Magnum Semiconductor and Genesis Microchip Join Forces to Create Digital PVR-TV Platform

Polaris Platform Provides TV Manufacturers with a Complete Reference Design to Integrate Pause, Instant-Replay, Digital Recording and Industry-Leading Video Processing into Next-Generation TVs

January 9, 2007

2007 International Consumer Electronics Show, Las Vegas, Nev. - Jan. 9, 2007 – Behind the scenes in private suites at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, Magnum Semiconductor and Genesis Microchip (Nasdaq: GNSS) have begun demonstrating their jointly developed Polaris platform, a reference design for putting PVR (Personal Video Recorder) features directly into new flat-panel TVs.

The Polaris platform is intended for integration into advanced television sets for digital broadcast environments. It combines the Genesis FLI30436 (Torino) video processor with the Magnum MS9400 advanced video codec and system controller. It provides a full range of PVR features including:

• Pause and re-play of live TV
• Scheduled recording through electronic programming guides
• Recording to built-in DVD or hard disk drives, or flash memory
• Recording to external hard disk drives or flash memory over USB
• Direct support for LCD, Plasma, DLP and other flat panel devices
• Video processing and picture optimization
• A single remote control for both TV and PVR functionality

The Polaris platform is implemented as a comprehensive single PCB with complete software, ready for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to integrate into the next generation of digital television sets.

“Magnum and Genesis see a large opportunity to enhance the consumer TV experience by adding the ability to pause, rewind, fast forward and schedule recording with a single remote control, and at the click-of-a-button,” stated Jack Guedj, president and chief executive officer of Magnum Semiconductor. “With the Polaris reference design, these time-shifting and recording capabilities can be easily integrated inside the next generation of LCD, Plasma, or other digital TVs,” he added.

Neil Mitchell, vice president of marketing, TV Business for Genesis Microchip, said, “The new Polaris platform brings together the extensive TV processing technology from Genesis and the digital video recording and management technology from Magnum. We think this is a great combination that will power a new generation of compelling differentiated TV products.”

The MS9400 is the flagship product of Magnum’s line of advanced video processing SOCs for digital media centers, digital TVs, DVD recorders, A/V jukeboxes, portable media recorders and digital camcorders. The MS9400 incorporates a multi-processor architecture to manage video and audio streams while controlling multiple storage and I/O devices.

Genesis Microchip’s FLI30436 (Torino) video/TV controller is the next generation of Cortez Advanced controllers and features enhanced video quality capture and display. Leveraging its Emmy award-winning Faroudja video processing technologies, Torino improves the image quality on displays, offers full HD (1080p) support, and true 10-bit plus video processing.

About Genesis Microchip

Genesis Microchip Inc. (Nasdaq:GNSS) is a leading provider of image processing systems enabling superior picture quality in flat-panel TVs and a variety of consumer and PC-display products. Featuring Genesis Display Perfection® technologies and Emmy award-winning Faroudja® video technologies, Genesis system-on-a-chip solutions are used worldwide by display manufacturers to produce visibly better images across a broad array of devices including flat-panel displays, digital TVs, projectors, A/V receivers and DVD players/recorders. The Genesis technology portfolio features analog and mixed signal system-on-a-chip design, DCDi® by Faroudja deinterlacing, TrueLife™ video enhancement, IntelliComb™ video decoding and includes over 185 patents. Founded in 1987, Genesis supports its leading brand-name customers with offices in the U.S., Canada, India, Europe, Taiwan, South Korea, China, Japan and Singapore. For more information about Genesis Microchip Inc. or Genesis Display Perfection technologies, please visit www.gnss.com.

About Magnum Semiconductor

Magnum Semiconductor is a premier provider of chips, software, reference platforms and engineering support services for recording, viewing and managing highquality audio/video content. Magnum Semiconductor is headquartered in Milpitas, Calif. with sales and engineering offices in Canada, China, India, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Further information is available at www.magnumsemi.com.

Media Contacts

back to news