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

To: BillyG who wrote (50547)	1/6/2001 9:10:15 AM
From: John Rieman	Respond to of 50808

DVD chips at CES.................................. siliconstrategies.com New DVD chips to debut at Consumer Electronics Show By Mark LaPedus Semiconductor Business News (01/05/01 20:46 p.m. EST) LAS VEGAS -- From early indications on the chip front, the theme of this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) here will center on the mad rush to develop new and integrated DVD ICs. In fact, several companies--including C-Cube, Genesis, National Semiconductor, Sage, and others--today got a jump on the CES event by separately rolling out a flurry of DVD chips and related ICs for use in set-top boxes, standalone devices, and PCs. Chip makers rolled out their products one day before the CES event, which runs from Jan. 6-9. Vendors are rushing into the market for good reason. While sales of cellular-phones and PCs are slowing down, the DVD market is exploding, said Jim Feldhan, president of Semico Research Corp. in Phoenix. "The DVD market is doing very well," he said. "DVDs are also moving into new markets like PCs. Mid-range notebooks are also integrating DVD players as well." In 2000, consumers bought more than 9.8 million DVD players--which is 2.8 times as many as were purchased in 1999, according to figures from DVD Entertainment Group (DEG) of Los Angeles. The DEG predicts that DVD hardware shipments will reach 13 million units in 2001, bringing the total installed base of these systems to more than 27 million units. DVD players are also the hottest selling home entertainment products. In the fourth quarter of 2000, DVD players outsold CD players by a factor of 3:1 and VCRs by a ratio of 7:1, DEC said. Other DVD-related markets are hot as well. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) reports that nearly 9 million DVD-video set-top players shipped during the year 2000. "DVD-video is reinvigorating the home video industry," said Emiel Petrone, chairman of DEG and executive vice president Philips Entertainment Group. "In fact, the entire home theater category is experiencing a lift from the introduction of DVD as evidenced by recent increases in home theater sales," he said. Chip makers are also jumping on the bandwagon. In fact, several supplier have rolled out products a day before the show. Here are some of the early announcements: C-Cube Microsystems Inc., Milpitas, Calif., here today rolled out a manufacturing kit that enables OEMs to quickly develop dual-deck optical disc players that combines MPEG video, CD audio recording, and DVD playback. The DVD&MORE product line will give OEMs the ability to create custom audio and video content. Faroudja, a division of Sage Inc. of Milpitas, rolled out the Native Rate Series Video Processor. The chip is specifically designed to optimize the performance of digital LCD, plasma displays, and other products in home theatre systems. Genesis Microchip Inc., San Jose, today rolled out three video processing chips for dual-channel, video-scan conversion applications. Geared for digital television (DTV), high-definition television (HDTV), flat-panel television (FPTV), and digital versatile disc (DVD) markets, the processors also provide progressive-scan TV and picture-in-picture functions. The chips include the gm6010, gm6015, and gm6020. National Semiconductor Corp., Santa Clara, Calif., today expanded its DVD-on-a-chip product lines by announcing the latest members of its Mediamatics family of decode/display audio ICs. The NDV8601 provides on-chip progressive-scan functions in systems, while the NDV8602 provides audio for MP3 and karaoke systems. The NDV8603 provides higher-end audio capabilities, while the NDV8611 and NDV8613 handle content protection functions.