Broadcom Announces Industry's First Low Cost, High Definition Cable Converter Box Solution with Integrated DVB-C Tuner

BEIJING, March 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CCBN 2010 -- Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today announced the industry's first low cost, high definition (HD) DVB-C digital cable converter box system-on-a-chip (SoC) solution featuring an integrated DVB-C tuner and  QAM demodulator, and HD advanced video coding (AVC) support covering MPEG2, VC-1 and China's audio/video coding standard (AVS).  As the momentum to deploy HD programming in China intensifies, the Broadcom® BCM7580 DVB-C HD cable converter box solution enables Chinese cable providers to more cost-effectively offer subscribers HD TV programming and two-way interactive services.

With AVS support, the new BCM7580 SoC solution further supports China's advanced video decoding format in low cost HD set-top box (STB) platforms.  Broadcom will be demonstrating the BCM7580 cable converter box solution at this week's China Content Broadcasting Network (CCBN) Conference in its booth #3501.

Highlights/Key Facts:

• The Chinese government plans to convert 174 million households to digital programming before 2015, paving the way for the expanded network capacity needed to provide additional HD content and advanced services, according to BDA market research.
  • In July 2009, China's Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) established a model network for the Next Generation Broadcasting (NGB) initiative (a broadcasting network based on digital cable TV and mobile broadcasting technology that is expected to support 200 million subscribers by 2020, according to iSuppli market research).
  • SARFT offered 9 additional full HD channels in September of 2009, increasing the HD channels on China's mainland to 12. This has paved the way for HD market takeoff in China in terms of content, according to BDA.
  • With a highly integrated, scalable and cost-effective design, the BCM7580 reduces design complexity, size, and overall system costs to enable greater deployment of HD digital cable converter boxes throughout China.
• Broadcom's BCM7580 is the industry's first HD digital cable SoC solution to combine an integrated DVB-C radio frequency (RF) tuner, dynamic power management, an MPEG2/AVC/AVS HD decoder, HDMI, Ethernet and USB, connectivity, a smartcard interface, FLASH and DDR2/3 functions.
  • The integrated DVB-C tuner features the latest RF tuner technology that is based on prior generations of Broadcom's field proven set-top box solutions targeted for China.
  • The integrated HD AVC/AVS support is based on Broadcom's industry-leading HD decoder technology.
  • The integrated dynamic and very efficient power management controllers are capable of managing and turning off unused system components in real-time.
  • The integrated USB ports support FLASH/HDD drives and digital video recorder (DVR) functions using external hard disks (with time-shift functionality) while also supporting pushed video-on-demand (VoD) services.
  • The integrated Ethernet port supports Chinese cable interactive services, either as the interface to Broadcom's DOCSIS® modems or to Ethernet Over Cable (EOC) modems.
  • The integrated HDMI and component output supports HD displays.
• The BCM7580 is sampling to set-top box manufacturers.

Supporting Quotes:

Mr. Zhang Zhijian, Former Vice Chief Engineer of SARFT, Honored President of the Technical Research Committee, China Radio and TV Association

"We expect to nearly double the number of free HD channels available in China by the end of this year, and we look forward to significantly increasing the subscriber base for HD programming in China in the next 2 to 3 years. With cost-effective and highly integrated HD digital converter box technology, such as Broadcom's BCM7580, we can provide the best possible performance-to-cost ratio and accelerate the time-to-market for HD TV broadcasts."

Flora Wu, Principal Analyst, BDA

"As China makes a huge push for high definition TV programming and services, the country's digital transition will free up the frequency spectrum for increased content and quality broadcast.  We expect over 17 million digital cable converter boxes to ship this year in response to the demand for HD digital broadcast."

Charlie Lou, Product Line Manager, Broadcom's Cable Broadband line of business

"The BCM7580 digital converter box solution leverages our proven track record and leadership in designing and deploying advanced RF tuner technology and high definition solutions in China and throughout the world.  By achieving very high levels of integration, including a cable tuner, AVS support and interactivity in a single-chip, we are enabling Chinese cable providers to cost-effectively transition their subscribers directly to HD digital TV programming for a high quality entertainment experience."    

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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, and the functionality we can provide to Chinese cable providers to transition their subscribers to HD digital TV programming.  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 BCM7580 cable converter box solution include, but are not limited to:

• 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;  
• delays in the adoption and acceptance of industry standards in those markets;
• general economic and political conditions and specific conditions in the markets we address, including the volatility in the technology sector and semiconductor industry, trends in the broadband communications markets in various geographic regions, including seasonality in sales of consumer products into which our products are incorporated;  
• the risks and uncertainties associated with our international operations; and
• the effects of natural disasters, public health emergencies, international conflicts and other events beyond our control

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.

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