Zoran Demonstrates ATSC Set-Top Converter Box Designed to Meet ENERGY STAR Requirements

SupraHD® 741 Processor Powers Cost-Effective Solution for DTV Manufacturers Addressing 2009 Analog Signal Cut-Off

Sunnyvale, Calif. — Zoran Corporation (Nasdaq: ZRAN) announced that its advanced ATSC-compliant set-top converter box reference design, demonstrated last week at the International Broadcast Congress (IBC) in Amsterdam, is available to qualified Zoran customers.

Powered by Zoran’s SupraHD® 741 processor, with an integrated ATSC-compliant demodulator, the energy-efficient set-top reference platform includes Zoran software, tuner, memory, and all associated circuitry needed to bring new set-top converter box products quickly to market.

“Zoran’s new SupraHD® 741-based ATSC set-top converter box platform has been designed and tested to meet all requirements for the U.S. Government’s Coupon Eligible Converter Box program. The platform was designed to meet ENERGY STAR requirements and includes other premium features such as a smart antenna, programmable remote controls, and S-video output,” said Eric Schiff, director set-top box products, Zoran Corporation.

“ENERGY STAR appreciates the leadership Zoran is demonstrating with the release of its SupraHD® 741-based ATSC set-top converter box design built to meet ENERGY STAR efficiency requirements. We hope to see other manufacturers follow Zoran’s lead in delivering energy efficient designs, realizing significant power savings when consumers switch from analog to digital broadcasts. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates annual per box energy savings for an ENERGY STAR qualified box at 84 kilowatt hours and $8 per year, and lifetime per box energy savings for an ENERGY STAR qualified box at 589 kilowatt hours and $55,” said Katharine Kaplan, EPA Product Manager, ENERGY STAR consumer electronics.

The new SupraHD® 741 processor and software are proven technologies already in use in multiple ATSC digital televisions. The processor integrates Zoran’s ATSC digital television receiver that was the first to exceed the A/74 requirement for the digital broadcast transition in recent tests conducted by the Communication Research Centre Canada (CRC), an industry recognized independent testing laboratory. This reception performance, especially when combined with an optional smart antenna, will help consumers obtain the best ATSC reception and minimize product returns for manufacturers.

The SupraHD® 741-based ATSC converter box reference design includes in-house, royalty-free ATSC middleware, a Thomson tuner, 32MB DDR memory, 1MB flash memory, optional smart antenna control, and a power supply designed to support the ENERGY STAR requirements. Several manufacturers have already developed ATSC set-top box products based on the SupraHD® 741 processor reference design. The first of these products, on display at IBC, are now in certification testing at NTIA and are expected to begin shipping to retailers during Q4 2007.

Zoran’s converter box solution benefits from application engineering expertise gained during years of DTV development and deployment that assists manufacturers in bringing new products quickly to market. Deliverables to customers include schematics, and complete software including a user interface customized for ATSC set-top converter boxes.