Sigma Commits Android Support Across Its Line of Consumer Media Processors

Sigma Commits Android Support Across Its Line of Consumer Media Processors

Vantage 8654 SDKs Are Available for Porting of Android Applications on Sigma Designs IP-STB and Blu-ray Platforms

MILPITAS, Calif.--October 06, 2009--Sigma Designs (Nasdaq: SIGM), a leader in digital media processing system-on-chip (SoC) solutions for consumer electronics, today announced its commitment to broad scale support of the Android™ operating system on its media processor SoCs. Sigma also announced the availability of a ported version of Android onto its Vantage SMP8654 development platform. Sigma Designs and MIPS Technologies will be demonstrated in 1080p video on a full-HD flat screen display at CEATEC Japan in Makuhari Messe from October 6 to October 10. The demonstration will be inside the Hotel The Manhattan, Suite 705.

This HD video demonstration is another milestone toward the creation of a reference platform for an Android-based set-top box (STB)—a goal that Sigma and MIPS Technologies have been jointly working toward with other members of the STB working group of the Open Embedded Software Foundation (OESF). The goal of the OESF consortium is to drive Android into new consumer electronics segments beyond the mobile handset, where Android is already finding success.

“Sigma Designs is seeing a big rise in demand from its customers for the availability of media applications or widgets, as they are popularly referred to, being available on its platforms,” said Ken Lowe, vice president of strategic marketing for Sigma Designs. “These are widely used today on phones with much smaller screens. We believe that this unique partnership with MIPS and our ongoing Android commitment will enable a rich development environment for our customers and partners.”

Sigma and MIPS have spearheaded the effort to port Android on Sigma’s widely popular media processors and make them available to the application development community.

“Sigma Designs is an innovative company, consistently delivering solutions at the leading edge of SoC design. Through our partnership, we are enabling customers to jumpstart development of Android applications for IP-STBs, digital media adaptors, Blu-ray players and IPTV,” said Art Swift, vice president of marketing for MIPS Technologies. “As providers of the official STB reference port selected by OESF, MIPS and Sigma are committed to delivering a complete reference platform for Android-based IP-STBs.”

The Vantage SMP8654 Android developer kits, targeted for the Web or Internet TV Widget market, offer a rich environment that can be leveraged by developers to be extended to IP-STBs, digital media adapters and Blu-ray players.

The kits will be available in mid-October.

For more information about the Android platform or for interested application developers to access the full source code for MIPS Technologies’ port of Android to the MIPS32® architecture, including a reference binary and documentation, please visit www.mips.com/android or email android@mips.com.

About Sigma Designs, Inc.

Sigma Designs is a leading fabless provider of highly integrated SoC solutions that are used to deliver multimedia entertainment throughout the home. Sigma’s SoC solutions include media processors and wireless communication devices which combine semiconductors and software as critical components of high-growth consumer applications including IPTV-based set-top boxes, Blu-ray players, HDTVs, entertainment connectivity devices, and RF-based home control devices. Headquartered in Milpitas, Calif., Sigma Designs also has design centers or sales representatives in Canada, China, Denmark, France, Japan, Korea (third party), Singapore, and Taiwan. For more information, please visit Sigma Designs’ web site at www.sigmadesigns.com.