Cirrus Logic Inks Licensing Agreement With Lucasfilm; First To Combine THXÆ With All Popular DVD AudioCoding Types

In a move that heralds wide-scale deployment of THXÆ-grade home theatre systems, Cirrus Logic Inc. (Nasdaq: CRUS) has announced that it has licensed THXÆ home theatre DSP algorithms from Lucas Ltd., for upcoming CrystalÆ brand audio DSP (digital signal processing) products. Cirrus Logic thus becomes the first semiconductor manufacturer to combine THX post-processing capabilities with economical, embedded certified software for all popular audio DVD decoding standards. For leading-brand mass market suppliers, this solution will simplify designs, reduce costs, and lower the price point for implementing THX audio technology into A/V Hi-Fi receiver amplifiers that support playback of DVD movies.As a participant in the Home THX Program - a collaboration between Lucasfilm engineers and leading audio component manufacturers aimed at making the playback of film soundtracks at home as faithful as possible to the filmaker's original work - Cirrus Logic says it is uniquely positioned to accelerate wide-scale deployment of THX.""We expect many audio manufacturers to design THX-certified products for the next model year"", said Monica L. Dashwood, General Manager, Lucasfilm THX. ""This agreement makes it much easier for the manufacturers to develop THX certified products. As a consequence, there be greater variety of THX products available at lower price points, benefiting consumers and boosting business for both THX and our licensees.""Cirrus logic first fueled the home theatre juggernaut with its development of single-chip multi-standard decoders that reduce the price point of today's 5.1 channel receiver/amplifiers, according to Terry Richie, Cirrus Logic's Marketing Director For Consumer And Professional Audio DSPs. ""Our mission for the Crystal audio decoder product line now continues, as we help the average consumer afford the highest-quality home movie entertainment, by delivering low cost DSP solutions that include THX, which consumers increasingly consider the equivalent of a 'Good Housekeeping Seal Of Approval' for sound quality.""Audio Leadership: The Next StepAn acknowledged leader in mixed-signal technology development and circuit integration, Cirrus Logic currently offers the world's most comprehensive line in audio semiconductor products. The company's Crystal audio solutions include a wide range of audio DSPs as well as audio DACs for digital-to-analog conversion, audio ADCs for analog-to-digital conversions, audio CODECs combining multiple DACs and ADCs in one chip, plus a growing portfolio of audio DSP algorithms, or firmware, for the home, the car, portable applications, professional audio equipment, musical instruments, and games.Cirrus Logic's licensing of THX DSP firmware and upcoming THX certification enables the company to deliver a complete Crystal Digital Sound Processing solution. This solution performs the audio conversion of analog signals to digital data, audio decompression, THX post-processing, and finally data conversion back to analog.""Cirrus Logic has an impressive track record in DSP algorithms and chip integration expertise, which has helped make it a major player in A/V receiver amplifier LSI circuits,"" said Will Stauss, President of Forward Concepts, an electronics market research firm in Arizona. ""Now that it has added THX to Dolby Digital and DTS, the company now offers all the pieces it needs to continue growing in the burgeoning home theatre arena.""Poised To Support A Customized Decoder SolutionWith its direct factory coding support for all popular audio algorithms and the reserve programmability of DSP chips for differentiated algorithms, Cirrus Logic delivers both a uniquely comprehensive set of audio features today, and the capability to add new features as the market evolves - without requiring expensive, time-consuming third party assistance. The announcement underscores Cirrus Logic's continuing drive to support A/V receiver/amplifier suppliers worldwide as the one-stop shop for the highest quality audio reproduction across the range of present and future products.AvailabilityCrystal THX DSP audio firmware is sampling now and is anticipating to be fully certified before March 31, 1999 for production implementations. The licensed THX DSP algorithms by Cirrus Logic include: Re-equalizerÆ, Timbre MatchingÆ, Adaptive DecorrelationÆ, Bass ManagementÆ Electronic Crossover filters, Bass Peak Level ManagerÆ, and Loudspeaker Position Time SynchronizationÆ.For information contact: Lang Tibbils, 510 249 4244 or Cirrus Logic Inc., at tibs@corp.cirrus.com