Faroudja Collaborates withMadOnion.com to Develop the Industry's First Comprehensive VideoBenchmark
February 14, 2000 09:00 AM
TORONTO, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 14, 2000--MadOnion.com (formerly Futuremark Corporation), the leading provider of PC performance and upgrade information, today announced the release of Video2000. Developed in co-operation with Faroudja, Inc. FDJA , Video2000 is the first and only video benchmark that objectively measures the video quality, features and performance of desktop video streams.
Video2000 enables users to evaluate the quality, feature set and performance of the video-playback capabilities of their personal computer. With Video2000, users gain the information needed to upgrade, make informed purchasing decisions, and optimize the performance of their PCs for today's robust multimedia applications.
"Faroudja, a world leader in high performance video processing technologies, was the ideal partner, enabling MadOnion.com to deliver the industry's first measurement tool for desktop video streaming," said Nathan Harley, Vice President of Marketing, MadOnion.com. "The combination of MadOnion.com's proven benchmark technology with Faroudja's extensive video processing expertise has made the creation of this landmark benchmark possible."
"We applaud the achievement of MadOnion.com which directly supports our continuing efforts to elevate the public's video quality consciousness," said Dr. Nikhil Balram, Faroudja's Vice President of Advanced Technology. "MadOnion.com's release of an objective measurement tool for PC video quality will help manufacturers and consumers understand and appreciate the basic building blocks of high quality video."
"We welcome Video2000 because in defining a benchmark for video, it helps to increase the overall quality of video content delivered to consumers on the PC platform," said Dave Marsh, technical evangelist for TV and Video, Microsoft Corp. "This is particularly important as we start to see the PC architecture being used in more video entertainment devices."
Video2000 features include: advanced image quality tests, graphics, bus and memory performance tests, and CPU-performance tests. With all these tests built in, Video2000 provides an excellent overview of a system's capabilities whether the desired end-use is DVD-playback, video-conferencing or video editing.
Key Features of Video2000 include:
-- Task-focused results for areas such as DVD, encoding & decoding
MPEG2, HDTV, Netmeeting and Home Theater -- Advanced image quality tests for analyzing the quality of
video-playback in all situations -- Thorough video subsystem performance analysis -- A capability-check to evaluate the limitations and extra features
the graphics subsystem offers -- A real-world MPEG-2 encoding-test to assess the CPU-power
available to perform software-based video-compression, effects or
other tasks. -- Video Decoder Quality Tests to enable the user to gain knowledge
about the accuracy and quality of the DVD-playback solution that
is available on the system -- Runs under the new DirectX7 and DirectShow
Video2000 was developed in co-operation with over 25 IT industry manufacturers via MadOnion.com's beta program, in order to ensure the best possible testing methodology and compatibility.
Pricing and Availability
Video2000 will be available for public download free of charge from madonion.com at 4 p.m. PST on the 14th of February 2000. In addition to the full and comprehensive benchmarking features in Video2000, MadOnion.com will also release the enhanced commercial Professional version of Video2000 for demanding benchmarking professionals, including a Professional Result Browser tool with full Windows compatibility. Offering a local result browser suitable for lab testing and corporate environments, the Professional Version will be priced at $29.99 US.
About Faroudja, Inc.
Faroudja, Inc. FDJA is a world leader in high performance video processing technologies for markets requiring superior image quality solutions. The company provides innovative products for the HDTV broadcast, home theater, digital television, PC/TV convergence and digital display markets. Faroudja's technologies are protected by more than 60 patents. Faroudja has received numerous awards, including an Emmy award for Engineering Development and a Lifetime Achievement Emmy, presented in June 1998 to its founder, Yves Faroudja.
About MadOnion.com
MadOnion.com, the leading provider of PC performance and upgrade information. MadOnion.com's online benchmarks are powered by an Internet-based engine that contains thousands of results, enabling users to compare their performance with a global community. MadOnion.com's world-famous 3DMark technology was first released in October 1998 and has become the global standard for measuring 3D gaming performance with 10 million users worldwide. MadOnion.com has offices in San Jose, Toronto and Helsinki.
3DMark(TM), Futuremark(TM), MadOnion.com(TM) are trademarks of MadOnion.com formerly Futuremark Corporation, Ltd. MAX-FX Technology(TM) is a trademark of Remedy Entertainment, Ltd. All other brands and names are property of their respective owners.
For more information please refer to madonion.com or contact:
CONTACT: MadOnion.com Nathan Harley, 416/972-6275 nathan@MadOnion.com or High Road Communications Sarah Burns, 416/368-8348 sburns@highrd.com
|
