Sigma Media Processors Power Advanced Communications' IPTV Set-top Boxes Across Japan

Wednesday, June 25th, 2008
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Companies Enter Collaborative Relationship to Develop Next Generation IPTV Set-Top Boxes for the Japanese Market

MILPITAS, Calif. — Sigma Designs (NASDAQ:SIGM), a leader in digital media processing and wireless system-on-chip (SoC) solutions for consumer electronics, and Advanced Communications Co., Ltd (Adcom), a Japanese communications technology company, today announced that Sigma’s highly integrated SMP8654 media processors will be used to power Advanced Communications’ IPv6 set-top boxes (STBs) currently being deployed by major telecom companies, cable providers, hotels, convenience stores, restaurants, and Karaoke centers throughout Japan. Furthermore, the companies have entered into a collaborative relationship to develop next-generation IPTV set-top boxes for the Japanese market based on Sigma’s SMP8654 media processor and Adcom’s iSense IPTV software platform solution.

As part of this collaboration, Sigma’s chips are integrated into Adcom’s new iSense platform, which power the IPv6 STBs. The iSense also comes with a software development kit (SDK) for next generation networking (NGN) where all home telco-based and consumer electronics will communicate in an “all-IP” fashion. The iSense platform is also being used to power and build in IP-based functionality for set-top boxes manufactured by Japanese consumer electronics companies.

“We are pleased that Sigma’s media processors power the new iSense platform and IPv6 STBs and help us further expand into the Japanese IP STB business and consumer markets,” said Yukihiro Yamada, CEO at Advanced Communications. “We recognize Sigma’s world leadership in the IP market and wanted to be certain our highly flexible, expandable solutions used the most experienced, advanced audio/video and multimedia processing technology on the market today.”

“We are excited about our continued expansion of IPTV customers in Japan,” said Ken Lowe, vice president of strategic marketing at Sigma Designs. “We work closely with worldwide telcos and set-top box manufacturers in the development of our industry leading system-on-chip IPTV solutions. We intend to continue that focus to ensure their successful use by Advanced Communications and the company’s Japanese-based consumer electronics customers.”

Advanced Communications’ IPv6 STBs – powered by Sigma’s SMP8654 media processors – support multicasting, video-on-demand (VOD), recording and playback functionality and digital rights management (DRM) requirements. The solution handles multi-task performance by processing multiple streams of content in tandem at speeds up to 20 Mbps, and advanced encryption technology for enhanced copyright protection. In addition, the product is supported by the Association of Radio Industries and Businesses (ARIB), a standardization organization in Japan designated as the center of promotion of the efficient use of the radio spectrum and frequency change.