Movidia launches revolutionary multimedia processor for mobile phones

15th January 2009

High performance, low-power design meets demand for UGC capabilities for mobile social networking

Movidia today announced the launch of its premier product the MA1110, a multimedia processor for mobile phones. The MA1110 is the first processor in the world to enable high performance in-phone video post-production in real time on power conscious mobile devices. Movidia’s processor is aimed at the booming market for phones for mobile social networking users and will allow mobile phone OEMs to develop a new generation of highly differentiated products with enhanced user experiences.

Movidia will be demonstrating the MA1110 at Mobile World Congress hall 2.1, stand A10, Barcelona, 16th-19th February 2009. Customer samples of MA1110 will be available in Summer 2009. Mass production of Movidia’s chip will commence later in 2009.

Movidia’s MA1110 brings unparalleled processing power to a mobile phone at compelling power points. Movidia’s breakthrough technology allows the multimedia processor to perform highly complex video-editing tasks such as real-time image stabilization, super resolution zoom, slow motion and color matching. Movidia’s MA1110 also supports high resolutions of all standard audio and video CODECs and APIs to ensure full compatibility with a wide range of content.

The MA1110 uniquely addresses the rapidly growing demand for both mobile social networking and UGC (User Generated Content) functionality on mobile phones*. Movidia’s chip can support complex video post-production features previously only achievable on a desktop computer. Users can capture, edit, view and publish their videos using only their phone; this enables them to skip the PC ‘stage’ entirely, and empowers a new generation of ‘Spielbergs on the move’.

For the first time, operators are seeing real and repeat data usage on mobile phones. New features available in the latest phones are encouraging users in their droves to takeout more expensive tariff bundles for data and internet applications. Movidia’s MA1110 provides handset OEMs with the technology to satisfy initial multimedia requirements and, crucially, empower them to continue differentiating their products with unique UGC capabilities.

“This has never been done before”, said Sean Mitchell, CEO of Movidia. “Analysts are unanimous in pointing out that the market for social networking and UGC is exploding. Network operators and phone manufacturers are queuing up to release ‘Facebook phones’, or offer individual video features like slow-mo. Yet until now no phone has been able to perform complex video editing on a phone in real time. This is something we sought to address in order to really deliver a compelling user experience to unleash the real growth in this market.”

“There is an entire generation of phone users out there waiting for this. The MA1110 puts an editing studio in your pocket. Footage of football matches, weddings, holidays, parties, can all be edited, tailored and shared instantly wherever you are. The range of effects possible with the MA1110 is astonishing. Finally, we can have mobile multimedia as it was always meant to be: Powerful, personal and immediate ”

Will Strauss, President of Forward Concepts commented, “Movidia’s MA1110 looks remarkable. This is the only in-phone, post-production product that I’ve encountered. No other chip on the market can do this. Forward Concepts sees a huge potential market for mobile social networking and a lot of excitement around the area of user generated content. Handset OEMs want to differentiate mobile devices and I expect a strong demand for this product. It’s the right technology at the right time. I look forward to seeing Movidia’s demo in Barcelona.”

Movidia was founded by an experienced management team from the semiconductor industry and in October 2008, announced that it had secured $14 million of Series A funding. The company’s R&D and sales teams are located in Dublin, Hong Kong and Romania.

*Editors Note: According to UGC industry analysts Juniper Research strong growth is expected in mobile social networking revenues with a market size of $7.3 billion by 2013. Meanwhile In-Stat expects that the worldwide market for mobile video revenues could reach $6.2 billion in the coming five years, while ABI Research forecasts 140 million mobile social networking users by 2013.

 

About Movidia 

Movidia is a fabless semiconductor company whose technology delivers unique video editing and post-production capabilities for the creation of User Generated Content for mobile social networking. Movidia’s video processor hardware and application software is specifically designed to suit low power mobile phone and consumer electronics, enabling handset manufacturers to create highly differentiated products and enhanced user experiences.

Movidia has offices in Dublin and Hong Kong, with a substantial software development centre in Romania. Movidia is venture backed, with investors including: Celtic House Venture Partners, Capital-E, Emertec Gestion, AIB Seed Capital Fund and Enterprise Ireland.