Microtune®, Inc. (NASDAQ: TUNE) today announced three new
universal digital QAM cable tuners that are engineered to deliver
very high radio frequency (RF) performance, to simplify designs and
to slash bill-of-materials (BOM) cost for the worldwide cable
set-top box market.
Based on a highly integrated, sawless, tuner-plus-splitter
architecture, the new MicroTuner™ MT208X tuner family is optimized
to deliver superior digital video quality and reliability across
global multi-tuner set-tops, including next-generation HD/DVR
boxes, video hubs, digital cable gateways and home media servers.
When built into cable premises equipment (CPE), the tuners enable
cable operators to offer the interactive, personalized video
services – HD, on-demand, time-shifted and downloaded video –
expected to drive cable revenue and subscriber growth during the
next years.
“Competitive pressure and evolving consumer preferences make
video more strategic than ever for the cable industry, and cable
operators are invigorating their video service offerings with new
HD options and on-demand choices,” said Barry F. Koch, Executive
Vice President of Microtune. “Operators are evaluating new
approaches for set-top box platforms, but they are consistent in
their demand for advanced technology that can deliver a
full-featured, compelling TV experience at low cost. Our new MT208X
family provides the ideal high-performance, cost-optimized RF
solution, and it can be flexibly implemented across a broad range
of worldwide set-tops boxes.”
NEW CABLE TUNERS DEMONSTRATED AT SCTE CABLE-TEC
This week, the new cable tuners will be featured in a
multi-tuner design and demonstrated at Microtune’s booth (Booth
525) during SCTE’s Cable-Tec Expo at the Ernest N. Morial
Convention Center, October 20-22, 2010 in New Orleans, LA.
In its booth, Microtune will also feature consumer-end products
that showcase the leading edge in consumer cable equipment—DOCSIS®
3.0 cable modems, DOCSIS 3.0 wireless gateways, EMTAs, HD/DVR
set-top boxes, video hubs, and digital cable set-top boxes.
THREE TUNERS IN NEW MT208X FAMILY
The MT208X family consists of two companion tuners, the MT2082
and MT2084 for dual- and triple-tuner architectures, and the MT2081
for low-cost single-tuner designs.
- The MT2082 is a high-performance tuner
with an integrated loop-through amplifier and an active 3-way
splitter. It divides, conditions and amplifies an RF signal for two
additional tuners in a multi-tuner set-top box design. The MT2082
allows for dual- or triple-tuner designs that eliminate the
requirement for external active components, while ensuring equal
levels of performance at each tuner output. The unique tuner
front-end architecture supports the same sensitivity and linearity
performance across all three tuners. It contrasts with other RF
configurations that offer reduced levels of performance as each
tuner is added in a multi-tuner cascade.
- The companion MT2084 tuner accepts its
RF input from the MT2082 and maintains very high signal quality.
Together, the MT2082 and MT2084 eliminate RF splitter, amplifier
and power-supply components that are needed in current multi-tuner
set-top box designs. They simplify designs, enabling engineers to
reduce design cycles. They offer an ease-of-use and very small
external BOM that virtually eliminate the need for specialized RF
expertise typically required when designing a multi-tuner set-top
using RF components.
- With an integrated RF loop-through
amplifier, the MT2081 is a single-tuner option that is ideal for
basic set-top boxes, including zapper boxes, digital conversion
boxes, digital transport adaptors (DTAs), cable modems and low-cost
entry level products. As with the other tuners in the family, the
MT2081 offers a combination of high levels of integration with a
very small external BOM to reduce the specialized RF expertise
typically needed to design a single-tuner set-top box or cable
modem.
WORLD STANDARD SUPPORT AND REAL-WORLD RF PERFORMANCE
Each tuner in the family supports worldwide cable and TV
standards (NorDig Unified DVB-C, DVB-T, and DVB-T2, as well as
SARFT GD/J12-2007, RNG/DSG, SCTE40, DOCSIS, EuroDOCSIS™ and ISDB-T)
and is compatible with ITU-T J.83 Annex A/B/C QAM performance
requirements.
Additionally, the tuners are designed to meet the even more
severe operator-imposed requirements of real-world network
environments, delivering a clear, consistent signal even under the
most challenging digital cable conditions. For U.S. applications,
the tuners support tilted and sloped conditions common in fully
loaded, high-bandwidth networks. For applications in China, they
manage both the high undesired-to-desired channel ratios and
weak-strong signal problems in the interference-prone cable
networks of the various provinces. The MT2081 and MT2082 also offer
a loop-through feature, engineered to meet stringent NorDig Unified
requirements and to enable the reception of analog
transmissions.
KEY FEATURES AND PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS
The MT208X family is characterized by the following product
features:
- Triple tuner plus loop-through without
external active components
- Integrated RF splitter for multi-tuner
applications
- One single crystal required for
multi-tuner applications
- Support for variable channel bandwidths
(1.7 to 8 MHz programmable)
- Support for power reporting without the
need for demodulator interaction
- Single-point calibration for Received
Signal Strength Indication (RSSI)
- Excellent multi-tone performance
- Outstanding large signal-handling
capabilities
Product briefs for the MT2081, MT2082 and MT2084 can be found on
Microtune’s website at www.microtune.com.
PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
Offered in a small 6 mm x 6 mm 40 pin Quad Flat No-Lead (QFN)
package, the MT208X CMOS tuners are sampling now and are priced at
sub $2.00 in high volume. To simplify evaluation and design for
qualified customers, Microtune offers a series of MT208X evaluation
boards and reference designs for digital cable set-top box and
modem products.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Additional information about the MT208X family and the complete
suite of Microtune’s cable TV products is available on the
Microtune website. Additionally, to read about the issues of
designing cable TV set-top box platforms for worldwide markets,
please see Microtune’s white paper, Simplify Next-Generation
Multi-Tuner Set-Top Box Designs with Advanced New Tuner.
ABOUT MICROTUNE
Microtune, Inc. is a receiver solutions company that designs and
markets advanced radio frequency (RF) and demodulator electronics
for worldwide customers. Its products, targeted to the cable,
digital television and automotive entertainment markets, are
engineered to deliver high-performance and reliable video, voice
and data signals across a diverse range of end products, from
HDTVs, set-top boxes and cable modems to car radios. Microtune is
headquartered in Plano, Texas, with key design and sales centers
located around the world. The website is www.microtune.com or
www.microtune.cn.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS
This document contains certain forward-looking statements about
Microtune, Inc. (“Microtune”) that are subject to risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements.
These factors include, but are not limited to: (1) the occurrence
of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to
the termination of the merger agreement; (2) the outcome of any
legal proceedings that have been and may be instituted against
Microtune and others following announcement of the proposal or the
merger agreement; (3) the inability to complete the merger due to
the failure to obtain stockholder approval; (4) the inability to
obtain necessary regulatory approvals required to complete the
merger; (5) the risk that the proposed transaction disrupts current
plans and operations and the potential difficulties in employee
retention as a result of the merger; (6) the ability to recognize
the benefits of the merger or of any combination of Microtune and
Zoran Corporation; (7) the timing of the initiation, progress or
cancellation of significant contracts or arrangements, the mix and
timing of services sold in a particular period; and (8) the
possibility that Microtune may be adversely affected by other
economic, business, and/or competitive factors. Except as required
by law, Microtune is under no duty to update any of the
forward-looking statements after the date of this document to
conform to actual results.
These and other risks that are set forth in the “Risk Factors,”
“Legal Proceedings” and “Management's Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of and
elsewhere in Microtune’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2009 and Microtune’s most recent Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2010, each as
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Many of the
factors that will determine the outcome of the subject matter of
this document are beyond Microtune’s ability to control or
predict.
Important Additional Information and Where to Find
It.
On September 23, 2010, Microtune, Inc. (“Microtune”) filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a preliminary
proxy statement in connection with the proposed merger with Zoran
Corporation, pursuant to which Microtune would be acquired by Zoran
Corporation (the “Merger”) and intends to file a definitive proxy
statement with the SEC. Investors and stockholders are urged to
read the preliminary proxy statement carefully and, when it becomes
available, the definitive proxy statement as well as any other
relevant documents filed with the SEC when they become available
because they will contain important information about the merger
and the parties to the merger. The information in the preliminary
proxy statement is not complete and may be changed. Before making
any voting or investment decisions with respect to the proposed
merger or any of the other matters with respect to which
Microtune’s stockholders will be asked to vote pursuant to the
proxy statement, Microtune’s stockholders are urged to read the
definitive proxy statement and other documents filed by Microtune
when they become available. Investors and stockholders may obtain a
free copy of the preliminary proxy statement and the definitive
proxy statement (when available) and other documents filed by
Microtune at the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov. The preliminary
proxy statement, definitive proxy statement (when available) and
other documents also may be obtained for free at Microtune’s
Internet website at www.microtune.com or from Microtune by
contacting Investor Relations by telephone at 972-673-1850 or by
mail at Microtune, Inc., 2201 10th Street, Plano, Texas, 75074,
Attn: Investor Relations Department. In connection with the special
meeting of Microtune stockholders to approve the adoption of the
merger agreement, Microtune will mail copies of the definitive
proxy statement to Microtune stockholders who are entitled to
attend and vote at the special meeting which is determined by the
stockholders of record on October 18, 2010.
Microtune and Zoran and their respective directors, executive
officers and other members of their management and employees, under
SEC rules, may be deemed participants in the solicitation of
proxies from Microtune stockholders in connection with the proposed
Merger. Information regarding Zoran's directors and officers is
available in Zoran's proxy statement for its 2010 annual meeting of
stockholders and Zoran's 2009 Annual Report on Form 10-K, which
were filed with the SEC on April 29, 2010 and March 1, 2010,
respectively. Information concerning the interests of Microtune’s
participants in the solicitation, which may, in some cases, be
different than those of Microtune stockholders generally, is set
forth in Microtune’s proxy statement for its 2010 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 9, 2010 and
available on Microtune's website at www.microtune.com and is also
set forth in the preliminary proxy described above and will be set
forth in the definitive proxy statement relating to the merger when
it becomes available.
TRANSLATIONS
Microtune has only reviewed the English-language version of this
press release for accuracy and is not responsible for the accuracy
of statements in subsequently translated versions of this document.
Readers are strongly advised to review the English-language version
of this press release.
EDITOR’S NOTE:
Microtune is a registered trademark and MicroTuner is a
trademark of Microtune, Inc. Copyright © 2010 Microtune, Inc. All
rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective holders.
DOCSIS IS A TRADEMARK OF CABLE TELEVISION LABORATORIES,
INC.
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