Conexant Unveils Audio/Video Reference Design for Personal Computer PVR and DVD Recording Applications.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 13, 2003

Industry's Most Highly Integrated and Scalable Reference Design

Enables Digital Video Recording and TV-Like Applications on a PC;

Supports Windows XP Media Center Edition 

Conexant Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:CNXT), a worldwide leader in semiconductor system solutions for communications applications, today unveiled a new audio/video reference design for high-quality broadcast television viewing, personal video recorder (PVR) and digital video disc (DVD) recording applications on a personal computer (PC).

The reference design utilizes the company's CX23880 peripheral component interconnect (PCI) audio/video broadcast decoder to capture and decode the video and audio portions of analog television broadcast signals, and the CX23416 MPEG-2 (Moving Picture Experts Group) audio/video encoder to compress data into MPEG-2, DVD and video compact disc (VCD) stream formats.

"Our PCI video platform is the most flexible and highly integrated, scalable PCI/MPEG solution offered today," said Greg Fischer, vice president of Convergence Video Products for Conexant. "It provides our customers with a scalable and reliable platform to support Microsoft Media Center and the growing demand for digital video applications including DVD recording, personal video recording, and video editing."

Working closely with Microsoft, Conexant is enabling high quality audio/video capture and MPEG compression for Windows XP Media Center Edition platforms. Windows XP Media Center Edition turns a PC into a media center that integrates digital entertainment experiences with the freedom of remote-control access. Consumers can enjoy live television, personal video recording, music, photos, videos and DVDs from a new remote-controlled PC experience called Media Center.

"We are thrilled to be working with Conexant to offer consumers a great AV experience," said Kevin Eagan, general manager of Windows eHome Division at Microsoft.

"We are pleased to align our efforts with Conexant to advance the PC/TV capabilities of Windows XP Media Center Edition."

Conexant's new reference design is also Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) 11.0-certifiable, which means that the hardware for peripherals and other components is compatible with Microsoft Windows operating systems. International video formats including NTSC, PAL and SECAM also are supported.

The new solution is based on Conexant's CX23880, the world's most widely deployed PCI audio/video decoder. The device supports all analog broadcast video and audio formats in use worldwide. In addition, this single-chip solution enables the host PC to perform audio/video capture, playback, or storage and playback at a later time through either software or hardware audio/video codecs, offering unprecedented flexibility from a single certified driver architecture.

The CX23416 MPEG audio/video encoder enables users to capture audio and video streams, and record, pause or store and edit the program on a PC. Additional features include proprietary temporal noise reduction filtering and 3:2 pull-down detection that improve the quality of video captures while reducing compression overhead. The device also supports DVD, VCD and super VCD (SCVD) capture resolution.

About Conexant

Conexant Systems, Inc., a worldwide leader in semiconductor system solutions for communications applications, leverages its expertise in mixed-signal processing to deliver integrated systems and semiconductor products through two separate businesses.

The Broadband Communications business develops and delivers integrated semiconductor solutions that enable digital entertainment and information networks for the home and small office. Its product portfolio includes the building blocks required for bridging cable, satellite, and terrestrial data and digital video networks.

Mindspeed Technologies(TM), the company's Internet infrastructure business, designs, develops and sells semiconductor networking solutions for communications applications in enterprise, access, metropolitan and wide area networks. Conexant is headquartered in Newport Beach, Calif. To learn more, visit us at www.conexant.com or www.mindspeed.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This news release contains statements relating to future results of Conexant (including certain projections and business trends) that are "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry and the markets addressed by the company's and its customers' products; demand for and market acceptance of new and existing products; successful development of new products; the timing of new product introductions; the availability of manufacturing capacity; pricing pressures and other competitive factors; changes in product mix; product obsolescence; the ability to develop and implement new technologies and to obtain protection for the related intellectual property; the successful implementation of the company's expense reduction and restructuring initiatives; the successful separation of the company's Broadband Communications and Mindspeed Technologies(TM) businesses; the ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; and the uncertainties of litigation, as well as other risks and uncertainties, including those detailed from time to time in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and the company undertakes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Note to Editors: Conexant and Mindspeed are trademarks of Conexant Systems, Inc. Other brands and names contained in this release are the property of their respective owners.