iBiquity Releases New Low-Power Firmware Load for Samsung Chipset

Hong Kong Electronics Fair – April 15, 2009 – iBiquity Digital Corporation, the developer of digital HD Radio™ technology for AM and FM audio and data broadcasting, announced today the availability of a new firmware load for Samsung EM’s HD Radio chipset (SEMHDR C200A/100A). The new firmware dramatically decreases overall power consumption down to as low as 165mW, enabling the chipset to be used in a wide range of portable devices.

“We view the release of this firmware as a major milestone in the further development of core HD Radio technology designed for emerging mass-market segments. The Samsung chipset is a fully functional HD Radio solution, and this new firmware release enables that full functionality to be brought to a wide range of low-power devices,” said iBiquity’s COO Jeff Jury. “This brings full HD Radio feature options to a far larger market of battery-operated, portable devices,” he added.

“We set out to develop a world-class HD Radio chipset for the rapidly growing market, and we have achieved it,” said S. G. Hong, Vice President of Samsung EM’s WS business team. “The Samsung chipset is an excellent blend of reception performance, power consumption, size and feature set. The SEMHDRC200A/100A chipset was demonstrated inside of a number of prototype portable products during the 2009 Las Vegas CES show. We have been working with our partners on portable products which are expected to come to market before the end of this year.”

The Samsung’s HD Radio chipset targets a wide range of product categories, including home, automotive aftermarket and portable battery operated devices. With the reduction in power consumption, Samsung chipset is appropriate for battery-operated portable devices such as MP3 players, portable navigation devices (PND), personal media player (PMP), and other portable devices.

Samsung EM’s HD Radio chipset is based on iBiquity Digital’s IC architecture, and the firmware follows the universally adopted iBiquity’s 2206 baseband processor command and data interface protocol, making host software integration independent of hardware platforms. The firmware supports all of the HD Radio features such as simultaneous decode of audio and data, advance data Applications, real-time traffic, and conditional access.

About iBiquity Digital Corporation

iBiquity Digital Corporation is the developer of HD Radio™ technology, which is fueling the digital radio revolution in the United States and around the world. The digital technology enables broadcasters to offer new FM channels through multicasting, crystal-clear sound and data services on both the AM and FM bands – all free, with no subscription fee. Leading broadcasters, consumer electronics manufacturers, automakers and retailers are committed to HD Radio technology. The only digital broadcast system approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for AM and FM radio in the U.S., HD Radio technology is now being used by nearly 2,000 stations with an additional 1,000 plus new HD2/HD3 channels available across the country.

Nearly 100 unique HD Radio products are available from well-known brands in more than 14,000 retail outlets across the country. And the HD Radio system is gaining momentum in the automotive industry with 13 brands committed to factory-install the technology in their vehicles: Audi, BMW, Ford, Hyundai, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercedes, Mercury, Mini, Scion and Volvo.

Due in large part to HD Radio technology’s ability to deliver digital-quality sound and services while leveraging existing analog spectrum, commercial implementation is gaining momentum in various countries, including Brazil, Mexico and The Philippines. Testing and demonstrations of the system are also underway in Canada, China, Colombia, Germany, Indonesia, Jamaica, New Zealand, Poland, Switzerland, Thailand, Ukraine, Vietnam and various other countries around the world.

iBiquity Digital's investors include 15 of the nation's top radio broadcasters, including ABC, Clear Channel and CBS Radio; leading financial institutions, such as Grotech Capital Group, J.P. Morgan Partners, New Venture Partners, FirstMark Capital, and strategic partners Ford Motor Company, Harris, Texas Instruments and Visteon. Founded in 2000, iBiquity Digital is a privately held company with operations in Columbia, MD, Auburn Hills, MI, and Basking Ridge, NJ. For more information, please visit http://www.hdradio.com and http://www.ibiquity.com.

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To arrange interviews or for additional information, please contact:

iBiquity Digital: Vicki Stearn, 443-539-4345; stearn@ibiquity.com; Nancy Zakhary/Scott Cianciulli (Brainerd Communicators) 212-986-6667, nancy@braincomm.com, cianciulli@braincomm.com.  
 

Note to editors: HD Radio™ and the “HD Radio” logo are proprietary trademarks of iBiquity Digital Corp. The “HD” in HD Radio is part of iBiquity Digital’s brand name for its advanced digital AM/FM system. It does not mean hybrid digital or high-definition digital; both of these are incorrect.
 

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