Trident Microsystems Snapshot
This Trident can't stir up the oceans or shatter rocks like Poseidon's, but its chips are behind some pretty powerful displays. Trident Microsystems offers integrated circuits (ICs) for consumer electronics such as digital, analog, and PC TVs, and set-top boxes (STBs). The company's video processors enhance the quality of TV outputs, while its encoder chips optimize the display of computer images on TV. Trident outsources manufacturing to companies such as United Microelectronics, and sells primarily to OEMs located in Asia and Europe. South Korea accounts for more than a third of sales, Europe about a quarter. Top customers include Samsung and Philips. Trident filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2012.
