Sigma Designs Announces New 3D Graphics-Enabled Media Processor and Celrun Set-Top Box Design Win

Sigma Designs (Nasdaq:SIGM), a leading provider of system-on-chip (SoC) solutions used to deliver entertainment and control throughout the home, today announced the availability of its new SMP8656 media processor SoC. Targeted at higher performance IPTV set-top boxes and Digital Media Players, the SMP8656 provides a range of new features including 3D graphics with OpenGL ES 2.0 and enhanced security. Sigma also announced that set top box manufacturer Celrun is launching a new line of advanced set top boxes based upon the SMP8656. Celrun is one of four design wins for this new SoC.

The SMP8656 will be showcased at this week’s Computex 2010 Show, located in the Sigma suite at the Shangri-La Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, Taipei, Taiwan, Tuesday, June 1 to Friday, June 4, 2010.

Adding 3D Graphics To The Mix with Open GL ES 2.0

To meet OEM demand for sophisticated user interfaces, Android support and downloadable applications, Sigma’s robust 3D graphics chip uses the OpenGL ES 2.0 APIs to render high performance 3D imaging. This 3D graphics platform, based on licensed technology from Imagination, features a tile-based architecture with a universal shader engine supporting multi-threaded operations with both pixel and vertex shading. It is capable of rendering 16 million polygons/second, pixel fill rates of 500 million pixels/second, and texture element fill rates of over 100M texels/second.

Expanding Security and Conditional Access

As integration continues to deliver more capabilities in one product, set-top boxes have become more sophisticated and often feature multiple forms of conditional access for various modes of reception. The SMP8656 now provides an enhanced security core that features on-chip OTP technology and the latest revisions of conditional access technologies offered by leading providers like Nagravision and NDS.

Early Adoption By Celrun Enables New IPTV Product Line

Working in early collaboration to take advantage of this new technology as quickly as possible, Celrun will use the SMP8656 in their new CR-2200. Using advanced, pin-compatible prototypes, Celrun enhanced their line of set-top boxes with the addition of 3D UI accelerated graphics capabilities supported with OpenGL ES 2.0, VoD services, gateway functionality including a wired Internet router, a built-in web browser, and Adobe Flash support. The solution handles multi-tasking performance by processing multiple streams of content in tandem at speeds up to 20 Mbps and advanced encryption technology for enhanced copyright protection.

"We have been successfully designing IPTV set-top boxes using Sigma media processor solutions for over 10 years,” said Byung-Ju Lee, Executive Director at Celrun. "Sigma makes it easy to migrate from older chipsets to the next generation and they always provide us with high performance, affordably priced chips that offer innovative new features.”

Fast time to market for upgraded Media Players

The Media Player market is primed to add new 3D UI, cover flow concepts and visual effects for enhanced user experience. More and more devices are relying on frameworks like Adobe Flash and Qt whose performance is significantly enhanced by the SMP8656 due to the presence of real hardware accelerated 3D graphics. Even Android platforms benefit from OpenGL ES2.0 capability. Being pin compatible with the SMP8654, gives current Media Player customers a fast time to market in order to add new features like 3D graphics, enhanced DRM capabilities and GbE. The SDK builds on prior architecture to allow for portability of prior development.

"With the increasing demand for IPTV services and media players around the world, set-top box and CE manufacturers continue to turn to Sigma’s industry leading price and performance offerings,” said Ken Lowe, vice president of strategic marketing. "We are also proud of our long history working with Celrun and are committed to helping them provide their customers with best-in-class set-top boxes for the Korean market.”

Availability

Samples of the SMP8656 are available immediately and production volumes will be available within 60 days.

About Sigma Designs, Inc.

Sigma Designs is a leading fabless semiconductor provider of highly integrated system-on-chip (SoC) solutions that are used to deliver entertainment and control throughout the home. SoC solutions include media processing, wired and wireless networking, video image processing, and home control along with system software to form the critical components of consumer electronic products that include Internet protocol TV (IPTV) set-top boxes, gateways, Blu-ray players, and media communication devices. Headquartered in Milpitas, Calif., Sigma Designs has direct sales representatives in the United States, Brazil, China, Europe (Denmark), Israel, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and distributors in Korea, Russia and India. For more information, please visit Sigma Designs' web site at www.sigmadesigns.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including statements regarding the future potential of the SMP8656, sales of SMP8656 products by Celun or demand for 3D graphics-enabled SoCs. Actual results may vary materially due to a number of factors including, but not limited to, general economic conditions, including continuance of the current economic conditions specific to the semiconductor industry, the rate of growth of the home control market in general, the ability of the integrated home control solution to compete with other technologies or products in this emerging market as well as other risks that are detailed from time to time in Sigma’s SEC reports, including its quarterly report on Form 10-K as filed April 1, 2010. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Sigma undertakes no obligation to publicly release or otherwise disclose the result of any revision to these forward-looking statements that may be made as a result of events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.