April 29, 2003 - London: Imagination Technologies, a leader in system-on-chip intellectual property (SoC IP), announces that it has licensed technology to Frontier Silicon, a multimedia semiconductor business, for a DVB‑S (Digital Video Broadcast-Satellite) processor.
This natural extension of the relationship between Frontier and Imagination creates a range of processors targeting the key digital broadcast technologies. Imagination's IP uniquely enables DVB‑S/T, DAB, DVD, PVR and analogue TV functionality from single-chip devices. Frontier's first DVB‑S chip is expected to debut in H1 2004 and will complement Frontier's existing Chorus DAB and Logie DAB/DVB‑T chips.
Under the terms of the agreement Imagination Technologies receives both license fee and development income and will receive royalty revenues when Frontier Silicon ships processors incorporating Imagination's IP.
Says Hossein Yassaie, CEO, Imagination Technologies: "DVB is a truly worldwide digital TV standard with over 50 countries receiving DVB broadcasts over six continents. With both
DVB-S and DVB-T offerings based on Imagination Technologies' IP and leading sales and manufacturing partners, including Samsung, Frontier, as a fabless chip company, is well placed to achieve considerable success in the DVB market."
Says Anthony Sethill, CEO, Frontier Silicon: "The satellite TV installed-base in the UK is now over 6 million units, and 45 million units worldwide. Adding DVB‑S to our range alongside DVB‑T and DAB will enable us to provide existing clients with a complete range of solutions and to provide the selection of technologies essential to worldwide adoption and success. We are debuting our combined DVB‑T/DAB processor, Logie, at Mediacast 2003 and already have customers for this highly-capable and aggressively cost-effective device."
Editor's Notes
Frontier is the number one supplier of DAB Digital Radio processors in the world and its DAB modules account for over 80% of DAB sales worldwide. The company expects to ship over 500,000 DAB processor modules during the next 12 months (April 2003 - 04).
Imagination's META, PowerVR and Ensigma UCC (Universal Communications Co-Processor) IP technologies enable Frontier DVB processors to run up to four hardware tasks simultaneously in a single SoC, receive and demodulate broadcast signals and playback and record the MPEG formats used by DVB and DVD. Imagination's IP offers massive flexibility and efficiency and reduces overall system cost, enabling Frontier's customers to create new products capable of running a broad range of applications in a single box. The programmability of Imagination's UCC IP enables the development of a chip that provides the same innovative feature set and scope as Frontier's Logie DVB‑T processor, but targeting the significant and well-established satellite TV market.
About Frontier Silicon
Operating at the frontiers of the digital revolution, Frontier Silicon is a fabless semiconductor business whose core products include system-on-chip (SoC) devices and RF baseband modules for digital TV, digital radio and other emerging consumer multimedia products. Frontier's key customers include consumer electronic, automotive entertainment and PDA/mobile phone manufacturers. See: www.frontier-silicon.com
About Imagination Technologies
Imagination Technologies Group plc is an international IP licensing company that develops, licenses and supplies market-leading graphics/video cores, real-time DSP-enabled multi-threaded processors, communication and broadcast technologies for the consumer entertainment and PC markets. It supplies both licensable IP (Intellectual Property) and related advanced development tools to leading semiconductor and consumer electronics companies worldwide. Imagination Technologies Group plc has its corporate headquarters in the United Kingdom and is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange (FTSE:IMG).
