Windows 7 MCE brings HD quality to easy-to-use home entertainment
New Windows 7-compatible HDTV USB sticks available
Hong Kong - Aug. 13, 2009 - Microsoft today announced its three partners in Hong Kong will release new Windows-7 compatible high definition (HD) HDTV sticks to bring HDTV to customers on their PCs. Combining the innovation and convenience of Windows 7 Media Center Edition (MCE) with the HDTV USB sticks from Microsoft partners, consumers will enjoy a fun and flexible mobile HDTV experience.
Accordingly to the latest study, the market potential for HD entertainment in Hong Kong is strong, with 33.6 percent of households receiving digital terrestrial television via set-top boxes, integrated digital television sets and computers in early 2009, compared with 9.7 percent in end May 2008, representing a tremendous jump of around 250 percent.[1] With digital innovations revolutionizing the way people now consume entertainment, the demand for HDTV in more flexible forms, such as on laptops, is also high.
With a network of partners, Microsoft is paving the way for a revolution in the way consumers experience HDTV. Customers will be able to watch their favorite TV shows in HD quality wherever they go via Windows Media Center in Windows 7 with designated HDTV USB sticks produced by any of the following brands:
"K-world", by Shooting Technologies Limited, please visit http://www.shooting.com.hk%3chttp//www.shooting.com.hk for details.
"MAGIC-PRO" by MAGIC-PRO Computer (Asia) Co Ltd, please visit www.magic-pro.com<http://www.magic-pro.com for details.
"AVerMedia" and "MyGica", by EverBest Technologies Limited, please visit http://www.everbesthk.com%3chttp//www.everbesthk.com for details.
Designated HDTV USB Sticks from the above brands will be given a special label from Microsoft marked "compatible", assuring customers that the product will work with Windows 7 smoothly.
Microsoft is delighted to have Legend Silicon in the press event, who is the co-inventor of the China Digital Terrestrial TV standard, and Hong Kong's leading demodulator supplier. Dr. Hong Dong, co-founder and chief executive officer of Legend Silicon, said, "Legend Silicon has pioneered nearly 100% of the HDTV demodulator chip market in Hong Kong, and is also the chip provider for the new line of Windows 7 notebook-compatible HDTV USB sticks. Being the market leader in digital TV technology, we believe that the demand for HD digital broadcasting will continue to grow, especially on non-set top box devices. And that's why we have made it our mission to bring the digital lifestyle to portable products, a goal we share with Microsoft."
"A notebook with Windows 7 Media Center Edition and an HDTV USB stick is the ultimate choice for anybody who wants the most intense entertainment experience anytime and anywhere," said Mr. Raymond Hung, Windows Client Lead, Microsoft Hong Kong. "Whether it is regular TV shows or special events such as the 2009 East Asian Games or movies, the crisp, bright picture and vibrant colors of HDTV make you feel like you are there. Microsoft is excited to leverage the capabilities of Windows 7 and its network of partners to deliver this innovation to Hong Kong end-users."
Mr. Lawrence Lau, a renowned audio-visual technology expert, highlighted the benefits of Windows 7 Media Center Edition (MCE) compatible notebooks equipped with the new HDTV USB sticks: "Windows 7 MCE offers great features such as channel search, EPG, time shifting, and recording and playback, making watching HDTV easy and flexible enough to meet the needs of the modern consumer. At home MCE enables users to link up their PCs with Home Server for Repository, notebook connectivity for anywhere, anytime access, simultaneous watching and recording, and the ability to share centrally stored content between different areas within the same house, such as the bedroom and the living room. It's ease-of-use also makes it accessible to all family members. And, with these new HDTV USB sticks, you have a device much smaller than a set top box that works with MCE to deliver superb HD quality-perfect for stylish homes where simplicity is essential."
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. Microsoft Hong Kong was established in 1991.
About Legend Silicon Corp.
Legend Silicon Corp is a fabless semiconductor company that develops technology and application-specific standard products (ASSP) for digital broadcasting and broadband transmission and reception. The company is a co-developer of the Chinese Digital Television Terrestrial Broadcasting (DTTB) System Standard (GB20600-2006) and provider of the standard compliant demodulator products to enable fixed and mobile applications. Ever since 2006, when HK began its DTTB trials, Legend Silicon is in collaboration with HK to evaluate the China DTTB standard. During this time, Legend Silicon introduced many terrestrial digital television receiver products which are first of its kind in Hong Kong market. By virtue of the company's uniquely high performance demodulator products, Legend Silicon remains as the #1 demodulator supplier in HK market for all major applications (iDTV, STB, and PC related applications). Legend Silicon has operations in Fremont, Calif., Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen in China. It also maintains a joint DTV Research Center with Tsinghua University in Beijing. To learn more about Legend Silicon, visit www.legendsilicon.com
