The Compcore/Zoran news is not new. Softpeg 1 shipped on 7 million PCs before the end of 1996. It's just part of the bundled software. Softpeg2 will ship on most in the future. The real news was that ATI is selling an accelerator Chip to Compaq............................................
INTEL'S MMXr TECHNOLOGY SUPPORTED BY COMPCORE'S LATEST MPEG-2/AC-3 SOFTWARE
Zoran Corporation today announced that its subsidiary, CompCore Multimedia, has released its SoftPEG-2 MPEG-2/AC-3 player for use with Intel's Pentium processor with MMXr technology which was introduced today.
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - January 8, 1997 - SoftPEG-2 is CompCore's MPEG-2 video and Dolby Digital (AC-3) audio decoder software that generates very high quality video and audio playback on PCs equipped with Intel's MMX technology. The MPEG-2 decoder plays video content at a full 720 X 480 resolution. SoftPEG-2's Dolby Digital audio decoder produces four channel Prologic Surround Sound audio through standard two channel PC audio cards. CompCore's Dolby Digital decoder was the first software certified by Dolby Laboratories. Using SoftPEG-2, users can play MPEG-2 movies without specialized decoder chips or boards. At Comdex in November, Intel's President and CEO, Andy Grove, demonstrated CompCore's MPEG-2/AC-3 technology on a system playing the popular Time Warner movies, Twister and Space Jam.
"Intel's Pentium processor with MMX technology, introduced today, accelerates video processing, using applications such as CompCore's MPEG-2 software ," said Mike Amar, vice president and general manager, Desktop Products Group, Intel Corp. "Used in conjunction with Intel's MMX technology, SoftPEG-2 will offer consumers exciting new entertainment applications on the PC without requiring specialized hardware."
SoftPEG-2 is CompCore's follow-on to its extremely popular MPEG-1 software product called SoftPEG. SoftPEG runs on most of today's Pentium processor-based systems and has been licensed by fifty companies worldwide with an installed base of over 7 million units. SoftPEG-2 builds upon CompCore's successful track record in MPEG-1 software and MPEG-2 hardware technology. "CompCore has been working closely with Intel over the past year to provide the most efficient MPEG-2 video decoding capabilities in software," said George Haber, executive vice president of Zoran Corporation. "SoftPEG-2 will help enrich the PC users' video and audio entertainment experience and advance the introduction of DVD applications on the PC." SoftPEG-2 is available today to qualified OEM customers. SoftPEG-2 is also an integral component of CompCore's SoftDVD software, which will include DVD Navigation, a graphical user interface and copyright protection capabilities. SoftDVD is planned to be available late first quarter 1997.
Zoran Corporation (NASDAQ:ZRAN) develops and markets integrated circuits and software for digital video and audio applications enabled by compression. CompCore Multimedia Inc., a leading provider of software and hardware cores for MPEG products, was formally acquired by Zoran Corporation on December 27, 1996. Zoran's product lines include JPEG codecs, MPEG video decoders, Dolby AC-3 and MPEG audio decoders and real-time DVD and Video CD software for the PC. The company's software is bundled by PC and graphic systems manufacturers for software-only or hardware assisted DVD ROM or Video CD playback software on the PC. Current applications for Zoran IC products include professional and consumer video editing systems, PC-based and stand-alone Video CD systems, DVD-ROM and stand-alone players, digital audio systems, and filmless digital cameras. Established in 1983, the company is headquartered in Santa Clara, California and has operations in Haifa, Israel. Zoran's technologies have been adopted by many of the world's largest manufacturers including Acer, ATI, AT&T, Avid Technology, Cirrus Logic, Diamond Multimedia, Dolby, FujiFilm, Fujitsu, Hitachi, IBM, Kenwood, Matrox, Matsushita, Miro Computer, NEC, Packard Bell, Pioneer, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, Yamaha and many others. For more information about Zoran, call (408) 986-1314.
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SoftPEG and SoftDVD are trademarks of Zoran Corporation
Pentium is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation
MMX is a trademark of Intel Corporation
Dolby Digital is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories, Inc.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies. |
