Nvidia's handheld GPU group general manager Michael Rayfield said,"The introduction of the NVIDIA GoForce 5500 handheld GPU marks the beginning of a new era for 3G mobile phones. The Nvidia GoForce 5500 GPU delivers high-quality video playback and capture, high-resolution camera support, and stunning 3D graphics, all at impressive performance levels that we believe consumers are going to demand in the next generation of mobile devices."

For many years, these capabilities have been the domain of function-specific devices such as the home entertainment system, the digital still camera, or the Sony Playstation. This new GPU brings all these features to the mobile phone including:

True, fluid digital TV and video:
-- The industry's first handheld GPU to playback H.264, WMV9 and MPEG-4 video up to D1 resolution(1) at 30 frames per second (fps)
-- Compatible with major mobile TV standards including DVB-H, ISDB-T, and DMB networks

High Fidelity Surround Sound:
-- The industry's first handheld surround sound processor to deliver an immersive audio experience in the palm of a hand
-- Crossfade and multi-stream technologies help to prevent annoying breaks between songs and music cut out when the ringtone is activated

Console-class 3D gaming:
-- Experience console-class games, such as Quake III Arena, at unrivalled speeds on a handheld device
-- 3X the performance of the previous generation(2)

Sharp, crystal clear digital photography:
-- Rapid multi-shot capabilities so users never miss a photo
-- Support for up to 10 megapixel resolution

Ultra-low power consumption:
-- Dedicated low-power hardware design delivers more hours of
entertainment on the phone with less drain on the talk time

Indicating that phones based on the NVIDIA GoForce 5500 handheld GPU are expected to be available from key handset manufacturers before the 2006 holiday season, Nvidia stressed the demand for the multimedia capabilities in cell phones.

Nvidia also announced that it is collaborating with DiBcom, the leader in semiconductor technology for mobile digital TV, to create a DVB-H reference design for mobile handset TV platforms. By working together, the two companies can offer a solution that will deliver dramatic advancements in the broadcast quality of mobile TV on next-generation mobile handsets.

The reference design incorporates both the GoForce5500 handheld GPU and the DiBcom DIB7000H DVB-H demodulator, delivering the latest in high-quality video processing and state- of-the-art DVB-H reception for mobile devices.

The benefits of such a collaboration mean that the two companies can deliver a modular, high-speed, low-power, and cost-effective solution to handset manufacturers enabling them to deliver high-quality digital TV to their customer base.

Rayfield said, "The combination of the DiBcom demodulator and our GPU means mobile phone manufacturers get high-quality video decoding capabilities with high bitrates, low interference, and extremely low power levels, giving consumers the ability to enjoy great looking TV for longer."

"There is a clear need for solutions that facilitate the integration of
DVB-H into mobile handsets. Using this reference design, handset providers can add support for reception of DVB-H digital TV services with minimal effort and time. With the DIB7000H demodulator and NVIDIA GoForce 5500 GPU, we now have the most advanced solution on the market where there is a growing demand for mobile TV solutions on mobile phones. The extremely small form-factor and lowest possible power consumption of this design is unsurpassed in the industry," stated DiBcom CEO Yannick Levy.

The reference design comes complete with software drivers for most mobile handset platforms including WinCE 5.0, Linux, and Symbian. Additional operating systems may be supported on demand.