Half mini-card design integrates Mirics’ FlexiRF tuner technology and Spreadtrum’s CMMB demodulator system-on-chip
FLEET, England and SHANGHAI, April 7 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- Further to the strategic partnership announced in December 2008 between Mirics Semiconductor and Spreadtrum Communications (Nasdaq: SPRD), the two companies today announce the availability of an embedded PCTV solution that supports the China Multimedia Mobile Broadcasting (CMMB) mobile digital TV standard. Mirics will demonstrate the solution receiving live CMMB broadcasts on a standard netbook PC at the Intel Developers Forum in Beijing on April 8, 2009.
CMMB is the mobile TV technology backed by China’s State Administration for Radio, Film and Television (SARFT). With coverage extending to 150 cities already, SARFT expects CMMB to be supported in 337 Chinese cities by the end of 2009, and have a total population coverage of 500 million by 2011.
Multi-media enhanced portable PC platforms such as netbooks are ideally suited for receiving the live TV and radio content and data services that CMMB supports and for delivering to consumers on-the-go entertainment and information.
The announced embedded solution measures just 30mmx26.8mm, and has been implemented in the industry standard half mini-card format. The mini-card integrates Mirics’ MSi002 FlexiRF(TM) silicon tuner and Spreadtrum’s SC6600V CMMB demodulator system-on-chip. The solution features all of the CMMB hardware and software required to deliver a complete ready-to-integrate PCTV package, including the ability to support conditional access, and has been optimized for BlazeVideo’s DTV video player.
Commenting on the announcement, Simon Atkinson, CEO, Mirics, said: "As consumers increasingly turn towards netbook PCs as their prime device for multi-media content consumption, CMMB is the ideal technology to deliver live content to such portable platforms. With the announcement of this half
mini-card solution, manufacturers can now very simply embed broadcast TV into portable PCs." Dr. Leo Li, President & CEO, Spreadtrum, said: "In the short elapsed time since Spreadtrum and Mirics announced a strategic PCTV collaboration, the two companies have worked very closely to leverage the innovative features of both company’s chips, and now proudly announce a commercial embedded CMMB solution targeting in particular netbooks, the fastest growing consumer electronics segment today."
The announced PCTV half mini-card platform is now available to lead customers and partners for platform integration.
About Mirics
Mirics provides total system solutions for converged wireless connectivity on portable consumer electronic devices such as Notebook PCs, Media Players and Cellphones. The initial focus of the company is the delivery of
free-to-air broadcast services and content to portable computing and communications devices. With development, support and sales operations in Boston (USA), Hampshire (UK), Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taipei, Mirics has brought together a strong team with extensive experience in delivering high performance integrated circuits and algorithmic IP into high volume wireless, broadcast and cellular applications.
Mirics has secured funding from an eminent investor team comprised of Acacia Capital Partners, Intel Capital and Pond Venture Partners. Mirics recently secured $7 million of financing in January 2009, bringing total investor financial support to $22 million.
Based upon projections from analysts such as IDC and Gartner, Mirics expects the PCTV market to exceed 32 million shipments by 2010.
For more information, please visit: http://www.mirics.com
About Spreadtrum Communications
Spreadtrum Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPRD; "Spreadtrum" or the "Company") is a fabless semiconductor company that develops baseband and RF processor solutions for the wireless communications market. Spreadtrum combines its semiconductor design expertise with its software development capabilities to deliver highly-integrated baseband processors with multimedia functionality and power management. Spreadtrum offers terminal manufacturers a comprehensive portfolio of highly-integrated baseband processor solutions, as well as multimedia chips, RF chips, protocol software and software application platforms. Spreadtrum has developed its solutions based on an open development platform, enabling its customers to develop customized wireless products that are feature-rich and meet their cost and time-to-market requirements. For more information, please visit: http://www.spreadtrum.com .
Spreadtrum Communications Safe Harbor Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the expectation of SARFT’s CMMB coverage in China, the effectiveness of CMMB technology to deliver live content to portable platforms and the estimation of netbooks being the fastest growing consumer electronics segment. These statements are forward-looking in nature and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual market trends and the actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements for a variety of reasons. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the rate at which the commercial deployment of CMMB technologies will grow, market acceptance of the CMMB PCTV solution and CMMB technologies, continuing competitive pressure in the semiconductor industry and the effect of such pressure on prices; unpredictable changes in technology and consumer demand for handsets; the state of and any change in the strategic partnership between Mirics and Spreadtrum; the state of and any change in Mirics’ and Spreadtrum’s relationships with their major customers; and changes in political, economic, legal and social conditions in China. For additional discussion of these risks and uncertainties and other factors, please consider the information contained in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC "), including the annual report on Form 20-F filed on June 30, 2008, especially the sections under "Risk Factors" and "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," and such other documents that the Company may file or furnish with the SEC from time to time, including on Form 6-K. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this press release.
