Broadcom and Skyworth-Hitune Build High Definition Set-Top Boxes for Gehua Cable

BEIJING, March 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CCBN 2010 -- Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today announced a partnership with Skyworth-Hitune, a leading Chinese set-top box (STB) manufacturer, to deliver high definition (HD) set-top boxes to Beijing Gehua Cable, a leading Chinese cable provider.  This collaboration between Broadcom and Skyworth-Hitune addresses the growing demand for HD cable TV services in Beijing with advanced HD viewing, 1080p support and improved picture quality.  

Skyworth-Hitune selected the highly integrated, multi-format Broadcom® BCM7403 HD set-top box system-on-a-chip (SoC) solution to deliver high definition STBs to Gehua subscribers in Beijing.  Broadcom will be demonstrating high definition set-top box technology at this week's China Content Broadcasting Network (CCBN) Conference in its booth #3501.

Highlights/ Key Facts:  

• Gehua Cable has deployed over 300,000 HD set-top boxes to date and is planning to convert another 2.3 million cable subscribers to high definition by 2012, according to Gehua Cable.  
  • The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) is supporting the efforts of cable operators throughout China to convert their subscribers to HD TV programming.  
• Broadcom's field proven HD set-top box technology enables manufacturers to build next generation HD cable, satellite and IP set-top boxes that deliver best-in-class video quality, support multi formats, and offer a customizable software platform.
• The Broadcom BCM7403 HD STB SoC solution, customized for the Chinese market, features:
  • Integrated HD AVC (H.264, MPEG-4), MPEG-2, DivX®, and VC-1 digital video decoders enabling STB manufacturers to cost effectively develop extremely high performance STBs that integrate the most advanced hardware features and functionality to securely decode, store, and share multiple types of HDTV, video-on-demand, Internet and digital music content.
  • A data transport processor, HD video decoder technology, an advanced audio decoder, 2D graphics processing, high quality video scaling and motion adaptive de-interlacing, six video digital-to-analog converters (DACs), stereo high-fidelity, audio DACs, a 450 DMIPS host CPU, 64-bit DDR-400 memory interface, advanced security, dual USB 2.0 ports and HDMI 1.3a support.
  • Strong local design engineering support that includes engineering teams located in Beijing, Shenzhen and Shanghai.

Supporting Quotes:  

Mr. Xue Liang, General Manager Skyworth-Hitune

"We selected Broadcom's high definition cable set-top box technology for its superior video quality, high levels of integration and strong local support that have combined to accelerate the deployment of HD cable programming to subscribers.  We look forward to working with Broadcom to continue offering advanced and cost effective high definition solutions that enable an exciting TV entertainment experience in the home."

Mr. Liu Lei, Vice Chief Engineer, Beijing Gehua Cable

"Skyworth-Hitune's high definition set-top boxes, powered by Broadcom silicon, have greatly enhanced our subscribers' TV viewing experience by featuring an unprecedented crystal clear HD video and superior digital audio experience.  We remain focused on achieving a high quality entertainment experience for our subscribers."

Flora Wu, Principal Analyst, BDA

"We see strong demand and growth for high definition TV services in China as evidenced by Gehua Cable and Skyworth-Hitune.  Gehua Cable had over 4 million cable TV household users, including 300,000 high definition TV household users at the end of 2009, and expects to add another 2.3 million high definition TV households by 2012, which includes, 1 million in 2010 and 1.3 million in 2011."

Dan Marotta, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Broadcom's Broadband Communications Group

"Our partnership with Skyworth-Hitune and Gehua reinforces our continued commitment to accelerate the deployment of HD and advanced services in China, as well as our strong position in the global HD set-top box segment."

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About Broadcom

Broadcom Corporation is a major technology innovator and global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications.  Broadcom products enable the delivery of voice, video, data and multimedia to and throughout the home, the office and the mobile environment.  We provide the industry's broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art system-on-a-chip and software solutions to manufacturers of computing and networking equipment, digital entertainment and broadband access products, and mobile devices.  These solutions support our core mission: Connecting everything®.

Broadcom, one of the world's largest fabless communications semiconductor companies, with 2009 revenue of $4.49 billion, holds more than 3,800 U.S. and 1,550 foreign patents, and has more than 7,800 additional pending patent applications, and one of the broadest intellectual property portfolios addressing both wired and wireless transmission of voice, video, data and multimedia.

A FORTUNE 500® company, Broadcom is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and has offices and research facilities in North America, Asia and Europe.  Broadcom may be contacted at +1.949.926.5000 or at www.broadcom.com.

Cautions regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

All statements included or incorporated by reference in this release, other than statements or characterizations of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry and business, management's beliefs, and certain assumptions made by us, all of which are subject to change.  Forward-looking statements can often be identified by words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "predicts," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will," "should," "would," "could," "potential," "continue," "ongoing," similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words.  Examples of such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the demand for high definition TV programming in China, our position in that market, our continued collaboration with Skyworth-Hitune and Gehua, the number of TV households that will use high definition TV in the future and the timing of Broadcom and Skyworth-Hitune to deliver HD set-top boxes for the Chinese market.  These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statement.

Important factors that may cause such a difference for Broadcom in connection with the BCM7403 HD STB SoC solution include, but are not limited to:

• competitive pressures and other factors such as the qualification, availability and pricing of competing products and technologies and the resulting effects on sales and pricing of our products;
• the timing of customer-industry qualification and certification of our products and the risks of non-qualification or non-certification;
• the rate at which our present and future customers and end-users adopt Broadcom's technologies and products in the markets for next generation PC, cable, satellite, IPTV and terrestrial set-top box applications;
• the volume of our product sales and pricing concessions on volume sales; and
• the gain or loss of a key customer, design win or order.

Additional factors that may cause Broadcom's actual results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to the list that can be found at http://www.broadcom.com/press/additional_risk_factors/Q12010.php.

Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, recent Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other Securities and Exchange Commission filings discuss the foregoing risks as well as other important risk factors that could contribute to such differences or otherwise affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.  The forward-looking statements in this release speak only as of this date. We undertake no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statement, except as required by law.

Broadcom, the pulse logo, Connecting everything, and the Connecting everything logo and are among the trademarks of Broadcom Corporation and/or its affiliates in the United States, certain other countries and/or the EU.  DivX® is a trademark of DivX, Inc. Any other trademarks or trade names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Broadcom Corporation; BRCM Broadband