Compcore/Zoran licenses its core, again...........................
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March 22, 1999 07:16
Zoran MPEG2 Core Inside Imedia Digital Video Hub for the Digital Cable Market
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SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 22, 1999--
Imedia's CherryPicker(TM) -- Industry's First Digital Video Hub -- Benefits From Zoran's Compact VLSI IP Core Delivering a Flexible and Cost Effective Solution
Zoran Corporation (Nasdaq:ZRAN), a leading provider of integrated circuits (ICs) and software for digital video and audio applications enabled by compression, announced today that Imedia Corporation is now shipping Zoran's MPEG2 intellectual property (IP) VLSI core in its new CherryPicker digital hub for cable service providers.
This is the same IP core that is already shipping in high volume inside Hitachi's set top box for PerfecTV in Japan. Aimed at the high growth market of digital video broadcast, the CherryPicker accepts practically all video streams (such as digital satellite broadcasts, local stations, video servers, HBO, ESPN, MTV, and Showtime Networks). The CherryPicker allows service providers to squeeze their selected program streams to match their available bandwidth with no visible quality degradation. Zoran's broad understanding and knowledge of digital video has once again contributed to a breakthrough product such as the CherryPicker.
"Using Zoran's off-the-shelf MPEG2 decoding core greatly reduced Imedia's time to market by eliminating the need for us to re-design one of the core technologies integrated into the CherryPicker," stated Fabrice Quinard, Vice President of Engineering for Imedia. "The market for digital cable services is expanding exponentially and Zoran supported us in providing this market with a top quality solution in record time."
"Imedia's use of our MPEG2 decoder core reinforces our leadership position as a complete multimedia solutions provider," said Dr. Shmuel Farkash, Vice President of Video Products for Zoran. "By providing our various customers with a wide range of technologies, including intellectual property cores, software and ICs, Zoran can effectively address the needs of manufacturers, enabling them to significantly reduce time-to-market and development costs, while offering unprecedented flexibility and product differentiation."
CherryPicker is a revolutionary product that, among other capabilities, compresses up to 24 digital video channels into one analog channel. As its name implies, CherryPicker gives operators the ability to select content from a variety of programming sources and retransmit to customers a statistical multiplex, or "custom bouquet," of programs and services never before available.
CherryPicker is built with Zoran's highly-optimized MPEG2 intellectual property core design which offers superior image quality at a very low gate count. The technology independent decoder supports Main Profile at Main Level (MP@ML) decode including system layer parsing, MPEG audio and video decode, error recovery and synchronization. It also includes a highly efficient virtual memory controller which requires only one 16 Mbit SDRAM to decode all picture and sequence types, with space and bandwidth left over for on-screen-display data. The low gate count ensures its acceptance in high-volume, cost-sensitive applications such as PC multimedia and consumer products.
Other Zoran cores include Dolby Digital decoder, NTSC/PAL video encoder, NTSC/PAL/SECAM video decoder, and motion compensation. Zoran's core product package includes documentation and source code as well as a full test and simulation environment for a complete turn-key design. Zoran's established video expertise and support enable customers to develop top quality products based on Zoran's multimedia cores.
ABOUT ZORAN
Zoran Corporation develops and markets software, integrated circuits (ICs) and IC Intellectual Property (IP) cores for digital audio and video applications enabled by compression. Zoran also provides complete reference designs based on Zoran's technology. Zoran's product lines and IP include JPEG codecs, MPEG and DVD decoders, digital audio processors and real-time DVD software for PCs. All these standard-based products benefit from Zoran's Standard Plus(TM) technology. Zoran's software is bundled by PC and graphics-card manufacturers for software and software assisted DVD playback on PCs. The company's ICs are used in numerous digital audio and video products. Leading applications incorporating Zoran's products and IP include professional and consumer video editing systems, filmless digital cameras, standalone and PC-based DVD players, SuperVCD players, digital speakers and audio systems.
Zoran is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif. with additional operations in Haifa, Israel, Toronto, Canada and offices in Tokyo, Japan and Shenzhen, China. For more information about Zoran call 408/919-4111, or visit our website: www.zoran.com. For our latest press releases please call our fax-on-demand service at 1-800/PRO-INFO, ticker symbol ZRAN.
ABOUT IMEDIA
Privately-held Imedia Corporation, based in San Francisco, develops and markets products for the cable, satellite and broadcast industries that uniquely solve many of today's digital programming challenges. Using patented algorithms embedded in silicon, Imedia is bringing breakthrough technology, unparalleled performance, and plug and play operability to the digital headend environment. Imedia was founded in 1994 by three MIT graduates who, together with their chairman, hold over 40 patents.
Note to Editors: StandardPlus is a trademark of Zoran Corporation.
CherryPicker is a trademark of Imedia Corporation.
All other terms and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners, and are hereby acknowledged.
CONTACT: Zoran Corporation
Yizhar Ganor, 408/919-4286
ir@zoran.com
or
Imedia Corporation
Rochelle Schiffman, 415/975-8038
rschiffman@imedia.com
or
The Financial Relations Board
Cathy Roberts, 415/986-1591 (Investors)
Alicia Nieva-Woodgate, 415/986-1591 (Media)
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