Hauppauge Launches Mobile DVB-T Digital TV Receiver for Personal Computers, Powered By Siano

Tuesday, September 9th, 2008
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WinTV MiniStick Offers Smaller Size and Higher Performance Than Previous Generation DVB-T Receivers

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands — Hauppauge Digital, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAUP), a leading developer of digital video TV and data broadcast receiver products for personal computers, announced today the launch of a new small sized, high performance mobile digital TV USB receiver. WinTV MiniStick, which uses Siano’s Mobile Digital TV (MDTV) receiver silicon, is primarily targeting Europe and South Asia DVB-T broadcast networks. The design of WinTV MiniStick will also support the mobile digital TV networks of Korea, Japan, and Brazil.

DVB-T is already deployed in more than 30 countries, spreading from Europe to East Asia, with an additional 40 countries expected to launch a service by 2010. Amongst the services offered today, more than two thirds of the channels are free-to-air, providing end consumers with dozens of channels that they can enjoy on-the-go and in their homes.

WinTV MiniStick enables end users to watch their favorite digital TV programs, live on their laptops or the new generation of ultra-mobile PCs, anytime and anywhere. WinTV MiniStick supports both Windows XP, Windows Vista and Linux computers.

According to In-Stat, the annual mobile PC market is expected to grow from 132 million units this year to 260 million units in 2012. “The market for PC-TV tuners is quickly moving from analog to digital, driven by the increased pace of the broadcast television analog-to-digital switchover,” said Gerry Kaufhold, an analyst with In-Stat who recently published a fresh PC-TV market report. “The adoption of digital PC-TV tuners will accelerate in Europe as Digital Terrestrial TV (DTT) services continue to expand,” Kaufhold forecasts.

WinTV MiniStick exhibits high-speed mobility, smooth handovers, and reception — sufficiently sensitive to allow indoor usage. In addition, it consumes lower battery power, making it perfect for use with ultra mobile PCs (UMPCs).

The innovative miniature USB “stick” is based on Siano’s multi-standard mobile TV receiver chip — the SMS1150. “We have done extensive in-country testing of the WinTV MiniStick and have been very happy with its high performance for mobile TV watching on laptop computers,” said Ken Plotkin, CEO of Hauppauge. “The Siano single chip architecture reduces the size, power and cost of WinTV MiniStick, which will help drive the adoption of this product as a digital TV receiver for the mobile laptop computer market.”

Alon Ironi, CEO of Siano Mobile Silicon, commented: “Being selected by the world’s top PC TV product maker is an important milestone for Siano. Hauppauge and Siano share the vision that digital PC TV is about to become an integral part of every notebook and mobile internet device out there, and the two companies are collaborating in several ways to make this vision come true.”

The WinTV MiniStick is presented this week at the IBC conference in Amsterdam, in Siano’s booth (booth number 592 in the mobile zone).