Dirac Research and STMicroelectronics to Deliver Extended Sound Performance in Ultra Thin TVs

ST to Integrate Dirac Research’s Digital Sound-Correction IP into Advanced TV SoCs

UPPSALA, Sweden — Dirac Research, a premier R&D company specializing in digital sound correction, today announced its collaboration with STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), one of the world’s largest semiconductor companies and a leader in chips for set-top boxes and digital TVs. The aim is to bring hi-fi class sound to flat-screen TVs by including Dirac HD Sound™ audio-correction IP in ST’s digital TV SoCs (System on a Chip).

Thanks to this collaboration, flat-screen TV manufacturers will benefit from a high-quality sound differentiator and each end-customer will finally be able to experience premium sound from their TV.

The benefits of using Dirac HD Sound™ in a flat-screen TV include:

• Voice correction – voices become clear and intelligible
• Stereo image correction – sound is lifted to the center of the TV screen
• Bass correction – a deeper and tighter bass
• Listening fatigue minimization
• Tonal & transient correction

“The picture quality of flat-screen TVs has been improved substantially, while the sound quality is lagging far behind due to the thinning of the TV cabinet. Dirac HD Sound™ can put sound on a par with the great picture quality of today’s flat-screen TVs,” said Dr. Mathias Johansson, CEO and CTO at Dirac Research.

“We saw a good match in STMicroelectronics as they have a distinct policy of continuous innovation, and always aim to provide their customers with the latest cutting-edge technologies,” he continued.

“With our key focus on both video and audio quality, Dirac HD Sound™ is an ideal partner to our Emmy® Award winning Faroudja™ video-processing technologies to deliver a wonderful audio-video experience in each living room,” said Luigi Mantellassi, General Manager of ST’s TV and Monitor Division

“Dirac Research is well known for the premium audio quality they have brought to cars and cinema. They have the expertise of having created accurate theater sound plus of dealing with difficult sound environments and we are excited to offer outstanding audio quality to all our TV customers on our Freeman DTV SoC family,” he concluded.

On a technical level, Dirac HD Sound™ is a premium mixed-phase sound correction technology. Unlike equalizers and other sound-correction systems, Dirac HD sound™ optimizes the sound system’s transient reproduction – a factor critical for accurate staging and clarity. Dirac technology is based on years of research and is already used in luxury cars and professional cinema theaters around the world.

STMicroelectronics offers a wide range of TV SoCs, with key focus on 3DTV; advanced MEMC (motion estimation, motion compensation); high-performance H.264/MPEG audio/video decoding; and comprehensive integrated features. Its products deliver an enhanced user experience with full support for broadband-Internet iDTV functionality and expanded graphics capabilities, allowing the TV customer to choose, connect and enjoy rich content and services at home.