News Release: February 17, 2005

　　　　　　　　　　TI Said: Real-Time Video Phone is Here

Jerky video and high prices associated with videophones will become a thing of the past, as Texas Instruments Inc. hopes to bring real-time, high-quality consumer videophones to the home.

The Dallas-based company has partnered with Wintech Digital Systems Technology Corp. to release the Videophone Development Platform (VDP), what the duo describes as a complete development platform for designing point-to-point IP-based videophone systems.

TI is banking on the breakdown of traditional barriers to adoption of videophones, such as choppy video quality and high unit cost. Those will be overcome, according to the company and its partner, with the recent introduction of new video codecs that require half the bandwidth for video transfers, the continuing penetration of IP broadband connectivity and the availability of single-chip encode and decode implementation.

Adding to the push are telecos looking for another revenue stream, says TI's Pradeep Bardia, business development manager for the company's video group.

"Teleco companies are finding that this is another medium for them to make money. It also plays to the triple play -- data, voice, video -- folks," he said, noting that ease of use is key to these companies. "If they can make it easy, with a triple play model and [reasonable] monthly fee … it will move from enterprise, to home office/small office, to consumer."

Several large carriers, such as Vonage and Verizon, have announced plans to roll out IP videophones and related services for small- to mid-sized businesses and individuals. To that end, Wainhouse Research projects that overall the personal videoconferencing market will grow from about $21 million in 2003 to just south of $180 million in 2008, a compounded growth rate of about 53 percent.

But the variable here is broadband subscriber growth. While high-speed access has been more readily adopted in Europe and Asia -- the two areas Bardia claims have the highest respective proliferation so far -- subscriber rates are relatively low here in the United States.

"The faster broadband gets pervasive, the faster people will adopt video phones," he said.

TI is optimistic, but realistic. The company recognizes that videophones have been anticipated for nearly 40 years now and without help from the telcos and large-scale broadband adoption, even the clearest picture won't be enough to connect with consumers.

Still, Bardia feels the second half of 2004 and the high level of foot traffic video phones saw at January's Consumer Electronic Show prove consumer interest.

"In the last six months we've seen all these video applications grow quite a bit, and customers around the world are all over us asking for a processor that can support video, support voice and support data," he said.

Broken down, the VDP from TI and Wintech is an integrated hardware/software development platform. All application system software runs on TI's 600MHz DSP-based TMS320DM643 digital media processor, which allows OEMs to customize the entire design from codec to user interface and to create different product families and price lines based on the same platform. Likewise, the VDP uses complementary TI analog technology, including the TVP5150 video decoder and AIC23 audio codec.

From a hardware perspective, the modular VDP allows developers to connect the boards over a live network and/or the Internet to test under real-world operating conditions, TI said, adding that the platform is easily configured for different video telephony applications. The hardware platform includes external memory and a variety of peripherals and audio/video interfaces, network connectivity and communication interfaces.

The VDP includes all the software necessary to evaluate, design and test video telephony endpoints, including video and voice codecs, integrated reference frameworks, communications stack and network protocols.

Available now, the VDP includes two DM643 boards, two five-inch LCDs, two cameras, network switch/hub and complete ready-to-use application software, and is priced at $6,950.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　#　　#　　#

Coverage Report

ElectronicNews

Simmtester

News Release: February 15, 2005

　　　　　Texas Instruments Extends DSP, VoIP Leadership to Real-Time,
　　　　　　　　to Real-Time, High-Quality Consumer Videophones

　　New Development Platform from TI and Wintech Improves Quality, Integration
　　　　　　　　　and Lowers System Cost of Videophones

DALLAS (February 15, 2005) – Empowering original equipment manufacturers to bring videophones to market faster, Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN) and Wintech Digital Systems Technology Corp. (Wintech)(OTCBB: WDSP) are releasing the Videophone Development Platform (VDP), a complete development platform for designing point-to-point IP-based videophone systems. The VDP enables developers to roll out real-time, high-quality consumer videophone systems on TI's digital media processor, substantially lowering system cost and reducing development time. For more information see www.ti.com/vdppr.

Traditional barriers to adoption of videophones include jerky video quality and high unit cost. However, the introduction of new video codecs which require half the bandwidth for video transfers, the continuing penetration of IP broadband connectivity and the availability of single-chip encode and decode implementation has overcome these last-mile barriers. The increasing market demand for IP consumer videophones with superior audio and video quality is driving the advent of new and improved systems.

Further pushing deployment of videophones, many large carriers have announced plans to roll out IP videophones and related services for small- to mid-sized businesses and individuals with broadband Internet connections. Wainhouse Research projects that overall the personal videoconferencing market will grow from about $21 million in 2003 to just shy of $180 million in 2008, a compounded growth rate of about 53 percent.

"Videophones have been anticipated for over 40 years, but they have had the limitation of low-quality video," Richard Westerfer, COO and senior vice president of engineering, WorldGate Communications, Inc. "Building on the single-chip capabilities of TI’s DSP-based digital media processor, we were able to quickly develop the kind of video quality WorldGate required to appeal to consumers with high-quality video over the Internet. The digital media processor will also allow us to easily upgrade our design for future product releases."

Unparalleled Development Platform

The VDP from TI and Wintech is an integrated hardware/software development platform reducing both design complexity and total system bill of materials, including everything developers need to begin designing point-to-point videophone systems immediately. All application system software runs on TI's 600 MHz DSP-based TMS320DM643 digital media processor, including audio/video compression, networking stacks and control protocols.

"The VDP provides developers with the tools necessary to create viable and commercially ready IP-based video client devices," said David Dong, president, Wintech. "Instead of spending months integrating different software algorithms, developers begin the development process starting with high-quality video and tight audio/video sync, enabling them to focus on product differentiating features, such as the user interface and out-of-box experience."

From a hardware perspective, the modular VDP offers a complete development environment for designing and building consumer videophones. Developers can connect the development boards over a live network and/or the Internet to test under real-world operating conditions, and the VDP is easily configured for different video telephony applications. The hardware platform includes external memory and a variety of peripherals and audio/video interfaces, network connectivity and communication interfaces.

The key to the flexibility of the VDP is the programmable foundation of the DM643 digital media processor, which enables OEMs to customize the entire design, from codec to user interface and to create different product families and price lines based on the same platform. The VDP incorporates industry protocol standards so products developed with the VDP are able to interoperate with other videophones and the existing IP infrastructure. Likewise, the VDP uses complementary TI analog technology, including the TVP5150 video decoder and AIC23 audio codec, to enable the highest video and audio quality possible. The VDP includes all the software necessary to evaluate, design and test video telephony endpoints, including video and voice codecs, integrated reference frameworks, communications stack and network protocols.

Pricing and Availability

Available now, the comprehensive VDP includes two DM643 boards, two five-inch LCDs, two cameras, network switch/hub and complete ready-to-use application software, and it is priced at $6,950. To order a VDP, see www.ti.com/vdppr.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　#　　#　　#

About Wintech

Wintech Digital Systems Technology Corp. is an embedded video communication solution provider and DSP development tool provider. Wintech has developed DSP development platforms, target boards, emulators and DSP applications software. Wintech has also developed DM64X based video communication solutions. For more information, please visit www.wintechdigital.com.

About Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments Incorporated provides innovative DSP and analog technologies to meet our customers’ real-world signal processing requirements. In addition to Semiconductors, the company’s businesses include Sensors & Controls, and Educational & Productivity Solutions. TI is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has manufacturing, design or sales operations in more than 25 countries.

Texas Instruments is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TXN. More information is located on the World Wide Web at www.ti.com.

Trademarks

All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　#　　#　　#

Coverage Report

Texas Instruments (TI)

Analog&DSP

EE Times

Embedded Star

DSPStore

Internet Telephony

Telephonyworld.com

CMPnetAsia

iApplianceWeb

EDNAsia

News Release: February 15, 2005

　　　　　　　　　　TI, Wintech Offer Videophone Development Kit

The Video Development Platform from Texas Instruments and Wintech lets developers design IP-based consumer videophones.

Texas Instruments and Wintech Digital Systems Technology have released the Videophone Development Platform (VDP), a combined hardware/software platform for developing point-to-point, IP-based videophone systems. The VDP includes two DM643 boards, two five-inch LCDs, two cameras, a network switch/hub, and application software.

Pradeep Bardia, Business Development Manager at TI, says, "The VDP will help developers create videophones that meet the main consumer demands: affordability, good technology (no dropped frames and audio/video synchronization), easy setup, and software deployable upgrades." TI says that it expects that some videophones designed using the platform will sell for less than $200. Bardia adds, "VDP will save OEMs significant development time. If they want to, OEMs can put a plastic shell around it and have a working videophone."

All application software runs on TI's 600 MHz DSP-based TMS320DM643 digital media processor, which provides audio/video compression, networking stacks, and control protocols. The DM643 lets OEMs customize their designs, from codec to user interface, to create different product families and price lines.

Each VDP includes all the software necessary to design and test video telephony endpoints. Developers can connect the development boards over a live network and/or the Internet to test under real-world operating conditions.

The VDP supports industry standard protocols, including TCP/IP and RTP/RTCP network protocols, H.263 and H.264 video codecs, G.723 and G.711 audio codecs, and the H.323 communications stack; TI says that it will add SIP support in the next release. The platform also uses complementary TI analog technology, including the TVP5150 video decoder and AIC23 audio codec.

"The VDP provides developers with the tools necessary to create... commercially ready, IP-based video client devices," says David Dong, Wintech's president. "Instead of spending months integrating different software algorithms, developers begin the development process starting with high-quality video and tight audio/video sync, enabling them to focus on product differentiating features, such as the user interface and out-of-box experience."

TI demonstrated the VDP to CommWeb's staff, and we liked what we saw. TI set the demo up in less than five minutes. Although we did not test video quality over the Internet, VDP performed as advertised with a direct Ethernet link. The video was crisp, with little observable jerkiness, and perfectly synched with the audio. We found the application software easy to use, with a simple menu system making the selection of codecs and other operating parameters a snap.

The VDP, which is available now, is priced at $6,950.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　#　　#　　#

Coverage Report

CallCenter

Communications Convergence

CommWeb

Video/Imaging DesignLine

News Release: December 21, 2004

　　　　　Developers Bring DM64x™-based Client Video Products to Market
　　　　　　　　　　　Faster with Robust Development Tools

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 21, 2004--Meeting the demand of original equipment manufacturers, Wintech Digital Systems Technology Corp. (OTCBB: WDSP - News) joins the Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) third-party network to provide customers optimized development tools. The partner program allows Wintech to leverage their launch application-specific video development platforms to market.

"We have been using Wintech's DM642 development platform to develop new products," said Yihe Wan, project manager, communications division, Tsinghua Tongfang. "TI's DM642 makes it possible for us to develop a wireless video application with high-quality video and low-power consumption, and Wintech's development platform saved months of development time."

Wintech's development tools include the DM642 based Evaluation Development Platform, the TMS320C6416 Development Platform, OMAP Development Platform, DSP University Teaching System and real-time emulators, such as TDS560USB2.0, TDS510USB2.0, TDS560PCI and TDS510PCI.

Leveraging TI's digital signal processor (DSP)-based TMS320DM642 digital media processor, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) create high- performing video client applications. The DM642 includes integrated multimedia and communications peripherals, such as on-chip HD-capable video ports, glueless Ethernet connectivity, multi-channel audio and 66-MHz PCI connectivity. The new 720 MHz version offers higher performance for HD streaming and broadcast applications, as well as headroom for extended features, such as object recognition and tracking for surveillance applications, multiple channel decode for streaming applications and image enhancements, network transport, improved audio quality and better system control for other video applications.

"As TI's leading third-party partner in the Chinese market, Wintech has provided invaluable support and system expertise to TI's customers," said Pradeep Bardia, worldwide video solutions marketing manager, TI. "We look forward to working with Wintech in launching video based client application solutions to the market."

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　#　　#　　#

About the Texas Instruments Third Party Program

Wintech Digital is a member of TI's worldwide DSP third party program. There are more than 650 independent companies offering products and services that support TI DSPs. Products and services include a broad range of application software, development hardware and software, and consulting services helping customers increase development efforts and accelerate time- to-market. For more information on the TI third party program, please visit http://www.ti.com/3p.

About Wintech Digital

Wintech Digital Systems Technology Corp. is an embedded video communication solution provider and DSP development tool provider. Wintech has developed DSP development platforms, target boards, emulators and DSP applications software. Wintech has also developed DM642 based video communication solutions.

Trademarks

All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　#　　#　　#

Original News Links

English Version

Chinese Version

News Release:November 5, 2004

TI-ARROW-WINTECH 8th DSP New Technology Seminar was held in nine cities in China from Oct. 15th to Nov. 3rd. There were about 2,000 engineers attending the seminar.

The application of Digital Signal Processors (DSPs) is growing along with the development of DSP technology. In order for the engineers to utilize the most up-to-date technology to develop their target systems, Texas Instruments (TI), Arrow Technology and Wintech Digital has co-sponsored the annual DSP New Technology Seminar since 1997. This year, the Seminar was held in such Chinese cities as Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan, Changsha, Xian and Nanjing. The topics discussed include, but not limited to, the latest TI DSP chips, DSP hardware platforms, board drives, real-time system designs and debug.

Most of the over 2000 attending engineers at the 2004 seminar came from major universities and the research and development departments of related companies in the Industry. Surveys show that 82% of the 2004 attendees plan to be present at similar seminar next year.