Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC) announced that it is collaborating with Sigma Designs, Inc. to offer a new Linux platform based on the highly integrated Toshiba TX4938 MIPS-based TX System RISC microprocessor, and the Sigma EM8620L digital media processor. The Toshiba/Sigma platform will provide customers with a quick-time-to-market decoder solution for a range of digital multimedia appliances, including DVD players, IP set-top boxes and digital media players.

"Over the past few years, TAEC has been working closely with Sigma Designs on the development of a series of multimedia reference platforms, and this new platform represents another milestone," said Shardul Kazi, vice president of the Embedded Processor SoC Business Unit at TAEC. "We are continuing to execute on a total solution strategy by designing reference platforms based on our existing TX49-based ASSPs. With the Toshiba/Sigma platform, we are providing our customers with a standard-definition or high-definition MPEG- 2/MPEG-4 and Windows Media® Video 9 decoder solution for digital multimedia applications that can get them to market faster and with less effort."

"This new reference platform with TAEC constitutes the continued validation of Sigma's strength in providing complete solutions and technological prowess," said Ken Lowe, vice president of strategic marketing, Sigma Designs. "The digital consumer market requires a blend of faster time- to-market and proven reliability. By working with partners like TAEC, Sigma lays a solid foundation for consumer entertainment."

The new Toshiba/Sigma platform can be plugged into the PCI slot on the Toshiba RBTX4938 reference board, or plugged into the Toshiba AVM49R multimedia reference platform. Provided in a compact 6.7-inch by 6.7-inch mini-ITX form factor, the AVM49R is a highly integrated, flexible and cost- effective reference design that includes a 300-megahertz Toshiba TMPR4938XB 64-bit MIPS-based RISC processor, and a Toshiba TC86C001F PCI-to-ATA66/USB companion chip, both running under the MontaVista Linux operating system.

The EM8620L media processor from Sigma Designs provides a complete single- chip solution for next generation IP video and connected media players, featuring high definition Windows Media Video 9 support. The EM8620L offers a wide range of media processing functions for video decoding, audio decoding, and graphics processing based on REALmagic® HD technology, for the highest quality image possible on high definition displays. For single-chip systems, it features an on-chip RISC processor, PCI-bus, IDE controller and additional peripheral ports for supporting other subsystems.