10/1/98
ABOUT THIS NEWSWIRE
Bill Ferster’s VideoGraphics NewsWire is published bi-weekly and summarizes the important events in the convergent worlds of multimedia, video, animation, chips, mass storage and computers.
Please feel free to forward this NewsWire to someone who might appreciate an item, or heaven forbid, might want to subscribe to it. Please refrain, however, from continually mailing it to others on a regular basis. You can visit my website for more information, as well as past issues of this NewsWire, at http://www.crosslink.net/~bferster.
BUSINESS
---> Tektronix to Reduce Workforce by 10%
In response to a poor first quarter and lower sales from Asia, Tektronix is laying off 860 workers and is pulling in their spending. The company reported a net loss of $4.7M this quarter on sales of $419M, as compared with earning $27M last year.
---> New Printing Technology
I was just made aware of a new color offset printing technology that produces beautiful 4-color (full-color) offset printing on demand for low-volume runs. The "Indigo" printer, available in most cities at service bureaus, accepts files from popular desktop publishing packages and will print them directly at high-res at $.40 to $1 a page, depending on volume. The results are indistinguishable from traditional printing, at a fraction of the time and cost.
---> Odetics Buys Video Browser Company
Cart-machine leader Odetics (http://www.odetics.com) has acquired UK-based International Media Integration Services Limited (IMIS), a video browser developer. Their product, "Bowser Visual Asset Manager," is a PC-based tool for finding and retrieving video assets over IP lines.
DVD
---> DVD Video recorder Demo’d
Hitachi (http://www.hitachi.com) showed a prototype of a recordable DVD. The recorder is aimed at the consumer market with a $2K price tag and is capable of recording 2 hours of MPEG-2 video on it 15GB disks.
---> New DVD/MPEG2 Encoder card
Wired Inc., a maker of codec cards (http://www.wiredinc.com) has a new DVD/MPEG2 encoder card. The $4,995 "mPress" encodes both audio and video streams from 128kb/s up to 15Mb/s, scalable up to Full-D1 resolution NTSC or PAL.
---> Henninger to Get into DVD Biz
Post-Production magnate Henninger Media (http://www.henninger.com) has broadened their offerings with a new subsidiary, Henninger Interactive Media, which will focus on multimedia content development and post-production for DVD and CD-based formats.
MPEG / VIDEO
---> C-Cube Adds DV to MPEG Codec
Leading Codec chipmaker C-Cube (http://www.c-cube.com) has added the ability to compress and decompress DV video streams as well as MPEG-2 streams in their DV-Express MX. The chip uses a SPARC bases programmable RISC core and allows for transparent co-mingling of the two formats internally, without the need for the image loss entailed typically encountered during transcoding.
---> HDTV Image Filter DSP
Chipmaker Logic Devices (http://www.logicdevices.com) has introduced a new DSP digital image filter chip that can handle the resolutions required by all HDTV modes. The "LF3310" is programmable and contains multi-tap filters and aids to dithering.
BROADCAST / POST
---> Tektronix to Discontinue LightWorks R&D
Apparently unrelated to their deal with Avid, video equipment maker Tektronix (http://www.tek.com) has decided to stop development of the LightWorks systems after the v3.0 release, due to slow sales. Tek bought Lightworks a few years ago at the grossly inflated price of $80M.
---> Inscriber Ships TitleMotion Plug-In
The leading software CG developer Inscriber (http://www.inscriber.com) showed a new plug-in for Adobe Premier-based systems at IBC. The $499 "TitleMotion", which allows for fully key-framed and keyed effects to add motion to titles.
---> Avid Shows DV Version of NewsCutter
At the RTNDA show, nonlinear leader Avid (http://www.avid.com) showed a version of their NT-based NewsCutter newsroom editing product that uses the DV video format. "NewsCutter DV" is available now.
---> OnStage! Supports 4K by 4K Images
The OnStage! product (http://www.stagetools.com) is now useful for documentary makers, by making it easy to pan and zoom through high-resolution images in real time. This is particularly useful for "Ken Burns-style" projects consisting mainly of move on stills, although more elaborate animated sequences incorporating multiple moving images with fades and dissolves can be easily performed. An evaluation copy is on the website.
---> Discreet Shows New Camera Tracker
Discreet Logic (http://www.discreet.com) showed an interesting new camera tracking device for their frost* virtual studio system. The "Walkfinder," developed by THOMA Filmtechnik, uses cameras positioned in the ceiling to capture infrared reflections from markers on up to 4 studio cameras being tracked accurately and in real time.
---> Sarnoff Spin-off Shows Image Stabilization System
Pyramid Vision Technologies, (no site yet...) a spin-off from the venerable Sarnoff Labs (http://www.sarnoff.com), announced a new system capable of stabilizing shaky videotapes in real time. The peace-time benefit of military vision stabilization technology for US tanks, the "PVT-200" is expected to sell for $90K.
---> Quantel Shows Fruits of Java Accessibility
Video equipment maker Quantel (http://www.quantel.com), long criticized for its disdain for open-systems-based products is showing that opening up their tools via Java applets is adding functionality. At IBC, they showed over 200 effects from popular plug-in maker 5D.
---> Pluto Adds Pre-read to VideoSpaceVTR
Digital Disk recorder maker Pluto Technologies (http://www.plutotech.com) has added a useful feature to their Space product. "Pre-read" is the ability to perform dissolves and effects using a single playback device.
---> Pinnacle Intro’s FXDeko
Video equipment manufacturer Pinnacle (http://www.pinnaclesys.com) has introduced a new member into the TypeDeko family of CG products. "FXDeko" uses OpenGL to support 3D effects such as rotations, glows and perspectives; all accelerated to real time using OpenGL compliant hardware.
3D TECHNOLOGY
---> 3Dlabs and nVidia Elected to OpenGL ARB
Rival 3D render chipmakers 3Dlabs (http://www.3dlabs.com) and nVidia (http://www.nvidia.com) have been elected to the OpenGL Architectural Review Board (http://www.opengl.org), which defines the OpenGL specification. 3Dlabs has long been an active supporter of OpenGL, and nVidia has contributed texture technology to the v1.2 of the spec.
---> 3Dfx Sues nVidia Over Multi-Texturing Patents
Seemingly litigious 3D-render chipmaker 3Dfx (http://www.3dfx.com) has filed a patent infringement suit against rival nVidia (http://www.nvidia.com) over the use of nVidia’s Riva TNT chip’s multi-texturing capabilities. Needless to say, nVidia doesn’t agree.
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CYA DISCLAIMER: The preceding NewsWire represents my best efforts to gather the facts and the offering of my opinions. Although I try to describe the world as it appears me, I make no representations as to the accuracy of the reports within.
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