Multimedia Controller is designed for PC-TV market.
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Press Release Summary:
Ngene(TM), based on switched point-to-point PCI Express(TM) architecture, provides native PC connectivity. It features dual channel audio/video and dual transport stream capture, which is complemented by independent host-driven TV-Out. Integrated circuit delivers bandwidth and full duplex nature of PCI Express, combined with buffer management, to create media experience decoupled from graphics use and processor load.
Original Press Release:
Pole Position: Micronas Launches Ngene PCI Express Multimedia Controller
San Francisco, CA, September 7, 2004 - Micronas (SWX Swiss Exchange: MASN, Frankfurt: MNSN, Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX), a leading supplier of semiconductors to the consumer electronics market, today demonstrates a breakthrough in multimedia architecture at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) in San Francisco: Ngene(TM) is based on the switched point-to-point PCI Express(TM) architecture, enabler of greater bandwidth and performance required for PC-based multimedia applications. By providing native PC connectivity, Micronas' new family of integrated circuits unleashes high-quality content from the proprietary consumer TV to the infinite possibilities of the PC world. Ngene debuts as the world's first integrated architecture in its class, securing a pole position of Micronas in the rapidly expanding PC-TV market.
A result of Micronas' consumer TV expertise combined with innovative PC technology, Ngene drives the market mega trend towards the Entertainment PC (EPC). This pioneering PCI Express multimedia controller features dual channel audio/video and dual transport stream capture, complemented by an independent host-driven TV-Out. The superior bandwidth and full duplex nature of PCI Express, combined with advanced buffer management, creates a richer media experience, decoupled from graphics use and processor load. This forms a key component for the next generation of EPCs, enhancing personal video recorder (PVR) capabilities for analog and digital TV signals including ATSC, DVB and ISDB formats.
Kai Scheffer, director business line Media Home at Micronas, explains, "PCI Express based PVR applications featuring the Ngene architecture complement the user's expectations of independently recording and viewing live TV at the same time. By eliminating bandwidth-related loss in picture quality, our innovative architecture fundamentally improves previous PCI-only implementations. This open architecture is inherently compatible with future developments; it is the first to support and not restrict the choice of video compression technology."
At IDF, the world premiere of Micronas' PCI Express architecture Ngene realizing two full symmetric TV capture channels takes place. On this occasion, the comprehensive Micronas hardware is accompanied by Home Media Network's ShowShifter(TM) software package, allowing for convenient and intuitive control. As Colin Tinto, Chief Technology Officer of Home Media Network states, "The market was lacking two TV-capture channels and Micronas filled this gap with Ngene. We are also pleased to see that ShowShifter was chosen to demonstrate this exciting technology on the Micronas Ngene platform at IDF."
The Ngene product family is designed for EPC motherboards and for use in PCI Express TV and PVR cards. The PC industry foresees a substantial growth for EPCs in the next few years. Ngene is optimized to fulfill the requirements of this emerging high-volume market. It is fully compatible with Micronas' digital audio/video ICs, allowing for glueless and cost-effective system solutions. This addresses the market's need for different configurations such as analog or digital TV (including hybrid) in single or dual channel configurations.
