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Technology Stocks : C-Cube -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: John Rieman who wrote (44483)	9/6/1999 8:58:00 AM
From: Maya	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 50808

C-Cube Drives Significant Advances in HD Broadcast Enables Market for HD Video Production MILPITAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 6, 1999--C-Cube Microsystems (Nasdaq:CUBE - news), today announced the industry's first and only high definition CODEC (encoder/decoder) platform architecture for both broadcast and video production. The DVx-HD(TM) platform will enable first generation HD video production systems and allow significant advances in the next generation of HD broadcast encoder systems. C-Cube's DVx-HD platform offers the industry's most sophisticated high definition image processing technique -- HDScan(TM). In addition, DVx-HD addresses all predominant high definition compression formats as well as the international broadcast standards (ATSC, DVB and ISDB), allowing system manufacturers to efficiently penetrate HD broadcast and video production applications. ``Our goal is to pave the way for manufacturers to succeed in the HD market,' notes Umesh Padval, president of C-Cube's Semiconductor Division. ``We are providing the industry's most efficient encoding process for visibly superior image quality while simplifying the transition from SD to HD.' ``C-Cube's announcement marks another significant leap in technology for film and television production,' said Rose ODonnell, chief technology officer, Avid Technology. ``The DVx-HD platform offers exceptionally high-quality, compressed images at a fraction of uncompressed bandwidths and storage costs. At the same time, it addresses some of the critical market issues needed to establish an infrastructure for the creation and transmission of HD content.' High Definition Video High definition video is more complex to encode than standard definition video, requiring an order of magnitude increase in computing power over SD encoding. C-Cube's DVx-HD platform architecture accomplishes this task with an efficient multi-chip configuration, making it scalable to address the predominant MPEG-2 4:2:0 and 4:2:2 chroma HD formats as well as 1080i, 1080p, 720p and 480p image sizes. Advanced Image Processing Technique Within the platform, C-Cube has incorporated a proprietary image processing technique, called HDScan, for an efficient multi-chip encoder configuration that produces superior image quality. HDScan unifies the video image by passing MPEG reference information about the encoding process to each chip in the platform. By sharing bit-rate information across the chip-set, the DVx-HD encoder enables a high level of motion prediction as well as unified rate control for the highest quality image at significant bandwidth savings. Easy Migration from SD to HD The platform supports both SD and HD, allowing manufacturers to use one system for the migration from one format to another as well as to allow production and transmission of SD and HD from within a single system. For broadcasters, this multi-format capability optimizes bandwidth efficiency by allowing them to transmit one 1080i HD channel or multiple SD channels. They can also choose to broadcast at 480p or 720p, and use the remaining bandwidth to simultaneously transmit standard definition channels. Specific to video production, the DVx-HD platform supports high bit-rate mezzanine compression, a requirement for non-linear editing. As a CODEC, it allows encoding and decoding of MPEG-2 4:2:2 HD video content (up to 300 Mbits throughput) for multi-generation editing and archival. DVx-HD uses C-Cube's industry proven and widely adopted API (Application Programming Interface). C-Cube customers may leverage their R&D investment in C-Cube's standard definition technology when they make the shift to high definition. By re-using technology, manufacturers achieve lower costs and faster time to market. The platform is software extensible for support of newly emerging HD standards, providing manufacturers with a comprehensive HD roadmap. Availability C-Cube will introduce the first DVx-HD based broadcast product at IBC 1999. biz.yahoo.com