Sarnoff Announces Next-Generation H.264 Compliance Technology; H.264 Sarnoff Compliance Bitstreams establish the benchmark standard for testing of Digital Video Decoders

Business Wire, Sept 12, 2006

PRINCETON, N.J. -- Sarnoff Corporation announced today the public launch of the H.264 Sarnoff Compliance Bitstreams, a video syntax testing system that provides real-time, automated compliance testing of next-generation H.264/AVC digital video decoders in digital/high definition television (DTV/HDTV) receivers and cable and satellite TV converters. H.264 Compliance Bitstreams continue Sarnoff's decade-long success in developing industry-standard, Emmy(R) award-winning compliance testing tools that drive products to market quickly.

The Sarnoff Bitstreams for H.264 provide accelerated validation, and patent-pending visibility enhancement techniques that make errors obvious to the human viewer, even with filtering or post-processing. The high-performance products complete tests in just seconds that would take hours or days by traditional methods.

"H.264 streams are custom built to test products fast and accurately," said Hans Baumgartner, product manager for Sarnoff Compliance Bitstreams. "The product makes errors extremely easy to detect and simplifies testing of decoders through their entire life cycle, from simulation to integrated product. Manufacturers will be able to get their error-free product to market more quickly than competitors."

The H.264 Compliance Bitstreams are available in a Rapid Type and Visual Type. The Rapid Type is designed for software or automated verification, requiring the capture and observation of only the final frame of the video to confirm compliance with each test. The Visual Type extends the title and verification sections of the bitstream to allow for easy visual verification of complete products.

H.264 Compliance Bitstreams are available in a variety of popular video formats including 1080i, 720p, 480p, 480i, 576i and custom formats. Mobile formats in smaller display sizes are also available.

The H.264 Bitstreams join a complete line of Sarnoff compliance testing products and services for MPEG-1, MPEG-2, ATSC, OpenCable(TM), Closed Captioning, PSIP Program Guides, Digital V-Chip, and picture quality.

Information is available at http://www.sarnoff.com/Bitstreams

About Sarnoff Corporation

Sarnoff Corporation (www.sarnoff.com) produces innovations in electronic, video and vision technologies that generate successful new products and services for our government and commercial clients worldwide. Founded in 1942 as RCA Laboratories, Sarnoff makes continuous breakthroughs in ICs, lasers, imaging and sensing devices; biomedical diagnostics; digital TV and video for security, surveillance and entertainment; high-performance networking; and wireless communications. Sarnoff is a subsidiary of SRI International.