A technical discussion about one of OAKT's products this is great!
BMC methinks youthinks wrong, with all due respect. Here is a bit of the article that I based my information on. Its from EET (Electronic Engineering Times, Feb. 24, 1997, Issue 942) My commentary follows:
>>Added to the AuraVision/Odeum solution is a complete suite of DVD
standard-compliant software features developed by Oak Technology
(Sunnyvale, Calif.). Now playing the role of key software technology
provider for PC OEMs, Oak has developed a modular DVD software platform designated as an "Interactive DVD Browser."
Oak's DVD software solution includes everything from DVD bit-stream
parser, real-time playback of AC-3/MPEG-1 audio, multiple audio tracks, real-time sub-picture decode, to DVD-ROM navigation, UDF/ISO 9660 support and multisource filter for DVD-ROM, as well as Internet
bitstreams, according to Vince Guaglianone, senior marketing manager at Oak. Guaglianone also said that navigation will be critical in PC-based DVD. Oak is the only company that can demonstrate a complete DVD 1.0-compliant navigation functionality today for PCs in software,
Guaglianone said. Zoran's Richter acknowledged Oak's lead, but said that his company's complete software DVD solution-including DVD navigator as well as MPEG-2 video and AC-3 audio decoding-will be shipped within 60 days.>> My commentary follows:
I appreciate you posting the OAKT product link of their DVD-Browser. In looking at the Block Diagram it appears that OAKT's software is inherently MPEG1 compatible and will support an external MPEG2 decoder or decryption chip (hardware). Looking at the left side bar feature of the web page it states that the DVD-Browser is Video CD 2.0 compliant. Hello! This is the buzzword for MPEG1 support. Big in China and Asia but not in the US. Looking at todays ZRAN annoucement, they categorically state that theirs is a software only MPEG2 solution that Compaq will integrate in their Presario PC's without decryption chips (additonal hardware). Again I stand by what I said, ZRAN's product is far superior. I'm still long OAKT though because I never considered this product to have a major impact on top or bottom line numbers :) |
