Apollo-1™ multimedia processor leverages MM2000™ to enable advanced multimedia capabilities in Changhong's next-generation portable devices

SAN JOSE, Calif., — January 15, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CEVA, Inc. [; ], a leading licensor of silicon intellectual property (SIP) platform solutions and DSP cores, today announced that Panovasic Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Sichuan Changhong Group, has licensed and deployed the fully programmable MM2000 portable multimedia solution for the Apollo™ family of portable multimedia processors. The first processor in the family, the Apollo-1™, will begin shipping in portable multimedia devices from Changhong, one of the largest suppliers of consumer electronics in Asia.

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Targeting applications such as portable media players (PMP), mobile TV, smart mobile phones, digital photo frames, online digital broadcast, videophones, in-car entertainment and personal navigation devices, the Apollo-1 multimedia processor leverages the power-efficient CEVA-X DSP core at the heart of MM2000 to handle the multi-standard video decode and encode functions. MM2000 delivers complete flexibility and superior performance for multimedia acceleration as compared to the traditional architecture approach of using a CPU combined with hardware multimedia accelerators for each standard supported. Panovasic is the third MM2000 licensee to commence shipping CEVA-powered multimedia processors.

Panovasic will continue to develop new versions of the Apollo family of processors and leverage the rich multimedia capabilities of MM2000 to address a wide range of portable applications. The fully programmable architecture of MM2000 allows the Apollo processors to support multiple video standards such as H.264, MPEG-4, VC-1, up to D1 resolution (720x576) at 30fps. For future generations of Apollo, Panovasic can support additional video and audio codecs on the existing MM2000 engine, without any further hardware modifications.

"CEVA's MM2000 portable multimedia solution provides us with a flexible and fully programmable engine on which to develop video codecs in software, eliminating the need for any hardware multimedia accelerators," said Yong Chen, Director of R&D Department at Panovasic. "Our Apollo-1 processor leverages this performance and flexibility to support multiple video standards, a critical requirement for today's PMPs and 'always-connected' portable multimedia devices."

"We are pleased to partner with Panovasic as it enters into the portable multimedia processor arena with its CEVA-powered Apollo-1 processor," said Eran Briman, Vice President of Corporate Marketing at CEVA. "Panovasic has leveraged the inherent advantages of using our programmable DSP-based solution for its multimedia processing requirements to support a range of video standards. This multi-standard 'all-in-software' approach to multimedia enables Panovasic to address multiple end markets with a single processor, reducing design and production costs for a range of products."

The CEVA MM2000™ portable multimedia solution is designed around a single CEVA-X DSP core without requiring any accelerators or dedicated engines for video and audio processing, and is supported by an advanced set of development tools. These two factors dramatically simplify the application development process and minimize development time for multimedia products. In addition, the general-purpose open CEVA-X DSP at the heart of the MM2000 enables designers to integrate extra functionality in addition to video on the same solution. For example, audio, voice, Bluetooth, GPS, image enhancement, cellular baseband functionality or any proprietary algorithms that require signal processing capabilities can utilize the DSP core engine, thereby reducing costs and increasing differentiation for multimedia-enabled products.

About CEVA, Inc.

Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., CEVA is a leading licensor of silicon intellectual property (SIP) DSP Cores and platform solutions for the mobile handset, consumer electronics and storage markets. CEVA's IP portfolio includes comprehensive solutions for multimedia, audio, voice over packet (VoP), Bluetooth and Serial ATA (SATA), and a wide range of programmable DSP cores and subsystems with different price/performance metrics serving multiple markets. In 2007, CEVA's IP was shipped in over 225 million devices. For more information, visit http://www.ceva-dsp.com

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SOURCE: CEVA, Inc.
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