SAN DIEGO, June 12, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Entropic Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq:ENTR), a leading provider of silicon solutions to enable connected home entertainment, today announced that its Channel Stacking Switch products support the ASTRA Single Cable Low Noise Block (LNB) down converter technical specification. This news follows ASTRA's recent release of their specifications for Single Cable LNBs. SES-ASTRA drives industry requirements and standards to ensure end-user quality-of-service and is the leading provider of DTH satellite services in Europe.
ASTRA Single Cable Specification
ASTRA LNB specifications are closely followed and widely adopted by leading DBS Pay-TV Operators as the standard their customer premise equipment (CPE) suppliers need to meet. "ASTRA has a long history of driving open standards to support Europe's growing satellite subscriber base," stated Thomas Wrede, Vice President of Product Management Media at SES ASTRA. "The Single Cable LNB recommendations will improve end-user experience as they will facilitate the cost-effective delivery of high volumes of programming to multiple satellite receivers and households via one single coaxial cable."
In addition to supporting the strategies of DBS Pay-TV Operators, ASTRA technical recommendations also provide specifications for ensuring plug and play interoperability and an excellent customer experience for the Free To Air (FTA) market. "ASTRA's technical recommendations make installation convenient and universal which ensures the retail success of our products," commented John Scott, Business Director, Europe LNB Business Group at Microelectronic Technologies Inc. "We look forward to working with Entropic to develop single cable solutions to support Europe's FTA market."
ASTRA's Single Cable Specifications, along with the recently released single cable communications standard, CENELEC EN50494, continue to solidify the industry need to provide low cost, high quality and reliable DBS solutions to support the growing satellite-viewing customer demand for easy access to multimedia content and HD programming.
Benefits of Channel Stacking Technology
The increase in HD content and the wide adoption of Personal Video Receivers (PVRs) in the home is driving the need to be able to easily and cost-effectively support multiple tuners. In a traditional DBS installation, a unique cable is required for each tuner from the satellite dish to the set-top-box creating significant cable complexity and cost. With an ASTRA-compliant Single Cable LNB system, installations are simplified by stacking up to twelve user-band channels down a single cable that can be used to support up to twelve tuners within the home.
Entropic's Channel Stacking Switch (CSS) ICs are compliant with ASTRA's Single Cable LNB Specifications and allow satellite operators to deliver cost-effective satellite programming to their subscribers. CSS enables multiple video streams from individual or multiple satellites into the home over a single cable. This simplified cabling architecture reduces both the cost and the cabling complexity of single family and multi-resident home DBS installations. Further, Channel Stacking Switches enable future customer-installed plug and play set-top box upgrades and the deployment of set-top boxes, with multiple tuner capabilities, in multiple rooms without the need for expensive installation or retrofitting.
"We are pleased with the release of ASTRA's Single Cable LBN Specification," said John Graham, VP of Marketing at Entropic Communications. "Our Channel Stacking Switch solutions support these ASTRA LNB requirements and will allow consumers to receive content from ASTRA satellites throughout Europe and beyond with the same quality of service they have come to expect from ASTRA's Universal LNB standard."
About SES-ASTRA
SES (Euronext Paris, Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) wholly owns three market-leading satellite operators, SES ASTRA in Europe, SES AMERICOM in North America, and SES NEW SKIES, which provide global coverage and connectivity. The Company also holds 90% in SES Sirius in Europe as well as strategic participations Ciel in Canada and Quetzsat in Mexico. SES provides outstanding satellite communications solutions via a fleet of 38 satellites in 25 orbital positions around the globe. Additional information on SES is available at: www.ses.com
About MTI
Established in 1983, Microelectronics Technology Inc. (MTI) was Taiwan's first microwave and satellite communications company. For 20 years MTI has pioneered the wireless communications industry in Taiwan and continuously cultivated the development of microwave integrated circuits, focusing on the design, manufacturing and sales of niche and promising products within the microwave electronics market. MTI's work and contribution have been essential in solidifying Taiwan's position in the global high-tech arena. For more information, please visit www.mti.com.tw
About Entropic Communications
Entropic Communications, Inc. is a leading fabless semiconductor company that designs, develops and markets systems solutions to enable connected home entertainment. The company's technologies significantly change the way high-definition television-quality video and other multimedia content such as movies, music, games and photos are brought into and delivered throughout the home. For more information, please visit www.entropic.com
The Entropic Communications logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=4255
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical in nature constitute "forward-looking statements." Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the advantages and deployment of Entropic's Channel Stacking Switch technology. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause Entropic's actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the effects of competition; Entropic's dependence on a limited number of customers and ultimately service providers; Entropic's ability to introduce new and enhanced products on a timely basis; the risk that the market for high-definition television-quality video and other multimedia content delivery solutions based on the MoCA standard may not develop as anticipated; the effect of intellectual property rights claims; risks related to Entropic's international operations; and other factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of Entropic's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2008. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Entropic is providing this information as of the date of this release and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.