Philips Consumer Electronics Using Genesis Chip in Three New High-Definition Televisions

Business Wire, Feb 23, 2000

Business Editors & Technology Writers

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 23, 2000

New Consumer Application For Genesis gmVLX1A-X Chip

Genesis Microchip (Nasdaq:GNSS) today reported Philips Consumer Electronics is using the Genesis gmVLX1A-X video processor in three new high-definition television (HDTV) sets.

Philips recently introduced three new projection television models: the 55PP9701, 60PP9701 and 60PP9601. Each rear-projection television boasts superior high definition image quality and offers a variety of digital display and format-conversion modes. Other features include a "dual tuner picture-in-picture" display (for scanning other channels in a video window), automatic phosphor aging compensation (to avoid stationary image retention on the screen), PixelMax advanced optics system, and a wide range of connectivity options for the ultimate home theater experience regardless of whether the video source is standard-definition or high-definition material.

The 55-inch 55PP9701 and the 60-inch 60PP9701 are widescreen sets (16:9 aspect ratio) while the 60-inch 60PP9601 provides a conventional 4:3 aspect ratio. Each television displays interlaced or progressive-scan video and relies on the gmVLX1A-X chip for critical video processing.

"The Genesis chip takes NTSC video and then de-interlaces it without image artifacts," said Michael Leese, VP Projection Television Marketing. "So not only does it provide the progressive-scan video, but the chip also scales the video to different resolutions and aspect ratios. It's a powerful chip that expands our televisions' feature set, improves the quality of the image - and gives superior performance to our product."

The gmVLX1A-X integrated circuit (IC) utilizes Genesis Microchip's most advanced vertical/temporal processing and scaling algorithms to convert interlaced (television-style) video for display on high-resolution, non-interlaced systems (e.g., progressive displays). Applications benefiting from this single-chip technology include projection systems and home theater gear, DVD players, digital TV, PC-TV, LCD-TV, plasma displays, and scan doubling/quadrupling equipment.

The chip offers many advanced features such as superb real-time shrink, line doubling/tripling/quadrupling zoom, image sharpening and anti-aliasing filters, gamma correction, on-chip color space conversion, plus an "adaptive film mode" used to de-interlace video dubbed from a film source.

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands is one of the world's biggest electronics companies and Europe's largest, with sales of US$ 33.9 billion in 1998. It is a global leader in color television sets, lighting, electric shavers, color picture tubes for televisions and monitors, and one-chip TV products. Its 230,700 employees in more than 60 countries are active in the areas of lighting, consumer electronics, domestic appliances, components, semiconductors, medical systems, business electronics, and IT services (Origin). Philips is quoted on the NYSE, London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and other stock exchanges. News from Philips is located at www.news.philips.com.

Genesis Microchip Inc. (Nasdaq:GNSS) - an ISO9001-registered company - is a leading supplier of analog, digital and dual analog-digital interface solutions for the LCD monitor markets. The company's highly integrated semiconductors are also used in digital displays, DVDs, home theater equipment, projection systems, video workstation gear and many other applications. You can find Genesis chips in products from Acer, Apple Computer, Daewoo, Dell, Fujitsu, IBM, In Focus Systems, Hitachi, LG Electronics, Mitsubishi, NEC, Philips, Samsung, SGI, Sharp, Sony, Tatung, ViewSonic and more than 200 other companies. Genesis Microchip is headquartered in Thornhill, Ontario, Canada, while its U.S. subsidiaries are located in San Jose and Mountain View, California. Further information is available at: http://www.genesis-microchip.com.

Editor Note: - Philips is a registered trademark of Philips Electronics N.V.