FIRST HDMI SYSTEMS WITH DVD-AUDIO CAPABILITY
Silicon Image, Inc., a leader in multi-gigabit semiconductor solutions for the secure transmission and storage of rich digital media, today announced that its second-generation High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) ICs are featured in the industry's first HDMI DVD players and A/V receivers with DVD-Audio capability. Panasonic and Denon are showcasing these new systems featuring Silicon Image's SiI™ 9030™ HDMI transmitter and SiI 9031™ HDMI receiver with DVD-Audio capability at the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) Expo this week.
"Consumers have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the industry's first HDMI-equipped DVD players and A/V receivers capable of carrying pure digital DVD-Audio, and our SiI 9030 transmitter and SiI 9031 receiver have made this possible," stated John LeMoncheck, vice president of consumer electronic products for Silicon Image. "With these breakthrough new systems from Panasonic and Denon, consumers can connect their entire home theater digitally with HDMI for the highest quality digital experience available today."
The following new HDMI products capable of carrying DVD-Audio will be showcased at CEDIA and shipping this fall, unless otherwise noted:
Panasonic A/V Receiver: SAX-R70
Panasonic DVD player: DVD-S97
Denon DVD Players (2): DVD-2910 and DVD-3910 (available now)
Denon A/V Receiver: AVR-5805
"Due to its small, consumer-friendly connector and ability to carry both uncompressed digital video and multi-channel audio, HDMI is quickly being integrated into a wide variety of DTVs, set-top boxes and DVD players," stated Danielle Levitas, director, consumer markets and broadband at IDC. "The industry has been eagerly anticipating the arrival of new HDMI-enabled A/V receivers, the last link required to fulfill the vision of a completely digitally connected home theater from source to display."
Silicon Image was the first company to ship HDMI silicon in production and remains the market leader, shipping HDMI ICs to more than 25 of the world's leading consumer electronics manufacturers, who have collectively announced more than 180 models featuring HDMI interfaces to date. All of Silicon Image's HDMI transmitters and receivers feature High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP), enabling the delivery of premium content and the highest-quality, all-digital audio and video entertainment experience to consumers.
"Panasonic is committed to providing our customers the best possible performance from their home theater components, and HDMI offers the highest quality audio and video available today," said Reid Sullivan, Vice President, Entertainment Group at Panasonic. "We feel we are setting the pace for the industry by offering a comprehensive lineup of HDMI products. By providing us with advanced, application-specific HDMI ICs, Silicon Image has allowed us to address a crucial industry need and bring to market an HDMI-enabled A/V receiver for an unparalleled home theater experience."
"Denon has a long history of innovation in high-quality home theater and audio products, and the inclusion of HDMI technology in our new products continues this tradition," noted Jeff Talmadge, marketing manager for Denon. "By incorporating Silicon Image's second-generation HDMI technology in our new products, we've been able to give our customers the very best connectivity options for high-quality digital home entertainment. Our new flagship AVR-5805 receiver, for instance, represents the pinnacle of high-end surround sound, and our universal DVD players with HDMI have set new industry standards for performance and features."
Silicon Image's SiI 9030 transmitter and SiI 9031 receiver support DVD-Audio over HDMI, providing the highest audio fidelity possible. The SiI 9030 transmitter is geared for DVD players, DVD recorders and A/V receivers, while the SiI 9031 receiver is targeted at A/V receivers. The SiI 9031 is the only HDMI receiver with built-in HDCP repeater logic. With its dual HDMI inputs, the SiI 9031 receiver enables consumer electronics manufacturers to bring to market HDMI-capable A/V receivers to manage the growing number of available HDMI source and display devices for the home theater.
