Sigma Designs Enables Cost Effective HD Video Conferencing to the Living Room

Sigma Designs, the world leader in connected media platforms, today introduced a suite of home video conferencing solutions aimed at the consumer electronics market. These new solutions, which include a HD Camera, a console and a remote control, take advantage of Sigma Designs heritage as a IPTV STB provider to OEMs and service providers to add an immersive video conferencing experience that fits into any home. Sigma will be demonstrating two of these solutions at CES 2012 in Las Vegas.

This device combines Sigma's PL330 video encoder innovation with its SMP8670 secure media processor research, to combine home video conferencing solutions with video streaming services in a Set Top Box design. Sigma's team provides the hardware and software to develop user interface that enables seamless transition from watching video programs to making video conferencing calls, access video messages, manage contacts, and customize their profile and settings when connected to a HD television and a broadband connection. With the integrated HD camera, users can as well record their own videos, which can be shared on Facebook, YouTube, or via email.

Video conferencing is becoming more prevalent in both our professional and personal lives. To illustrate, millions of consumers use free applications, just as Skype, to share a story, celebrate a birthday, and meeting with friends and family every day. The popularity is growing as these applications are now available on your phone or computer or a TV. Skype's initiative to offer Skype TV for the High Definition TV will dramatically grow the use of video conferencing. The barriers to the adoption of video by consumers have been cost and complexity. These new solutions from Sigma Designs overcome both barriers by offering OEMs a cost-effective, easy-to-manage video communications solution in other words consumer friendly. Consumers will no longer require a PC and crowding around a small video camera to hold a family meeting

Sigma Designs worked closely with two Original Design Manufacturer partners, Chicony Electronics Co. LTD, the largest digital camera/web camera manufacturer in the world and Microlink Communications Inc., a subsidiary of Foxlink Group in other words focused on developing a variety of wireless products and is working in conjunction with Sigma to deliver multiple video conferencing solutions in a STB which will be submitted to Skype for certification.

The PL330 was developed exactly to capture high-definition video for video calling on set top boxes, connected media players, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) devices, video phones, video conferencing, TVs, and video surveillance devices. The Sigma Designs PL330 delivers high-performance, high-definition video encoding at only 380mW -- less than half the power of other solutions in the market.

Highly integrated

Sigma's new platform features a highly integrated, single-chip design with a full high-definition encoder, which extends the performance of set-top boxes by enabling them to transcode and record H.264. By combining high-definition performance with a lower power footprint, Sigma's PL330 offers consumers two significant benefits: the ability to run video conferencing applications in HD, on affordably priced USB-powered HD cameras, and the ability for consumers to take video recorded on their set-top boxes and stream directly to tablets and smart phones in their homes.

"Sigma Designs is an established video and networking innovator, and we understand how consumer needs differ from enterprise needs," stated Sal Cobar, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Sigma Designs. "By offering cost-effective, easy to deploy solutions to our partners, we believe we can deliver a high quality video experience traditionally enjoyed only by large companies using expensive equipment."

About Sigma Designs, Inc. Sigma Designs, Inc. is a world leader in connected media platforms. The company designs and builds the essential semiconductor technologies that serve as the foundation for the world's leading IPTV set-top boxes, connected media players, residential gateways, home control systems and more. For more information about Sigma Designs, please visit www.sigmadesigns.com.