Fujitsu and Sigma Designs Announce Wireless HDAV Technology Collaboration; Demonstrations at CES 2008


Wireless HDAV First to Leverage H.264 and WiMedia Standards for Streaming High Definition Content without Cables

MILPITAS, Calif. and SUNNYVALE, Calif., Jan. 2 - Sigma Designs (NASDAQ:SIGM), a leading provider of highly integrated systems-on-a-chip (SoC) solutions, and Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc. (FMA), an innovative leader providing high-performance, reliable semiconductor products and services, will collaborate to deliver Wireless HDAV(TM) technology solutions for consumer electronics manufacturers serving the High-Definition (HD), A/V, cable-replacement market. Both companies will demonstrate Wireless HDAV reference designs at International CES in Las Vegas, January 7-9, at the Fujitsu booth #13244 (Central Hall) and at Sigma's digital living room demonstrations inside the LVCC Hilton Hotel Suite #2989.

Sigma's Wireless HDAV streaming is a technology for transporting HD multimedia using standard-based encoding technologies over Ultra-WideBand (UWB) to replace high definition audio/video cables. Sigma's Wireless HDAV reference designs using the Fujitsu H.264-compliant CODEC can enable developers of home networking systems to eliminate cables between a television and set-top box or High-Definition DVD player using wireless HDAV, the first technology solution to support both the H.264 format and UWB based on the WiMedia® standard. Wireless HDAV streams high-definition content from device to device at distances up to 10 meters.

The wireless solution combines the Fujitsu H.264-compliant MB86H51 CODEC with Sigma Designs' SMP8634 Secure Media Processor decoder and UWB Windeo® chipset, the only UWB chipset that uses Intelligent Array Radio (IAR) technology. IAR ensures the highest reliability in wireless connections between devices and also delivers through-wall and range extension capabilities. Using the MB86H51 to compress raw video allows wireless HD video streaming without compromising visual quality.

"We are excited to work with Fujitsu and combine both companies' semiconductor, HD and wireless strengths to take cable A/V replacement a big step further for our mutual consumer electronics customers," said Hung Nguyen, vice president and general manager of the Wireless Products Division at Sigma Designs. "At CES, we look forward to showcasing Wireless HDAV among the devices the technology can wirelessly connect from HDTVs, high definition DVD players, IPTV set-top boxes and digital media adapters powered by Sigma media processors, to mobile USB devices in the future."

"Together, Fujitsu and Sigma Designs developed Wireless HDAV based on the H.264 format to take advantage of its scalable and cost-efficient features," said Davy Yoshida, director of Business Development, Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc. "Our CODEC chip works seamlessly to offer mutual consumer electronics customers and system integrators the opportunity to develop products and systems that will deliver wireless, cable-free HDTV capabilities."

More about Sigma's SMP8634 and Windeo Chipset

Sigma's SMP8634 media processor, used by the world's leading high-definition consumer electronics manufacturers, integrates a complete complement of next-generation capabilities for a single-chip SoC solution with powerful multimedia processing, a robust content security system, and a full complement of peripherals. Its advanced decoder engines support video decoding of H.264 (MPEG-4 part 10), Windows Media® Video 9, VC-1, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 (part 2) with multiple streams, up to the equivalent of two high-definition video streams. Sigma's Windeo® chipset and accompanying software are based on the WiMedia Alliance's PHY, MAC and WiNET specifications respectively, the defacto standards for Ultra-WideBand wireless communication.

The Fujitsu H.264-Compliant MB86H51 CODEC

The Fujitsu MB86H51 CODEC was introduced in May 2007. (See the press release dated May 23, 2007, www.fujitsu.com/us/news/pr/fma_20070523.html.) The device can compress and decompress full high-definition video (1,920 dots x 1,080 lines) in real time using the H.264 format. This is the industry's first single-chip device for full HD H.264 high profile version 4.0 video processing that incorporates embedded memory. The MB86H51 also compresses and decompresses audio in real time by utilizing formats such as the MPEG-1 Audio Layer. The MB86H51 leverages embedded memory technologies from Fujitsu Limited to enable compact, low power designs. The device contains two blocks of 256 Megabit memory (FCRAM) embedded on-chip. The optimized design enables a smaller size of only 15mm squared and low power consumption of just 750 mW.

About Sigma Designs, Inc.

Sigma Designs is a leading fables provider of highly integrated system-on-chip, or SoC, solutions that are used to deliver multimedia entertainment throughout the home. Sigma's SoC solutions combine its semiconductors and software and are a critical component of multiple high-growth, consumer applications that process digital video and audio content, including internet protocol TV, or IPTV, high definition DVD players, high definition TVs, or HDTVs, and portable media players. Headquartered in Milpitas, Calif., Sigma Designs also has sales representatives in the United States, Belgium, China, Japan and Taiwan and sells its products through a third-party distributor in Korea. For more information, please visit Sigma Designs' web site at http://www.sigmadesigns.com/.

About Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc. (FMA)

Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc. (FMA) leads the industry in innovation. FMA provides high-quality, reliable semiconductor products and services for the networking, communications, automotive, security and other markets throughout North and South America. For product information, visit the company web site at us.fujitsu.com/micro or address e-mail to inquiry@fma.fujitsu.com

Source: Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc.; Sigma Designs

CONTACT: Emi Igarashi of Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc.,
+1-408-737-5647, eigarash@fma.fujitsu.com; or Allyson Stinchfield of
+Atomic PR, 1-415-402-0230, allyson@atomicpr.com, for Sigma Designs; or
Dick Davies of
Independent Public Relations Associates, +1-415-652-7515, ipra@mindspring.com, for Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc. and Sigma Designs

Web site: http://www.fma.fujitsu.com/
http://www.sigmadesigns.com/

All Topics