BEAVERTON, OR -- (Marketwire) -- 07/07/09 -- HomeGrid Forum, a global, non-profit trade group promoting the United Nations' International Telecommunication Union's (ITU-T) G.hn standardization efforts, today announced that Sigma Designs, Inc. (NASDAQ: SIGM), a leader in digital media processing system-on-chip (SoC) solutions for consumer electronics, has joined its Board of Directors. Sigma Designs brings additional semiconductor industry expertise to the group, which also includes representatives from leading retailers, service providers, PC manufacturers and consumer electronics companies -- all supporting the development and delivery of next-generation wired home networking products based on G.hn technology.

"By joining the board, Sigma Designs reaffirms its commitment to bring G.hn-based solutions to the market, and reinforces my belief that we are moving in the right direction with the G.hn standard," said Matthew Theall, president of HomeGrid Forum. "The ITU continues to make steady progress towards consent of G.hn, and we believe this standard will have a significant impact on the market, greatly simplifying consumers' purchases and installations of home networking, and enabling multi-media content to be shared throughout the home more easily than ever before."

The G.hn standard is aimed to deliver a single unified technology for the wired home network that addresses key issues of service providers, electronics manufacturers, and consumers alike. Through one worldwide standard, G.hn will unify the networking of content and devices over any wire -- coax cable, phone and power lines. G.hn enables service providers to deploy new offerings including IPTV more cost effectively; allows consumer electronics manufacturers to provide powerful devices for connecting all types of entertainment, home automation and security products throughout the house; and greatly simplifies consumer purchasing and installation processes.

"We work with the world's leading set-top box and consumer electronics manufacturers and understand the need for a unified wired-networking solution in the home networking marketplace," said Venkat R. Uppuluri, director of product marketing at Sigma Designs and HomeGrid Forum board member. "The G.hn standard addresses the needs of consumers, manufacturers, and service providers that are in search of a single solution. Sigma intends to support the proliferation of G.hn-based products starting with reference platforms that will power the next-generation of home content delivery."

Sigma Designs is part of a growing list of industry-leading organizations that are part of HomeGrid Forum.