TI expected to unveil enhanced DSP technology
07/17/2000
By Leah Beth Ward / The Dallas Morning News
Texas Instruments Inc. is expected to announce on Monday a variation on its digital signal processor technology that will enhance digital still cameras with audio and video capabilities.
According to Dallas-based TI, manufacturers who install their cameras with the TI single-chip processor will be able offer customers the ability to record video clips with audio, and download and play music from the Internet.
The chip supports most major formats, including MP3.
Cameras with the TI chip will be available in retail stores by the fourth quarter of the year.
The company said it has agreements with several leading digital camera manufacturers but declined to name them until the product is in shipment.
Because the chip is programmable, consumers will be able to add upgrades to the cameras by downloading and installing the software from the camera maker's Web site, the company said.
"We believe that this approach provides camera manufacturers with the functionality they require and the flexibility to differentiate their products in addressing several target markets," said Will Strauss, president of research firm Forward Concepts.
According to International Data Corp., the digital still camera market is growing 40 to 50 percent a year. Analyst Ron Glaz said TI's new chip will prompt the industry to diversify and expand its product line.
Kun Lin, vice president of the worldwide imaging business unit at TI, said the chip is part of the company's strategy to spread DSPs into high-growth markets such as imaging.
"We expect that the combination of TI's world leading DSP technology, innovative software solutions and imaging systems know-how will have a profound impact in the digital still camera space, in addition to the converging Internet appliance space."
The company also expects applications for the chip to develop in other consumer markets, such as scanners, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless devices, digital video camcorders and photo printers.
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