“We are excited to be the first TV maker to support Adobe AIR on our Smart TVs bringing rich, Flash-based applications to millions of customers today,” said Kyungsik Kevin Lee, vice president, Visual Display Business, Samsung Electronics. “With the dramatic advancements in AIR 3, Adobe continues to push the envelope with innovative new features that will enable powerful 3D gaming apps and other next generation app experiences on televisions soon.”

“LG is working closely with Adobe to bring Flash-based applications with AIR to LG Smart TVs in 2012,” said Youngjae Seo, vice president, Smart TV Team, LG. “We can’t wait to see what kind of application experiences three million Flash developers will bring to our customers with AIR 3.”

“The availability of AIR will give us the tools to deliver better functionality, more features and a rich, seamless experience that our users expect from TiVo products,” said Jim Denney, vice president and general manager, Product Marketing, TiVo. “We look forward to the development of a rich ecosystem of multi-platform applications to make the TV experience even better.”

See the full release for more. I am, of course, most interested in how this will apply to TiVo. The TiVo Premiere is already using Flash for the HD UI and newer apps, like Hulu Plus. (Some of the older, legacy apps are still using the Java-based HME framework.) But the TiVo Premiere hardware supports Flash Lite, a reduced version of flash for lower powered embedded systems. Will this new announcement apply to the existing TiVo Premiere? Or might the new TiVo Premiere Elite and forthcoming TiVo Preview be using newer SoCs that would support the fuller Flash/Air experience? I’m not sure, but I’m hoping this means we’ll see new versions of the apps, and all new apps, across the Premiere lineup. Ideally I’d love to see TiVo open an app store for third party apps, and open up the platform to developers to explore.

Oh, and if you’re ready to bash Flash – just stop. Flash as a platform is extremely rich and powerful. While it has had some issues, all platforms do. Most of the problems users experience with Flash apps on the web are due to the app developer, not the Flash platform. In recent releases Adobe has made great strides in improving the performance and stability of the Flash interpreter as well. In the long run I expect it will fade out and be replaced by a collection of technologies many refer to as ‘HTML5′ – HTML5 proper, JavaScript, SVG, CSS, etc. But it isn’t going away overnight. Remember Flash itself displaced Java Applets and Shockwave back in the day. That’s just how it goes.

And all of that aside, Flash on embedded platform is not the same beast. Devices like TiVo and the smart TVs use hardware with dedicated Flash support, not a software interpreter on a generic CPU like a PC. And the platforms are generally more limited in what they’ll support – only what the hardware can decode. So it is a much more focused environment. So Flash isn’t the root of all evil that I’ve seen many make it out to be. It is a logical choice as a platform with many advantages in an embedded environment. Embedded Flash support is much easier to come by these days than embedded ‘HTML5′ support, for example. Especially as HTML5 is still a moving target as the standards evolve.

While there is no confirmation, or refutation, of the July 31st launch date, but his sources indicate pricing for the 32″ 1080p LED HDTV will be $599 and the 42″ 1080p LED HDTV will be $999. Those prices may sound high, but these are LED HTDVs, and for LED models those prices are pretty reasonable. And, if they’re accurate, they’re probably MSRP – and who pays MSRP? Dave also believes he’s found the specs: 1080p, 120Hz LED LCD, dual band 802.11n wireless, 4 HDMI ports, 3 speakers. Not bad.

Shortly after making his post, Dave was contacted by a tipster who provided a number of photos of the 42″ model’s packaging. The photos confirm most of the information, and provide even more. The new branding is ‘TiVo Design’, which seems like TiVo’s version of ‘Intel Inside’. The remote is, unfortunately IMHO, not a TiVo peanut, but looks like a button farm brick.

The TV’s have no DVR, as we knew, just using the TiVo HDUI from the Premiere to access OTT content and for the guide. There will not be a subscription fee to use the service.

But what is really interesting are the included apps. This is a TiVo-powered TV, so you might expect expect services like Photobucket, Pandora, Netflix and YouTube, and they’re there. But so are Twitter, Facebook, Napster, CinemaNow, Insignia OnDemand, and Chumby apps. Best Buy owns Napster & CinemaNow, and of course Insignia, so these aren’t much of a surprise. But what makes these interesting is that the work must have been done to integrate then into the TiVo UI for these HDTVs. And if that work has been done, doesn’t it make sense to leverage it for the standalone TiVo units like the Premiere? We’ve heard mention of Twitter and Facebook apps in conjunction with MSO deals in the past, but this looks like it will be the first public appearance of such apps.

And, to start a rumor:

• TiVo has talked about apps as part of their new platform.
• Chumby’s app development environment is Flash.
• TiVo’s new platform also just happens to use Flash for apps.

Could TiVo jump-start their app library, as well as their developer base, by adopting Chumby’s app environment for their platforms outside of the Insignia TVs? It would certainly give them a shot in the arm. They’d benefit from the established library of apps, and the combined platform would provide a larger user base, which is more appealing to developers.

Certainly something to think about.

The first four SoCs to be Flash-enabled are the BCM3549, BCM3556, BCM7400 and BCM7405. I find this intriguing as the BCM7405 looks like a newer generation of the BCM7401 which is the main chip in the TiVo HD. It has basically the same features – plus more: Flash support, DivX support, faster CPU core (400Mhz vs. 300MHz), etc. Makes me wonder if maybe this could be used in TiVo’s rumored ‘Series4′ model. But that’s just idle speculation.

With the announcements from LG, Samsung, Roku, and now this, I think one of the major trends this year is getting Internet/broadband content onto the TV screen.

The press releases:

Jan 6, 2009 08:00 ET

Adobe and Broadcom Bring the Adobe Flash Platform to TVs

Collaboration Extends Flash Platform Ecosystem to Digital TVs and Set-Top Boxes

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — 2009 International CES — Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ:BRCM) and Adobe Systems Incorporated (NASDAQ: ADBE) today announced the integration of the Adobe® Flash® Platform into Broadcom’s latest digital television (DTV) and set-top box (STB) system-on-a-chip (SoC) platforms. The collaboration paves the way for rich Flash based entertainment experiences on televisions that offer viewers new options for accessing web content on their TVs.

With Adobe Flash Lite™ 3 software supported in the Broadcom® BCM3549, BCM3556, BCM7400 and BCM7405 SoC solutions, TV viewers will be able to view Flash based content and applications from popular online providers and entertainment sites. Broadcom DTV and STB platforms with integrated Adobe Flash support are expected to be available to manufacturers in the first half of 2009. Broadcom will demonstrate Adobe Flash support on its BCM7405 and BCM3549 solutions at this week’s 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show.

The technology collaboration between Broadcom and Adobe will further accelerate the transition to high definition (HD) web-based video on televisions, fortifying the TV as the main entertainment hub within the home. With Adobe Flash as the number one video format on the web, coupled with Broadcom’s leadership position in digital television and set-top box platforms, the collaboration will enable a consistent viewing experience across TV screens, addressing format fragmentation and authoring challenges that exist today. As online video viewing shifts from the PC to the TV, the number of worldwide viewers will reach nearly one billion by 2013, according to a study by ABI Research. The dramatic increase of free and premium online video content, and the emerging trend of watching web-based video on televisions, will help drive its overall adoption according to ABI.

“Consumers with broadband Internet access increasingly enjoy viewing the wide array of video content available to them and it is clear that they want to watch their favorite online video content on their televisions for the best viewing experience,” said Dan Marotta, Senior Vice President & General Manager of Broadcom’s Broadband Communications Group. “By integrating Adobe Flash support in our latest portfolio of digital television and set-top box solutions, Broadcom will pave the way for an exciting new entertainment experience in the home.”

“Consumers want to experience rich and consistent applications and web content across devices and screens,” said David Wadhwani, General Manager & Vice President, platform business unit at Adobe. “Broadcom’s leadership in designing highly integrated and advanced TV and STB platforms provides an ideal stage for the over one million Flash developers to showcase their content. We look forward to our continued efforts with Broadcom to broaden the availability of great multi-screen experiences.”

Broadcom is a recognized leader in the set-top box market with 161 million set-top box chipsets shipped to date. The company’s recent acquisition of the AMD digital TV business expands the number of TV brands utilizing its highly integrated silicon solutions. Broadcom’s ongoing commitment and significant contribution to connected home technologies, such as the Digital Living Network AllianceSM (DLNA®), furthers the quest for seamless content distribution and connectivity – changing the way that consumers interact and share content in the next generation digital home.

Adobe Flash is the most widely distributed technology on the web, enabling virtually anyone to view and interact with a vast selection of rich content. With Adobe Flash Player supporting all major operating systems and browsers, Flash technology has become the number one video format on the web. Ninety-nine percent of Internet-connected desktops have Adobe Flash Player installed and more than 800 million mobile devices have shipped to date with Flash Lite, Adobe’s Flash Player for mobile phones and devices. Adobe Flash Player is a key component of the Adobe Flash Platform, a complete system of integrated tools, frameworks, clients and servers to develop Web applications, content and videos. For more information about the Adobe Flash Platform, visit www.adobe.com/flashplatform.

About Adobe Systems Incorporated

Adobe revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and information – anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information, visit www.adobe.com.

About Broadcom’s Broadband Communications Group

Broadcom offers manufacturers a range of broadband communications and consumer electronics system-on-a-chip solutions that enable voice, video, data and multimedia services over residential wired and wireless networks. These highly integrated silicon solutions continue to enable the most advanced system solutions on the market, which include digital cable, satellite and IP set-top boxes and media servers, broadband modems and residential gateways, high definition and digital televisions, Blu-ray Disc® players and recorders and personal video recorders.

About Broadcom

Broadcom Corporation is a major technology innovator and global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications. Broadcom products enable the delivery of voice, video, data and multimedia to and throughout the home, the office and the mobile environment. It provides the industry’s broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art system-on-a-chip and software solutions to manufacturers of computing and networking equipment, digital entertainment and broadband access products, and mobile devices. These solutions support Broadcom’s core mission: Connecting everything®.

Broadcom is one of the world’s largest fabless semiconductor companies, with 2007 revenue of $3.78 billion, and holds over 3,000 U.S. and over 1,300 foreign patents, more than 7,500 additional pending patent applications, and one of the broadest intellectual property portfolios addressing both wired and wireless transmission of voice, video, data and multimedia.

Broadcom is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and has offices and research facilities in North America, Asia and Europe. Broadcom may be contacted at +1.949.926.5000 or at www.broadcom.com.

Cautions regarding Forward Looking Statements:

All statements included or incorporated by reference in this release, other than statements or characterizations of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on our respective current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry and business, management’s beliefs, and certain assumptions made by Broadcom and Adobe Systems, all of which are subject to change. Forward-looking statements can often be identified by words such as “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “predicts,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “could,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing,” similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words. Examples of such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the ability of the collaboration between Adobe and Broadcom to further accelerate the transition to high definition (HD) web-based video on televisions and to enable a consistent viewing experience across TV screens, the availability of Broadcom DTV and STB platforms with integrated Adobe Flash support, the growth in the number of worldwide viewers of online video, and Broadcom’s ability to pave the way for an exciting new entertainment experience in the home . These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statement.

The respective Annual Reports on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, recent Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other Securities and Exchange Commission filings of Adobe Systems and Broadcom discuss important risk factors that could contribute to such differences or otherwise affect their respective businesses, results of operations and financial conditions. The forward-looking statements in this release speak only as of this date. Neither Adobe Systems nor Broadcom undertakes any obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statement, except as required by law.

Broadcom, the pulse logo, Connecting everything, and the Connecting everything logo are among the trademarks of Broadcom Corporation and/or its affiliates in the United States, certain other countries and/or the EU. Adobe, Adobe Flash and Adobe Flash Lite™ are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated. Blu-ray Disc is a trademark of the Blu-ray Disc Association. DLNA and Digital Living Network AllianceSM are trademarks of the Digital Living Network Alliance. Any other trademarks or trade names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

Broadcom Trade Press Contact
Dana Brzozkiewicz
Senior Communications Specialist
949-926-6367
danabrz@broadcom.com

Adobe Systems
Stefan Offermann
408-536-4023
sofferma@adobe.com

Broadcom Investor Relations Contact
T. Peter Andrew
Vice President, Corporate Communications
949-926-5663
andrewtp@broadcom.com

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060609/BROADCOMLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Source: Broadcom Corporation; BRCM Corporate

CONTACT: Broadcom Trade Press Contact, Dana Brzozkiewicz, Senior
Communications Specialist, +1-949-926-6367, danabrz@broadcom.com, or Broadcom
Investor Relations Contact, T. Peter Andrew, Vice President, Corporate
Communications, +1-949-926-5663, andrewtp@broadcom.com, both of Broadcom
Corporation; or Stefan Offermann of Adobe Systems, +1-408-536-4023,
sofferma@adobe.com

Web Site: http://www.adobe.com/

Jan 6, 2009 08:00 ET

2Wire® Selects Broadcom’s Chipset to Power Its MediaPoint™ Digital Media Player

Broadcom® BCM7405 Enables the Delivery of On-Demand Internet Content and Personal Media to the TV

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — 2009 International CES — Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ:BRCM) , a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today announced that its BCM7405 digital set-top box (STB) system-on-a-chip (SoC) solution has been selected by 2Wire, a provider of integrated broadband solutions, to power its new MediaPoint™ digital media player. The MediaPoint player enables service providers to quickly provide their customers with entertainment offerings delivered directly to their TVs, including movies, video, music and other on-demand Web-based media content, as well as personal music and video content.

In November 2008, 2Wire and Blockbuster Inc. announced that the 2Wire® MediaPoint player would be utilized to provide movie fans with instant access to BLOCKBUSTER® ONDEMAND content, including thousands of titles from the latest movie releases to classic favorites.

“The MediaPoint digital player, featuring BLOCKBUSTER ONDEMAND, is entertainment made easy. We are bringing Blockbuster, and the thousands of movies in our digital library, straight to customers’ televisions,” said Jim Keyes, Blockbuster chairman and CEO. “The player is simple to use, delivers DVD quality video, and there’s no monthly subscription commitment. We are delighted to bring consumers this great entertainment product.”

2Wire is leveraging the capabilities of the BCM7405 STB SoC to further enhance the performance of the MediaPoint broadband entertainment solution to meet next generation service provider requirements and provide a cost effective means to deliver on-demand Internet content and personal media directly to the TV. At this week’s International Consumer Electronics Show, Broadcom is demonstrating the capabilities of its BCM7405 on the 2Wire MediaPoint digital media player, accelerating the delivery of entertainment services that bridge the television and Internet together.

“MediaPoint services, enabled by the Broadcom BCM7405, create a new way to access multimedia entertainment content on the television, using any broadband connection,” said Jonathan Symonds, Vice President of Product Marketing at 2Wire. “The MediaPoint player lets users seamlessly browse, download and view high quality video and movies, easily discover music stored anywhere on the network and listen to it through the home entertainment system, upload, view and share photos, and access personal networked media content on their TVs.”

“The 2Wire MediaPoint player underscores our commitment to enhancing the consumer entertainment experience in the home,” said Dan Marotta, Senior Vice President & General Manager of Broadcom’s Broadband Communications Group. “Powered by the BCM7405, the MediaPoint solution gives users the ability to watch movies, video and other on-demand Web-based media content directly on the TV, while allowing service providers to enable customized Web-based services, from online radio to legal music downloading and even photo sharing services.”

BCM7405 Product Information

The highly integrated, low power BCM7405 STB SoC 65 nanometer solution leverages Broadcom’s proven track record and market leadership in set-top box technologies to deliver unprecedented levels of processor performance, memory bandwidth, graphics speed, system security, peripheral integration and cost savings. It supports the latest in interactive features and a wide range of video compression standards (i.e. VC-1, WMV9, H.263-H.264, MPEG-4 and DivX®), and includes support for new video compression standards.

The BCM7405 STB SoC can decode and display simultaneous high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) video with picture-in-picture and mosaic support. Multiple planes of HD graphics, powerful content security, and support for peripherals including USB 2.0, SATA II, Ethernet and HDMI 1.3 are provided. As a result, manufacturers can build next generation HD digital broadcast and IP set-top boxes supporting the latest interactive features and networked personal video recorder (PVR) functionality.

About Broadcom’s Broadband Communications Group

Broadcom offers manufacturers a range of broadband communications and consumer electronics system-on-a-chip solutions that enable voice, video, data and multimedia services over residential wired and wireless networks. These highly integrated silicon solutions continue to enable the most advanced system solutions on the market, which include digital cable, satellite and IP set-top boxes and media servers, broadband modems and residential gateways, high definition and digital televisions, Blu-ray Disc® players and recorders and personal video recorders.

About Broadcom

Broadcom Corporation is a major technology innovator and global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications. Broadcom products enable the delivery of voice, video, data and multimedia to and throughout the home, the office and the mobile environment. We provide the industry’s broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art system-on-a-chip and software solutions to manufacturers of computing and networking equipment, digital entertainment and broadband access products, and mobile devices. These solutions support our core mission: Connecting everything®.

Broadcom is one of the world’s largest fabless semiconductor companies, with 2007 revenue of $3.78 billion, and holds over 3,000 U.S. and over 1,300 foreign patents, more than 7,500 additional pending patent applications, and one of the broadest intellectual property portfolios addressing both wired and wireless transmission of voice, video, data and multimedia.

Broadcom is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and has offices and research facilities in North America, Asia and Europe. Broadcom may be contacted at +1.949.926.5000 or at www.broadcom.com.

Cautions regarding Forward Looking Statements:

All statements included or incorporated by reference in this release, other than statements or characterizations of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry and business, management’s beliefs, and certain assumptions made by us, all of which are subject to change. Forward-looking statements can often be identified by words such as “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “predicts,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “could,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing,” similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statement.

Important factors that may cause such a difference for Broadcom in connection with BCM7405 digital set-top box SoC solutions include, but are not limited to

— the rate at which our present and future customers and end-users adopt
Broadcom’s technologies and products in the markets for next
generation set-top box applications;
— delays in the adoption and acceptance of industry standards in those
markets;
— general economic and political conditions and specific conditions in
the markets we address, including the volatility in the technology
sector and semiconductor industry, trends in the broadband
communications markets in various geographic regions, including
seasonality in sales of consumer products into which our products are
incorporated, and possible disruption in commercial activities related
to terrorist activity or armed conflict in the United States and other
locations;
— the timing of customer-industry qualification and certification of our
products and the risks of non-qualification or non-certification; and
— the timing, rescheduling or cancellation of significant customer
orders and our ability, as well as the ability of our customers, to
manage inventory.

Additional factors that may cause Broadcom’s actual results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to the list that can be found at http://www.broadcom.com/press/additional_risk_factors/Q42008.php.

Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, recent Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other Securities and Exchange Commission filings discuss the foregoing risks as well as other important risk factors that could contribute to such differences or otherwise affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. The forward-looking statements in this release speak only as of this date. We undertake no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statement, except as required by law.

Broadcom, the pulse logo, Connecting everything, and the Connecting everything logo are among the trademarks of Broadcom Corporation and/or its affiliates in the United States, certain other countries and/or the EU. 2Wire and MediaPoint™ are trademarks of 2Wire Inc. Blu-ray Disc is a trademark of Sony Corporation. DivX is a trademark of DivX, Inc Blockbuster® is a trademark of Blockbuster, Inc. Any other trademarks or trade names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

Broadcom Trade Press Contact Broadcom Investor Relations Contact
Dana Brzozkiewicz T. Peter Andrew
Senior Communications Specialist Vice President,
Corporate Communications
949-926-6367 949-926-5663
danabrz@broadcom.com andrewtp@broadcom.com

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060609/BROADCOMLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Source: Broadcom Corporation; BRCM Broadband

CONTACT: Broadcom Trade Press Contact, Dana Brzozkiewicz, Senior
Communications Specialist, +1-949-926-6367, danabrz@broadcom.com, or Broadcom
Investor Relations Contact, T. Peter Andrew, Vice President, Corporate
Communications, +1-949-926-5663, andrewtp@broadcom.com, both of Broadcom

Web Site: http://www.broadcom.com/