Ambarella Inc., an emerging leader in semiconductors for consumer digital media devices, today announced the first commercial low power HD H.264/AVC system-on-chip (SoC) that enables the development of true hybrid cameras with HD video and high-resolution still pictures at the highest image quality. Ambarella’s breakthrough A1 digital camera platform combines an HD H.264/AVC codec, video processor, still image processor, audio compression and all other critical system functions on one chip. The Ambarella SoC has an extremely low operating power of less than one watt and a price-point that makes the high-definition experience a reality for mainstream consumers.

Venture-backed Start-up Sets New Standard for the High Definition Experience with Low Power, Cost-effective Platform

“The standard for video quality will increase as consumers experience HDTV and high resolution still picture quality. Consumers will want better, all-in-one devices that can capture both their videos and pictures in high definition,” said IdaRose Sylvester, senior research analyst from IDC. “Semiconductor innovations will help drive the development of new products that satisfy consumer demands for the highest quality, while delivering a price-point that enables consumers to adopt the latest technology.”

Today, digital still cameras provide high definition still images but mediocre video quality. At the same time, high definition video camcorders are expensive, use cumbersome tape-based recording, and still image quality and processing speed lag far behind traditional digital still cameras. With its platform, Ambarella is defining a new class of digital cameras that bring consumers unmatched high definition video and digital still together in one device. Founded in 2004, the company has leveraged the management team’s extensive background in designing semiconductors for consumer products to develop the A1 platform. Ambarella is accelerating the market transition from standard definition video recording to HD recording.

The A1 platform is based on the H.264/AVC video compression standard, which is the next generation of video compression technology. Ambarella’s patent-pending platform delivers a 2.5x compression gain over current MPEG-2/4 solutions, providing the efficiency required to store HD video content in convenient flash-based memory.

“When we started the company in 2004, we sought to deliver the highest quality HD experience at the most competitive price-point for our customers,” said Fermi Wang, CEO of Ambarella. “With our deep algorithm, VLSI and system expertise and patent-pending technology, Ambarella is providing customers and ultimately consumers with true HD hybrid digital cameras at a price that will drive market adoption.”

Pricing and availability
The A1 platform is available in multiple configurations for differing requirements. Pricing information can be obtained from Ambarella.

About Ambarella, Inc.
Ambarella is the technology leader in low power, high definition video compression and image processing semiconductors. Ambarella’s products are helping to define a new class of hybrid digital cameras that bring consumers unmatched high definition video and digital still together in one device.

The company’s patent-pending system-on-chip (SoC) platform integrates every critical system function and offers customers the most cost-effective solution while delivering the complete high definition experience.

Ambarella is a fabless semiconductor company headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA with offices in Hsinchu, Taiwan. The company was founded in 2004 by a seasoned management team with a rich heritage of designing breakthrough semiconductor products. More information can be found at www.ambarella.com.

CONTACTS:

Chris Day, Ambarella Corp., [email protected]
Molly McCarthy, Valley Public Relations, T:  +1 408 978 1168, [email protected]