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September - 2014 - Special issue > Company of the Year - Connectivity Technology

Silicon Image:Driving Connectivity Innovation for Mobile and Consumer Electronics

Poulomi Mukherjee
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Poulomi Mukherjee
Silicon Image has played a critical role in the development of some of the most popular interface technologies for mobile and consumer applications in use today. In the 1990s, it was a driving force behind DVI, the Digital Visual Interface. Since the early 2000s, it has been influential in driving the adoption and evolution of HDMI- (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) technology. In 2010, Silicon Image helped launch the MHL- (Mobile High-Definition Link) standard, a high-speed interface technology optimized for mobile devices that charges the smartphone or tablet when connected to a larger display. And in 2011, the company entered the wireless space with 60GHz WirelessHD solutions.

Silicon Image's business model is centered around creating and developing new technologies, partnering with industry leaders to establish standards and drive market adoption, and manufacturing ICs and licensing IP that support these standards. "HDMI can be found in over four billion products worldwide and MHL is in over 500 million smartphones, tablets, HDTVs, accessories and other product categories.Eleven out of the top 15 smartphone brands have adopted MHL and 9 of the top 10 DTVs include Silicon Image's MHL IC products," proudly claims Jim Chase, Chief Evangelist, Silicon Image.

Globally, consumer electronics manufacturers are quickly moving to Ultra HD resolution, which is 4 times higher than current HD products, and Silicon Image is continuing its legacy of enabling rapid market adoption of this new technology. HDMI 2.0, announced in 2013, supports Ultra HD video at 60 frames per second, with enhanced audio support and latest generation HDCP 2.2 content protection. In addition, MHL 3.0, also announced last year, supports Ultra HD video, HDCP 2.2 and enhanced charging abilities to support the latest generation of high-performance smartphones and tablets.

With today's smartphones and tablets increasing in performance and functionality, more than ever consumers are relying on these mobile devices for accessing and consuming content. Seamless wired and wireless connectivity technologies such as MHL and Wireless HD allow consumers to connect to the large screen enabling these high-performance mobile devices to replace traditional CE devices in the home. With the smartphone market in India growing at a rapid pace, consumers in India can benefit greatly by technologies such as MHL. Mobile application developers now have the option of developing content and applications for the big screen that can be accessed or viewed by a large group or family instead of just one person.

Many of the leading smartphones from Samsung and Sony and HDTV brands in India, such as Sony, Samsung, LG and Toshiba, support MHL today. In addition, multiple retail channels in India are already carrying MHL compatible products and accessories and Silicon Image is working on expanding the retail footprint for MHL. By working either directly or via strategic partnerships with some of the leading mobile phone companies in India, Silicon Image is expanding the penetration of MHL into mid-range phones as well as into additional high-end Android devices.


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