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C-Cube Again Advances VideoCD Market with Industry's Highest Level of Integration in a Single-Chip VideoCD Solution
Panasonic/Matsushita, Samsung and Other Leading VideoCD OEMs Adopt C-Cube's CL680 Advanced VideoCD Decoder for Next Generation Players
MILPITAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 6, 1997--C-Cube Microsystems Inc. (NASDAQ: CUBE) today introduced the CL680 Advanced VideoCD Decoder, the most highly integrated VideoCD system decoder available for the growing VideoCD market.
The CL680 is the world's first single-chip VideoCD decoder to integrate an NTSC/PAL encoder, raising the standard for highly
integrated solutions in the consumer electronics market and leading next generation players to market.
In addition to increased system integration and improvements to C-Cube's acclaimed ClearView error concealment technology,
the CL680 is the first VideoCD decoder to deliver advanced audio features unique to the CL680 and sets a new price/performance
standard.
By integrating these special features as well as ancillary components, the CL680 lets manufacturers build VideoCD players that deliver advanced functionality while reducing their overall bill of materials. Several top VideoCD manufacturers have chosen C-Cube's CL680 for future VideoCD players including Panasonic/Matsushita in Japan, Samsung in Korea and the DSP Center, a leading Chinese VideoCD design house.
"C-Cube has once again set a new quality standard for VideoCD," said Susumu Kinoshita, VCD development manager for the audio division at Panasonic/Matsushita. "The CL680, with its integrated NTSC/PAL encoder, simplifies our ability to create the highest quality VideoCD player designs."
"VideoCD has evolved into an exciting entertainment market for the Chinese consumer," said Chang Yup Joo, VideoCD business manager at Samsung. "C-Cube continues to drive this market by aggressively integrating more and more of the player system functionality while adding valuable new features. By further integrating C-Cube's VideoCD decoder, C-Cube is enabling Samsung to quickly deliver affordable players that continually enhance the experience for the consumer."
Using advanced mixed signal technology, the CL680 integrates an NTSC/PAL color encoder with an MPEG-1 audio and video decoder to provide the highest level of integration and most advanced feature-set available anywhere in the world for the VideoCD player market.
"VideoCD manufacturers are continuously looking for ways to add value to their products," said Hou Zi Qiang, general manager for DSP Center. "C-Cube understands both the importance of integration, and focuses on integrating the features most desired by consumers. This flexibility allows manufacturers to develop competitively-priced VideoCD players to provide end users with features unavailable in other systems."
"The CL680 ushers in a revolutionary new product class to the VideoCD market," said Alex Daly, vice president of marketing for C-Cube Microsystems. "Once again C-Cube has delivered on the key VideoCD values -- quality, system cost and end-user features. The CL680 reduces overall system complexity, significantly improves viewing and listening quality, and delivers the Wide-Sound audio experience to VideoCD consumers for the first time."
CL680 Advanced Feature-Set
In addition to C-Cube's patented and proprietary ClearView, DiscView and FlexView features, the CL680 offers On-Screen Display and CD-G as well as new features and functions to further increase integration as well as audio and video quality.
Integrated NTSC/PAL Color Encoder -- The CL680 incorporates a digital NTSC/PAL encoder providing the highest level of video quality output in the VideoCD market. By integrating the NTSC/PAL encoder, the number of system components and datapaths are reduced, allowing accurate signal separation and producing a higher quality picture. Integrating the NTSC/PAL encoder delivers significant improvements in the video quality otherwise available from today's discrete solutions.
Advanced Audio Features
--Wide Sound -- Wide-Sound audio processing creates a home theater surround sound environment for consumers.
--Stereo Key Control -- Adjusts the pitch of the audio bitstream (MPEG-1, CD-G and CDDA) by up to 24 quartertones in single
quartertone increments, eliminating the need for a separate key control IC.
--Vocal Fade -- Attenuates the vocal component of the source audio allowing a wide range of source material to be used for Karaoke. This feature allows standard CD-DA recordings to be used for Karaoke and accommodates non-standard Karaoke VideoCD titles, while eliminating the need for a separate voice cancel IC.
"Advancements in digital video quality have always been our primary focus," said Dr. Didier LeGall, vice president of R&D and chief technical officer for C-Cube Microsystems. "The company is continually recognized as the quality leader in digital video as a result of our unique understanding of digital video encoding, decoding and implementation. We have invested more than twenty man-years in ClearView technology and in VCD compatibility testing. ClearView is a continuously evolving technology."
C-Cube's VideoCD Decoder Family
ClearView
With the CL680, C-Cube has again augmented it's flagship ClearView technology. C-Cube decoders using ClearView technology are guaranteed to deliver the very best VCD picture quality to the end-user, even on VCD discs that are dirty, scratched or otherwise flawed. Over time, VCD discs tend to develop scratches and accumulate dust and fingerprints. These can result in picture tearing and blocking as well as other video artifacting.
C-Cube has invested over 20 man-years in ClearView technology and in VCD compatibility testing with a dedicated team and over 1500 "distressed" discs in their extensive VCD library. In addition, ClearView utilizes a special technique of producing two distinct frames for each decoded frame using an advanced interpolation filter, thereby reducing flicker and raster artifacts on interlaced displays.
All members of C-Cube's VideoCD system decoder family incorporate four decoders and an encoder on a single chip: CD-ROM, MPEG-1 system, MPEG-1 video, MPEG-1 audio and an NTSC/PAL encoder. This high level of integration allows system designers to convert an existing audio CD player design to a VideoCD player with only three additional chips: a C-Cube VideoCD system decoder, a 4-Mbit DRAM (dynamic random access memory) and a ROM (read only memory).
C-Cube's VideoCD decoder family supports version 2.0 of the VideoCD standard, including support for high-resolution stills (704x480/576) in only 4 Mbits of DRAM. C-Cube's VideoCD decoders consume less than one watt of power each at 3.3 volts to support portable applications. In audio-only mode, chip power consumption is reduced to less than 0.1 watt.
Availability
The CL680 has been successfully sampling for ninety days and will be available in volume this quarter.
About C-Cube Microsystems
C-Cube is the leading provider of digital video semiconductor solutions which implement international standards for digital
video, including MPEG 1 and MPEG 2. C-Cube's Emmy award-winning encoder chips form the heart of digital video networks worldwide. DiviCom Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of C-Cube Microsystems and is a leading developer of digital video networking systems for broadcast communications applications.
C-Cube Microsystems is headquartered in Milpitas, and has offices in North America, Europe, and Asia. The company employs 639 people worldwide. Its stock is traded on the NASDAQ National Market System under the symbol CUBE. C-Cube can be reached at 408/944-6300 or on the World Wide Web at c-cube.com .
Note to Editors: The C-Cube logo is a registered trademark of C-Cube Microsystems Inc. C-Cube is a trademark of C-Cube Microsystems Inc.
C-Cube has two white papers 1) "CL680 White Paper" and 2) "ClearView White Paper" which are available upon request. Please contact Mary Giani at 408/944-8628 for copies.
Investors: For investment information or to obtain copies of the above white papers, please contact Michele Kerkeles at 408/944-4213.
CONTACT: C-Cube Microsystems, Milpitas
Mary Sharpless-Giani, 408/944-8628
mary.giani@c-cube.com |
