IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- WDLabs™,
a business growth incubator of storage solutions leader Western
Digital Corp. (NASDAQ:WDC), and world leader in storage solutions,
today introduced a new software platform to simplify and speed up
the creation and deployment of VIDITY™ enabled products and
services. VIDITY gives consumers the freedom and flexibility to
download and store their movies on a wide range of devices and
delivers the highest quality playback of content including 4K Ultra
HD movies with high dynamic range (HDR).
The VIDITY Software Platform by WDLabs is built around open
standards and will bring VIDITY protocols, security and
standards-based manageability into one integrated solution
optimized for next generation premium 4K Ultra HD HDR video devices
such as TVs, optical media players, and digital media players. The
VIDITY Software Platform by WDLabs is supported and validated by
the established and expanding VIDITY hardware, software, and
certification ecosystem that will provide common building blocks
for next generation video devices and Over-The-Top (OTT) services.
This new software platform accelerates the availability of VIDITY
enabled 4K Ultra HD HDR devices by enabling innovators to focus on
value-added features and differentiation.
The VIDITY software platform by WDLabs includes the following
elements:
- User interface - customizable user interface and player
features (Android-Java based)
- VIDITY protocol and licensing layer - power-safe
download & licensing management, VIDITY digital storage
interface, remote media sharing, other VIDITY-required
features
- VIDITY secure audio and video rendering layer - VIDITY
media interface, content decryption, and secure media operations
for SD, HD, and 4K Ultra HD HDR content. Leverages the VIDITY
Security Platform from Rambus Cryptography Research, which includes
a library of secure functions integrated with the SOC trusted
execution environment
- Android and Linux support foundation – support for the
Android AOSP and Linux platform, secure boot, secure firmware
update, internationalization, USB 3.0, and GbE and Wi-Fi
support
- Documentation, test scripts, and virtualized build
environment
"Deploying VIDITY 2.0 specification-enabled products and
services requires a broad range of technologies, skills, time, and
expense by each adopter in order to bring solutions to market,"
said Richard E. Rutledge, senior
vice president of marketing, WDLabs. "Our VIDITY software platform
will make it easier, faster, and less expensive to develop products
by offering mature VIDITY building blocks for their next generation
premium video products that support 4K Ultra HD HDR content. The
VIDITY Software Platform demonstrates our commitment as a Founder
of the Secure Content Storage Association (SCSA), which developed
the VIDITY program, and is built from earlier demo releases shown
at CES 2014 and CES 2015."
"Our focus remains on creating the highest-quality consumer
experience possible," said Danny
Kaye, executive vice president, global research and
technology strategy, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
"This means the quality of the content as the demand for 4K Ultra
HD content continues to increase and evolve, but also the ease of
content acquisition and playback on next-generation TVs and other
devices. The VIDITY software platform by WDLabs enables easy
onboarding by CE device manufacturers into the quality and
convenience of the VIDITY digital ecosystem and Fox's quality 4K
UHD HDR content."
"The recent announcement of VIDITY licensing in August opens the
door for companies to integrate technology into their products that
will provide consumers with the highest quality digital experience,
including 4K HDR," said David
Huerta, general manager, Secure Content Storage Association.
"As we look forward to many more VIDITY products entering the
market soon, we are pleased that Western Digital, a leader in
digital storage solutions, has developed an SDK making it easier
and faster for CE device manufacturers to enable the premium VIDITY
experience into their products and bring them to market
faster."
"ViXS delivers time-to-market 4K Ultra HD HDR video SoC
solutions and is excited to partner with WDLabs on this first
integration of the WDLabs VIDITY SDK based on our family of 4K
Ultra HD HDR SoC solutions as demonstrated at IFA Berlin, IBC
Amsterdam, and CEDIA Dallas," said Perry
Chappell, senior vice president worldwide sales, ViXS. "ViXS
is a Contributing Member of SCSA and is in a position to quickly
enable 4K Ultra HD HDR TVs, optical media players, and digital
media players."
"With the quad-core Cannes
STiH318 4K Ultra HD HDR SoC already in production, ST has worked
very closely with WDLabs to empower SCSA member companies to
quickly deliver digital and optical media players and TVs with the
proven security and performance of our family of VIDITY-enabled
SoCs," said Philippe Notton, group
vice president and general manager, Consumer Product Division,
STMicroelectronics.
"We are pleased that Rambus Cryptography Research was selected
by SCSA as a valued security partner and advisor to protect
high-quality 4K Ultra HD with HDR, HD and SD content with our
VIDITY Security Platform," said Paul
Kocher, president and chief scientist, Rambus Cryptography
Research Division. "The Cryptography Research VIDITY Security
Platform works in conjunction with the VIDITY software platform
from WDLabs to enable rapid development, certification, and
time-to-market of VIDITY Specification 2.0 products."
Licensing and Availability
The VIDITY Software
Platform by WDLabs is available for licensing now, and aimed at
accelerating the VIDITY ecosystem. It is offered via competitive
terms, conditions, and pricing to facilitate make versus buy
decisions by CE device manufacturers. The SCSA VIDITY 2.0
specification licensing information is available through SCSA from
www.VIDITY.com. For further information regarding licensing and
availability please contact viditylicensing@wdc.com.
Forward-looking statement
This news release contains
forward-looking statements, including statements relating to the
growth of the VIDITY-enabled device markets, the availability of
particular features of the VIDITY software platform by WDLabs
application and services, the success of the integration with the
STMicroelectronics, CRI, ViXS, and Fox products and features, and
the growth and demand for VIDITY-enabled devices in general. These
forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties
that could cause actual results to differ materially from those
expressed in the forward-looking statements, including but not
limited to, the failure to successfully integrate the
STMicroelectronics, CRI, ViXS, and Fox products and features, the
possibility of competing software applications or technologies; the
success of such technologies and or other risks detailed from
time-to-time in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings and
reports, including, but not limited to, our most recent annual
report on Form 10-K to which your attention is directed. Readers
are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements, which speak as of the date hereof, and WD undertakes no
obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect
subsequent events or circumstances.
About WDLabs™
WDLabs, a Western Digital organization,
is a business growth incubator focused on opportunity
identification, early engagement, partnering, and market creation.
It accomplishes this goal via a disciplined growth process and
staffing with a broad range of WD talent and aims to create
ecosystem opportunities for both WD and its partners.
About Western Digital
Founded in 1970, Western Digital
Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC), Irvine,
Calif., is an industry-leading developer and manufacturer of
storage solutions that enable people to create, manage, experience
and preserve digital content. It is a long-time innovator in the
storage industry. Western Digital Corporation is responding to
changing market needs by providing a full portfolio of compelling,
high-quality storage products with effective technology deployment,
high efficiency, flexibility and speed. Its products are marketed
under the HGST and WD brands to OEMs, distributors, resellers,
cloud infrastructure providers and consumers. Financial and
investor information is available on the company's Investor
Relations website at investor.wdc.com.
Apps, services, and other features are subject to change based
on your location, software version, device model, and third party
service providers.
Western Digital, and the WD logo are registered trademarks and
WDLabs is a trademark of Western Digital Technologies, Inc. in the
U.S. and other countries. The VIDITY Mark is a trademark owned
exclusively by Secure Content Storage Association, LLC and is used
under license. All rights reserved. Other marks may be
mentioned herein that belong to other companies. Pictures shown may
vary from actual products. Not all products may be available in all
regions of the world. As used for storage capacity, one gigabyte =
one billion bytes; one terabyte = one trillion bytes. Total
accessible capacity varies depending on operating environment.
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SOURCE Western Digital Corp.