News

FVD Format Emerges Based On Sigma Media Processors; New Format Uses WMV9 to Support Cost-Effective High Definition Content (1/12/2004)

Sigma Designs (Nasdaq:SIGM), a leader in digital media processing for consumer appliances, today announced that Sigma's EM8620L media processor is currently being used as the basis for first generation FVD players. Several manufacturers are gearing up for production of players, which are expected to be sold at retail prices of about $149 (NT$5,000) in Taiwan and about $121 (1,000 yuan) in China.

The FVD (forward versatile disc) is Taiwan's red-laser based high definition DVD-like format which was driven by Taiwan's Advanced Optical Storage Research Alliance (AOSRA) in conjunction with the government-sponsored Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI). FVD based products are being launched in China and Taiwan with plans for expansion into other worldwide markets in the future, including an unveiling at the coming Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2005) taking place in January at Las Vegas. FVD has also attracted the support of Taiwan providers of digital content and several movie publishers in China. Currently, over 20 FVD titles are planned for introduction next month and over 500 titles are expected to be made available during 2005.

The FVD format differs technologically from the DVD standard in physical format, compression (encoding) and decoding, and content protection and therefore is not subject to normal DVD royalty charges. First generation FVD discs will have a storage capacity of 5.4-6GB for single-sided discs and 9.8-11GB for double-sided discs and will support resolutions of up to 1280x720. Second-generation FVD discs are expected to have a capacity of over 15GB and will support resolutions up to 1920x1080i.

Under the FVD format, content will be encoded using Microsoft's Windows Media Video 9 (WMV9) and WMA9 compression algorithms, which currently offers the advanced compression technology at a lower royalty charge than alternatives. Based on first generation capacities and resolutions, a complete 2-hour high definition movie will fit on a single FVD disc. Additionally, the FVD format secures content using an AES algorithm along with a unique ID number for each device.

"FVD will bring consumers crisp, high definition video content based on affordable players that can be made available now," said Dr. Guo Gua Wu, department manager, Logic Technologies Dept., Information Storage Division of ITRI. "The Sigma EM8620L media processor was pivotal to FVD's success, providing support for high definition WMV9, WMA audio, and AES decryption in a single-chip solution."

Sigma's EM8620 Media Processor Provides Optimal FVD Solution

During the FVD format development, Sigma media processors were used as a key component for validating the technology, quality, and cost of the prototype FVD player. The first generation FVD platform is based on a reference design using the EM8620L along with a complete suite of disc navigation, decryption, and user interface software. FVD platform design for second generation players will get a head start in January as Sigma rolls out its new media processor with added support for WMV9 at 1080p resolution along with other enhancements.

The Sigma EM8620L provides a perfect fit for the new FVD players, offering all the video/audio codecs, high definition decode, and system control features. Key features utilized by the new FVD players include:

-- WMV9, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4 video decoding up to 720p resolution -- Video output on composite, S-video, component, and DVI interfaces -- WMA audio decoding (as well as MP3) with stereo or SPDIF output -- DRM processing with hardware based AES decryption -- On-chip CPU, graphics processing, and system control features

Over the past several months, FVD has won support from manufacturers of optical drives in China, and the first FVD players are now being launched by manufacturers from Taiwan and China. So far, companies planning to support the FVD format include leading optical-disc makers CMC Magnetics, Ritek and U-Tech Media and optical-disc-drive makers Lite-On IT, BenQ, Quanta Storage and Mustek Systems.

"The FVD format offers consumers the opportunity to enjoy high definition today, using technologies that bridge the gap between high quality and low cost," said Ken Lowe, vice president of strategic marketing for Sigma Designs. "We are excited to work with ITRI in launching this new platform and anticipate several high quality FVD players to be introduced shortly."

www.sigmadesigns.com