HDTV Laptops to Arrive in China in Time for 2008 Olympic Games

FREMONT, Calif., April 22 /PRNewswire/ -- When the Olympic Games begin in August this year in Beijing, China, many viewers will be able to watch live High Definition (HD) broadcasts of the games on their laptops, thanks to an initiative between Legend Silicon and Intel. The move is part of the rapid evolution of digital television (DTV) in China, where the new Digital Terrestrial TV Broadcasting (DTTB) standard supports both fixed HDTV (High Definition TV) sets as well as viewing on mobile devices. Legend Silicon developed the core technology behind China's DTTB standard.

In August 2006, China launched its DTTB standard, GB20600-2006, demonstrating the country's capacity for innovation. In 2007, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) announced an allocation of funds for further DTV research, development and industrialization. Over $100 million will be used for the development of DTTB in China.

The Chinese government's DTV policy fosters the further development of DTTB. Plans have been initiated calling for the country to adopt DTTB in 2008 and to obtain the capacity to broadcast multiple HDTV programs by 2010. The country expects that the increasing prevalence of the DTTB standard will stimulate further technology innovations.

The 2008 Olympic Games are viewed as an important opportunity for the growth of HDTV in China. The Olympics will be delivered live via HDTV to audiences around the world. On January 1, 2008, CCTV launched DTTB in the Beijing area in preparation for the Olympics. Other Olympics host cities, including Tianjin, Shanghai, Shengyang, Qingdao and Qinhuangdao, along with Guangzhou and Shenzhen, will introduce free HDTV programming before the Olympic Games start in August. Local residents will be able to watch the Olympics live through many types of HDTV reception devices.

Thanks to advanced DTTB technology, viewers are no longer limited to watching TV in their homes. Many mobile consumer electronic devices have been designed for HDTV, including a small USB Dongle DTTB receiver, designed by Legend Silicon and China's Aigo that allows viewers to watch HDTV on their laptops, anywhere at any time.

Legend Silicon and Intel have begun working with laptop computer manufacturers and USB dongle receiver manufacturers to build an ecosystem that promotes "HDTV on your Laptop", providing viewers with a convenient, portable HDTV viewing experience.

The Intel Centrino platform has unique advantages in supporting mobile HDTV on laptops. The platform allows speedy decoding and smooth displaying of HDTV, and is capable of running multiple tasks while displaying a TGV program. The Centrino platform's low power consumption technology makes the laptop thinner, lighter, and offers a longer battery life, as well as improved mobile reception. Centrino's advanced wireless technology offers a smooth upstream channel, allowing audiences to interact with programs that they are watching.

Major laptop manufacturers have shown their willingness to collaborate with Legend Silicon and Intel to promote this new usage model. Lenovo, HP, ASUS, Sony, Samsung, Toshiba, among other major brands, all agree that the advanced Intel Centrino platform, integrated with the HDTV DTTB USB dongle, will expand the multimedia and entertainment functionality of laptops. The HDTV viewing feature is expected to be a stimulus for laptop sales.

Consumers in China will be able to purchase Intel Centrino platform-based laptops bundled with the USB Dongle DTV receivers as early as June, 2008.

About Legend Silicon Corp

Legend Silicon Corp is a fabless semiconductor company that develops technology and application-specific standard products (ASSP) for digital broadcasting and broadband transmission and reception. The company is a co-developer of the Chinese Digital Television Terrestrial Broadcasting (DTTB) System Standard (GB20600-2006) and provider of the Standard compliant demodulator products to enable fixed and mobile applications. Legend Silicon has operations in Fremont, Calif., Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin in China. It also maintains a joint DTV Research Center with Tsinghua University in Beijing. To learn more about Legend Silicon, visit http://www.legendsilicon.com/.

Source: Legend Silicon Corp

Posted by Shane Sturgeon, April 22, 2008 7:59 AM