Conexant's HDTV set-top box chipset with Conax pairing ready for secure HDTV operation

Conax CAS7 is an end-to-end conditional access solution for protection of Digital Pay-TV premium content. The solution is built on Conax's strong security technology platform and long experience and is a key business enabler for operators seeking to maximize revenues. Conax CAS7 can be tailored to system operators' specific needs and implemented cost-effectively with minimal upfront investment. The product is compliant with open standards such as MPEG2/MPEG4, DVB SimulCrypt and Common Interface, OpenCable™, OpenCAS and DOCSIS.

Chipset Pairing, an additional security level now available on the Conax CAS7 platform, is based on unique personalisation of the DVB chipset during production. The first operator to introduce the Conexant HDTV decoders with Conax Pairing is Com Hem, the leading Swedish triple play operator. They will offer a new Humax Set-Top-Box with Conax Pairing and HDTV support to their subscribers this autumn.

"More and more content is being produced with high definition quality, supporting the growth of the HDTV format. Sports have been a major driver in the sales of digital TV and are also an important reason for the consumer to invest in HDTV-ready hardware. The new Conexant chipset with Conax Pairing provides the best security for protecting premium Pay-TV content for HDTV operations" says Geir Bjørndal, COO and VP, Sales & Marketing, Conax. "Conax is pleased to be able to deliver this level of security with the advanced Conexant HDTV STB chipset. The launch of Com Hem's HDTV operation is an important accomplishment, and we look forward to working with Conexant on future projects."

"We are pleased to have teamed with Conax to provide ComHem with a solution that allows them to increase the security of their pay-television programming," said Vinod Kapila, product manager for Conexant's Broadband Media Processing business. "Our combined solution also provides ConHem with the ability to ensure that content is distributed only to authorized subscribers, which allows them to maximize their opportunity."

About Conexant
Conexant's innovative semiconductor solutions are driving broadband communications and digital home networks worldwide. The company has leveraged its expertise and leadership position in modem technologies to enable more Internet connections than all of its competitors combined, and continues to develop highly integrated silicon solutions for broadband data and media processing networks.

Key products include client-side xDSL and cable modem solutions, home network processors, broadcast video encoders and decoders, digital set-top box components and systems solutions, and dial-up modems. Conexant's suite of networking components includes a leadership portfolio of IEEE 802.11-compliant WLAN chipsets, software and reference designs, as well as solutions for applications based on HomePlug® and HomePNA. The company also offers a complete line of asymmetric and symmetric DSL central office solutions, which are used by service providers worldwide to deliver broadband data, voice, and video over copper telephone lines.

Conexant is a fabless semiconductor company with an annual revenue run-rate in excess of $1 billion. The company has approximately 3,200 employees worldwide, and is headquartered in Newport Beach, Calif. To learn more, please visit www.conexant.com.


For further information, please contact:

Geir Bjørndal, COO and VP, Sales & Marketing, Conax AS, Tel: + 47 22 40 52 00, E-mail:
geir.bjorndal@conax.com