TAG McLaren Selects National Semiconductor DVD-on-a-Chip Solution for High-end Consumer DVD Player

Business Wire, Sept 6, 2000

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 6, 2000

National's Chip Delivers Outstanding Audio Quality

for All DVD and CD Formats

National Semiconductor (NYSE:NSM) today announced that its industry-leading, fully-integrated DVD-on-a-chip technology will power new high-end digital versatile disc (DVD) players from TAG McLaren Audio, a division of TAG McLaren Group that designs and makes high-performance audio electronics. The unique integration of software and hardware National brings to TAG McLaren ensures optimal playback performance and support of all DVD, audio and video CD specifications, and enables such capabilities as in-field re-programmability.

National's solution in the TAG McLaren DVD32R player incorporates a 32-bit RISC processor, MPEG specific hardware, 10-bit video DACs and an NTSC/PAL encoder. The MPEG data stream from the vibration-isolated, top-loading transport assembly is processed by a flexible hardware/software combination. Stored in re-programmable, flash memory devices, the software parts of the solution can be upgraded to support new features and formats via a simple software download from TAG McLaren Audio's Web site (http://www.tagmclarenaudio.com).

"In the same way that our Formula One motor racing team demands obsessive attention to detail, cohesive teamwork and the very highest manufacturing standards, our consumer electronics products are manufactured to the same performance and quality standards," said Dr. Udo Zucker, chief executive of TAG McLaren Audio. "National's DVD-on-a-chip solution was chosen for our DVD32R player because it offers the best performance and design flexibility available."

The solution from National's Mediamatics(TM) division is the first to integrate all the back-end functions of a DVD player onto a single chip. This unrivaled level of integration, which includes host processing, provides TAG McLaren with the required no-compromise MPEG decoding at the core of its new player.

Designed by TAG McLaren from inception, the DVD32R was to achieve outstanding playback of the widest range of current and future DVD and CD media formats, resolving the commonly held misconception that DVD players offer less than the best possible audio CD reproduction. The well-balanced, unified memory system architecture of the DVD-on-a-chip solution also provides complete compatibility among system components, with improved performance and reliability, greater flexibility and significant cost savings.

"We are delighted to work with TAG McLaren in the development of the DVD32R DVD player," said Kent Goodin, Vice President of Consumer Electronics at National's Mediamatics Division. "TAG McLaren clearly shares our commitment to industry-leading performance and quality. This is a fantastic endorsement of the architectural superiority of our DVD-on-a-chip technology."

The audio/video technology implemented in the National solution provides high quality video processing and full-featured surround sound audio. This includes a synchronization architecture incorporated into the chip that eliminates audio/video skip and repeats in a steady state operation.

The video processing elements feature high quality filtering to deliver crisp graphics display on a TV. The full-resolution on-screen display (OSD) information is produced by an integrated digital domain OSD generator, avoiding any superfluous circuitry in the analogue video paths. Additionally, technology has been implemented to achieve the highest audio quality by providing very low jitter on the audio clock -- resulting in a high signal to noise ratio.

The DVD32R player will be available in the fall of 2000. It can be purchased directly from TAG McLaren's Web site or through its network of retailers.

About National Semiconductor

National Semiconductor provides system-on-a-chip solutions for the information age. Combining real-world analog and state-of-the-art digital technology, the company's chips lead many sectors of the personal computer, communications and consumer markets. With headquarters in Santa Clara, California, National reported sales of $2.1 billion for its last fiscal year and has about 10,500 employees worldwide. Additional company and product information is available on the World Wide Web at www.national.com.

Note to Editors: National Semiconductor is a registered trademark and Mediamatics is a trademark of National Semiconductor Corporation. All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.