RealNetworks and Amlogic Expand Partnership for Media Codecs

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- RealNetworks, Inc. (NASDAQ: RNWK), a leader in digital media software and services, announced an agreement today to license its RealMedia HD codec for porting and optimization to Amlogic, a global leader in fabless system-on-a-chip (SoC) technologies.

RealMedia HD is a next-generation video codec which delivers high-definition video quality at a fraction of the bandwidth required by other codecs. The partnership with Amlogic will allow smart TV and set-top box manufacturers to offer consumers ultra-high-definition (UHD) video-viewing experiences while also minimizing CPU utilization.

"Amlogic continues to be a leader in bringing technology innovations to the marketplace," said Morris Zhang, vice president of Greater China at RealNetworks. "Extending our successful partnership with Amlogic will make RealMedia HD accessible to smart TV and set-top box manufacturers globally, providing them with an expansive suite of options for decoding video content, and a better viewing experience to their customers."

RealMedia HD is the successor to RMVBtm, the previous generation of RealNetworks' codec technology which has been widely used in China's leading brands of smart TVs and streaming media devices supported by Amlogic's popular S-series and T-series SoC for over a decade. Compared with its predecessor, RealMedia HD utilizes half the storage and bandwidth for local video playback and video streaming, respectively. In keeping with its commitment to availability of the codec, RealNetworks recently invested in an FPGA development program to assist hardware partners. RealMedia HD can now be effortlessly integrated into chipset platforms and will seamlessly evolve with hardware, making it an attractive option for manufacturers.

"RealNetworks' technology has been part of the media engine for Amlogic's SoC platforms to power superior media experiences on millions of devices for many years," said James Xie, vice president, corporate business strategy at Amlogic. "We have always strived to meet the growing demand in the global OTT market, and look forward to enhancing our offerings in the streaming media landscape with RealNetworks."

This announcement follows RealNetworks' recent partnership with CIBN Oriental Network, one of the seven broadcasting networks licensed to distribute over-the-top (OTT) content in China, to leverage RealMedia HD to offer a faster and more reliable streaming media viewing experience across mobile and OTT devices. It demonstrates a growing demand for the RealMedia HD codec among established organizations throughout the streaming media ecosystem.

ABOUT REALNETWORKS, INC.

RealNetworks creates innovative applications and services that make it easy to connect with and enjoy digital media. RealNetworks invented the streaming media category and continues to connect consumers with their digital media both directly and through partners, aiming to support every network, device, media type and social network. Find RealNetworks corporate information at www.realnetworks.com.

ABOUT AMLOGIC

Amlogic is a global fabless system-on-a-chip (SoC) leader that provides open platform solutions for multimedia consumer devices including OTT/IP STBs, smart TVs and smart home products. Amlogic has combined its highly-optimized media processing engine and system IPs with industry-leading CPU and GPU technologies to produce solutions for leading pay-tv operators, OEM, and ODM partners. Through proprietary techniques, Amlogic has been able to achieve cost, performance, and power consumption optimizations never seen before. Amlogic lets partners rapidly develop market-leading products by providing turnkey solutions on both Android and Linux.  Amlogic is founded in Santa Clara, California, with R&D centers, support and sales offices in Santa Clara, Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Taipei, Seoul and France.

RealNetworks, RealMedia, RMVB, and the company's respective logos are trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of RealNetworks, Inc., in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE RealNetworks, Inc.