Sigma Designs Unveils New Family of Products for Playing
Networked Video
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 10, 1997--
Over two dozen corporations demonstrate Sigma's new
technology in their
booths at Networld+Interop, October 8-10, Atlanta, GA.
Sigma Designs, Inc. (Nasdaq:SIGM) today disclosed its plans for the next generation in corporate
MPEG products. Developed in cooperation with over three dozen leading network hardware and
software vendors, the new REALmagic Netstream family will offer a wide variety of options for
delivering video to corporate desktops using Windows 95 and NT.
The new products include specialized hardware and software developed specifically for the
demanding needs of networked video and can be used for both video on demand and broadcast
video playback. The new Netstream family will feature support for Microsoft ActiveMovie and
DirectShow 2.0. These APIs are used by most leading full-screen video servers, including
Microsoft's NetShow FSV, the Oracle Video Server, the Silicon Graphics WebForce Media
Server, Sun's MediaCenter, the Starlight Starcaster, First Virtual V-Cast, InfoValue QuickVideo,
and a wide variety of other hardware and software products for streaming stored and live video.
''The fact that companies such as Microsoft, Silicon Graphics and Oracle are offering
MPEG-based, full-motion video servers indicates a tremendous increase in the demand for
network-ready MPEG decoders,'' says Prem Talreja, Sigma Designs, Inc. Vice President of
Marketing. ''Offering a plug-and-play MPEG decoder that works seamlessly with virtually every
video server on the market offers our customers a flexible choice that enables them to combine
server technologies to meet their needs.''
Netstream hardware features include support for audio, VGA and TV output, with hardware
decompression and playback of both audio and video. By handling both audio and video, Netstream
keeps the CPU free to perform other tasks, such as using a spreadsheet or word processor while
video is playing in a window. Keeping the CPU freed up is critical in a wide variety of network
video applications, which frequently need to use the Pentium CPU for tasks such as network data
transfer, desktop productivity software, interactive applications, and MPEG encoders used in
distance learning. Perhaps most importantly, customers consistently report that using Sigma's
hardware provides the best video quality.
About Sigma Designs, Inc.
Sigma Designs entered the multimedia market in 1993 with products based on the MPEG (Moving
Picture Experts Group) standard for compressing and decompressing digital audio and video signals.
Since then, Sigma has been a driving force behind advancement of MPEG technology used in
multimedia PCs on the market today. Sigma Designs' products include affordable MPEG video and
audio decoding hardware. All Sigma Designs' products are sold worldwide through a direct sales
force, distributors, and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). For additional information, call
800/845-8086 or 510/770-0100, fax: 510/770-2640, or visit Sigma's Web site at
sigmadesigns.com.
Note to Editors: Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this
release are forward-looking statements subject to risks and uncertainties, including the timely
introduction and market acceptance of Sigma's products, the impact of competitive products and
pricing, and other risk factors detailed from time to time in the company's SEC reports, including the
report on Form 10-K for the year ended Jan. 31, 1997 and on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
July 31, 1997.
REALmagic and Netstream are trademarks of Sigma Designs. Other products and companies
referred to herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
Contact:
S&S Public Relations, Inc.
Lauren Finkelman/Sophia Chee, 800/287-2279
Fax: 312/266-8247
lauren_finkelman@compuserve.com
sophia_chee@compuserve.com
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