NVIDIA Tegra Provides the Multimedia Muscle in Zune HD

Zune news!!! I’m excited, can’t wait to get my hands on the new Zune!

NVIDIA Corporation today announced that Microsoft’s new Zune HD portable media player is powered by the NVIDIA Tegra(TM) processor, which gives it exceptional multimedia capabilities.

The Zune HD player, which Microsoft recently announced is available for preorder, is the first portable media player to combine HD-compatible video(1), HD Radio receiver, full-screen Internet browsing, an organic light emitting diode touch screen, and Wi-Fi. These features will connect consumers to a whole new world of entertainment, while delivering excellent battery life. Working closely with Microsoft and optimizing the Tegra processor, NVIDIA has played an important role in helping to bring the next-generation Zune HD portable digital media player to market.

"Tegra provides the multimedia muscle in Zune HD," said Michael Rayfield, general manager of NVIDIA’s mobile business. "Users will love the device’s new design, amazing multimedia features and HD video out capability. Zune HD is a must-have for anyone looking for the best portable digital media player on the market."

Key to Tegra’s rich multimedia features are eight independent processors, each designed for a specific class of tasks – among them are an HD video processor, an audio processor, a graphics processor, and two ARM cores. The processors can work together or independently to minimize power consumption. The Microsoft Zune HD(2) uses the following NVIDIA Tegra technology to deliver a unique visual experience:

  --  an HD video processor dedicated to HD video,  providing unprecedented
      picture quality and ultra-smooth, vivid movie playback with low power
      consumption
  --  an ultra-low power graphics processor for a compelling and intuitive
      user interface

  --  NVIDIA nPower(TM) technology, which optimizes system power use and
      enables extended HD video and MP3 playback time

Based on NVIDIA’s decade of graphics leadership, Tegra processor has been engineered over the past five years to bring high performance and low power capabilities to the next generation of mobile computing devices such as portable media players, smartphones, smartbooks, netbooks and tablets. Tegra processor-based devices are delivering the experiences that today’s mobile consumers demand, with HD video playback, always-on HD Internet, and intuitive 3D user interfaces. There are 50 active Tegra processor-based design projects currently in the works today.

About NVIDIA

NVIDIA awakened the world to the power of computer graphics when it invented the graphics processing unit (GPU) in 1999. Since then, it has consistently set new standards in visual computing with breathtaking, interactive graphics available on devices ranging from portable media players to notebooks to workstations. NVIDIA’s expertise in programmable GPUs has led to breakthroughs in parallel processing which make supercomputing inexpensive and widely accessible. Fortune magazine has ranked NVIDIA #1 in innovation in the semiconductor industry for two years in a row. For more information, see www.nvidia.com

Certain statements in this press release including, but not limited to, statements as to: the benefits, features, design, battery life, impact, and capabilities of the NVIDIA Tegra processor and Tegra processor -based devices; and the mobile computing revolution are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause results to be materially different than expectations. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include: development of more efficient or faster technology; design, manufacturing or software defects; the impact of technological development and competition; changes in consumer preferences and demands; customer adoption of different standards or our competitor’s products; changes in industry standards and interfaces; unexpected loss of performance of our products or technologies when integrated into systems as well as other factors detailed from time to time in the reports NVIDIA files with the Securities and Exchange Commission including its Form 10-Q for the fiscal period ended April 26, 2009. Copies of reports filed with the SEC are posted on NVIDIA’s website and are available from NVIDIA without charge. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and speak only as of the date hereof, and, except as required by law, NVIDIA disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances.

(1, 2) Zune HD&AV Dock (sold separately) needed to view HD on an HDTV. Zune screen shows HD videos at 480×272 – not HD.

2009 NVIDIA Corporation. All rights reserved. NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo, Tegra, and nPower are trademarks or registered trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. Features, pricing, availability, and specifications are subject to change without notice.

Web Site: http://www.nvidia.com/

http://www.zune.net/