Broadcom's Media PC Technology Enables High Quality Blu-ray Disc® and HD DVD Playback for Acer's Aspire® Notebook Computers

Broadcom® Media PC Technology Improves the Mobile PC User Experience Significantly with Cost Efficient, Flawless Playback of High Definition Video for Acer’s New Line of Affordable Mid-Range Notebooks

LAS VEGAS — International CES 2008 — Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today announced that Acer Inc. has selected its media PC technology for a new line of affordable Aspire® notebook computers. As one of the leading PC brands in the world, Acer has implemented Broadcom® media PC technology to enable high definition (HD) Blu-ray Disc® or HD DVD playback on new mid-range notebooks. With Broadcom’s media PC technology, Acer Aspire notebook users will experience flawless video playback with no dropped frames or lip sync problems, picture-in-picture, real-time interactive content with no hiccups or pauses, all without sacrificing long battery life.
Both Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD optical disc formats offer new and exciting features for the gaming, storage and consumer entertainment markets such as high definition video at 1080p resolution, picture-in-picture, high definition multi-channel audio, 3D style graphics and user interactivity for games, trivia, web-enabled content, etc. Prior to Broadcom’s recently introduced media PC offerings, these new and exciting HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc capabilities required intensive CPU processing and additional components (such as discrete graphics processors with video hardware acceleration) that drove up the PC cost for this level of functionality. As a result, PCs or laptops capable of playing HD content have typically been very costly.

In June 2007, Broadcom announced a family of media PC products to address the growing consumer demand for high definition video playback on cost effective mainstream PCs. Providing the highest quality video playback of multi-format (VC-1, H.264 and MPEG-2) HD content for the mainstream PC market, Broadcom’s media PC technology leverages the company’s widely deployed and field proven solutions in the high definition set-top box and consumer media player markets. With total power consumption under 3 watts, Broadcom’s media PC solutions help extend battery life on notebook PCs enabling extended video playback time.

“Breaking barriers between people and technology has always been Acer’s brand mission,” said David Lee, Vice President of Product Management at Acer’s Mobile Computing Business Unit. “With Broadcom’s new media PC solutions, Acer Aspire notebooks allow our users to enjoy high definition video playback through cost efficient and reliable product design, and provide superior HD video playback, real-time interactive content and extended battery life, all of which empower our users to enjoy full length high definition movies.”

“We are very pleased that Acer has selected our media PC technology to enable its customers with the experience and enjoyment of using Blu-ray and HD DVD optical disc media on such an affordable line of mid-range notebook computers,” said Allen Light, Director of Product Marketing for Broadcom’s Media PC line of business. “Our media PC technology excels where key features such as system cost, power consumption, CPU utilization and fan noise are concerned, and Acer’s adoption of this technology will provide important momentum to this rapidly growing market.”

Broadcom’s media PC solutions integrate seamlessly into Microsoft Windows Vista™ and Windows® XP environments and are available in three add-in card formats that include the BCM970012NB for PCI Express® mini-cards; the BCM970012PQ for PCI Express desktops; and the BCM970012IC for ExpressCard® 34. The new technology is also offered as a chipset that includes the BCM70010 and the BCM70012. All products are in full production today.