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Texas Instruments Announces DaVinci(TM), the World's Most Advanced Semiconductor Technology for Next Generation Digital Video

Posted on: Thursday, 8 September 2005, 15:00 CDT

NEW YORK, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- During a global event today, Rich Templeton, president and CEO of Texas Instruments Incorporated introduced DaVinci(TM), the world's most advanced semiconductor technology for next generations of digital video products. DaVinci technology is a DSP-based solution tailored for digital video applications that provides video equipment manufacturers with integrated processors, software and tools to simplify the design process and accelerate innovation. For more information about DaVinci technology, see http://www.thedavincieffect.com/ .

Much like what TI has done for its wireless mobile phone customers, DaVinci will allow digital video designers to choose a signal processor tailored for their needs and then select from a menu of production ready software, reducing time to market and increasing innovation by an order of magnitude.

For consumers, these advancements will result in new generations of digital video products that go far beyond today's capabilities. For example, consumers will no longer have to correct color and lighting problems on a digital photo using their PC; those corrections will be done automatically by the camera. Instead of multiple systems, one TV set-top box will allow consumers to play and/or record, as well as video conference with friends simultaneously. Taking this technology one step further, consumers with a video security system will be able to identify a visitor at the front door, unlock it and open it via their TV remote.

"Microsoft continues to innovate by delivering products and technologies that offer the highest quality digital audio and video experiences available," said Amir Majidimehr, corporate vice president for the Windows Digital Media Division at Microsoft. "Texas Instruments is a key partner in these efforts, and new technologies like DaVinci(TM) are poised to transform the way consumers experience digital video entertainment."

TI expects to announce DaVinci-based processor samples, software and development tools by year-end 2005. DaVinci-enabled solutions are in the pipeline for products such as digital cameras, automotive infotainment products, portable media players, set-top boxes, and video-security systems.

"This is premier digital signal processing technology that will grow the market for new digital video applications and make existing applications much easier to use," said Rich Templeton, president and CEO of Texas Instruments, "TI is continuing its promise to accelerate the pace of innovation for the communications and entertainment era."

Texas Instruments Incorporated provides innovative DSP and analog technologies to meet our customers' real-world signal processing requirements. In addition to Semiconductor, the company's businesses include Sensors & Controls, and Educational & Productivity Solutions. TI is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has manufacturing, design or sales operations in more than 25 countries.

Texas Instruments is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TXN. More information is located on the World Wide Web at http://www.ti.com/ .

Statements contained in this news release regarding the video products market, TI product qualifications and availability, and other statements of management's beliefs, goals and expectations may be considered forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these statements. The following factors and the factors discussed in TI's most recent Form 10-K could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements contained in this news release: actual market demand for video products and TI products specifically, and actual test and qualification results relating to TI products. TI disclaims any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this news release.

Trademarks

DaVinci is a trademark of Texas Instruments. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Fact Sheet DaVinci(TM) Technology Background & Specifications

DaVinci(TM) technology is the first integrated portfolio of DSP-based processors, software, tools, and support for developing a broad spectrum of optimized digital video end equipments. It enables original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to more easily and quickly develop a range of innovative, cost efficient digital video products, transforming the way consumers experience digital video. DaVinci technology will accelerate the pace of innovation and expand the market for digital video applications.

TI expects components of the DaVinci technology portfolio, including processors, software, tools and partnership solutions, to be introduced to the market before the end of 2005. The DaVinci technology roadmap addresses the demand for real-time video for a host of emerging digital video product innovations. These application segments include: video security, IP set-top box, videoconferencing, automotive infotainment, portable media and digital cameras. TI also will introduce highly-integrated, DaVinci-enabled products for the mass market.

The DaVinci technology is comprised of the following components that have been optimized to work interdependently for digital video end equipments:

DaVinci Processors

DaVinci processors are built on the industry's highest-performance DSP platform, TI's TMS320C6000(TM) DSPs, leveraging TI's newest C64x+(TM) DSP core. The DaVinci processors consist of scalable, programmable DSP-based systems-on-chips (SoCs) tailored from DSP and ARM cores, accelerators and peripherals that are optimized to match price, performance and feature requirements for a broad spectrum of digital video end equipments.

* DaVinci Processors in the Market A number of DaVinci processors are already in the pipeline and tailored for digital video applications, including: - Digital still camera - Video telephone - IP set-top box - Automotive infotainment - Video security - Portable media players - Medical imaging - Networked video for emerging applications * Accelerators and Peripherals Tightly coupled within the system architecture are targeted peripherals and accelerators for video and audio device acceleration and implementation. DaVinci processors will be made up of combinations of DSP and/or ARM cores, memory configurations, accelerators and peripherals optimized for targeted digital video applications. Peripherals and accelerators include: - Advanced video acceleration * Video I/O processing subsystem * Video and imaging accelerator - Advanced audio * Audio serial port (ASP) for codec interface and communication - External memory interfaces * Double Data Rate memory DDR2 * Onboard NAND flash controller * NAND/NOR-flash-capable Async EMIF - Video display * Integrated support for popular resolutions and interfaces - Connectivity * USB 2.0 High-speed Host and Client Function * Full 10/100 Mbps Ethernet MAC * Inter-integrated circuit (I2C) Bus interface * Special interface for FPGA complement - Data storage interfaces * ATA (Hard drive) * Compact Flash Controller * Multimedia Card (MMC) / Secure Digital Card (SD) Controller DaVinci Software

Running on the DaVinci processors, and fully utilizing the on chip resources, will be DaVinci software, built in configurable frameworks and presented via published APIs within popular operating systems for rapid software implementation.

* Video, Imaging, Audio and Speech Codecs TI is designing and will be delivering standard video, imaging, audio and speech codecs as software products that will be licensed and supported by TI and its third parties. The following codecs are planned for release in the coming months: - H.264 decode - H.264 encode - MPEG4 decode - MPEG4 encode - H.263 decode - H.263 encode - WMV9 decode - WMV9 encode - MPEG2 decode - MPEG2 encode - JPEG decode - JPEG encode - AAC+ decode - AAC encode - WMA9 decode - WMA8 encode - MP3 decode - G.711 - G.728 - G.723.1 - G.729ab * Operating Systems Standard operating systems will allow developers with expertise on these systems to leverage their programming know-how and at the same time achieve peek performance from DaVinci technology's system integration, including its robust DSP engine and accelerators. The DaVinci technology portfolio will initially include support for Linux. Support for other popular operating systems, such as WinCE, is expected to be available in the future. * Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) The DaVinci technology portfolio offers several classes of APIs that are poised to accelerate innovation for digital video equipments. The APIs bring together the best of both worlds for DSP and ARM software developers. While the DSP platform remains open for DSP experts, ARM software developers can program to APIs and are assured that popular combinations of codecs required for next generation digital video processing are tested to work together and optimized for specific video applications. Ultimately, whatever the development team's expertise or preference, the DaVinci APIs integrate DSP and accelerator content transparently for a broad set of high-performance video, audio, imaging and speech codecs. * Frameworks The DaVinci software framework is built to ensure that all DSP-based SoC hardware and software components work seamlessly together. By offering complete, application-specific software solutions previously built by OEMs, the DaVinci software framework abstracts system developers from the inner workings of the multiprocessing SoC. This dramatically reduces OEM research and development, system architecture, implementation and test schedules so that OEMs can focus on their value-add -- differentiating their products. DaVinci Development Tools

DaVinci technology will offer a set of cost appropriate tools and kits for a variety of application spaces and designs, including low-cost starter tools, complete development kits and even reference designs to speed OEM design and development. An ARM/DSP Integrated Development Environment (IDE), operating system tools and DSP tools allow developers to program in a familiar environment while accessing the full benefits of the DaVinci technology, including:

* Development Kits * Reference Designs * Code Composer Studio(TM) IDE DaVinci Technology Support System

The support system for DaVinci technology includes an end-to-end video ecosystem, system integrators, hardware and software solution providers with DaVinci technology knowledge, and video system expertise to accelerate OEM product introductions. Providers who are supporting and designing solutions on DaVinci technology include:

- ANT - MontaVista - ATEME - MPC Data - Bitband - Orca - eInfochips - Sentivision - Emuzed - Softier - Green Hills - Spectrum Digital - Ingenient - Tanberg TVS - Ittiam - UB Video - Logic PD - Widevine - Mediaworks - Wintech - Mistral Trademarks

DaVinci, TMS320C6000, C64x+ and Code Composer Studio are trademarks of Texas Instruments. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Texas Instruments Incorporated

CONTACT: business press, Sharon Hampton of Texas InstrumentsIncorporated, +1-214-480-6127, or s-hampton@ti.com ; or Tina Couch,+1-972-764-2763, or tinac@wagged.com , for Texas Instruments Incorporated; ortrade press, Lisa Ferrara of Texas Instruments Incorporated, +1-281-274-4213,or lferrara@ti.com ; or Sarah Lawton, +1-713-513-9572, orslawton@golinharris.com , for Texas Instruments Incorporated. Please do notpublish these numbers or e-mail addresses.

Web site: http://www.ti.com/http://www.thedavincieffect.com/

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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