Loewe Excels with Micronas' truD(R) Frame Rate Converter

Loewe Excels with Micronas' truD(R) Frame Rate Converter

Micronas' truD(R) Technology Helps Loewe Deliver Superior Picture Quality

FREIBURG, Germany, Aug. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Micronas announced that Loewe's Xelos A 42 Plasma TV, Xelos A 37 LCD TV and Xelos A 32 LCD TV all feature Micronas' truD(R) and RealMotion(R) technologies. These three TVs, launched earlier this year in the European and Australian markets, use the Micronas FRC 9429A truD Frame Rate Converter IC.

(Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050830/SFTU066 )

Using Micronas' vector-based motion estimation and compensation technology, Loewe's Xelos A 42 Plasma TV was rated best of all HD-Ready flat panel TVs, as tested by the German magazine 'Video', issue 5/2005. Loewe's Xelos A 32 LCD was rated best among the tested LCD TVs.

"Loewe has a well-deserved reputation for top-quality design and performance and we are extremely pleased to have been selected for their products. Earlier generations of frame rate converters did not work well with all types of source material, but truD technology is a major step forward. It puts Loewe far ahead in picture quality for DTVs," says Patrik Lind, Product Marketing Manager, Micronas Consumer Products.

The truD technology, in combination with unique picture settings, allows Loewe to offer the best picture quality for all TV signal sources. Further intelligent techniques optimize Loewe picture quality. Diagonal contour control displays diagonal lines and edges without the annoying stair step effect. The undesired shadow effects of light/dark transitions are eliminated, thanks to the new truD luminance transition improvement. The results are impressive and provide realistic images with natural color reproduction, fascinating depth of focus and superior accuracy of detail.

"Image quality is paramount at Loewe -- our name represents exclusive design and state-of-the-art technology. Due to the fruitful cooperation between the Loewe and Micronas video specialists, we reached a superior and outstanding picture quality," said Roland Bohl, Director R & D at Loewe. "Flat panel displays are capable of superior picture quality, but this capability goes unused if the flat panel is driven by conventional signal processing. Movies make the problem worse as they are shot at 24 frames per second, but TVs are 50 frames per second. And interlacing makes it worse again -- only half the picture is delivered on each pass, with the other half on the following pass. All of these differences cause flicker, motion judder and jaggies along diagonal lines. We could not have sold that to our demanding customers," said Winfried Ramming, responsible for video processing at Loewe.

Getting the best DTV picture begins by de-interlacing the TV signal to match the progressive scan mode for flat panel displays. This is accepted practice, but truD goes beyond this to fill in the missing frames between the 24 fps of the film source material and the higher frame rates of flat panel TVs. Accurate vector-based motion estimation makes these fill-in frames as sharp as the originals. With this technology, the chip calculates the shift in position of every object on the screen between each frame. It then uses this information to precisely interpolate the object's location in intermediate frames. The result is steady real motion, instead of the edgy movements and blurring common to DTV displays that do not use truD.

truD further improves the image quality by enhancing image contrast and sharpness with advanced video algorithms. These include peaking, sub-pixel luminance sharpness enhancement (LSE), chrominance sharpness enhancement (CSE) and dynamic histogram-based contrast adjustment.

The Micronas FRC 9429A integrates truD technology with all the functions of a high-end frame rate converter for DTV, including video memory, in one monolithic IC.

Further information: http://www.tru-d.com/

NOTE: truD(R) and Real Motion(R) are registered trademarks of Micronas GmbH. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

About Micronas

Micronas (SWX Swiss Exchange: MASN, Frankfurt: MNSN, Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX), a semiconductor designer and manufacturer with worldwide operations, is a leading supplier of cutting-edge IC and sensor system solutions for consumer and automotive electronics. As a market leader in innovative, global TV system solutions, Micronas leverages its expertise into new markets emerging through the digitization of audio and video content. Micronas serves all major consumer brands worldwide, many of them in continuous partnerships seeking joint success. While the holding is headquartered in Zurich (Switzerland), operational headquarters are based in Freiburg (Germany). Currently, the Micronas Group employs about 1,900 people. In 2004, it generated CHF 963 (EUR 624 / USD 777) million in sales. For more information on Micronas and its products, please visit www.micronas.com.

About Loewe

Award-winning design, innovative technology and excellent quality are typical features of the products sold under the high-end Loewe brand. Technological highlights: Multimedia TV with high-resolution picture quality, integrated digital recorder and digital TV reception facility, super flat plasma and LCD TVs. Loewe was founded in Berlin in 1923 and is listed on the German stock exchange. In 2004 the company posted sales of EUR 267,8 million, with an EBIT of minus EUR 25,7 million (without USA). Around half of the company's sales come from international markets. Loewe manufactures and sells televisions, integrated hard disc recorders, DVD-players and hi-fi systems that can also be sold as complete home-cinema system solutions. Loewe has about 1,000 employees. For more information on Loewe, please visit www.loewe.de.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050830/SFTU066
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Micronas

CONTACT: media, Anja Hastenrath of Micronas, +49-896-976-0610, or
+49-761-517-2324, or fax, +49-761-517-2622, or media@micronas.com

Web site: http://www.loewe.de/

Web site: http://www.tru-d.com/

Web site: http://www.micronas.com/

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