Espial TV Browser Pre-Integrated on Panasonic Semiconductor Connected TV Platform

Browser Accelerates Graphic Operations and Streamlines Web Navigation

OTTAWA — Espial (TSX:ESP), a leader in on-demand TV software and solutions, today announced that the Espial TV Browser will be pre-integrated on Panasonic® Corporation’s (NYSE:PC; Tokyo:6752) Semiconductor Business Group chipset technology, enabling connected device manufacturers to achieve a faster time to market. The Espial TV Browser version 6.0 features a comprehensive range of sophisticated technologies, including HTML5 and Adobe® Flash®, and reduces the time to market for device manufacturers by providing out-of-the-box availability, robust performance, and rich graphical and high-performance user experience for Web on TV.

“Today’s consumers expect a fast, feature-rich television experience” said Yasuhiro Nakakura, Director, Home AV LSI Business, System LSI Business Unit, Semiconductor Business Group, Industrial Device Company, Panasonic Corporation. “The Espial TV Browser features a completely open architecture that allows a high degree of customization as well as rapid integration with today’s leading Smart TVs, providing end users with a seamless TV experience.”

Based on the powerful WebKit rendering engine also used by Google Chrome™ and Apple® Safari® browsers, the Espial TV Browser supports HTML5 and the latest W3C Web and interactive TV standards, comes pre-integrated with Adobe Flash 11, and –using the comprehensive software development kit (SDK) — was easily integrated to the Panasonic Semiconductor’s chipset. The Espial TV Browser was also integrated with Panasonic Semiconductor’s graphics library to accelerate operations with its graphics hardware. The TV Browser supports multiple tabs, visual thumbnails for favorites for that rich consumer-like feel of a desktop browser, and features a customized virtual keyboard that simplifies on-screen navigation, enabling users to access a variety of personalized applications, such as product menus, social media, interactive advertising, email, chat, and video games

“We’re excited to partner with Panasonic Semiconductor to deliver a more personalized and interactive media experience to today’s connected television generation,” said Yukio Kanemori, Japan Country Manager, Espial, “By pre-integrating the Espial TV Browser on Panasonic’s Connected TV Platform, device manufacturers can offer rapid access to a whole new range of powerful applications and interfaces optimized for connected devices.”

Espial TV Browser leverages all of the latest industry standards, including HTML5, CSS 3D, and Canvas, with a high-speed JavaScript engine to deliver compelling content both quickly and efficiently. The TV Browser’s comprehensive SDK can be integrated seamlessly with middleware media players, video plug-ins, and JavaScript extensions to further enhance the user experience.