Mstar Receiver Digital Controller and PHY Achieves Certification for DisplayPort 1.2, Including the New Higher HBR2 Data Rate……

Newark, Calif., August 10, 2011 – The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) today announced the certification of the first sink device under the DisplayPort Version 1.2 standard. Achieving certification from Granite River Labs, a Santa Clara, Calif.-based VESA DisplayPort Authorized Test Center (ATC), the Mstar DisplayPort 1.2 Receiver (Rx) digital controller and PHY is the first sink device to achieve DisplayPort 1.2 compliance including sink PHY and Link capabilities to support the new 5.4 Gbps High Bit Rate 2 (HBR2) link rate. Developed by Mstar Semiconductor, Inc., a Taiwan-based supplier of ASICs for the consumer and communication electronics markets, the certified Rx digital controller and PHY include features from the latest DisplayPort 1.2 standard including fast training and HBR2 support which enables the support of QSXGA (2560×2048) resolution, 3D format support and a 120Hz frame rate.

“We are very proud to be the first DisplayPort Adopter to achieve DisplayPort 1.2 certification for a sink device,” said Sean Lin, general manager of Mstar’s Monitor and Display business unit. “With the features that DisplayPort brings to the table, we are able to develop advanced, robust technologies that system manufacturers can leverage to revolutionize the consumer’s visual experience.”

DisplayPort Version 1.2 certification testing is currently available through VESA’s six approved third party test houses in Asia and the United States. Once submitted for certification testing, sink and source devices must pass a series of tests to prove compliance with the DisplayPort Version 1.2 standard as outlined in VESA’s PHY Layer Compliance Test Specification (CTS) and Link Layer CTS. Third party test houses authorized for certification testing include Allion Test Labs in Beaverton, Ore., Shenzhen, China and Taipei, Taiwan; Cable Assemblies and Connector Labs ETC in Taoyuan Hsien, Taiwan; CESI Technology Company Ltd. In Beijing; and Granite River Labs.

“Being part of the first DisplayPort 1.2 sink device certification is a significant milestone for us,” said Mike Engbretson, chief technology engineer of Granite River Labs. “VESA requires very stringent testing before certification can be granted, making this achievement even more impressive. We are proud to play a critical role in VESA’s work to ensure interoperability and deliver industry leading products to market.”

VESA’s DisplayPort Version 1.2 standard is a comprehensive extension to the original DisplayPort standard, significantly enhancing display performance. Capabilities added by DisplayPort Version 1.2 include the doubling of the maximum data transfer rate to 21.6 Gbps (Gigabits-per-second), increasing display resolution, color depths and refresh rates; multiple monitor support through a single DisplayPort connector; support for high-speed, bi-directional data transfer; audio enhancements including Audio Copy Protection and support for High-Definition (HD) audio formats such as Dolby, MAT, DTS HD, all Blu-Ray formats, and China’s DRA standard; and improved support for Full HD 3D Stereoscopic displays.

“VESA’s goal has always been to enable the electronics industry to deliver a superior visual experience,” said Bill Lempesis, executive director of VESA. “With both sink and source devices having now achieved DisplayPort 1.2 certification, we are seeing this goal come to fruition. We believe that this is just the tip of the iceberg, and expect the industry to grab hold of DisplayPort 1.2 to bring products to market that take display technology to new heights.”

For more information about DisplayPort, or the standard, please visit http://www.displayport.org. For more information about VESA, please visit http://www.vesa.org/ or find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/VESADisplayPort.

About Mstar

Founded in 2002 on the principle of constant innovation and superior customer service, MStar Semiconductor has successfully built a diverse product portfolio that propels the company to become one of the fastest growing in the industry since its inception. In 2010, the company reached $1B US dollars in total revenue, with worldwide leadership position in the LCD monitor controller, analog and digital TV, cellular and mobile communications and portable devices.

Headquartered in Taiwan, MStar Semiconductor is a true global company with R&D, sales and operations activities in more than fifteen worldwide locations. Built on the core competency in high-complexity, high-performance System-on-chip (SoC) design, the company encompasses engineering teams with a wide-range of know-how and experience in radio frequencies (RF), communication systems, multimedia display and application SW. Combined with strong execution, MStar Semiconductor consistently delivers highly integrated and cost effective solutions for the established markets and the emerging markets.

About Granite River Labs

Headquartered in the heart of Silicon Valley, Granite River Labs (GRL) combines recognized industry experts, high performance test equipment, and convenient lab locations to provide the utmost in customer service.  Our teams are an extension of our customers’ teams and together we overcome problems associated with testing early stage products and new connectivity technologies.  Led by recognized veterans in the test & measurement and semiconductor industries, GRL is the only Official DisplayPort and SATA Test Lab in Silicon Valley.  GRL is a recognized leader in the DisplayPort community and has made significant contributions to DP 1.2, with GRL Chief Engineer Mike Engbretson serving as Editor of the DP 1.2 Compliance Test Specification.  GRL services include compliance, debugging, characterization, benchmarking, stress testing, interoperability, and signal integrity modeling and testing.  GRL provides expertise in a wide range of technologies in addition to DisplayPort, including HDMI, Thunderbolt, DDR, PCIe Gen3, USB 3, and 10G Ethernet.