Press Release
Licensing agreement and certification will expand DivX playback functionality to an entirely new class of devices in the set-top box and digital television marketplace.SAN DIEGO, CA AND GENEVA, SWITZERLAND—May 23rd, 2007—DivX, Inc. (NASDAQ:DIVX) announced today that the company has concluded a license agreement with STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), the leading set-top box and digital TV semiconductor company, and has completed DivX Certification of ST's STi710x family of devices to enable DivX on set-top box devices worldwide.
DivX and STMicroelectronics' licensing agreement and 710x device certification will greatly expand consumer options for DivX playback functionality on an entirely new class of devices in the set-top box marketplace on a global basis. This agreement between DivX and STMicroelectronics will increase the amount of broadcast and PC-based content available to consumers on common delivery platforms such as digital set-top box products. The STMicroelectronics STi710x family is widely adopted in the market today and is an ideal platform for development of advanced set-top capabilities like DivX content playback using common interfaces such as USB and carrier network broadcasts.
DivX is building a common media language that spans platforms and devices to give consumers easy access to high-quality content. The DivX media format enables video to be compressed so that it uses only a fraction of the amount of data required by a standard-length DVD for secure playback on PCs and more than 2,000 models of consumer electronics devices.
"On top of the near ubiquity and market demand for DivX in the DVD area, we are very pleased to see new opportunities for DivX media playback on our STi710x based platforms for various set-top-box applications, both in the operator and retail markets," said Christos Lagomichos, Corporate Vice President and Home Entertainment & Displays Group General Manager of STMicroelectronics. "The STi710x family's flexible architecture perfectly addresses these additional features, which enhance the potential of the set-top-box as a core multimedia appliance in the home network."
"This agreement heralds a new area of growth for DivX as well as key market differentiation for STMicroelectronics in the digital set-top box and digital television markets," stated Kevin Hell, CXO of DivX, Inc. "Consumers everywhere can benefit from the ability to play their DivX content in the living room on a new category of DivX certified devices, further enhancing the top-of-the-line digital experience they have come to expect in that environment. STMicroelectronics and DivX share a vision of a connected media future and this partnership marks a significant step toward realizing that vision."
In addition to creating a high quality recording experience for consumers, DivX empowers consumers to take their favourite videos beyond the PC—content is easily transferred among an entire ecosystem of DivX Certified devices and platforms including DVD players, portable media players, video game consoles, in car DVD players, as well as shared on digital video community site DivX Stage6 at www.stage6.com.
Products that bear the DivX Certified logo have undergone a rigorous testing programme to ensure interoperability, security and visual quality. DivX Certified products enable consumers to create, play and share high-quality video content across a range of devices and platforms. Over 70 million DivX Certified devices from a variety of manufacturers have shipped worldwide.
For more information on DivX Certification, visit: www.divx.com/company/partner/certification.php.
