1/30/99
BILL FERSTER’S VIDEOGRAPHICS NEWSWIRE
ISSUE 99-2
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 read and search past issues of this NewsWire, at http:/www.stagetools.com/bill.
BUSINESS
---> Pinnacle Reports Record Sales
Video equipment maker Pinnacle Systems (http://www.pinnaclesys.com) reported yet another quarter of record sales again. They earned $5M on $39M in sales. This compares with last year’s $2.5M on sales of $28M for the same quarter. This quarter was the first full quarter reflecting shipments of their new FXDeko and ReelTime NITRO products.
---> 3Dfx Posts a Good Quarter
Voodoo (the brand, not an editorial comment) chipmaker 3Dfx reported earning $2M on sales of $61M this quarter, as compared with the same amount of earnings last year on $22M in sales.
---> One Million DVD Players Sold
A report from the DVD Video Group (http://www.dvdvideogroup.com) confirmed that DVD is a happening thing, with over 1M players sold to date in the US, representing $5B in retail sales. They predict hardware sales will double in 1999 to more than 2M. Over 14M DVD disks were sold, represented by 2200 titles, with 4500 expected by the end of this year.
---> SGI to Divest MIPS
Closely following their announcement of Intel/NT-based workstations, SGI (http://www.sgi.com) announced they planned to divest their interests in their MIPS processor division. MIPS has had a very successful second life as an embedded processor for industrial, control and game applications, such as the Nintendo 64 console.
---> Adobe Shows Vector Display Technology
Adobe Systems (http://www.adobe.com) is proposing a new vector-based drawing format to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) for graphics. Scalable Vector Graphics display drivers (SVG) can operate within browsers and hand-held devices. It supports hi-res. printing, zooming and panning without reloading, searching of text within the graphic, and 24-bit color.
TECHNOLOGY
---> Motorola Unveils StreamMaster
In what has to be one of the dullest names for some interesting set-top technology, Motorola (http://www.motorola.com/semi/streamas) opened their kimono on what used to be code-named the "Blackbird Home Media Platform." The "StreamMaster" is a PowerPC-based set top box running OS/9, David interface and pJava. They have licensed an HTML browser from SpyGlass, and the secretive Nuon Media Libraries for graphics and media handling (previously known as "Project X").
---> Video Signal Enhancement Chip
Chip-maker NUWAVE Technologies (http://www.nuwav.com) has announced a new mixed signal chip that maps analog video waves to allow precise digital control over to improve color, contrast, brightness, and clarity of analog video signals for use in TVs, multimedia computers, set-top boxes, VCRs, DVDs, video games, and other video products.
---> JNI Acquires Adaptec’s Fibre Channel Assets
Systems builder JNI (http://www.jni.com) has acquired the patents, product line, and employees from SCSI leader Adaptec’s (http://www.adaptec.com) Fibre Channel operations. As part of the agreement, Adaptec took an equity interest in JNI.
---> Apple Takes Tough FireWire Patent Stance
Apple is apparently getting tough in enforcing some patents use in the IEEE 1394 standard. The drafters of the latest version, 1394B, that will support 800M-bit/second transfer rates are debating to use some techniques from Fibre Channel, rather than pay what they feel are too high royalties to Apple.
---> Sony Sues PlayStation Emulator Maker
Sony has sued Connectix (http://www.connectix.com) over its $49 "Virtual Game Station" software that enables Macintosh iMac’s to play games made for the PlayStation. They allege Connectix violated Sony's copyright and intellectual property rights.
---> New StereoGraphic System Needs Only 1 Channel
Dynamic Digital Depth (http://www.3d.com) (what a great URL) has a new system that sends both the left and right pictures within a single television signal. The technique preserves the original 2D signal as well, making it possible to view in both flat and 3D modes.
BROADCAST / POST-PRODUCTION
---> Canopus Announces New 3D DVE Card
Leading 3D and codec card manufacturer Canopus (http://www.canopuscorp.com) has introduced a new 3D DVE card for use in nonlinear editing systems. The $699 Rexf/x comes with 40 pre-set 3D effects, including cube tube, mosaic, double doors, spinning cube and environment effects including haze and lighting, in a near real-time fashion. More effects can be programmed in later.
---> Adobe to Ship TEP Logger with Premiere
Adobe Systems will bundle a reduced-feature copy of Imagine Products (http://www.imagineproducts.com) "The Executive Producer" logging and video acquisition software with Premiere 5.1 NLE software.
---> Avid Gets an Oscar
Avid (http://www.avid.com) announced it will receive an Oscar for their Film Composer. The Oscar statuette will be presented to Avid for the concept, system design and engineering of the Avid Film Composer for motion picture editing.
---> And the Award Goes to… Discreet
Discreet Logic’s (http://www.discreet.com) inferno* and flame* visual effects tools were awarded a Scientific and Engineering Award Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for their influence upon the advancement of the motion picture industry.
---> Tuner-On-A-Chip
It’s not quite as good as toast-on-a-stick, but start-up MicroTune (http://www.microtune.com has created a single chip solution for set-top boxes and televisions that incorporates the dozen or so chips required to filter RF TV signals
---> Artel and Miranda To Work Together
Digital pipe-maker Artel Video Systems (http://www.artel.com) and digital video conversion equipment manufacturer Miranda Technologies (http://www.miranda.com) to create products aimed at making the truly networked video facility a reality, combining analog, digital and Ethernet streams.
3D TECHNOLOGY
---> 3D Animation Software Market
Digital Producer Magazine (http://www.digitalproducer.com/pages/jon_peddie_1.htm) ran some market stats on the 3D-animation software market from 3D-market analyst Jon Peddie Associates (http://www.jpa.com)
Animation software plug-ins had the steepest growth curve, with 400K units ($231M) expected in 2001, up from 50K this year. The Prosumer sector expected a more modest increase to 200K ($139M) units from 100K and the professional market was essentially flat 125K ($550M) from 75K. NT was the dominant platform by a wide margin, dwarfing all the others.
---> Kodak/Intel License Meta-Flash from MetaCreations
Eastman Kodak and Intel have separately licensed technology from software maker MetaCreations (http://www.metacreations.com) that is able to create 3D models from flat images. "Meta-Flash 3D" is a flash and software that converts digital pictures into texture-mapped 3-D wire frame models.
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SUBSCRIPTIONS
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.
The cost is $49 per quarter billed to your MasterCard, Visa or American Express card. You may cancel anytime you like for a pro-rated refund. I regret that the administrative billing overhead prohibits me from accepting checks and purchase orders. Corporate site licenses can be negotiated. Students, Schools and other educational facilities may receive the NewsWire at no charge.
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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, which are gleaned from press releases, print and online magazines and the Inquisit Information Service.
