Smile.....
SANYO Steps into the Portable Player
Market for Digital Music Delivery
Tokyo, August 23, 1999---SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. officially announced the introduction of a digital
music delivery device portable player (portable player) that can playback digital music, including
transmissions via Internet. SANYO is aiming towards introduction to the global market in the spring of
2000.
Employing the DSP technology developed by Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) of the United States and the
security technology developed by Liquid Audio Inc. (LA) for the development and commercialization
of portable players, allows us to develop portable players with greater capabilities and higher quality.
SANYO will aim towards development of Kiosk terminals*1, in the near future, for digital contents
delivery use in downloading to portable players over the counter.
Furthermore, SANYO will continue to proceed in product development of our entire audio equipment
selection, such as portable stereos, mini-components, car audio systems and so forth.
Concerning Portable Players
Portable players playback digital music data that is downloaded from the Internet via a PC into the
memory card. Because the magneto-optical disk is not used like a CD or MD, there is no need for a
mechanical driver, thus making it both small size and lightweight and particularly strong against shock.
Concerning the Background and Present Conditions of Portable Players
Presently, the MP3 player*2, which utilizes an audio coding standard (called MP3), is attracting
interest in the United States with a number of companies having begun to strike into market
commitments and planning for commercialization from the end of 1998. Portable players that use
semi-conductor memory are small size, lightweight and easy to use. It is said that it will change the
CD and MD market in the future, exceeding 1 million units in the global market in 1999, and it is
expected to attain 17 million units within 5 years. (SANYO estimate)
However, there are concerns about illegal copying and delivery and, at present, a completely digital
music delivery through the contents holder has not been realized. From this, the Secure Digital Music
Initiative (SDMI)*3 was formed, in February of this year, through the coming together of the global
record market and technology companies. It has advanced in the settlement of technology
specification that achieves fair and legitimate digital music delivery. On July 13th the SDMI Portable
Device Specification Part 1 Version 1.0 was announced, establishing technology specifications
related to portable playback players. In the future, we expect that products in accordance to SDMI
specifications will become mainstream.
The SDMI Portable Device Specification Part 1 Version 1.0 is being established not as a standard
technology with a specific method, but to regulate the demand prerequisite to achieve fair and
legitimate digital music delivery. Therefore, it is possible that the market will develop a plurality of methods.
Measures by SANYO and Characteristics of SANYO Portable Player
From the above-stated conditions, SANYO plans to aim at commercialization of a portable player that
can be utilized for both users, who expect to easily take in high quality music at any time, and the
content providers, who seeks legitimate digital music delivery. Through this, we think that it can
contribute to healthy growth in the digital music delivery market. The SANYO portable player excels in
its capabilities, as shown in the following points.
1)Through the employment of the multi-decoder system, the user can continue to use the portable
player without having to exchange it in the event that it employs audio coding methods which
differ, respectively, from the content providers or due to future advances in audio coding
technology. It is possible for the user to comply to the multi-decoder system without the user
being conscious of it, nor having to perform a special operation, even in the event that it employs
different variations of audio coding methods or due to evolving audio coding technology.
AAC*4, MP3, Dolby Digital*5, ePAC*6, QDesign Music*7, among others, are presently the audio
coding methods.
(Note: In case it employs Liquid Audio's security technology)
2)
The SANYO portable player employs the Secure Portable Player Platform (SP3)*8, provided by
Liquid Audio Inc., in full accordance with SDMI.Therefore, it can prevent illegal copying and
rewriting.
3)
The SANYO portable player has various capabilities that are equal to and surpass an MD player
in its basic functions, as an audio player, such as extended playback, high sound quality, its
small size and its being lightweight.
The SDMI Part 2 is scheduled to be established in March of 2000 as a technology specification
related to equipment involving recording. SANYO, Liquid Audio Inc. and TI will cooperate towards
the establishment of SDMI Part 2.
Texas Instruments Inc. Technology
Texas Instruments Inc. programmable DSP*9 is very suitable to achieve this multi-decoder system.
Receiving a supply of the latest DSP in development from Texas Instruments Inc. made it possible for
SANYO to achieve in creating portable players with a multi-decoder.
Liquid Audio Inc. Technology
Liquid Audio Inc. developed the Secure Portable Player Platform (SP3) for digital music delivery. It
prevents illegal copying and rewriting by crypting the controls through an ID for memory cards and so
forth. This is a technology that is a standard in full accordance with the SDMI guidelines.
Summary of Texas Instruments Inc.
Headquarters' Location: Dallas, Texas, USA
President: Thomas J. Engibous
Yearly Sales: Approximately $8,460,000,000 (Fiscal Year 1/1/98 to 12/31/98)
?? Number of Employees: Approximately 34,000
Details of Business:
Texas Instruments Inc. is a global semi-conductor enterprise. It leads the world in both
Digital Signal Processor (DSP) solution design (the engine that propels the digitalization of
electronics) and its supply. It also has developed business enterprises in a wide variety of
fields, from calculators to control devices, metallurgic materials and digital light processing
technology. It produces and sells its products in over 25 countries around the world.
Summary of Liquid Audio Inc.
Headquarters' Location: 2221 Broadway Redwood City, California 94063, USA
President: Gerald W. Kearby
Capital Assets: $71,109,000 (as of 3/31/99)
?? Yearly Sales: $ 2,803,000 (Fiscal Year 1/1/98 to 12/31/98)
?? Number of Employees: 101 (as of 6/30/99)
?? Details of Business:
?@
Liquid Audio Inc. provides software and services for digital delivery of music over the
Internet.
FOR REFERENCE ONLY
Explanation of Terminology
*1-Kiosk Terminals for Digital Contents Delivery Use
They are terminals for downloading, searching for multimedia information of text, images, music and
so forth, that the user operates and which are set up chiefly in convenience stores, record shops
and other public institutions. Through the development of audio coding and network technologies,
music, which a person wants to hear, can be listened to and purchased in units, using the terminal.
*2-MP3
It is the international standard of audio coding that was established by MPEG, the working group of
the International Standards Organization (ISO). [MPEG-1/Audio Layer 3(ISO/IEC standard 1172-3)].
This audio coding can provide a compression ratio of 1/10-1/12.
*3-Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI)
The organization began in February of 1999 for the purpose of combining technology specifications
that protect digital music distribution against illegal copying. Beginning with the contents holder, the
Recording Industry Association America (RIAA) has over 110 companies participating, which
includes hardware, software and system related companies.
*4-AAC
It is the international standard of audio coding that was established by MPEG, the working group of
the International Standards Organization (ISO). [MPEG-2/Advanced Audio Coding (ISO/IEC standard
13818-7)]. It has capabilities that equal to and surpass the MP3 in compression ratio and also sound
quality and will be employed as an audio coding technology for digital satellite broadcasting in Japan.
*5-Dolby Digital
An audio coding method developed by Dolby Laboratories Inc.
(http://www.dolby.com/)
*6- ePAC (enhanced Perceptual Audio Coder)
An audio coding method developed by Lucent Technologies.
(http://www.lucent.com)
*7-QDesign Music
An audio coding method developed by QDesign Co.
(http://www.qdesign.com/)
*8-Secure Portable Player Platform (SP3)
It is technology developed by Liquid Audio Inc. that has functions, which prevent illegal copying of
digital music delivery, achieved by the portable player.
*9-Programmable DSP
A high capability Digital Signal Processor (DSP) which is developed and sold by Texas Instruments
Inc., the world leader in DSP.
All rights reserved. copyright(c) SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. 1999 |
