Friday July 9, 7:43 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
MGI Software Announces Design Win for MGI SoftDVD MAX with Major Contract Manufacturer of PCs
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 9, 1999--(TSE:MGI. - news) MGI Software Corp. today announced a major design win for its 'best-of-class' software-only DVD playback solution for the burgeoning PC DVD drive market. MGI SoftDVD MAX(TM) has been selected by one of the world's largest contract manufacturers to be included with all PC systems equipped with DVD drives shipped to its OEM customers worldwide. The manufacturer, which has asked to remain anonymous, supplies a range of electronic products and services including building PCs for various vendors including IBM and Hewlett Packard. MGI Software has a confirmed forecast from the manufacturer for approximately one million units over the next 12 months.
''This agreement is very significant for MGI, as we are supplying MGI SoftDVD MAX to a respected contract manufacturer that builds PCs for some of the top tier personal computer companies in the world,'' said Anthony DeCristofaro, president and CEO, MGI Software. ''This further verifies MGI's position as a leading player in the OEM systems market, and expands the licensing opportunities for our other solutions.''
According to industry analysts, DVD drives are replacing CD drives in PCs this year. The DVD Forum (http://www.dvdforum.org), an international association of over 100 hardware and software manufacturers and other users of the DVD format, estimates that worldwide unit shipments of DVD drives will reach about 80 million units by 2001. One of the key catalysts for the dramatic shift from CD to DVD drives in PCs, and the huge projected market growth, is the availability of software-only DVD players, including MGI SoftDVD MAX. Software-only DVD players replace expensive hardware chips that are required to decode DVD movies and content for viewing on a personal computer. Since hardware DVD movie decoders typically cost a PC manufacturer about US$50 per system, MGI SoftDVD MAX offers manufacturers a more flexible, cost-effective alternative.
About MGI SoftDVD MAX
MGI SoftDVD MAX is a robust software-only DVD decoder that runs on a broad range of 300Mhz Pentium® II-class multimedia computers, with support for most of the leading graphics and audio controllers. Beneath its sleek and intuitive VCR-type interface, MGI SoftDVD MAX supports all of the components of the DVD standard in software, including full DVD player navigation, MPEG-2 and Dolby® Digital (AC-3) decoding, video/audio synchronization, decryption, 3D audio, and more. These capabilities provide users with smooth, laser-sharp video and crystal-clear audio without any skips or clicks. With immediate support for the Microsoft® DirectShow(TM) architecture, Windows 95, 98 and NT 4.0, and twenty-four languages (including English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Japanese), MGI SoftDVD MAX enables manufacturers to rollout their systems simultaneously to a worldwide audience. In addition, MGI SoftDVD MAX is the only DVD playback solution on the market that is Web-enabled. This exclusive feature extends the DVD experience beyond the PC to the Internet, bringing DVD movie enthusiasts together to an MGI-hosted online community.
About MGI Software
MGI Software is one of the world's leading digital media companies. The company's early focus on delivering digital media editing technology to the mass market has led to leadership in the digital imaging and video editing market, with more than 19 million units of its PhotoSuite and VideoWave products shipped in retail and OEM channels spanning 25 countries. MGI Software broadened its market to business and online users of photography by acquiring the assets of Live Picture and expanded its technological leadership to encompass all digital entertainment media, including television, movies, and music, with PURE DIVA and the acquisition of Zoran's SoftDVD business.
Through its ever-growing network of partnerships with major consumer electronics manufacturers, computer hardware and software vendors, photo retailers and the entertainment industry, MGI Software is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the revolution shaping our digital lifestyles. MGI Software is headquartered in Richmond Hill, Ontario and has sales offices in the US, UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, Australia, Taiwan and Tokyo. MGI Software is publicly traded on The Toronto Stock Exchange. For more information visit mgisoft.com.
(c) MGI Software Corp., 1999. MGI, MGI PhotoSuite, MGI VideoWave, SoftDVD MAX, PURE DIVA and Live Picture are trademarks or registered trademarks of MGI Software Corp. All other company and/or product names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective manufacturers.
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