Low Power Vaddis DVD Decoder Inside Sharp's New Portable DVD Player

Zoran Corporation (Nasdaq: ZRAN), a leading provider of integrated circuits (ICs) and embedded software for digital video and audio applications enabled by compression, has announced that the Vaddis III-LV Decoder, a new low-power member of the VaddisDVD decoder family, is now shipping in Sharp Corporation's first portable DVD player.This new model, DV-L70TV, is currently selling in Japan. It can be used as a portable movie theatre with its integrated 7-inch diagonal TFT LCD display.Building on its widely used Vaddis III DVD decoder for home consumer electronics, Zoran and Fujifilm Microdevices co-developed the Vaddis III-LV to capture the portable market. Thislow-power IC, specifically designed for portable DVD applications, is a core component of the DV-L70TV. Zoran's custom design flow, optimized for low power consumption, was instrumental in the development of the Vaddis III-LV.Sharp has been using Zoran's Vaddis DVD Decoders since 1997, the year they introduced their first DVD player. Subsequently, Sharp has incorporated Vaddis DVD Decoders in several other home models.The Vaddis III-LV enabled Sharp's first portable DVD product to have features found in home players, such as QSound's ""virtual surround"" audio algorithm, which greatly enhances the listening experience. Advanced video filtering in the Vaddis DVD Decoder combined with Sharp's high-contrast TFT flat panel display gives unparalleled video quality from a portable player.With its high level of integration, crisp display, sleek style and attractive features, the DV-L70TV is very competitive against other leading DVD products in Japan.""Sharp has been a major player in the DVD market from the very beginning by creating DVD products for the home"" said Shuji Kohzai, Division General Manager of the Recording Systems Division at Sharp Corporation.""The success of these products based on the Vaddis decoder, coupled with Zoran's excellent engineering support, has led us to create the DV-L70TV, the world's most advanced compact portable player.""Zoran Corporation's President and CEO, Dr. Levy Gerzberg, said, ""We are very proud that Sharp chose Vaddis for their portable DVD player. By leveraging our experience and success in the digital still camera market, we are able to create semiconductors for portable electronics applications.""This combined with our background in audio and video compression has allowed us to provide a low-power, high-quality DVD solution for the portable market.""""Fujifilm Microdevices' is honored to work with Sharp and Zoran to create leading-edge DVD products. We are committed to work with Zoran and our customers to bring innovative DVD decoders to the market,"" said Norihiko Katoh, CEO, Fujifilm Microdevices.About the Vaddis III-LV DecoderBased on Zoran's advanced DVD technology, the Vaddis III-LV Decoder is a part with low-power consumption, specifically targeted for portable DVD applications. This decoder incorporates software programmable video and audio processors, allowing this chip to support a vast array of features, such as video zooming and a variety of trick play functions.In addition, it has the ability to take advantage of Zoran's extensive SiliconSoftwareô library, giving it access to a wide variety of innovative audio algorithms. This enables the development of DVD players that incorporate 3D virtual surround, Karaoke and leading audio algorithms such as Dolby Digital(TM) playback. Vaddis decoders are currently shipping in Sharp DVD players worldwide. The most recent introduction in the Vaddis family is the Vaddis IV, the industry's most advanced Integrated DVD Decoder chip.This digital video and audio decoder incorporates an NTSC/PAL video encoder and 10-bit video Digital-to-Analog Converters (DAC's), eliminating the need for an external chip. The Vaddis IV also enables leading audio algorithms such as DVD-Audio, DTS, and MPEG5.1 playback.About Fujifilm MicrodevicesFujifilm Microdevices is a subsidiary of Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. with headquarters in Sendai Industrial Park, Japan. It is dedicated to the design, manufacture and marketing of multimedia products including: CCD image sensors, JPEG codecs, MPEG, Audio and DVD decoders, high-speed serial bus interfaces (IEEE 1394) and others.About Zoran CorporationZoran Corporation develops and markets integrated circuits (ICs), IC Intellectual Property (IP) cores, and embedded and PC software for digital audio and video applications enabled by compression. Zoran also provides complete reference designs based on Zoran's technology.Zoran's product lines and IP include JPEG codecs, MPEG and DVD decoders, digital still camera system on a chip and digital audio. All these standard-based products benefit from Zoran's Standard Plus(TM) technology. Zoran's ICs are used in numerous digital audio and video products.Leading applications incorporating Zoran's products and IP include professional and consumer video editing systems, filmless digital cameras, standalone consumer DVD players, SuperVCD players, digital speakers and audio systems.Zoran is headquartered in Santa Clara, California with additional operations in Haifa, Israel, Toronto, Canada and offices in Tokyo, Japan and Shenzhen, China.

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