PLANO, Texas--July 10, 2006--Microtune tuner technology was built into avariety of products that enabled avid fans of the World Cup games to watchtheir favorite teams on-the-go -- from mobile TV phones, in cars and onlaptops. By providing the core technology that lets consumer devicesreceive live digital TV broadcasts, Microtune is helping usher in the eraof mobile TV that was kick-started by the 2006 World Cup event.
'Fans were able to watch the 2006 World Cup matches from amyriad of new media options, choices that were not available during thelast competition,' stated James A. Fontaine, Microtune(R), Inc. Presidentand CEO. 'High-definition TV broadcasts, web TV, and downloadable clipsreflect some of the dramatic new consumer TV options, but even moreexciting, fans could now watch live coverage of the games on-the-move oron-the-road through Microtune-enabled technology. New broadcast servicesand portable consumer devices delivered TV-to-go for anytime TV viewing,and we are pleased that our tuners served as a key enabler in this drivefor mobility.'
TESTING GROUND FOR MOBILE TV SERVICES
Microtune Sound Cards & Media Devices Driver
TheWorld Cup Games served as a showcase for the emerging mobile TV servicesmarket, broadcasting live TV to a mobile phone or other handheld device.Microtune technology was deployed in the phones for the formal launch inItaly, in which mobile TV phones and service were available to a widemarket for the first time.
. The sound card uses the PCI bus in the Mediator busboard as the busmaster performing DMA operations to/from the external memory. With 8- and 16-bit mono and stereo playback and 16-bit stereo recording plus user-selectable sampling rates from 5kHz to 48kHz, the Sound Blaster PCI128 produces precise audio fidelity. Microtune last year developed an all-in-one tuner for Samsung, the MT2121, which added close to 100 components—all related to the over-air BOM—around a cable silicon tuner. In December, Samsung began shipping 12 HDTV models, ranging from plasma displays to CRT-based DTVs, incorporating the MT2121. Scala is a powerful software tool for experimentation with musical tunings, such as just intonation scales, equal and historical temperaments, microtonal and macrotonal scales, and non-Western scales. Yaesu FT-DX3000D. SKU: ZYS-FT-DX3000 Yaesu FT-DX3000 HF Contest Radio, 100W HF/50MHZ. Availability: In Stock More Info Add to Bundle.
Hutchison's 3 Italia, a network serviceprovider and the holder of the Italian World Cup mobile rights, launchedits DVB-H mobile services prior to the start of the games. Hutchison's 3Italia deployed LG Electronics' new LG LG-U900 mobile TV phone, containingthe Microtune tuner, to receive the mobile TV broadcasts.
Microtune Sound Cards & Media Devices Drivers
'Webelieve the positive results we are seeing from our technology during thisearly stage of the Italian mobile TV rollout position Microtune to takeadvantage of surging interest in mobile TV around the globe and here athome,' added Mr. Fontaine.
'In-Stat projects that mobile TVbroadcast subscribers worldwide will reach 102 million by the end of 2010,a giant leap from 3.4 million in 2006,' said Michelle Abraham, In-Statanalyst. '2006 is the year of the first deployments of mobile TV servicesin Europe, and in Italy, we are seeing the major move from an engineeringtrial to full commercial rollout. The Italian experience offers a model totest the business case and consumer acceptance, particularly what mobilephone subscribers are willing to pay to watch and what advertisers arewilling to pay to reach them. Service acceptance will also be driven by theability of service providers to deliver affordable, reliable service,comparable in quality to what consumers expect on home TV sets.'
PLUG-IN TV
Microtune technology enabled multiple other suppliers tooffer digital TV reception of the World Cup games. In addition to beingdeployed in multimedia notebook computers and a variety of premier tuneradd-in cards, all of which enable TV on portable PCs, Microtune's tunerswere built by multiple manufacturers into the newest wave of TV-enablingperipherals -- the USB tuner 'stick.'
Similar to the size and shapeof a flash memory stick, USB tuners let viewers watch live broadcast TV onthe computer's LCD screen by inserting a thumb-sized adaptor into the USBport. Tuner 'sticks' offer the ultimate TV plug-in, small, portable andeasy to use. They allow viewers to enjoy free-to-air digital TV, based onthe DVB-T standard, not only in their homes but on the move.
TV AT100 MILES-PER-HOUR
World Cup fans were also able to watch theaction from their cars. Microtune has been a leading supplier of tuners forCar TV, the precursor of all mobile TV services, delivering the highlyspecialized technology that lets viewers watch TV on the road. Microtune'sautomotive background, in combination with its silicon and TV standardsexpertise, has provided the base expertise which the company has leveragedto develop its other mobile TV technologies.
Microtune today is thedominant supplier of car TV tuners in Europe with end customers thatinclude Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche. Operating acrossrigorous driving, weather and environmental conditions, the company'stuners are engineered to deliver excellent, stable TV pictures and sound,even when the vehicle is moving at speeds of more than 100 miles per hour(160km/h) on European highways.
'TV on mobile and portable devicesis a natural evolution in the massive worldwide digital TV transformation,'Mr. Fontaine added. 'The tuner is a key building block in bringing TV toconsumer and automotive electronics, and tuner performance, we believe,will be both a key differentiator in the marketplace and a crucial factorin promoting broad acceptance and use. With our portfolio of tunerproducts, we are committed to delivering the radio frequency performanceand reliability advantages of our market-proven technology to enable thismigration to TV-on-the-go.'
DVB-H, an acronym for digital videobroadcast-handheld, is an international standard for the broadcast ofmobile TV, and it is based on the digital video broadcast-terrestrial(DVB-T), a digital television standard that has been adopted by Europe andmuch of the rest of the world.
ABOUT MICROTUNE, INC.
Microtune, Inc. is a silicon and subsystems company that designs andmarkets radio frequency (RF) solutions for the worldwide broadbandcommunications and transportation electronics markets. Inventor of theMicroTuner(TM) single-chip broadband tuner, Microtune offers a portfolio ofadvanced tuner, amplifier, and upconverter products that enable thedelivery of information and entertainment across new classes of consumerelectronics devices. The Company currently holds 62 U.S. patents for itstechnology. Founded in 1996, Microtune is headquartered in Plano, Texas,with key design and sales centers located around the world. The website iswww.microtune.com.
ANNOUNCEMENTS REGARDING DESIGN WINS AND MARKETS
It is not unusual for Microtune to announce design wins, asreferenced in this release, and the announcement of these design wins, orany other design win, should not be viewed as an indicator of Microtunerevenues for any current or future reporting period. The market forhandheld digital television and mobile/portable digital television,generally, may not develop or may develop more slowly than currentlyanticipated. Even in the event that these markets do develop, there can beno assurance that Microtune's MT2260 or other products will be selected bymanufacturers or that if selected, such manufacturers will continue toselect Microtune's products in the future to support their handsets andother mobile/portable devices.
MICROTUNE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
All statements in this press release other than statements ofhistorical fact (including, but not limited to, statements concerning thepotential impact of the Company's products on the evolution of mobiletelevision), are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks anduncertainties that could cause such statements to differ materially fromactual future events or results. Such forward-looking statements aregenerally, but not necessarily, accompanied by words such as 'plan,' 'if,'estimate,' 'expect,' 'believe,' 'could,' 'would,' 'anticipate,' 'may,' orother words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes. Theseforward-looking statements and other statements made elsewhere in thisrelease are made in reliance, in part, on the Private Securities LitigationReform Act of 1995. Factors which could cause actual results to differ fromanticipated results include the Company's ability to introduce newproducts, achieve design wins, maintain customer and strategic partnerrelationships, forecast customer demand and manage inventory levels,control and budget expenses, protect proprietary technology andintellectual property, and successfully prosecute and defend any futurelitigation. Any one of these factors may cause the Company's actualfinancial results to differ materially from its projected results. Theforward-looking statements in this release speak only as of the date theyare made. We undertake no obligation to revise or update publicly anyforward-looking statement for any reason.
Readers are referred toour Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q,recent Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other Securities and ExchangeCommission filings which discuss the foregoing factors as well as otherimportant risk factors that could affect our business, results ofoperations and financial condition.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Microtune is aregistered trademark and MicroTuner is a trademark of Microtune, Inc. Allother company and/or product names may be trade names, trademarks and/orregistered trademarks of the respective owners with which they areassociated.
Copyright (C) 2006 Microtune, Inc. All rightsreserved.
March 6, 2006
Microtune(R), Inc. (Nasdaq:TUNE) today announced that ATI Technologies Inc. (TSX:ATY) (Nasdaq:ATYT) has migrated to Microtune's high-performance MT2121 analog/digital tuner in the latest editions of ATI's All-In-Wonder(R) PC-TV cards. Leveraging consumer demand for digital television and 'watch and record' functionality, ATI's newest multimedia cards are engineered to raise the bar in PC-TV performance, versatility and quality. ATI is a world leader in the supply of graphics, video and multimedia solutions for desktop and notebook personal computers, consumer electronics devices, digital televisions and video game consoles. ATI sells its PC video cards to consumers through retail and, as systems components, to OEM manufacturers. Microtune, the Tuner Company, is an innovative supplier of radio frequency (RF) silicon and subsystems products for consumer and automotive electronics markets, including HDTVs, PC-TVs, set-top boxes, cable modems and car TVs. Microtune's MT2121 tuner is implemented in the following ATI products: -0- -- All-In-Wonder(R) X1900, ATI'S Ultimate-Gaming Multimedia Card Targeting gamers and multimedia enthusiasts alike, the All-In-Wonder(R)X1900 ultimate-gaming multimedia card is designed with the most advanced and complete set of features, engaging and entertaining users with breakthrough performance and quality. -- All-In-Wonder(R) 2006 PCI Express(R) Edition Multi-Function Video Card A multi-function video card, the All-In-Wonder(R) 2006 PCI Express(R) Edition offers budget-minded consumers a wealth of multimedia features -- gaming, FM radio and watching/recording/pausing live TV--at an affordable price. 'ATI's new All-In-Wonder cards are designed to seamlessly converge PC and TV capabilities, providing consumers richer multimedia and entertainment options across the price/performance spectrum,' said Paul Lypaczewski, Vice President & General Manager, Multimedia Business Unit, ATI Technologies Inc. 'Our close working relationship with Microtune's IC group has enabled us to offer these exciting new products, rounding out our multimedia family of cards that spans nearly 10 years of market leadership.' 'The tuner is key technology central to PC-TV convergence, which is pushing the envelope in the demand for higher-performance RF electronics that enable quality reception, reliability and viewing flexibility,' said Albert Taddiken, Microtune's Chief Operating Officer. 'ATI has selected our market-proven MT2121 tuner chip to deliver this leading-edge RF performance in the latest edition of its All-In-Wonder cards. We are proud of our long-term technology partnership with ATI and of its team's technical commitment to providing the best TV experience for consumers.' Microtune's MT2121 Analog/Digital TV Tuner Microtune's MT2121, part of a suite of RF chips targeted for digital TV entertainment markets, enables a range of PC video and home-theater applications, including PC-TV, PC-PVR, FM radio and datacasting, as well as video-enriched multimedia for immersive gaming experiences. Supporting several worldwide reception standards, the tuners are engineered to deliver excellent picture and audio quality, dual-conversion tuner performance, and increased reliability. Their miniature size makes them ideal for space-constrained environments such as in the PC. ATI Multimedia Products ATI's All-In-Wonder entertainment products feature customizable TV, DVD, audio applications along with video editing tools. The MT2121 tuner enables the All-In-Wonder cards to instantly select one of 125 possible channels of analog cable or antenna television broadcast. The tuning of DVB-T digital television is also supported by the MT2121 on the European version of the All-In-Wonder cards. About Microtune Microtune, Inc. is a silicon and subsystems company that designs and markets radio frequency (RF) solutions for the worldwide consumer and automotive electronics markets. Inventor of the MicroTuner(TM) single-chip broadband tuner, Microtune offers a portfolio of advanced tuner, amplifier, and upconverter products that enable the delivery of information and entertainment across new classes of consumer electronics devices. The Company currently holds 59 U.S. patents for its technology. Founded in 1996, Microtune is headquartered in Plano, Texas, with key design and sales centers located around the world. The website is http://www.microtune.com.
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