VLSI Licenses Macrovision's Copy Protection Technology for Digital Video ICs

Business Wire, Feb 26, 1996

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 26, 1996--VLSI Technology Inc. has announced an agreement to license Macrovision's Pay-Per-View (PPV) copy protection technology.

VLSI will integrate the solution into its integrated circuits for the digital set-top box and digital video disc (DVD) markets. Embedding Macrovision's copy protection at the chip level assures maximum content quality and security, enabling program suppliers to release current movies and entertainment programs for home viewing while protecting their valuable intellectual property from unauthorized copying.

As part of the agreement, VLSI will design and manufacture digital video chips that integrate the Macrovision technology and meet the individual requirements of set-top and DVD manufacturers.

"By embedding the Macrovision copy protection technology into our integrated circuits, set-top box and DVD manufacturers have an easy and economical way of protecting intellectual property, which increases the availability and diversity of programming. Consumers will then have dramatic new programming choices with the convenience of viewing at home," said Herb Reiter, director of marketing for VLSI's Consumer Digital Entertainment Products group.

"We are pleased to be working with VLSI because of their experience in the design and manufacture of high-performance integrated circuits," said Mark Belinsky, vice president of Macrovision's Copy Protection division. "Partnering with VLSI further improves our ability to make copy protection a standard feature in digital set-top boxes. The universal availability of Macrovision-enabled IC's is an important factor in preventing unauthorized viewing and copying of popular video titles."

VLSI Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:VLSI) designs and manufactures application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and application-specific standard products (ASSPs) based on its library of FSB=81 functional system blocks. Targeting its offerings towards the communications, computing, and consumer digital entertainment marketplaces, the company offers its customers advanced system-level integration capabilities. The company is based in San Jose, California, with 1995 revenues of $720 million, and has approximately 3,000 employees worldwide.

About Macrovision Corporation

Macrovision Corporation, headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA with subsidiaries in London and Tokyo, develops technologies to protect electronically transmitted and prerecorded video programs from unauthorized copying or viewing. The company offers products and services for the home video, pay-per-view, cable, satellite and corporate communications markets. -0-

Note to Editors: Macrovision is a registered trademark of Macrovision Corporation.

CONTACT: VLSI Technology, Inc.

Don Davis, 408/922-5244

don.davis@sanjose.vlsi.com