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

To: BillyG who wrote (48223)	1/11/2000 2:58:00 PM
From: Black-Scholes	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 50808

FredE, now are you happy? Seems like CUBE's R&D Dept. has been reading your posts.

To: BillyG who wrote (48223)	1/11/2000 3:00:00 PM
From: DiViT	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 50808

C-Cube tests DVR waters Preps single-chip codec for digital video recorders -- C-Cube tests DVR waters Margaret Quan 01/10/2000 Electronic Engineering Times Page 30 Copyright 2000 CMP Publications Inc. MILPITAS, CALIF. - C - Cube Microsystems Inc. will sample a single-chip codec this month for use in consumer digital video applications, such as digital video recorders (DVRs). C - Cube expects to have the DVxcel MPEG-2 device in volume production in the second quarter. Priced at $29 in large quantities, the codec is expected to enable $299 DVR devices, including standalone DVD/optical disk and digital VHS recorders, as well as digital set-top boxes with built-in DVR functionality. Based on C - Cube 's DVX codec architecture, the DVxcel is built in 0.22-micron process technology and simultaneously encodes/decodes broadcast-quality video. Unlike the company's previous-generation DVxplore MPEG-2 codec, which featured a PCI bus interface, the DVxcel is designed for embedded applications and has a conventional host interface for 16- and 32-bit microcontrollers. The device integrates separate bit-stream I/O ports for direct connection to peripherals. C - Cube said the codec can eliminate extra logic between chips, thus saving system cost. It also reduces the computational load on a system processor, freeing it for other applications. Patrick Henry, vice president of marketing and systems solutions for the Home Media Division of C - Cube , said the company expects to work with consumerelectronics manufacturers on standalone DVR/DVD and VHS boxes, and with service providers and set-top box manufacturers that plan to offer recording and time-shifting as enhanced set-top features. C - Cube expects DVxcel to benefit from several trends, such as set-tops' entry into the retail market, and the bundling of services by providers such as TiVo Inc., which offers time-shifting of television programs. C - Cube sees its relationships with service providers becoming more important in the next two to three years as DVR becomes a standard feature of set-top boxes, Henry said. Though considered a pioneer in the MPEG-1 decoder market, C - Cube hasn't experienced top-line revenue growth from that market due to quickly falling prices in the limited market for MPEG-1 decoders, Henry said. But C - Cube expects growth in DVR, DVD and set-top box markets to increase its top-line revenue by 40 percent in 2000 and projects further growth in 2001, Henry said. January 10, 2000

To: BillyG who wrote (48223)	1/11/2000 3:00:00 PM
From: Peter V	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 50808

So this application requires a decoder at the receiving end. Since most PCs don't have decoders, this is a business application for those who can afford it, and may eventually be a home user option for those with decoder chips or software decoding (with a fast PC). Are there software MPEG decoders now available? I know there are software DVD decoders, but would they work with this kind of video? Is an MPEG software decoder a simple program that could be written as a plug-in? I'm just trying to think of how this product could start flying out the door immediately, rather than wait for companies to start building video networks. That requires broad-based applications, such as internet video transmission that can be decoded by a PC without excessive cost. I can also envision this being used by settop boxes to grab video off DSL or cable modem feeds, but again, that's a build-out issue. C'mon guys, how can we sell millions of these chips? Today . . .