Sony Develops i.LINK -- IEEE1394 -- Link LSI Incorporating 5C Digital Content Protection Technology.

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 30, 1998--Sony Corp. today announced the development of an i.LINK (IEEE1394) link layer LSI that provides robust protection for digital content transmitted between digital electronics products.

Sony has begun planning a series of related LSI products and preparing for volume production with the aim of launching products on the U.S. market by Spring 1999.

The newly developed LSI currently supports the secure, two-way transmission of digital content across the i.LINK (IEEE1394) interface at speeds of up to 200Mbps. Designed for use in a wide variety of digital electronics products, the chip can process AV content transferred in MPEG data streams and other digital AV formats.

It can also simultaneously transmit multiple isochronous signals and support functions that allow electronic programming guides and other applications to provide users with interactive network services.

On Nov. 2, 1998, the Consumer Electronics Manufacturers' Association (CEMA) and the U.S.-based National Cable Television Association (NCTA) made a press announcement identifying the IEEE1394 interface as an important digital interface which will promote compatibility between digital television receivers and digital set-top boxes.

Sony's newly developed i.LINK (IEEE1394) link LSI offers a practical solution for the safe, reliable transmission of copy protected digital content across this interface.

Moreover, the introduction of Sony's new i.LINK (IEEE1394) copy protection LSIs in Spring 1999 may make it possible for consumer electronics hardware manufacturers to introduce products that are equipped with digital content protection enabled IEEE1394 interfaces by November 1999 as forecast in a recent letter sent by the presidents of the NCTA and CEMA to the Chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

The digital content protection method employed by Sony's new LSI is based on a technical proposal presented to the Copyright Protection Technical Working Group (CPTWG), an ad-hoc cross-industry body organized to evaluate content protection technologies, in February 1998 by five companies.

They include: Hitachi, Ltd., Intel Corporation, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Sony Corporation, and Toshiba Corporation. The technology jointly developed by the five companies -- which is known as the Digital Transmission Content Protection Method (DTCP) -- addresses the concerns of the entertainment content industry, including the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) which has requested two-way key exchange and multiple level copy protection.

Under the DTCP method, AV and multimedia content would be classified into three levels of copy protection: copy prohibited, copy one generation, and copy free. "Copy prohibited" content sent through the IEEE1394 interface can be displayed but not recorded. Content designated as "Copy one generation" can be recorded, but the resulting content would be designated "copy prohibited." "Copy free" content could be freely recorded by the user. This system provides flexibility for both content providers and consumers.

Sony hopes that the development of its new digital content protection enabled i.LINK (IEEE1394) link LSIs will facilitate the swift adoption of a cross-industry digital transmission content protection solution for a broad range of digital Audio-Visual (AV) and Information Technology (IT) electronics products.

Key Features of the Cryptographic Signal Processor LSI for the

IEEE 1394 Digital Interface -0-

1.   The newly developed LSI reduces the load on a product's
     microprocessor by internally encrypting and decrypting AV
     content, such as MPEG data streams. This allows for robust,
     high-speed protection of high bandwidth content such as video and
     animation.

2.   The chip supports the Program ID (PID) parser and packet
     insertion functions used by Electronic Programming Guides (EPGs)
     and other interactive broadcast and network applications.

3.   It allows for the simultaneous transfer of two separate
     isochronous signals over a single connection. For example, the
     LSI can transmit one isochronous signal while receiving another,
     or it can simultaneously transmit two separate isochronous
     signals.

4.   The i.LINK (IEEE1394) link LSI supports the IEEE 1394-1995
     standard, offers a maximum data transfer rate of 200 Mbps, and
     comes equipped with an on-board 68000 series CPU interface.