 is packaged in a 304-pin BGA and is priced at $21 in 100K quantities. About Broadcom Broadcom Corporation is a leading developer of highly integrated silicon solutions that enable broadband digital data transmission to the home and within the business enterprise. Using proprietary technologies and advanced design methodologies, the Company has designed and developed integrated circuits for some of the most significant broadband communications markets, including the markets for cable set-top boxes, cable modems, high-speed networking products, direct broadcast satellite and terrestrial digital broadcast, and digital subscriber line (xDSL). Broadcom is based in Irvine, California, and can be contacted at 949-450-8700 or at broadcom.com. Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 This release may contain forward-looking statements involving risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may cause actual future events or results to differ materially and adversely from those described in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that may cause such a difference for Broadcom include, but are not limited to, the volume of product sales and pricing concessions on volume sales; the timing, rescheduling or cancellation of significant customer orders; the loss of a significant customer; the timing of customer qualification and industry interoperability certification of new products and the risk of non-qualification or non-certification; the rate of adoption by customers and end-users of new and emerging technologies in the high-speed data networking, cable set-top box, cable modem, direct broadcast satellite and terrestrial digital broadcast, and digital subscriber line (xDSL) markets; the rate of adoption and acceptance of new industry standards in the foregoing markets; the Company's ability to specify, develop, introduce and market new products and technologies on a timely basis; the qualification, availability and pricing of competing products and technologies from other vendors; fluctuations in manufacturing yields and other problems or delays in the fabrication, assembly, testing or delivery of products; uncertainties associated with international operations; the Company's ability to retain and hire key executives, technical personnel and other employees in the numbers, with the capabilities and at the compensation levels needed to implement its business and product plans; problems or delays in achieving higher levels of design integration and in migrating product designs to smaller geometry processes; intellectual property disputes; changes in product or customer mix; the quality of the Company's products; the level of orders received that can be shipped in a quarter; potential business disruptions and other difficulties resulting from "Year 2000" problems in computer-based systems used by the Company, its suppliers or customers; the effects on operations and management of facility relocations; general economic conditions and market conditions in the markets addressed by Broadcom; and the other factors discussed in the Company's filings from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Amendment No. 1) dated October 14, 1998, the Final Prospectus dated October 20, 1998, and the Company's quarterly filings on Form 10-Q. Broadcom disclaims any obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by it or on its behalf. Broadcom is a registered trademark of Broadcom Corporation. QAMLink is a trademark of Broadcom Corporation. Aperios is a trademark of Sony Corporation. JAVA is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. OpenTV is a trademark of OpenTV. PowerTV is a trademark of Scientific-Atlanta, Inc. WindowsCE is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. CONTACT: Broadcom Corporation Technical Contact: Rich Nelson, 949/450-8700 Director of Marketing for Cable-TV Products richn@broadcom.com Trade Press Contacts: Laura Brandlin, 949/450-8700 Director, Marketing Communications lbrandlin@broadcom.com Catherine Batchelor, 760/944-8933 batchelor@broadcom.com Business Press Contact: Cristine Morris, 949/450-8700 Director, Corporate Communications cmorris@broadcom.com

To: J Fieb who wrote (37565)	12/2/1998 9:29:00 AM
From: BillyG	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 50808

Set-top giants eye home networking news.com By Brooke Crothers and Stephanie Miles Staff Writers, CNET News.com December 2, 1998, 4:00 a.m. PT Two of the TV set-top computer industry's biggest companies are trying to lay the groundwork for their technologies to rest at the center of future digital living. At the Western Cable Show today, General Instrument (GI) and Scientific-Atlanta (SA), the two leading cable TV set-top box suppliers, announced they are developing devices capable of becoming the hubs that will connect a variety of forthcoming digital home devices. Such "home networking" is expected to become a hotbed of product development in the next few years, as consumer electronics products go digital and become capable of talking to other household devices, including personal computers. The market is also being targeted by computer makers such as IBM and Compaq. Sony too is keen on gaining an early foothold in this market, as evidenced by yesterday's announcement that it is taking a larger equity stake in General Instrument, purchasing 7.5 million new shares for $187.5 million. As part of the agreement, GI will license Sony's home networking software (including its Aperios operating system) for use in GI's DCT 5000+ digital set-top boxes, which GI will offer to cable operators. GI said it will also promote Sony's home networking software as a way to implement a "plug and play" connection scheme for digital devices referred to as 1394. Sony already sells devices such as digital cameras and its Vaio personal computers with 1394 connectors. Compaq too has begun to sell consumer PCs with a 1394 connector. 1394 technology, which Sony calls i.LINK, could enable a TV set-top computer to exchange data with ("talk to") digital camcorders, PCs, DVD players, and other digital devices. Advanced digital set-top boxes will further provide high-speed cable-based connections to the Internet, interactive TV, and PC-like features such as advanced graphics chips which allow for more sophisticated interfaces. Though a large market for home digital device-based networks is by no means guaranteed, analysts see potential. In a recent report, Forrester Research envisioned a central home device emerging. "Surf the Net or watch TV? With [interactive TV], consumers can do both. Build a camera into the cable box and the TV becomes a videophone link as well, drawing time away from telephones. As PC usage fragments among multiple computing devices...the interactive TV will reassert itself as the central entertainment, communications, and information appliance in consumers' homes," according to the report. Separately at the Western Cable Show, SA and Avio Digital detailed plans for SA's Explorer 2000 digital set-top box, which hooks up to Avio's MediaWire home network. The Explorer 2000 is one of the first digital set-top boxes designed to offer two-way communications with interactive applications, Internet support, video-on-demand, home shopping, and IP technology. SA distributes the set-top through 14 cable service providers in the United States and Canada, including Time-Warner and TCI. Using Avio Digital's MediaWire, the Explorer 2000 set-top box will act as an interface for connected home theater components, PC networks, home security devices, and consumer electronics via existing copper telephone wiring at up to 88 million bits per second, according to the companies. "It is becoming evident in the industry that within a few years, we will have in-home networks linking all manner of digital devices in the home," said Dr. Allen Ecker, president of Scientific-Atlanta's subscriber network sector, in a statement from the show. "Digital interactive set-tops are the ideal focal point to allow in-home networks to connect to the outside world via the cable system," he added.

To: J Fieb who wrote (37565)	12/2/1998 9:37:00 AM
From: BillyG	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 50808

Harris unveils DTV receiver for stations eet.com By George Leopold EE Times (12/01/98, 6:02 p.m. EDT) CINCINNATI, Ohio — Harris Corp.'s Broadcast Systems Division said today it is rolling out the first professional TV receiver based on the U.S. digital TV standard. Harris said its ARX-H1000 receiver, which complies with the U.S. Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) spec, will allow television stations broadcasting digital TV signals to monitor them all along the broadcast chain from encoding to the off-air signal. The Harris receiver can decode ATSC signals in any of the standard's 18 video formats and can receive eight-vestigial sideband signals from VHF and UHF channels. The receiver also supports closed-caption information and the Program System Information Protocol's electronic program guide that helps viewers find digital TV channels that are often nowhere near a local station's NTSC channel. Earlier this year, Harris introduced an ATSC MPEG-2 encoding system that is widely used in the United States to provide locally encoded signals. More than 30 Harris receivers are operating at U.S. stations, and the company said volume deliveries will begin in the next 30 day

To: J Fieb who wrote (37565)	12/2/1998 9:55:00 AM
From: John Rieman	Respond to of 50808

Microsoft/others buy stakes in Thomson............................... news.com Microsoft, others to buy Thomson stake By Bloomberg News Special to CNET News.com December 2, 1998, 6:15 a.m. PT URL: news.com Microsoft and three partners will pay $318 million for about a third of French state- owned Thomson Multimedia to help the world's No. 4 consumer electronics maker develop technology for television. The companies, including Hughes Electronics' DirecTV unit, Japan's NEC, and France's Alcatel SA, will each pay $79 million for a 7.5 percent stake, Thomson Multimedia said. Its employees will be offered 3 percent of the company in 1999. An initial accord was announced July 30. The transaction values Thomson Multimedia, the biggest TV maker in the United States with the RCA and GE brands, at about $1.1 billion and gives it the muscle to help its push into interactive TV equipment and services. It follows an 11 billion-franc state bailout after workers and voters blocked plans to sell the unprofitable company for just one franc in 1996. "These investors will help Thomson Multimedia maintain its leadership in innovative television technology," said Josh Bernoff, an analyst at Forrester Research. "There's hardly any profit left in selling equipment to consumers." By 2002, some 3 million U.S. households are expected to be equipped with digital TV sets or digital decoders, according to Forrester Research. That year, an estimated 1.7 million digital TVs will be sold in the United States and 300,000 digital decoders, up from 40,000 digital TVs this year. Separate accords As prices for consumer electronics products continue to fall, Thomson Multimedia, Europe's No. 2 after Royal Philips Electronics NV, is turning toward interactive services to generate growth. For example, it earns revenue from the ads placed on the electronic program guide it integrates in its television sets and is pushing into Internet services. As part of the sale, Thomson Multimedia formed separate alliances with each of the four partners, covering the development of hardware and software to provide interactive television services as well as the services themselves. The sale gives the company, the world's biggest maker of digital television signal decoders, access to Microsoft's WebTV technology. The world's biggest personal computer software maker is trying to set the standard for interactive television with its operating system, Windows CE. The French company will work with DirecTV, one of the U.S.'s biggest direct broadcast satellite companies and Thomson's biggest set-top box client, to develop new products and services for the satellite television market. It will extend an alliance with NEC on developing flat-panel plasma screens to digital video disc players. And with Alcatel, it will work on telephones with integrated Internet browsing screens. "The addition of these four strategic partners culminates two years of effort to turn the company around and redefine our key strategic directions," said Thomson Multimedia chief executive Thierry Breton. "Thomson Multimedia is now positioned to play a key role in tomorrow's home entertainment industry." Once worthless The sale contrasts sharply with plans in 1996 to sell Thomson Multimedia for a nominal one franc to Daewoo Electronics. At the time, then Prime Minister Alain Juppe said Thomson Multimedia, saddled with 15.5 billion francs in debt, a decade of losses and losing market share to Asian rivals, "wasn't worth anything." After canceling the sale, Juppe's center-right government pledged not to try again until it injected more capital and turned Thomson Multimedia around. In March last year, just before losing national elections to a Socialist-led coalition, it named Breton, second-in-command at former state-owned computer maker Bull SA, to head the company. Breton, 43, played a key role in helping Bull sell its unprofitable personal computer business Zenith Data Systems and bring in industrial partners, including Motorola of the United States and NEC. Now, Thomson Multimedia's efforts to slash purchasing costs, streamline production--it's closing some plants in Europe and the United States and moving them to Asia and Mexico--and reorganize its sales network have started paying off. The company met its goals for 1997 and is on its way to posting its first profit next year. Last year, it lost 2.78 billion francs compared with a 3.4 billion-franc loss in 1996, while returning to a profit at the operating level of 143 million francs. It also slashed its debt to 5.6 billion francs at the end of 1997, from 15.5 billion francs previously. Union concern Still, French labor unions at the company said they planned to abstain from yesterday's board vote to approve the sale. As well as being concerned about any job losses, they are worried the sale is a first step toward selling shares of the company on the stock market. "The project is understandable because Thomson Multimedia couldn't make it alone," said Paul Hamon, an electronics industry representative for the CGT union and a Thomson SA board member. "But there isn't sufficient visibility on what it means for the future of our company." "We have some reservations concerning the size of our new partners--they are mastodons, giants," he said. Union officials said the government had promised to maintain control of Thomson Multimedia for at least two to three years. After the sale, which consists of new shares, state-owned holding Thomson SA will own 70 percent of Thomson Multimedia's 45.95 million shares. Thomson also owns the state's stake in Thomson-CSF, Europe's biggest defense electronics company. The sale will be completed tomorrow after a shareholders' meeting. Each partner will receive one seat on the board of directors. Copyright 1998, Bloomberg L.P. All Rights Reserved.