Equator BSP-15 chip first to deliver high definition Windows Media 9 series to consumer market.

Equator Technologies Inc., a provider of high-performance, programmable and power-efficient system-on-a-chip processors for video streaming and image processing applications, recently announced the immediate availability of support for the new Microsoft Windows Media Audio 9 and Windows Media Video 9 on its flagship BSP-15 chip. In doing so, the Equator BSP-15 chip becomes the first hardware platform to decode high-definition Windows Media Video 9 at 720p, which is two and a half times the resolution of a DVD, to the consumer electronics industry, offering manufacturers of DVD players, VOD systems, personal video recorders and other video-centric consumer electronic appliances unprecedented performance, product differentiation and time-to-market advantage.

Equator's BSP-15 chip is a high-performance, programmable, power-efficient system-on-a-chip processor designed for video streaming and image processing applications. At 400Mhz, the BSP-15 chip delivers up to 40 GOPs of image processing power. Using a low-cost single-chip solution, the outstanding performance of the BSP-15 chip enables Windows Media Video 9 to provide high-definition video playback (up to 720p). The price, performance and low power consumption of the BSP-15 chip make it an ideal choice for a wide range of digital video consumer products.

"When we designed Windows Media 9 Series, our goal was to help power breakthrough experiences for consumers and create new opportunities for the industry," said Dave Fester, general manager of the Windows Digital Media Division at Microsoft Corp. "Equator's amazing achievement with Windows Media Audio and Video 9 Series redefines the level of quality and price performance available to the consumer electronics industry."

"We built the BSP-15 chip to offer an unbeatable set of value propositions--price, performance, programmability and, ultimately, time-to-market. We are putting this to work for our customers in the consumer space with the new Windows Media Audio and Video 9 Series port," said Avi Katz, president and CEO of Equator. "Using a low-cost, single-chip solution that is available now, we're ahead of the technology curve in bringing the highest audio and video quality to our customers."