Benzinga | Jan 11, 2021 04:08PM EST

TCL Broadens Multi-year Collaboration with Pixelworks to Extend Display Leadership Across Smartphone Portfolio

Pixelworks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PXLW), a leading provider of innovative video and display processing solutions, today announced the Company and TCL have signed a new multi-year collaboration agreement to leverage Pixelworks display innovations in future smartphone models across a wider range of price points.

As part of the product and marketing cooperation between the companies, TCL aims to build on its decades of experience as a display manufacturer by advancing the performance of its future NXTVISION displays with current and next-generation visual processors and technologies from Pixelworks. This includes additional enhancements to Pixelworks' industry-leading motion processing, SDR to HDR conversion, color accuracy and adaptive display features, as well as a new set of AI-based innovations that will take the smartphone visual experience to the next level. More details to follow at the upcoming CES 2021 show in January.

According to a recently published display review by DXOMARK, an independent test lab, the TCL 10 Pro with NXTVISION display technology, powered by a Pixelworks processor, outperformed all eight competing phones -- including some of the priciest 2020 flagship smartphones in the market -- in video quality and readability (viewing clarity in a wide range of lighting conditions). The extension of this collaboration agreement builds upon TCL's reputation of delivering the most exceptional display value for the money by incorporating new display technologies from Pixelworks in future TCL smartphones across more price points.

"We are thrilled to continue our collaboration with TCL and expand the envelope of TCL's industry-leading display value," said Todd DeBonis, President and CEO, Pixelworks. "The combination of TCL's NXTVISION technology and Pixelworks' advanced visual processing solutions will put affordable, premium cinematic experiences in the hands of more smartphone consumers, enhancing the kinds of immersive video and gaming that are becoming more widely accessible with 5G."

"Embodying TCL's Display Greatness philosophy, we are pleased to extend our collaboration with Pixelworks as an opportunity to combine technologies and enhance NXTVISION technology to benefit even more TCL smartphone users," said Stefan Streit, General Manager of Global Marketing, TCL Communication. "As we take our partnership with Pixelworks to the next level, we believe our next-generation products will redefine the industry's value point for premium smartphone display quality."

The companies anticipate the initial phone models from this new phase of the collaboration to launch in the first half of 2021.