ISSUE 97-8
5/1/97
ABOUT THIS NEWSWIRE
Bill Ferster’s NewsWire is published bi-weekly and summarizes
the important events in the convergent worlds of multimedia,
video, animation, chips, mass storage and computers.
There is no charge for this NewsWire and offered as a service
of Return On Invention (ROI), a consulting group helping high-
technology companies fully realize the potential from their
investment in innovation. As experts in computer graphics and
digital video, we focus on products used to communicate, edit,
or manipulate complex information.
Please pass it along to anyone who may find the information useful.
To subscribe, please send me an email at bferster@crosslink.net.
You can visit ROI's website for more information about who we are and
what we do, as well as past issues of this NewsWire, at
http://www.crosslink.net/~bferster.
CHIPS
---> Intel Invests in Rambus
After announcing to the Wintel development community it would be only
supporting the Rambus memory interface for its microprocessors, Intel
was granted rights to purchase 1M shares of Rambus's stock. Rambus is
currently in the process of an IPO.
---> Adaptec Offers FireWire ChipSet & Software
Adaptec, http://www.adaptec.com a leader in SCSI chips and adapter
cards, has claimed an even bigger stake in promoting the 1394 FireWire
standard.
The new "FireEngine" chip set includes the Adaptec PCI-to-FireWire Link
Controller chip (AIC-5800) and the IBM 200 Mbit PHY chip, which makes
the initial contact and mixed-signal recognition between FireWire
devices.
In addition to these chips, Adaptec also offers "FireSoft" development
software and the Adaptec DVSoft codec for encoding and decoding video in
the DV format.
---> Chip Express Lowers LPGA Prices by 50%
Fast turn-around custom chip maker Chip Express
http://www.chipexpress.com has lowered prices on its Laser
Programmable Gate Arrays (LPGA) chips. LPGAs are an attractive
alternative to ASICs, in terms of lead time, and FPGAs, for costs.
MASS STORAGE / DVD
---> DVD Makers Look to Settle DVD Patent Issues
Philips, Sony, and Pioneer announced an agreement to jointly patent some
of the DVD technologies, in a bid to accelerate DVD development.
There are 10 companies that hold key patents, and the idea of this union
was to make licensing a one-stop-shop operation. This should put
pressure on the remaining seven patent-holders to pony up. They include:
Thomson, Hitachi, Matsushita, Mitsubishi, Victor, Toshiba, and Time
Warner.
---> Pluto Ships SPACE Units
There was a lot of buzz around Pluto's http://www.plutotech.com SPACE
disk recorder during NAB. Apparently, a number of units had been shipped
before the show.
COMPRESSION
---> Microsoft Licenses Duck's Compression Software
Microsoft http://www.microsoft.com/netshow announced it will add the
Duck Corporation's TrueMotion RT compression software to thier new
NetShow 2.0 software.
---> Sigma Offers DVD Playback Card Design
Sigma Designs http://www.sigmadesigns.com is branching out from making
MPEG-1 encoders and decoders with the introduction of a reference board
design for an MPEG-2/DVD decoder playback card.
---> MDS Intro.'s Wavelet Compression Card
Audio DSP card manufacturer Momentum Data Systems (http://www.mds.com)
has built a video compression card based on the new Analog Devices
ADV601 (http://www.analog.com) wavelet compression chip.
The half-size PCI card is priced under $1,000 fro single units, and is
aimed at OEM applications. The card, called the "VideoLAB-601", accepts
and outputs both composite and Y/C video signals in PAL and NTSC.
Complete source code and documentation is available for Windows 95/NT
application development.
---> Videomedia Shows Digital Video at NAB
VTR control veterans Videomedia http://www.videomedia.com have joined
the digital age with the release of their "2Xstream" Dual-Stream Digital
Disk Recorder (DS-DDR) product.
The base card, (called the MX2) is a dual-channel Zoran-based JPEG codec
that hosts a powerful onboard i960 processor and 4-channel digital audio
i/o. It can compress from completely lossless to offline resolutions.
The card is being developed by a newly formed Videomedia sister company,
called MediaMetriq, headed up by Steve Levine, former president of
compression pioneer Rapid Technology. Rapid was an early player in the
motion JPEG field, having introduced the first video codec card, based
on C-Cube's CL-550 chip and used by EMC, the first nonlinear system to
use JPEG.
BROADCAST / POST-PRODUCTION
---> FCC's Air Wave Auction a Dud
Broadcasters are happy at the dismal results of the FCC's latest air
wave auction. This will make the case for charging the broadcasters for
the additional digital air space somewhat of a moot case.
---> Accom Offers REAL 3D Box with ELSET Virtual Set
Accom http://www.accom.com , maker of the SGI-based ELSET virtual set
system, has expanded ELSET's hardware base to use Lockheed Martin's REAL
3D PRO-1000 Professional Series real time graphics engine hosted by an
NT workstation. This should enable Accom to better compete in a more
practically priced user space.
---> EDLMAX Announces Deal with Avid
EDLMAX, http://www.edlmax.com a product of Brooks Harris Film and Tape,
has been licensed by Avid for inclusion into their MCXpress line of
Windows NT-based nonlinear video editors.
EDLMAX is a "Rosetta Stone" product that can translate edit decision
lists (EDLs) from and to most major formats, including Avid's Open Media
Framework (OMF). A version of EDLMAX, called MCXEDL is being bundled by
Avid that can seamlessly read the output of the MCXpress editor.
COMPANY / FINANCE
---> Accom's Bob Wilson Joins Pinnacle
Industry veteran Robert Wilson (Ampex, Grass Valley) has left Accom for
Pinnacle Systems http://www.pinnaclesys.com , to become the new head of
broadcast products.
---> Microsoft Reports Record Earnings
Microsoft reported dramatically better earnings than projected, beating
the estimate by 23 Net income for 3rd quarter rose 85% to $1.04 billion
from $562 million a year ago. Revenue rose 45%, to $3.21 billion from
$2.21 billion.
---> SGI Reports Lowered Earnings
In a possibly related event, Silicon Graphics wildly missed earnings
expectations with an 80% drop. Customers were holding up new purchases
after SGI announced their new Octane workstation, but were unable to
ship in volume. Net income for the 3rd was $10.5 million, compared with
$53 million a year earlier.
---> Videonics Reports Lowered Earnings
Just as their focus is shifting upscale from their traditional
consumer-oriented video products, Videonics posted their first lowered
sales revenues since 1993. Revenues for the first quarter were $4.5
million, compared to $7.1 million reported in the first quarter a year
ago. The net was $2.4 million, versus a net income of $449,000 last
year.
---> Things Look Up For Avid
Avid Technology http://www.avid.com reported revenues for the first
quarter were up 18% to $108.2 million, from $92.0 million last year. Net
income rose to $1.8 as compared to a net loss of $22.8 in 1996.
DIGITAL IMAGING
---> Kodak Intro.'s New Hi-Res Camera
Eastman Kodak http://www.kodak.com announced a high-resolution digital
camera. What's unique about the camera is its price of $1,000,
significantly less expensive than other hi-res cameras that can produce
the 1280 by 960 pixel resolution.
Cameras that produce lower-quality pictures (i.e. 640 by 480 pixels)
have been available for the past year from Cannon, Epson, Olympus and
others, with prices typically between $300 and $500.
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