Pixelworks and AMIMON Fuse Video Performance and WHDI Technology

Monday, January 8th, 2007
Pixelworks logo

The Joint Reference Design Combines AMIMON’s Powerful Wireless Uncompressed High-definition Capabilities and Pixelworks’ Superb Image Processing

LAS VEGAS — 2007 International CES — Pixelworks, Inc (NASDAQ: PXLW), a leading provider of system-on-chip ICs for the advanced display industry, and AMIMON Inc., an emerging leader in semiconductor technology for wireless transmission of high-definition (HD) video, today announced that they are cooperating to provide joint reference designs that combine Pixelworks’ video and image processing hardware and software and AMIMON’s Wireless High-definition Interface (WHDI™) wireless uncompressed HDTV solution on a single integrated platform.

The joint reference designs will facilitate the design of a new class of wireless projectors and wireless flat-panel TVs that offer a wireless uncompressed HDTV link that is compatible with the most common wired HDTV interfaces: HDMI and component video.

“Running audio/video wires to the display is perhaps the greatest challenge that consumers are faced with when installing a new multimedia projector or when hanging a new flat-panel TV on the wall,” said Noam Geri, vice president, marketing and business development of AMIMON Inc. “Pixelworks and AMIMON have joined forces to enable projector and TV OEMS to offer wireless display devices that consumers can easily and flexibly install.”

WHDI offers a wide range of benefits in the home for consumers. Additionally, WHDI goes beyond the home; it provides flexibility, simplicity and easy wireless connection to projectors in high-traffic multiple-user environments such as corporate boardrooms, classrooms and conference centers. WHDI’s powerful and strong coverage range (100+ feet) makes it the ideal technology for larger presentation venues like trade shows, auditoriums, houses of worship and lecture halls.

The joint reference design includes advanced digital processing circuitry for a cost-effective system, industry leading scaling and video enhancements. The reference design features Pixelworks’ DNX™ (Digital Natural Expression) video processing technology and advanced 3-D noise reduction.

In addition to all of the common wired interfaces, the integrated platform includes a WHDI link, which delivers wirelessly uncompressed HDTV video streams with equivalent video rates of up to 1.5 Gbps (including support for uncompressed 720p and 1080i) with video quality that is equivalent to that achieved with an HDMI cable. With latency of less than one millisecond, synchronization between audio and video is assured. The wireless link occupies 20 MHz bandwidth in the 5GHz unlicensed band, conforming to worldwide 5GHz spectrum regulation, and it covers a range of more than 100 feet through walls. Future versions of the joint reference design will also support uncompressed 1080p (with an equivalent rate of 3 Gbps) by using 40 MHz of spectrum, conforming to FCC 5GHz regulations.

“We are pleased to provide our customers an easy and fast path to embedding a high-quality wireless HDTV link that can support all HDTV sources,” said Anthony Simon, Vice President of Marketing for Pixelworks. “By combining the best video processing solution in the market with the highest-quality wireless HDTV solution in the market, we are enabling projector and TV manufacturers to offer high-quality wireless displays that are also easy to install.”