Technologies

Silicon Image is the leader in high-speed serial communications IC designs for the consumer electronics, PC and display, and storage solution markets. As the pioneer and market leader of the popular DVI and HDMI® standards and an innovator and driver of the SATA interface, Silicon Image has shipped more than 100 million standards-based semiconductors.

Overview
Technology is the key to Silicon Image's leadership in delivering innovative silicon solutions. Silicon Image technology improves the end user experience by dramatically lowering the cost per gigabit of bandwidth-hungry content, bringing previously unattainable levels of performance to mass markets. Through its IP licensing program, Silicon Image's proven standards-based technologies are now available to system-on-a-chip manufacturers.

LiquidHD™
LiquidHD technology consists of a suite of protocols and a new partitioning of functionality that focus on enabling digital content distribution. With LiquidHD-enabled CE devices, all digital content is accessible and available anywhere in the home. LiquidHD technology provides simple implementation and lower costs while enhancing interoperability, security and flexibility. The LiquidHD system architecture is designed to support the highest level of media quality today and for the future. www.liquidhd.com

InstaPort™ Technology
Typically, when an HDMI enabled source device is connected to the DTV, the HDCP authorization process is not initialized until that source is selected as the input to be displayed on the DTV. However, DTVs that support InstaPort technology perform the HDCP authorization routine immediately upon connecting the device. Then when a user selects that source, it will begin to stream the content immediately—often within 1 second—without waiting for HDCP authentication.

MHL™ Technology
Based on its expertise with high-speed serial data transmission, Silicon Image has developed MHL technology, which enables mobile phones, digital cameras, media players and other mobile devices to connect to HDTVs so consumers can watch and listen to content on HDTVs with pristine digital quality. MHL is a low-pin-count HD audio and video link architected specifically for low-power small form factor mobile devices. The technology is based on well-adopted DVI and HDMI (HDMI) technologies for easy integration into mobile and DTV products.

Multi-Layer Serial Link
Silicon Image's proprietary Multi-Layer Serial Link (MSL™) architecture lies at the core of the company's innovation. The MSL architecture is a robust, high-speed serial link IC technology that is key to achieving unparalleled price/performance. The MSL architecture includes a physical layer, coding layer and protocol layer, all on a single chip. Each of these layers is optimized for the particular application being addressed. By implementing the MSL architecture in low-cost CMOS technology, Silicon Image is able to deliver low-cost, high-bandwidth solutions for high-volume applications.

Transition-Minimized Differential Signaling
Silicon Image's Transition-Minimized Differential Signaling (TMDS®) technology serves as the basis for the DVI standard in the PC market and the HDMI standard in the consumer electronics market. TMDS is key to transferring digital data at high speeds up to 165 mega-pixels per second, enabling support for resolutions up to 1080p (UHDTV) or 1600x1200 (UXGA) in a single-link configuration. TMDS also offers a cost-effective means of doubling bandwidth with the use of a second link to accommodate even higher-resolution PC displays.

Silicon Image Patents
Silicon Image has amassed a significant amount of intellectual property (IP) to attain and maintain its position as an industry standards-setter and market leader in standards-based semiconductors. Evidencing the depth and breadth of the company's technical talent and expertise, as well as the significant man-hours invested in developing IP, Silicon Image has a strong patent portfolio. Silicon Image has been granted 59 patents and has filed 329 patents (11/12/04).

Security / HDCP
Silicon Image contributed significantly to the High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) specification. The first to ship HDCP silicon, Silicon Image has shipped more HDCP products than another company. Combined with Silicon Image's status as an HDMI Founder and principal architect of the HDMI specification, Silicon Image has the unique industry knowledge and experience to ensure that HDMI and HDCP interoperate seamlessly. Silicon Image has invested time, money, personnel and lab space to provide HDMI-HDCP interoperability testing services through its PanelLink Cinema Partners Program.

Silicon Image & Standards
Silicon Image has established a reputation for setting and driving industry standards. Silicon Image's TMDS technology serves as the basis for the HDMI standard for the consumer electronics market and DVI standard for the PC market. Silicon Image is also an early leader in Serial ATA. Silicon Image's strategy is to identify a consumer need, apply our technology and be first to market with a price/performance-leading solution and invent a new open industry standard. The company continues to innovate by introducing market-leading products and by licensing its standards-based IP to increase adoption of the technology and grow the overall market opportunity.