Conexant Unveils Solution for Satellite PC TV Applications; World's First PCI PC TV Reference Platform to Support Newest DVB-S2 Video Broadcast and Advanced Modulation and Coding Standards

Business Wire, March 9, 2006

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- Conexant Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CNXT), a worldwide leader in semiconductor solutions for broadband communications and the digital home, today announced the world's first satellite television receiver card reference platform based on the industry's newest digital video broadcast standard, DVB-S2, for personal computers (PCs). It is targeted at manufacturers developing products that allow subscribers to watch, record and replay satellite broadcast programs on their PC. The new solution is based on two Conexant set-top box (STB) solutions and one PC video device. These include the world's first digital video broadcast DVB-S2 demodulator and forward error correction (FEC) decoder, a third-generation 8PSK satellite tuner, and a PCI audio/video (AV) broadcast decoder. The two STB devices enable the capture and processing of satellite broadcast programming, and the AV decoder converts and transports the video stream so it can be viewed on a PC.

"By combining our advanced set-top box components with our market-leading PC video technology, we provide a complete system solution for PC television applications," said Jeff Crosby, vice president and general manager of Conexant's Broadband Media Processing business. "This integrated reference platform solution allows manufacturers to significantly reduce their product development time and capitalize on early market opportunities in this rapidly growing industry segment."

About the PC TV Receiver Card

Conexant's new PC TV receiver card incorporates two front-end STB devices. The CX24116 DVB-S2 demodulator and FEC decoder leverages key developments in channel coding and modulation to provide up to a 30 percent capacity increase over the previous DVB-S standard. It has been shipping in high-volume quantities for more than a year. The second STB chip is the company's CX24118 direct down-conversion satellite tuner. This device provides the radio frequency performance necessary for the complex 8PSK advanced modulation and coding specifications.

The third device is the CX23883 PCI audio/video broadcast decoder, which enables analog and digital audio/video capture, display, or record and playback at a later time through software or hardware audio/video codecs.

The reference design is backward-compatible with the previous DVB-S and DSS standards. This allows manufacturers to use a single platform to develop products for multiple industry standards, which allows them to maximize their engineering resources and lower overall manufacturing and design costs. Schematics, layout files, and evaluation boards with production-ready device drivers are included with the reference design.

Conexant is a leading provider of STB solutions, offering a comprehensive suite of digital components and system solutions for worldwide satellite, terrestrial and cable entertainment broadcasting networks. Products include silicon tuners, satellite demodulators, MPEG audio and video decoders, and dial-up modems for back-channel applications. Reference designs that help manufacturers reduce cost and speed time-to-market are also available, bundled with a range of operating systems, middleware, drivers and development tools.

The company is also the world's No. 1 supplier of PC video solutions. Conexant's accomplishments include creating the PCI video decoder category, introducing the industry's first single-chip MPEG audio/video codec, delivering the world's most widely deployed MPEG audio/video encoder, and launching the first single-chip video encoder and digital video interface (DVI) transmitter.

About Conexant

Conexant's innovative semiconductor solutions are driving broadband communications and digital home networks worldwide. The company has leveraged its expertise and leadership position in modem technologies to enable more Internet connections than all of its competitors combined, and continues to develop highly integrated silicon solutions for broadband data and media processing networks.

Key products include client-side xDSL and cable modem solutions, home network processors, broadcast video encoders and decoders, digital set-top box components and systems solutions, and dial-up modems. Conexant's suite of networking components includes a leadership portfolio of IEEE 802.11-compliant WLAN chipsets, software and reference designs, as well as solutions for applications based on HomePlug(R) and HomePNA(TM). The company also offers a complete line of asymmetric and symmetric DSL central office solutions, which are used by service providers worldwide to deliver broadband data, voice, and video over copper telephone lines.

Conexant is a fabless semiconductor company with an annual revenue run-rate in excess of $900 million. The company has approximately 2,500 employees worldwide, and is headquartered in Newport Beach, Calif. To learn more, please visit www.conexant.com.

Safe Harbor

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release includes forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases such as Conexant or its management "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "foresees," "forecasts," "estimates" or other words or phrases of similar import. Similarly, statements in this release that describe our business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions or goals also are forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements.