Conexant’s HDTV Set-Top Box Decoder Gets Dolby Digital Plus Certification

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif --Conexant Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CNXT), a worldwide leader in semiconductor solutions for broadband communications and the digital home, today announced that its CX2417X family of high-definition television (HDTV) set-top box (STB) broadcast decoders has been certified to support Dolby® Digital Plus audio coding technology. This advanced technology allows satellite, cable and terrestrial broadcast operators to significantly improve bandwidth utilization and deliver additional, higher quality audio programming using their existing infrastructure.

"The high compression efficiency of Dolby Digital Plus enables operators to deliver more high-definition content featuring superior audio, without having to invest in expensive network upgrades," said Lewis Brewster, executive vice president and general manager of Conexant's Broadband Media Processing business. "As a result, operators can economically offer additional HDTV programming and maximize their revenue opportunity, which is why it is important for our leading-edge HDTV set-top box solutions to support these advanced compression technologies."

"With most major primetime shows, as well as sports, concerts, special events, and thousands of movie titles using Dolby Digital 5.1-channel surround sound, Dolby Digital Plus allows broadcast operators using Conexant's HDTV set-top box decoders to deliver more top-rated programming with the same great Dolby sound that viewers expect and trust," said Page Haun, broadcast director, Consumer Division, Dolby Laboratories.

With more than 400 million devices featuring Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus offers maximum compatibility in consumers' homes. When used to deliver the vast amount of content available in Dolby Digital 5.1-channel surround sound, Dolby Digital Plus gives viewers more of the sound they demand.

Conexant's CX2417x HDTV broadcast decoder family includes all of the major elements required to implement the core system and decoder electronics of high-performance personal video recorder (PVR)-enabled HDTV STBs deployed in digital satellite, cable, terrestrial or IP TV networks. The multi-format decoders support MPEG-4, MPEG-2, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, advanced audio coding (AAC) and aacPlus. They are also compatible with industry broadcast standards including DVB, DVB-S2, ATSC and DSS. Conexant offers a comprehensive suite of digital STB components and system solutions for worldwide satellite, terrestrial, cable and IP entertainment broadcasting networks. The company's product offering includes silicon tuners, demodulators, MPEG audio and video decoders, and dial-up and DOCSIS® modems for back-channel applications. Reference designs that help manufacturers reduce cost and speed time-to-market are also available, bundled with a range of operating systems, middleware, drivers and development tools.

About Conexant
Conexant's innovative semiconductor solutions are driving broadband communications and digital home networks worldwide. The company has leveraged its expertise and leadership position in modem technologies to enable more Internet connections than all of its competitors combined, and continues to develop highly integrated silicon solutions for broadband data and media processing networks. Key products include client-side xDSL and cable modem solutions, home network processors, broadcast video encoders and decoders, digital set-top box components and systems solutions, and dial-up modems. Conexant's suite of networking components includes a leadership portfolio of IEEE 802.11-compliant WLAN chipsets, software and reference designs, as well as solutions for applications based on HomePlug® and HomePNA™. The company also offers a complete line of asymmetric and symmetric DSL central office solutions, which are used by service providers worldwide to deliver broadband data, voice, and video over copper telephone lines. Conexant is a fabless semiconductor company with an annual revenue run-rate in excess of $1 billion. The company has approximately 2,800 employees worldwide, and is headquartered in Newport Beach, Calif. To learn more, please visit www.conexant.com .

About Dolby Laboratories
Dolby Laboratories (NYSE:DLB) develops and delivers products and technologies that make the entertainment experience more realistic and immersive. For four decades Dolby has been at the forefront of defining high-quality audio and surround sound in cinema, broadcast, home audio systems, cars, DVDs, headphones, games, televisions, and personal computers. Based in San Francisco with European headquarters in England, the company has entertainment industry liaison offices in New York and Los Angeles, and licensing liaison offices in London, Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. For more information about Dolby Laboratories or Dolby technologies, please visit www.dolby.com .