3/1/99
BILL FERSTER’S VIDEOGRAPHICS NEWSWIRE
ISSUE 99-5
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
---> nVidia Reports Record Sales/Earnings
Proving they are indeed the current kings of the 3D-accelerator chip market, the makers of the well-received RIVA TNT 3D chip, nVidia (http://www.nvidia.com) reported a 178% jump in sales this quarter. They earned $8M on $66M in sales, as compared to last year’s $1.4M on $24M.
---> AutoDesk Has Record Revenues
Leading CAD software maker AutoDesk (http://www.autodesk.com) reported earning $25M on sales of $189M this quarter, as compared to $27M on sales of $181M for the same period last year. The increase was attributed both to strong AutoCAD and Kinetix sales.
IMAGING
---> New Panoramic Imaging System
In an apparent move to circumvent IPIX’s panoramic imaging patent, which uses 180-degree fisheye lenses to create seamless panoramic images for immersive environments, Infinite Pictures and Kaidan (http://www.smoothmove.com) have joined up to create the "SmoothMove Spherical Photo Solution." The $1,500 hardware/software solution uses 10 photos circulated by a special tripod head shot with a 14-degree lens and stitched together using Windows software.
---> Adobe Announces Quark-Killer
Adobe Systems (http://www.adobe.com) announced a new high-end page layout product, presumably aimed directly at Quark’s leading QuarkXpress software. The $750 "InDesign" will be available this summer.
---> Digital Camera Market Booming
A report from market researcher IDC (http://www.idc.com) predicted that the market for digital cameras will grow at a 72% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) by the year 2002. They attribute the growth to the video conferencing and video mail applications, fueled by lower cost cameras (prices dropping from $147 to $67), FireWire and DV’s continuing popularity and higher speed bandwidth Internet access.
---> Auto Focus of Projectors
AutoGraf (http://www.autograf.se) has created a system that will automatically keep theatre projectors in focus via image processing. The CCD-based system adjusts the lens mechanically based on processing a designated area on the screen
BROADCAST / POST-PRODUCTION
---> Pinnacle’s Deko CG Goes HD
Pinnacle Systems (http://www.pinnaclesys.com) well-regarded Deko line of networkable, Windows-based character generators has broadened its reach by offering the "FXDeko HD", a system capable of reaching the HD 1080I and 720P resolutions.
---> Media 100 Ships NT-Based Editors
Nonlinear editing system maker Media 100 (http://www.media100.com) made good on its promise to deliver NT-based editors to accompany their primarily Mac-based editors. The "Finish" series comes as a board and software bundle, ranging in price from $5,000 to $20,000, and include CCIR 601, 1394, component, Y/C, and composite video inputs, and 4 channels of audio.
---> Ligos Offers Fast MPEG2 S/W Codec
Ligos Technology (http://www.ligos.com) claims that their software-only MPEG2 codec, the "GoMotion Software Codec" can encode D1 sized MPEG2 images in real time, when using a Pentium III. They take advantage of the new Katmai SIMD instruction set on the new chips.
3D TECHNOLOGY
---> OZ.COM to Use Virtue 3D Compression
The maker of the Fluid3D streaming 3D technology, Oz.Com (http://www.oz.com) has licensed a geometric component compression technology from Virtue (http://www.virtue3d.com) to speed up the transmission of 3D scenes over low-bandwidth pipes. The "VCompress" technology claims to have a 10-fold advantage over other technologies, such as zip for 10 times the compression of traditional formats such as zipped for mesh geometry, connectivity, normals, texture coordinates and colors.
---> Platinum Opens VRML Browser Source Code
The makers of the InterVista and CosmoPlayer (formerly owned by SGI) VRML browsers, Platinum Technology (http://www.platinum.com) will submit the source code to these products for access by the Web3D Consortium (http://www.web3d.org) site.
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SUBSCRIPTIONS
Bill Ferster’s VideoGraphics NewsWire is published 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.
