NEC Electronics introduced its newest generation of its renowned EMMATM series of high performance system LSI chips for digital consumer applications. The EMMATM3 series is optimized for systems such as HD DVD players and recorders that handle the processing of next generation DVD content.The latest EMMA series incorporates in a single chip all the functions necessary to process high definition images, sounds and graphics in HD DVD players. It can process compression formats such as MPEG2, H.264, and VC-1, and offers powerful support for high level applications by way of two built-in CPUs. EMMA3 is already used successfully in HD DVD players sold by Toshiba Corporation such as the HD-XA2 and HD-A2 in North America, the HD-XA2 and HD-XF2 in Japan, as well as other players designed for Europe and Australia.
NEC Electronics shipped over 3 million back-end processing chips for DVD recorders in 2005 and has acquired a greater than 20 percent share of the global market. Samples of the EMMA3 devices are available now, priced at US$200. Volume production is scheduled to commence in April 2007, and reach approximately 300,000 units per month. Pricing and availability are subject to change.
