Shares of video and pixel processing company Pixelworks have climbed over 40 percent after the company revealed a strategic relationship with Apple that contributed significantly to the company's revenue in 2013 (Via SeekingAlpha).

pixelwork-logo
Pixelworks confirmed in a recent Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that Apple, along with Hitachi and NEC, each accounted for more than 10 percent of the company's revenue in 2013.

Revenue attributable to our top five end customers represented 57%, 53% and 51% of revenue in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively. End customers include customers who purchase directly from us as well as customers who purchase products indirectly through distributors. Sales to Hitachi Ltd. represented more than 10% of revenue in each of 2013, 2012 and 2011. Sales to each of Apple Inc. and NEC Corporation represented more than 10% of revenue in 2013. Sales to Panasonic Corporation represented more than 10% of revenue in each of 2012 and 2011. Sales to Seiko Epson Corporation represented more than 10% of revenue in 2011. No other end customer accounted for more than 10% of revenue in 2013, 2012 or 2011.

It's not clear what Pixelworks is providing to Apple, but it likely involves Apple's high-resolution retina displays, which are noted in the company's 10-K filing.

Recent advancements in display manufacturing technology have allowed display manufacturers to pack an increasing number of pixels into tighter spaces. This transition was led by the mobile segment, and in particular by Apple’s “Retina” display, which set the standard for smaller screens. The resolution on display devices in all segments is increasing.

Pixelworks is known for its video display processing technology and holds over 120 patents that cover the display and processing of digital image data. The company provides display technology for digital projection systems, flat panel displays and mobile displays.

Top Rated Comments

MattJessop Avatar
144 months ago
07/03/2014 - Pixelworks acquired by Google
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Garsun Avatar
144 months ago
Wow, I guess it's time for me to buy something that adds a black sticker to my collection. :D :apple::apple::apple::apple::apple:

After you take out the stickers, could you send me what's in the rest of the box:D
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dBeats Avatar
144 months ago
07/03/2014 - Pixelworks acquired by Google

Nah, Facebook will buy them for eleventy billion dollars and then realize they have no use for them...
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chrmjenkins Avatar
144 months ago
After reading about their technologies and knowing what GPU IP they're using, it sounds like they're likely investigating framebuffer techniques to minimize display updating (in addition to advanced compression techniques afforded to ImgTec GPUs and reduce any artifacts that are resultant from that to the user) in order to minimize display power consumption. There has been a lot of effort by other companies to reduce power consumption by having things like GRAM where the display has its own local storage to redisplay the same frame buffer rather than have the GPU burn electrons to output the same image over again.

http://www.pixelworks.com/technology.php

Some of our core Video Display Processing technologies include:

Halo Free MEMC.

Our proprietary Halo Free MEMC technology significantly improves the performance and viewing experience of any screen by addressing problems such as judder and motion blur. Unlike competitive solutions it also reduces halo effects that are a byproduct of MEMC. Halos are objectionable blurred regions that surround moving objects as the MEMC algorithms try to reconstruct missing image data caused by the concealing and revealing of objects as they pass over or behind one another. Removing halos drastically improves image quality and is of particular importance on high-resolution displays where artifacts become more visible.

Advanced Scaling.

As display resolutions continue to increase there is a need to convert lower resolution content to higher resolution in order to display it properly. With the latest wave of high-resolution displays, the quality and quantity demands of scaling have increased significantly. Artifacts become more noticeable on these types of displays as they distract from the realism effect. In addition, with the availability of 4K content lagging the availability of 4K displays, high-quality scaling is required to ensure 4K displays do not suffer when compared to Full-HD displays of the same size. Pixelworks advanced scaling ensures that up-conversion of lower resolution content is of the highest quality in maintaining the fidelity of image.

Mobile Video Display Processing.

Pixelworks has developed innovative, power optimized Video Display Processing solutions for mobile devices. Beyond MEMC and Advanced Scaling, these mobile solutions provide the kind of improvements in color, contrast, sharpness and de-blur that are only found in high quality televisions today. Furthermore, this technology can save system power and extend battery life.

VueMagic and Networked Displays.

With the advent of mobile devices being used in business, educational and consumer environments there is a growing need to connect to displays wireless for sharing and collaboration. VueMagic uses our networking technology to enable the same video stream to be networked across multiple displays for applications such as connected video projection and digital signage. VueMagic provides interactive features for annotation and display control, and unlike other solutions, is device and operating system independent.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
2457282 Avatar
144 months ago
07/03/2014 - Pixelworks acquired by Google

And on 3/08/2014 (in the US we reverse the month and day, so my date is just 1 day after yours), Samsung signs an agreement with Pixelworks :D
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
esskay Avatar
143 months ago
It's only software companies with simple products that go for billions of dollars. Hardware companies solving difficult problems are usually a few million.

Lol
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Rumored to Include These New Features for Your iPhone

Saturday March 1, 2025 11:00 am PST by
iOS 19 is still around three months away from being unveiled, but there are plenty of rumors about the upcoming update. Below, we recap iOS 19 rumors so far. Redesigned Camera App A leak earlier this year allegedly revealed a redesigned Camera app coming with iOS 19. On his YouTube channel Front Page Tech in January, Jon Prosser shared a video showing what the new Camera app will...
iOS 18

Apple Says iOS 18.4 Will Be Released in April With These New Features

Wednesday February 26, 2025 7:15 am PST by
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 18.4 will be released in April. From the Apple News+ Food announcement:Coming with iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 in April, Apple News+ subscribers will have access to Apple News+ Food, a new section that will feature tens of thousands of recipes — as well as stories about restaurants, healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more — from the...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Latest iPhone 17 Series CAD Images in Line With Redesign Rumors

Friday February 28, 2025 2:51 am PST by
Apple is expected to embrace a new camera system design for some models in its upcoming iPhone 17 series, and the latest purported CAD images don't deviate from what we have been hearing lately about Apple's new lineup. If you do not like the sound of an iPhone with a Google Pixel-style camera bar, look away now. Seasoned leaker Sonny Dickson shared the following images in a post on X...
apple intelligence black

These New Apple Intelligence Features Are Coming in iOS 18.4

Friday February 28, 2025 3:17 pm PST by
iOS 18.4 was supposed to bring new Apple Intelligence Siri features, but Apple ended up needing to pull those capabilities from the update to continue testing. There are fewer new Apple Intelligence additions now, but there are still some new features that will make the update worth installing when it comes out in April. Priority Notifications Apple introduced Priority Notifications back at ...
iphone 16e usb c feature

Apple Provides Reason for iPhone 16e's Lack of MagSafe

Friday February 28, 2025 4:39 am PST by
Apple has offered a reason why the iPhone 16e doesn't include MagSafe, one of the more notable omissions from its latest entry-level smartphone. According to Apple representatives who spoke to Daring Fireball's John Gruber, MagSafe is not included in the iPhone 16e because "most people in the iPhone 16e's target audience exclusively charge their phones by plugging them into a charging...
Apple MacBook Air 2 up hero 240304 feature

New MacBook Air Announcement Reportedly 'Imminent' — Here's When

Sunday March 2, 2025 5:40 am PST by
With the iPhone 16e now in the hands of customers, Apple reportedly plans to move on to its next product announcement in the coming days. Apple plans to announce new MacBook Air models with the M4 chip "as early as this week," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "I expect the M4 MacBook Air to be introduced as early as this week," said Gurman, in a post shared on X today. "Inventory has ...
Apple AirPort Routers

Apple's Discontinued Line of AirPort Wi-Fi Routers Could Return in an Unexpected Way

Saturday March 1, 2025 10:00 am PST by
Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Apple offered a line of Wi-Fi routers that it referred to as AirPort base stations. There was a standard AirPort Express, a higher-end AirPort Extreme with more advanced networking features, and an AirPort Time Capsule that doubled as an external storage drive for backing up a Mac with Time Machine. Apple discontinued the AirPort line in 2018, but the company...
apple c1

How Fast is Apple's First-Ever 5G Modem? The Results Are Surprising

Friday February 28, 2025 10:08 am PST by
iPhone 16e reviews are now out, and Apple's custom-designed C1 modem has been put to the test. The results so far are quite surprising, as the C1's speeds are not as slow compared to Qualcomm modems as originally expected. While the C1 does not support ultra-fast mmWave 5G in the U.S., it appears to offer comparable 5G performance to Qualcomm's Snapdragon X71 modem found in the iPhone 16,...
airpods pro purple

Here's When AirPods Pro 3 Are Rumored to Launch

Monday February 24, 2025 9:14 am PST by
According to a post on X today from a leaker known as Kosutami, Apple plans to launch AirPods Pro 3 in May or June this year. The leaker also claimed that an AirTag 2 will launch around the same time. Kosutami is best known as a collector of prototype Apple hardware, but they have occasionally shared accurate information about Apple's future product plans. For example, they accurately...