Manufacturers seeking stereo TV encode or decode technology got a belated Christmas present as ESP (an Arris company, NASDAQ: ARRS), the leading source of BTSC Verilog solutions, and THAT Corporation, the primary holder of BTSC intellectual property, announced the pooling of their technology portfolios. The result is one-stop shopping for makers of TVs, VCRs, set-top boxes, satellite receivers, video games, and other consumer products needing stereo TV encoding or decoding capability.
The BTSC system is the method adopted by the US, Canada, Mexico, and certain other countries for the transmission and reception of stereo TV audio. Under the agreement between THAT and ESP, reached at the end of 2002, manufacturers wishing to equip their products with stereo TV sound capability now have a single source for all the patents, know-how, and software required to implement BTSC technology, including ESP's proven Verilog solution.
"The patent pooling means manufacturers need only one agreement to make stereo TV products under the necessary patent licenses from both THAT and ESP," said Eric Berkobin, president of ESP. Les Tyler, president of THAT Corporation, added that "by including ESP's well-designed Verilog code with the license, we dramatically increase the customer's confidence in a working solution, while reducing their time to market."
Manufacturers interested in providing stereo TV sound capability in their products can contact:
THAT Corporation,
45 Sumner Street, Milford, MA 01757-1656, U.S.A.,
Telephone: +1 508 478-9200; Fax: +1 508 478-0990;
Email: info@dbx-tv.com