• SVP Licensing Authority announces start of licensing of the SVP Content Protection Specification to IC and Consumer Device Manufacturers
• SVP Alliance grows to 30 with six new members: Access Devices, ARM, ATI Technologies, Maxian, SanDisk, STAR
• SanDisk announces plans to collaborate on SVP integration
• SVP Alliance members to demonstrate SVP-ready solutions at CES Show

Las Vegas (CES - Sands Hall, Booth # 72235) January 5, 2006 – The SVP Alliance today made several key announcements including: the availability in January of SVP (Secure Video Processor) licenses; new partner implementations; and, increased membership in the alliance. SVP is gaining important market traction as several leading chip vendors are already implementing this powerful content protection technology such as Broadcom and STMicroelectronics who recently announced planned production of SVP-ready chips to be deployed in 2006.

Announcement Details The SVP Licensing Authority LLC (SVPLA) announced the availability of licenses for its secure, open content protection specification. The SVP specification allows consumer electronics device manufacturers to easily provide content security by deploying an SVP-compliant video processor chip. The content itself is protected, rather than the physical link between devices, ensuring the content owners of their intellectual property rights and providing content distributors with the use of flexible business scenarios. SVP works with any digital format, any transmission method and is interoperable with other content protection solutions.

"The MPAA believes that the availability of secure content protection systems like SVP will enable new ways for consumers to access and enjoy premium content. The MPAA and its member companies have been working closely with the SVPLA on the SVP technical licensing terms over the last eighteen months to ensure that our security needs are being met while enabling these new capabilities," stated Brad Hunt, chief technology officer for the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc.

SVP licenses are available on a reasonable and non-discriminatory basis (RaND). They are also available on a low cost non-royalty basis which will help to drive implementation. For more information about SVP licensing, please visit www.svpla.com

New Members
Six new companies have joined the SVP Alliance content protection group, bringing the total to 30 and further strengthening the organization’s influence in the important realm of digital content protection.

Strong consumer interest in mobile content is a key driver for SVP-enabled solutions: “Consumers want to enjoy premium content whenever and wherever they want,” said Farshid Sabet, senior director of Mobile Content Group and Security Solutions, SanDisk. “For an increasing number of consumers, this means using their mobile phone or other portable electronic device that uses a removable storage card. Our plans to incorporate SVP technology align with our vision for the TrustedFlash™ platform we developed to provide premium content to consumers in an easy-to-use way that also satisfies the security requirements of content providers. We are confident that integrating SVP technology into the TrustedFlash platform and removable storage cards will result in an even more secure platform that is ideal for distributing premium content for mobile devices.”

The new SVP members are:
• Access Devices, an independent UK-based designer and manufacturer of digital TV equipment
• ARM designs the technology that lies at the heart of advanced digital products, from wireless, networking and consumer entertainment solutions to imaging, automotive, security and storage devices
• ATI Technologies, the world leader in the design and manufacture of silicon solutions for high definition integrated digital televisions
• Maxian, a leading developer of portable media players
• SanDisk, the original inventor of flash storage cards and is the world’s largest supplier of flash data storage card products using its patented, high-density flash memory and controller technology
• STAR, a leading media and entertainment company in Asia which broadcasts over 50 television services in eight languages to more than 300 million viewers across 53 Asian countries

SVP in Action at CES
Demonstrations from the following SVP Alliance partners will be shown at the SVP Alliance booth at CES 2006 including:
• SVP-Ready chip reference designs from Broadcom and STMicroelectronics
• Samsung Home AV Center II from Samsung Electronics that incorporate Broadcom chipsets and NDS XTV HomeNet
• Secure connectivity between the DVR and a number of consumer devices from members including: Maxian, NDS, Pace, SanDisk and Thomson

About The SVP Alliance
The Secure Video Processor (SVP) Alliance is a group of media and technology industry leaders committed to the widespread use of digital content on consumer devices. The objective of the SVP Alliance is to adopt, use and promote the SVP standard and develop interoperability with other DRM and content protection solutions. By ensuring its broad adoption, and proposing its specification to relevant standards and other industry bodies, SVP will become a leading international standard for content protection. The SVP Alliance is a not-for-profit organization supported by the following companies including: Access Devices, ADB, AMD, Amstrad, ARM, ATI Technologies, Broadcom, BSkyB, Caton Overseas, Cablevision, Conexant, DIRECTV, Humax, LG Electronics, Macrovision, Maxian, NDS, NEC, Pace Micro Technology, Philips, SanDisk, Samsung Electronics, STAR, Sky Italia, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments, Thomson, Twentieth Century Fox, and YES. For more information about the SVP Alliance, please visit www.svpalliance.org


For further information please contact:

Pamela Preston
Breakaway Communications
212-590-2554 (O)
917-575-5830 (M)
ppreston@breakawaycom.com

Alicia Mickelsen
Breakaway Communications
212-590-2557 (O)
amick@breakawaycom.com

This release was published on openPR.