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BridgeCo Demos Microsoft Windows Media Connect Enabled Digital Media Receiver Platform

Posted on: Tuesday, 12 October 2004, 06:00 CDT

Silicon and Firmware Reference Design Will Enable New Consumer Products and Digital Entertainment Scenarios

BridgeCo (www.bridgeco.net), a leading provider of digital home entertainment networking solutions, demonstrated today a complete wireless digital media receiver reference design that supports Microsoft's Windows Media Connect technology. The BridgeCo reference design was publicly demonstrated at Microsoft's Digital Entertainment Anywhere launch event, which unveiled new digital entertainment solutions at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium.

BridgeCo worked with Microsoft to develop the reference design, which enables OEMs and ODMs to create networked audio products that wirelessly link living room audio equipment to the digital music content stored on Windows XP and Windows XP Media Center Edition PCs. BridgeCo is currently working with several OEMs that are adopting the reference design for consumer products.

The BridgeCo reference design includes BridgeCo's proprietary processor and firmware with 802.11b wireless networking capability. Consumer products based on the reference design will allow existing home audio systems to discover and wirelessly stream digital audio content -- including purchased and subscription content from services and stores using Windows Media DRM -- from Windows XP-based PCs.

"BridgeCo's use of Windows Media Connect technology in its reference design showcases a significant digital entertainment scenario by enabling the networking of digital music housed on Windows XP-based PCs, including purchased or subscription content acquired through online stores and services built using Windows Media DRM," said Jonathan Usher, director of the Windows Digital Media Division for Microsoft. "With the growing popularity of online digital media stores and services and the proliferation of digital media found on Windows XP-based PCs, Window Media Connect ensures consumers have yet another choice of when and where they enjoy their content."

"Consumers want to store media files on their PC, but listen to music on the stereo system in their living rooms. Windows Media Connect coupled with the BridgeCo digital media receiver design makes this possible for all content, including protected content from online music services," said BridgeCo founder and CTO Christof Heidelberger. "Working with Microsoft we were able to develop a very cost-effective design that offers robust protection for content owners and distributors, while allowing consumers to enjoy their content in satisfying new ways."

BridgeCo's wireless home networking reference design includes a proprietary ARM-based processor, a proprietary RTOS, and an application firmware stack. The BridgeCo processor interfaces directly to an 802.11 PHY/MAC chipset, and drives either digital or analog outputs that connect directly to an audio system. The processor/firmware combination performs all networking protocols, Windows Media DRM processing, and Windows Media Audio decoding -- everything necessary to wirelessly bridge music content from a Windows XP or Windows XP Media Center Edition PC to an audio system's auxiliary input.

About BridgeCo

BridgeCo is a pioneer of digital entertainment networking solutions. The company's Entertainment Network Adapters(TM) (ENAs) are the world's most comprehensive, cost-effective and highly integrated silicon and software platforms for connecting Internet media sources and PCs to consumer electronics throughout the home. BridgeCo ENAs are used in a wide range of innovative and legacy products produced by the multi-billion dollar global consumer electronics industry, including Wireless Audio Adapters, Audio/Video receivers, DVD players, music instruments and breakout boxes.

Underlying all BridgeCo solutions are proprietary, integrated semiconductor and software technologies that network PCs to CE devices via widely-used standards and protocols for network and signal processing, including IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 1394, UPnP, WiFi, and DLNA.

BridgeCo is an ISO 9001-certified company based in Zurich, Switzerland. Its key investors include Fidelity Ventures, Benchmark Capital, Earlybird, Infineon Ventures, and Intel Capital. For more information, please visit www.bridgeco.net.

All trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners.

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