Top Chinese Consumer Electronics (CE) Companies Join Forces to Build Next-Generation Digital Communications Interface

China’s Video Industry Association Supports the Creation of the DIVA Consortium to Promote Standardization of a New Interface for Interactive Digital Television and CE Networking

BEIJING — A group of leading Chinese consumer electronics (CE) companies today announced the formation of an industry consortium whose mission is to build and drive the adoption of the next-generation interactive television and home CE networking interface known as DIVA, or Digital Interface for Video and Audio. The DIVA Consortium’s charter members (called the Promoters Group) include major CE and home appliance manufacturers such as Sichuan Chang Hong Electric Co.; Qingdao Haier Co.; Hisense Electric Co.; Konka Group; Nanjing Panda Electronics Co.; Skyworth Group; SVA Information Industry Co.; TCL Corporation; and Synerchip Co., Ltd.

In addition to the transmission of uncompressed video and audio data, DIVA technology embeds a reliable, high-speed bi-directional data transmission channel to allow the consumer to locate, connect and control various CE devices from a DIVA-enabled digital television (DTV). As consumers increasingly integrate more electronic entertainment devices and digital appliances, the DIVA interface will help streamline and simplify the connections among all technologies, offering ease of connection and use while maximizing their entertainment experience. Leveraging a single interface, which integrates multimedia and data communication, the DIVA standard promises to upgrade home networks to a new level-making DTVs the center of the home entertainment network.

For CE manufacturers, today’s digital interfaces are point-to-point connections that are limited in their ability to accommodate a network of devices. DIVA is offering the ability to connect multiple source devices to multiple displays, to monitor and control various digital home appliances from the TV in the living room, and to organize various personal and mobile entertainment devices in the same home network.

The organization of Chinese CE manufacturers-the China Video Industry Association (CVIA)-has agreed to fully support the DIVA standard. In fact, CVIA’s leadership in the Chinese electronics industry and abroad will aid in consistent adoption of DIVA as it moves toward becoming an industry standard – ensuring interoperability among the different brands implementing this technology.

The DIVA Promoters Group will demonstrate the DIVA bi-directional technology at the China Digital Home Industry Association Summit Conference on May 21, 2008 in Guangzhou, China; and expects to release the specification by the end of 2008.