Microsoft And Broadcom Team Up
LAS VEGAS — Jan. 8, 2007 — Today at the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Microsoft Corp. and Broadcom Corp. announced a joint effort to support a hardware and software reference design for more cost-efficient HD DVD playback. The new platform uses Microsoft® Windows® CE 6.0 and Broadcom’s BCM7440 system-on-chip solution, allowing consumer electronics manufacturers, original design manufacturers and systems integrators to more easily and affordably deliver HD DVD playback. Several of the more innovative, high volume electronics companies that plan to use this new hardware and software platform to speed the production of HD DVD players include Lite-On IT Corp. and Zhenjiang Jiangkui Group Co. Ltd./ED Digital.
In less than a year, HD DVD is already transforming the way people watch movies. With several hundred thousand HD DVD players in homes and more than 240 movie titles to choose from, studios are taking full advantage of the pristine video and audio quality and the ability to add interactive features to blockbuster films. HD DVD movies have received reviewers’ top ratings among high-definition media, and consistently outsell and outrank similar titles of competing optical disc formats.* To keep up with demand, major studios have announced more than 300 HD DVD movies for 2007.
“One of the critical steps in bringing HD DVD to the mass market is driving down the price of the units while maintaining flawless quality,” said Peter Besen, vice president, Consumer Electronics, Broadband Communications Group, from Broadcom. “Our BCM7440 chipset brings multiple processors, dual decoders and dedicated graphics engines to the table. Combined with the power of Windows CE 6.0, we’re able to offer a complete reference design that dramatically reduces development time for our manufacturing partners.”
The Microsoft and Broadcom platform also ensures a high level of compliance with the HD DVD specification and compatibility with other HD DVD platforms, including the Xbox 360™ platform. With fully functional HDi™ interactivity and navigation software, and support for all mandatory HD DVD codecs including the industry-leading VC-1 codec, the hardware and software platform meets the requirements for the playback of advanced HD DVD interactive content already in production by leading Hollywood studios.
Through the support of Lite-On, HD DVD will benefit from one of the most experienced systems integrators backing high volume consumer electronics manufacturers that offer customized OEM solutions. Combined with Jiangkui’s experience as one of the largest high volume Chinese DVD manufacturers, the Microsoft and Broadcom platform is already poised to significantly impact the HD DVD landscape in 2007.
“We’ve seen strong sales of HD DVD players and movies so far, but using this new platform, companies can produce HD DVD players in record time, resulting in more choices for consumers,” said Amir Majidimehr, corporate vice president of the Consumer Media Technology Group at Microsoft. “The power and high integration of BCM7440, combined with the Windows CE 6.0 HD DVD platform, results in even lower cost players for consumers than the high value products already in the market.”
The first players incorporating the new platform are expected from manufacturers in the second quarter of this year.