ESS Technology

ESS loves to mix the sights and sounds of technology. ESS Technology designs multimedia chips for electronics devices such as DVD players, DivX movie players, and digital audio systems. Its decoder chips support a wide range of video and audio formats, while its encoder chips transform DVD players into recordable devices. Its image processors are used in digital still cameras and camera-enabled cell phones; ESS is de-emphasizing that business and discontinuing sales, however. Top customers of the fabless semiconductor company include LG Electronics, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, and Sony. In 2008 Imperium Partners Group bought ESS Technology for about $58 million in cash.