SAN JOSE, Calif., April 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pixelworks, Inc. (NASDAQ: PXLW), a leading provider of innovative video and display processing solutions, today announced TCL Communication has extended its collaboration with the Company to further advance the display capabilities and performance of its smartphone lineup. Building on the successful launch of TCL’s first branded smartphone at IFA 2019, the partnership brings together the display expertise and manufacturing leadership of TCL and 22 years of video and display innovation at Pixelworks that has become synonymous with best-in-class color, motion and clarity in smartphone displays. The TCL 10 Pro, 10L and 10 5G are the first phones developed under the extended partnership between the two companies.

According to a 2019 study published by Cisco Systems, Inc., smartphones are projected to account for a staggering 50 percent of global video consumption by 2022, up from just 23 percent in 2017. As 5G enables mobile access to richer video and gaming content, consumers will demand smartphones with more advanced, high-performance displays that maximize the visual quality of video and gaming content on advanced, HDR capable screens.

The extended partnership intends to address these challenges by working closely together on end-to-end display performance optimization that leverages Pixelworks’ portfolio of advanced mobile processor and software technologies, HDR tone mapping, SDR-to-HDR conversion, high-efficiency color calibration, sharpness and contrast enhancement. In addition, the collaboration seeks to advance ambient light and tone adaptive display features to preserve overall picture quality and clarity in all kinds of lighting environments, from ultra-low light to bright sunlight.

“We expect to bring several next-generation smartphones models to market with TCL in this long-term partnership,” said Todd DeBonis, President and CEO, Pixelworks. “This close collaboration will enable more consumers to enjoy optimized visuals and video in the palm of their hands with cutting-edge cinematic display technologies from TCL and Pixelworks. We are excited to leverage our 20 years of display innovation to bring a truly immersive experience to TCL smartphones.”

“Our mission with TCL Mobile devices is to bring moments of Display Greatness to our customers, and this collaboration with Pixelworks builds on our internal expertise to make these display experiences standout on our devices,” said Stefan Streit, General Manager of Global Marketing for TCL Communication. “We look forward to further developments alongside Pixelworks so that more consumers can experience immersive HDR video with absolute color accuracy and enhanced picture quality wherever they go.”

About TCL’s 10 Pro, 10L and 10 5G Smartphones
The recent launch of TCL’s 10 Pro, 10L and 10 5G are the first phones resulting from this extended partnership and utilize a range of Pixelworks’ premium mobile display features including:

• Industry-leading HDR Tone Mapping for authentic, cinematic picture quality that exposes up to 1 billion shades of color
• Real-time SDR-to-HDR conversion to enable an HDR-like experience across virtually all video and gaming content
• Picture Clarity Enhancements that include superior contrast and sharpness that expose hidden details, with an adaptive display that preserves image quality with changes in ambient light

Availability
TCL’s 10 Pro, 10L and 10 5G smartphones are anticipated to be commercially available beginning Q2 2020.

About Pixelworks
Pixelworks provides industry-leading content creation, video delivery and display processing solutions and technology that enable highly authentic viewing experiences with superior visual quality, across all screens – from cinema to smartphone and beyond. The Company has a 20-year history of delivering image processing innovation to leading providers of consumer electronics, professional displays and video streaming services. Pixelworks is headquartered in San Jose, CA. For more information, please visit the company’s web site at www.pixelworks.com.

About TCL Communication
TCL Communication Technology Holdings Limited (TCL Communication) designs, manufactures and markets an expanding portfolio of mobile devices and services worldwide through a comprehensive portfolio that includes TCL and Alcatel branded products. Additionally, TCL Communication is the brand owner, R&D developer and manufacturing partner of Palm branded devices. The company’s products are sold in more than 160 countries throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. Incorporated in Hong Kong, TCL Communication operates its own manufacturing and R&D centers worldwide. For more information, please visit http://www.tcl.com/global/en.html.

TCL is a registered trademark of TCL Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Alcatel is a trademark of Nokia used under license by TCL Communication.

Palm is a trademark owned by TCL Communication and under license by Palm Ventures Group through Wide Progress Global.

Pixelworks Investor Contact:
Shelton Group
Brett L Perry
P: 214-272-0070
E: bperry@sheltongroup.com

Pixelworks Media Contact:
Agnes Toan
Pixelworks, Inc.
E: comms@pixelworks.com

TCL Communication Media Contact:
tclpress@tcl.com

Safe Harbor Statement
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements may be identified by use of terms such as “begin,” “continue,” “will,” “expect”, “believe,” “anticipate,” “projected,” and similar terms or the negative of such terms, and include, without limitation, statements about future global video consumption and consumer demand, the number of next-generation smartphones models that will be brought to market with TCL, and the anticipated availability of such models. Such statements are based on management's current expectations, estimates and projections about the Company's business. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve numerous risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Actual results could vary materially from those contained in forward looking statements due to many factors, including, without limitation: our ability to execute on our strategy; competitive factors; the success of our products in expanded markets; current global health and economic challenges, including the impact of COVID-19; and changes in our target markets, including as to demand. More information regarding potential factors that could affect the Company's financial results and could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements is included from time to time in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 as well as subsequent SEC filings.

The forward-looking statements contained in this release are as of the date of this release, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any such statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.