SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- January 4, 2006 --AMD (NYSE: AMD) today unveiled its vision to apply the power and flexibility of the PC to enable enhanced digital entertainment experiences on all the screens in peoples’ lives. As part of this vision, AMD plans to extend the professional AMD LIVE! brand to full-featured consumer multimedia desktop and notebook PCs expected to be delivered in mid-2006. True to AMD’s customer-centric approach, AMD LIVE! is meant for innovative, complementary, industry-friendly solutions that enhance the consumer electronics and broadcast devices already accepted and used by consumers today. AMD LIVE! experiences should offer users the ability to seamlessly connect, store, distribute, access and enjoy digital media content in multiple rooms throughout their home and even take it with them to enjoy on the go, virtually anytime, anywhere.

“AMD wants to change the way consumers experience digital entertainment in their home and on the go,” said Iain Morris, senior vice president, Digital Consumer Media and Pervasive Computing, AMD. “Our vision for digital media is grounded in leveraging the strength and flexibility of the PC to empower consumers to enhance their entertainment experiences with personal, interactive applications, all without disrupting users’ TV viewing experience.” AMD expects AMD LIVE! experiences to be at the forefront of the digital media evolution, powered by award-winning AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processors for desktop PCs, as well as AMD dual-core mobile processors for notebook PCs. Powered by AMD64 technology and based on open standards, AMD LIVE! branded desktop and notebook PCs should deliver compelling digital entertainment solutions, driving the convergence of home entertainment and computing. With its distinct capability to store, access, and manage many forms of valued digital content, the extended PC can provide unmatched choice, control and levels of personalization.

Building on the tremendous success AMD has achieved with Media Center PCs, upcoming AMD LIVE! branded desktop and notebooks PCs with Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 and the forthcoming Windows Vista operating system will help provide great entertainment experiences for consumers.

“We’re excited about AMD’s recent momentum with Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005,” said Mike Sievert, corporate vice president of Windows Product Management and Marketing at Microsoft Corp. “Consumers are responding to the combination of powerful AMD64 technology, Media Center PCs and the Xbox 360 system, enabling them to enjoy digital entertainment throughout their homes, and this will help to pave the way for the success of AMD LIVE!.”

AMD LIVE! will help transform consumer entertainment from “2 foot” PC interactive experiences into true “10 foot” extended PC entertainment experiences. With an AMD LIVE! branded desktop or notebook PC, consumers should be able to extend their PC to stream music through their entertainment center, view and share photos on the TV, burn recorded TV shows, videos, music and pictures to a DVD or CD, or transfer this same content to a notebook, MP3, portable media player or PDA.

“As digital content proliferates, consumers are looking for new ways to access and share the ever-growing experiences digital media has to offer,” said Hank Adams, CEO, Sportvision, Inc. “Sportvision and AMD share the common goal of enhancing multimedia experiences for consumers, accomplished through the development of innovative applications that deliver unique, interactive and customized content.”

Sportvision is the multiple Emmy Award-winning leader of sports media technology who invented the Yellow 1st and Ten Line in football, the K-zone in baseball and many other technological enhancements for the world of sports. “Content that transforms television viewing from a passive, linear experience to an on-demand, compelling entertainment experience is synergistic to the overall viewing experience for consumers,” said Danielle Levitas, vice president of Consumer and Broadband Markets for IDC. “A vision that does not set out to challenge entrenched consumer behavior or the existing ecosystem can offer consumers an innovative, non-disruptive home entertainment solution.”

Created in 2004, the AMD LIVE! brand has promoted top film, broadcast, and music professional artists using AMD64 technology. AMD LIVE! is rooted in the adoption of AMD64 technology by the professional creative community, lifting technology barriers that once stunted artistic expression. Removing limits to creativity and providing audiences with an uncompromising playback experience anytime, anywhere has been the dream of content creators since the early days of cinema and television. AMD has worked with this community to evolve the renaissance of digital content creation providing powerful AMD64 technology to everyone from top professionals to the budding artist creating rich, immersive content at the speed of inspiration.

AMD LIVE! Supported by Top Digital Content Creators
In conjunction with today’s announcement, AMD is launching a new AMD LIVE! website in collaboration with Microsoft. Available at www.amd.com/amdlive, the site features top artists and producers who have experienced creative breakthroughs using AMD64 technology and Windows XP Professional software. Digital content creators can benefit from what top innovators are saying about solutions based on AMD64 technology and Microsoft software.

“I’ve always felt like I’ve been wagging the tail of the big technology dog, to see what I could get it to do,” said Robert Rodriguez, director of Sin City. “Since I started using AMD64 technology, the technology is now wagging me, to see what I can do with it. AMD LIVE! fulfills the final dream by delivering the goods as originally imagined by the artist.”

Industry Leaders Support AMD Digital Media Ecosystem Vision
AMD and STMicroelectronics (ST) today announced (see separate release) their commitment to bring immersive, new entertainment experiences to the TV through a network-connected set-top box reference design. In addition, industry leaders across the ecosystem including Alienware, ATI Technologies, Broadcom, Motorola, Nero Inc., NVIDIA, and VIA Technologies, are stating support for AMD’s digital media vision.

“Alienware is committed to delivering relevant devices and services that help customers make the most of today's digital lifestyle,” said Frank Azor, senior vice president and general manager, Alienware Worldwide Product Group. “By working with companies like AMD to deliver on the vision of providing digital content through the heart of the home, the TV, solutions like AMD LIVE! can help empower consumers to control their current and future experiences, and in doing so, delivering the experience they want.”

“As a leading digital media silicon provider to consumer electronics manufacturers, ATI is uniquely qualified to be a major stakeholder in AMD LIVE! solutions,” said Rick Bergman, senior vice president, PC Business Unit, ATI Technologies. “ATI understands the nuances necessary to create visually compelling solutions for PC games, home theater and multimedia PCs, digital TVs, game consoles, multimedia handsets, and even more. ATI will help enhance the AMD LIVE! brand based on proven expertise delivering exciting consumer experiences.”

“The vision for AMD LIVE! further extends AMD’s market position in the 64-bit processor arena,” said Wei-Ai Tai, director of marketing for Broadcom’s I/O Chipset Line of Business. “True to AMD’s customer-centric approach, AMD LIVE! is an innovative solution designed to enhance the digital consumer experience.”

“As a leading manufacturer of digital video set-tops, Motorola believes a rich, seamless consumer experience in and around the home can only happen when different devices are connected and interoperable,” said Ray Bontempi, vice president, Home Mobility Solutions, Motorola Connected Home Business. “We applaud and support AMD's strategy for making it easier for content producers, manufacturers, and consumers to create connections between their devices.” “We are pleased to support AMD LIVE! as it is designed to create a friendly environment for users to expand the way they experience digital content,” said John Tafoya, vice president of Business Development, Nero Inc. “Nero products are designed to bring the most out of their consumer devices and their digital content. Over the years, Nero has established its software products throughout the world as the premier brand for consumers. With Nero’s most recent product, Nero 7 Ultra Edition, consumers can create, share, backup and enjoy content throughout their home in both the 2ft and 10ft environments.”

“The demand for digital devices that stream, record, play and store digital content is at an all time high, and with AMD’s vision, AMD LIVE! can help enable enhanced digital entertainment experiences,” said Drew Henry, general manager of MCP products at NVIDIA. “NVIDIA is excited about the opportunity that AMD LIVE! presents us. By leveraging our expertise in graphics, video and connectivity technology on different devices throughout the home, NVIDIA and AMD have a unique opportunity to provide a wider variety of innovative devices, content, and software than ever before.”

“AMD LIVE! is an exciting vision for users to extend the power and flexibility of the PC to the living room and beyond, changing the way consumers experience the ever expanding world of digital entertainment,” said Chewei Lin, vice president of Product Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. “To enable a best of breed solution, VIA is very pleased to support AMD LIVE! with our extensive range of silicon solutions that, together with the high performance line of AMD processors, form ideal platforms to deliver high definition multimedia experiences.”



Source: AMD Press Release
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