Zoran Expands Its Multimedia Core Portfolio With a New NTSC/PAL/SECAM Video Decoder IC Core

Business Wire, Nov 2, 1998

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 2, 1998--

Provides high-quality video at lowest gate-count for cost

sensitive consumer and PC multimedia markets

Zoran Corporation (Nasdaq: ZRAN), a leading provider of integrated circuits (ICs) and software for digital audio and video applications enabled by compression, announced today a new addition to its Intellectual Property (IP) multimedia cores portfolio, the high performance NTSC/PAL/SECAM video decoder core, available immediately. The video decoder core joins Zoran's MPEG1, MPEG2, Dolby Digital, video encoder and motion compensation cores already licensed to many leading IC and applications developers. With the addition of this core, Zoran targets the growing number of digital consumer electronics as well as PC systems which require interfacing to analog video.

Functioning as the first link between the original video source (such as TV, VCR or camcorder) and any digital video systems, the video decoder's quality has a significant impact on the performance of the complete video system. The video decoder function is becoming a requirement for many applications, such as video-in/TV-out capability that is being added to PC graphics systems and ICs, digital TV systems, video conferencing systems and video capture systems. Zoran's video decoder core is a ready-to-use IP block that can be integrated into any IC which needs to accept analog video in any of the above mentioned applications. By offering an off-the-shelf building block that can be easily integrated into larger designs, Zoran's core significantly reduces time-to-market since it relies on Zoran's expertise and know-how in digital video processing.

Zoran's highly-optimized decoder core design offers superior image quality at a very low gate count. Based on technology independent design, this core can be synthesized to any 0.5 or sub 0.5 micron process technology. The video decoder core supports all variations of video standards existing today world wide (including NTSC, all PAL versions and SECAM). It also provides the highest quality of video through advanced adaptive COMB filtering technology. The low gate count ensures its acceptance in high-volume, cost-sensitive applications such as PC multimedia and consumer products.

"The NTSC/PAL/SECAM decoder core reinforces our leadership position as a complete multimedia solutions provider for system-on-a-chip applications," said Dr. Shmuel Farkash, Vice President of Video Products for Zoran, "By providing a wide range of technologies, including intellectual property cores, to IC manufacturers, Zoran enables manufacturers to significantly reduce time-to-market and development costs, while offering unprecedented flexibility and product differentiation."

Other Zoran cores include MPEG-1/MPEG-2 decoders, Dolby Digital decoder, NTSC/PAL video encoder, and motion compensation. Zoran's core product package includes documentation and source code as well as a full test and simulation environment for a complete turn-key design. Zoran's established video expertise and support capabilities enable customers to develop top quality products based on Zoran's multimedia cores.

ABOUT ZORAN

Zoran Corporation develops and markets software and integrated circuits (IC) for digital audio and video applications enabled by compression. Zoran also designs complete reference products based on Zoran's technology. Zoran's product lines and Intellectual Property (IP) include JPEG codecs, MPEG, DVD decoders, IC cores, digital audio processors for decoding and processing digital audio streams such as Dolby Digital and MPEG, and real-time DVD software for PC. All these standard based products benefit from Zoran's StandardPlus(TM) technology. Zoran's software is bundled by PC and graphics-card manufacturers for software and software-assisted DVD playback on PCs. The company's ICs are used in numerous digital audio and video products. Leading applications incorporating Zoran's products and IP include professional and consumer video editing systems, filmless digital cameras, stand alone DVD players and PC-based systems, digital speakers and audio systems.

Zoran is headquartered in Santa Clara, California with additional operations in Haifa, Israel, Toronto, Canada and offices in Tokyo, Japan and Shenzhen, China. For more information about Zoran call (408) 919-4111, or visit our website: www.zoran.com. For our latest press releases please call our fax-on-demand service at 1-800-PRO-INFO, ticker symbol ZRAN.

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StandardPlus is a trademark of Zoran Corporation.