Lights, Camera, Altera: Panasonic Selects Cyclone III FPGAs for New High-Definition Camera-Recorders

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- July 28, 2008 -- Providing a low-power and quick-time-to-market solution, Altera Corporation (NASDAQ: ALTR) announced today that Panasonic has selected Cyclone® III FPGAs for its P2 HD Professional-Broadcast High-Definition Camera-Recorders. The P2 HD AJ-HPX2700 and the P2 HD Handheld AG-HPX170 are part of a new series of tapeless cameras developed by Panasonic to meet the growing worldwide demand for high-definition (HD) broadcast.

As the global market shifts to HD, it is vital for broadcasters to deliver crisp, clear picture quality. In the Panasonic P2 HD Professional-Broadcast High-Definition Camera Recorders, Cyclone III FPGAs provide HD video processing, an interface to P2 memory cards and LCD display control. Cyclone III devices deliver the highest ratios of memory-to-logic and DSP-to-logic of any low-cost FPGA family, which is optimal for video processing applications, such as HD cameras.

“We evaluated a number of different programmable solutions to determine which would enable us to quickly deliver cameras with the highest image quality and greatest power efficiency,” said Akihito Nakatsukasa, manager of the materials and purchasing management department at Panasonic. “Cyclone III FPGAs met our strict requirements by offering the best digital signal processing performance, which allowed us to offer our customers the highest level of quality in the broadcast industry. Because the Cyclone III devices consume less power, we were also able to significantly reduce the amount of heat generated inside the camera. As a result, fewer parts were needed in the camera, which shortened development time and lowered costs.”

The new P2 HD AJ-HPX2700 is a professional camera that replaces traditional tapes with high-density flash memory storage. The features simplify field production and media handling in the editing process, and increase mechanical reliability in the field.

The P2 HD Handheld AG-HPX170 is a pro-sumer camera that takes the high image quality and reliability of the AJ-HPX2700 and adds superior mobility with its compact and lightweight system.

“The use of Altera’s Cyclone III devices expands a strong partnership that reaches back to Panasonic’s use of Altera’s Stratix II FPGAs in the first series of P2 camera recorders in 2006,” said Luanne Schirrmeister, senior director of low-cost product marketing at Altera. “For these new devices, not only were Altera’s Cyclone III FPGAs the top choice for video processing capabilities with low power consumption, but the ease of design allowed Panasonic to roll out its cameras much quicker, which helps Panasonic maintain its competitive edge in the broadcast HD market.”

About the Cyclone III Device Family

The third generation of Altera’s Cyclone III FPGAs offer an unprecedented combination of low power, high functionality, and low cost. The Cyclone III family is composed of eight devices ranging from 5K to 120K logic elements (LEs), up to 4Mbits of memory and up to 288 digital signal processing (DSP) multipliers. Built on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s (TSMC’s) 65-nm low-power (LP) process, the Cyclone III family includes devices that are qualified for commercial, industrial and extended temperatures. For more information about Cyclone III FPGAs, including white papers, handbooks and webcasts, visit www.altera.com/pr/cyclone3.

About Altera

Altera® programmable solutions enable system and semiconductor companies to rapidly and cost effectively innovate, differentiate and win in their markets. Find out more at www.altera.com.