SigmaTel D-Major Audio Decoders Power the Latest SONICblue MP3 Players

Business Wire, Oct 28, 2002

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

NOTE TO MEDIA: Multimedia assets available

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 28, 2002

SigmaTel(R) Inc. announces that D-Major(tm) decoder technology is now available in the latest SONICblue(tm) MP3 players.

The Rio(R) S50 and S10 and the Rio Sport S30S and S35S will be hitting stores for the 2002 holiday season. The SONICblue Rio player product line has consistently been one of the hottest-selling MP3 players on the market for the past three years. These latest products, using SigmaTel technology, will strengthen SONICblue's leadership and enable them to continue its quality offerings to the consumer.

The latest SONICblue Rio players (driven by SigmaTel D-Major) feature:

-- Up to 35 hours of battery life on a single AA battery with the S50 and S10 players and up to 15 hours on a single AAA battery with the S30S and S35S

-- 64 or 128 MB of built-in memory with an MMC/SD expansion slot for additional storage

-- Supports MP3 and Microsoft Windows(R) Media (WMA) audio formats

-- FM Tuner available on the Rio S50, Rio Sport S30S and Rio Sport S35S

-- Capable of supporting future audio formats

-- USB connection for fast music transfers

-- Rugged, skip-free design

The release of these four new players to store shelves will initiate a strategic partnership where SONICblue will exclusively use SigmaTel D-Major technology in new flash players. This relationship will enable next-generation players to utilize the benefits of D-Major technology. Designers at SONICblue chose D-Major audio decoders based on several factors:

-- Very low power consumption for longer battery life

-- Low bill of materials pricing

-- High audio quality with greater than 90 dB signal-to-noise

ratio

-- Integrated single chip design that enables smaller player

designs

"These benefits enable SONICblue to build world-class digital music players that deliver high-quality sound and powerful features to consumers at a lower cost," said Jeff Hastings, vice president of engineering at SONICblue. "Between SigmaTel's technology and SONICblue's MP3 player market leadership, both companies win with this partnership. However, it is the consumer that really sees (hears) the benefit."

"SigmaTel is proud to be associated with a market leader such as SONICblue," says Danny Mulligan, general manager of the audio decoder business unit at SigmaTel. "These players and future SONICblue players will help define the size, shape and the feature-sets of future MP3 players. SigmaTel technology will be here to drive this revolution."

For information on the SONICblue Rio S50 and S10 and the Rio Sport S30S and S35S, including product features, specifications and online purchasing, please visit www.sonicblue.com.

For information on the D-Major audio decoder product line, visit www.sigmatel.com.

About SONICblue Incorporated:

SONICblue is a leader in the converging Internet, digital media, entertainment and consumer electronics markets. Working with partners that include some of the biggest brands in consumer electronics, SONICblue creates and markets products that let consumers enjoy all the benefits of a digital home and connected lifestyle. SONICblue holds significant financial assets, global marketing capabilities and a focused technology portfolio that includes Rio(R) digital audio players; ReplayTV(R) personal television technology and software solutions; and Go-Video(R) integrated DVD VCRs, Dual-Deck(tm) VCRs, and digital home theater systems.

About D-Major:

D-Major(tm) audio decoder solutions provide high-quality audio playback for portable devices such as MP3-style players, PDAs and cell phones. With D-Major's high level of integration and quality, portable audio devices are attractive to a larger audience because of a lower system cost.

About SigmaTel:

SigmaTel, a provider of integrated circuit (IC) design, is converting the real world into a digital experience with its innovative mixed-signal solutions for the digital audio and wireless infrared markets. Since its inception, SigmaTel has built a strong reputation as an innovative developer of mixed-signal ICs, by being first to market with several highly integrated designs. The privately held company, based in Austin, Texas, is committed to providing customers with high-performance products along with superior customer service. For more information, visit SigmaTel's Web site at www.sigmatel.com.

SONICblue and Dual-Deck are trademarks of SONICblue Incorporated. ReplayTV, Go-Video and Rio are registered trademarks of SONICblue Incorporated. All other products and brand names as they appear in this release are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. All specifications may be changed without notice.

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