Issued by:Alpha Networks Inc.
Issued on:2005/04/18

Alpha Networks Unveils High-definition VC-1 and H.264/AVC Set-top Box at NAB 2005

Las Vegas , 18 April 2005 – Alpha Networks, a world leader in networking and consumer electronics OEM/ODM industry, announced its second generation IP-based set-top box AST-1100 at the NAB 2005 media show. Integrated with a high-performance Equator BSP™ system-on-a-chip media processor and a powerful AMD Alchemy™ Au1550 network processor, the AST-1100 is capable of delivering high-definition (HD) and standard-definition (SD) video streaming, including support of the upcoming SMPTE VC-1 advanced profiles, MPEG-2, H.264/AVC Main Profile, MPEG-4 ASP, and Windows Media 9 Main Profile decoding standards.

“Unlike a traditional set-top box, the AST-1100 is a triple-play STB that can provide media playback, VoIP voice/video conferencing, and Internet browsing. Being a programmable system-on-a-chip that is designed for video-centric solutions, the Equator BSP processor provides the quality and flexibility needed to satisfy the increasingly demanding telecom operators,” said Tim Kang, CTO of Alpha Networks. “The AMD embedded processor Alchemy Au1550, on the other hand, adds network security and performance to drive advanced applications such as high definition video and digital rights management. Combining the BSP SoC and Au1550 processor will bring the best of breed technologies together.”

“Alpha Networks will have a compelling customizable solution, based on our Sailfish Hardware Platform IP-STB reference design, that will enable telecom operators to deliver triple-play services with the most advanced compression technology and features”, said John O'Donnell, co-founder and CTO of Equator Technologies. “The AST-1100 is a visionary product.”

Along with high-quality video playback, the AST-1100 also features automatic firmware upgrade to support future codec and feature update, Picture-in-picture (PIP) for movie preview, 2D Alpha-blending and Picture-in-Graphic to enhance user experience, anti-flicker for eliminating video noise, an embedded browser to allow Internet browsing and email, streaming support on Alcatel OVS, Apple Darwin, or Real Networks Helix video server, HDMI interface for protected high-definition video output, SPDIF digital audio output for Dolby Digital AC-3 and DTS surround sound pass-through, an Ethernet RJ-45 port as well as wireless 802.11 a/b/g module for networking connectivity, an RJ-11 phone jack for VoIP phone connection, a smart card reader for accessing external media, and a high-speed USB interface to allow future extension of peripherals.

For more information about the AST-1100, please email Johnson Huang at Johnson_Huang@Alphanetworks.com

About Alpha Networks, Inc.
Alpha Networks , Inc. is an emerging leader in the global networking ODM/OEM industry that offers innovative and professional design engineering, manufacturing, and service to worldwide brand-name networking customers. Alpha's design and manufacturing engineers are dedicated to developing high-quality, cost-effective networking products that fully reflect the needs of the customer now and in the future. Capitalizing on the synergy of Ethernet LAN/WLAN, Wireless, Digital Home, and Broadband networking technologies, Alpha produces the ideal product strategy and solution for brand-name customers.

Based in Taiwan 's Hsinchu Science-Based Industrial Park, Alpha was once the ODM/OEM Business Unit of D-Link Corporation, a company that has been developing networking equipment since 1986. Encouraged by the continued success of the ODM/OEM business, Alpha Networks, Inc. became an independent company in 2003 and later launched a successful IPO in December 2004. At present, Alpha has more than 4000 employees globally. For more information about Alpha Networks, please visit http://www.Alphanetworks.com.

About Equator Technologies, Inc.

Equator Technologies is a provider of high-performance, programmable and power-efficient system-on-a-chip (SoC) processors for video streaming and image processing applications. Equator offers its proprietary BSP family of chips, iMMediaToolsR software development toolkit, media libraries and reference platforms to customers worldwide. Equator's video-centric SoC solutions are available for digital media, digital video communications and video security and surveillance applications. Founded in 1996, Equator is a privately held company headquartered in Campbell , California , with additional offices worldwide. More information about Equator is available online at http://www.equator.com.