ComStream Hi-Media Division partners with Acer; integrates digital transmission technologies for set-top and cable modem products.SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 12, 1997--ComStream's Hi-Media Division, a leading integrated circuit (IC) provider for the broadband digital communications market, and the Consumer Products Division of Acer, a US$5.8 billion PC-manufacturer/data networking leader, have announced a three-year strategic partnership whereby Hi-Media will supply all of Acer's transmission requirements for digital set-top boxes, cable modems, and satellite modems. The agreement applies to set-top boxes and modems in direct broadcast satellite (DBS (Direct Broadcast Satellite) A one-way TV broadcast service from a communications satellite to a small round or oval dish antenna no larger than 20" in diameter. ), hybrid-fiber coaxial cable (HFC 1. (networking) HFC - Hybrid Fiber Coax. 2. (hardware) HFC - hydrofluorocarbon. ), multichannel multipoint distribution systems (MMDS (Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service or Microwave Multipoint Distribution Service) A digital wireless transmission system that works in the 2.2-2.4 GHz range. ), and local multipoint distribution systems (LMDS (Local Multipoint Distribution Service) A digital wireless transmission system that works in the 28 GHz range in the U.S. and 24-40 GHz overseas. It requires line of sight between transmitter and receiving antenna, which can be from one to four miles apart ). With ICs and associated design assistance from Hi-Media, Acer's first set-top box product is slated to launch this fall. Hi-Media will provide Acer with integrated circuits for set-top and modem demodulation demodulation: see modulation. See demodulate. (communications) demodulation - To recover the signal from the carrier. For example, in a radio broadcast using amplitude modulation the audio signal is transmitted as the mean amplitude of a , forward error correction A communications technique that can correct bad data on the receiving end. Before transmission, the data are processed through an algorithm that adds extra bits for error correction. If the transmitted message is received in error, the correction bits are used to repair it. and analog-to-digital conversion. For cable and satellite modems, Hi-Media will also provide Acer with integrated circuits for transport, PC interface, and media access control (MAC) functions. The modular architecture of Hi-Media's designs will ensure the accommodation of a variety of transmission platforms. "This alliance demonstrates Hi-Media's commitment to designing and developing new technologies and systems that allow our customers to effectively address all the dominant broadband markets with one vendor," said Stephen Blake, vice president and general manager of ComStream's Hi-Media Division. "We consider Acer a key partner in the digital revolution which continues to define the evolving PC/TV convergence." "We selected ComStream/Hi-Media because of its wide market presence, proven track record, engineering competency and support in enabling us to effectively and rapidly pursue emerging set-top and modem opportunities in the satellite, cable, and wireless broadband markets," commented Rick Lei, Acer's vice president and general manager of Consumer Products Division. "Hi-Media's integrated tuner demodulator See demodulate. Demodulator A device used to recover the original modulating signal from a modulated wave. A demodulator is also known as a detector. designs, production tools and test equipment will allow us to market and manufacture with speed and flexibility across a variety of transmission platforms, giving us immediate and broad market coverage." With Hi-Media as a technology partner, Acer plans to enter all aspects of broadband communications, including video entertainment, broadcast PC, and high-speed Internet access. To help facilitate Acer's new product development, Hi-Media will provide reference designs, production tools, and test equipment in addition to market leading integrated circuits. Established in 1976, Acer is currently the world's seventh largest PC company and a leading supplier of high-end multi-user servers, desktop PCs, multimedia products, notebook computers and computer peripheral products. Acer operates 80 offices in 38 countries and has more than 16,000 employees supporting dealers in more than 100 countries. In 1996, Acer Group combined revenues totaled US$5.8 billion. Based in San Diego, ComStream's Hi-Media Division is a leading systems-driven IC developer. Hi-Media's digital transmission ICs are in more than half the DBS set-top boxes shipped to-date in the United States. With more than 3 million products sold, Hi-Media is also the dominant supplier of transmission components for the digital video initiatives of the telecommunications industry. As a solutions-focused unit, Hi-Media offers market-leading ICs together with production-ready reference designs, prototypes, network interface modules (NIMs), production tools and test equipment. ComStream is also a leader in VSAT (Very Small Aperture satellite Terminal) A small earth station for satellite transmission that handles up to 56 Kbits/sec of digital transmission. VSATs that handle the T1 data rate (up to 1.544 Mbits/sec) are called "TSATs. technologies, earth stations, and modems for public and private networks worldwide, with offices in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Indonesia, The People's Republic of China, Russia and the United Kingdom. ComStream is a wholly owned subsidiary Wholly Owned Subsidiary A subsidiary whose parent company owns 100% of its common stock. Notes: In other words, the parent company owns the company outright and there are no minority owners. of Spar Aerospace Limited. Spar, a leading Canadian advanced technology company, is in the communications, space, aviation and defense, and software industries. Operations are located in North America, Europe and the Pacific Rim, and nearly 70% of revenues are derived outside Canada. It is listed on the Toronto and Montreal stock exchanges Montreal Stock Exchange See Bourse de Montreal, Inc. (Canadian Derivatives Exchange) . Stock symbol: SPZ SPZ Schützenpanzer (German; armoured personnel carrier) SPZ spätzle (dorsoventral patterning, genetics) SPZ Simplified Planning Zone SPZ Socionet Personal Zone SPZ South Park Zone . Website address: www.spar.ca. CONTACT: The Townsend Agency Carol Foster, 619/457-4888 or Corporate Communications Leila Tardif, 619/657-5245 ComStream Website URL URL in full Uniform Resource Locator Address of a resource on the Internet. The resource can be any type of file stored on a server, such as a Web page, a text file, a graphics file, or an application program. : www.comstream.com |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion