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

To: CPAMarty who wrote (24508)	10/27/1997 9:25:00 PM
From: John Rieman	Respond to of 50808

While some are selling the stock, C-Cube's sales department is busy selling Quality...................................... ijumpstart.com DVD Video Benchmarking Plans Are in the Works: Companies Want To Assess MPEG-2 Quality <Picture><Picture><Picture> Executives with C-Cube Microsystems Inc. [CUBE] and a few other companies are seeking the expertise of an impartial third party to determine benchmarks for DVD video quality. Hoping to do for video what Dolby did for audio, the goal is to give manufacturers an objective measurement of DVD video quality, which they can highlight on their product boxes to indicate they have met certain requirements. In addition, a quantitative benchmark would help spell out for consumers the different levels of DVD quality and price available. "If there is no real measurement of quality, consumers might be shortchanged," said Clint Chao, C-Cube's director of marketing. "Someone might see a weak version that offers 10 frames per second and think that's DVD." Chao is hopeful that a DVD Video gatekeeper of sorts will motivate PC companies to have their products tested. He envisions the benchmarking process as an option for DVD PC manufacturers who want to get their products tested. "The PC guys want to get as many logos as possible on their boxes," Chao said. "We need to hurt them where they are most sensitive." Ken Wirt, vice president of marketing at Diamond Multimedia Systems Inc. [DIMD] is a proponent of the benchmarking concept. "It's worked very well in other categories, even in areas where it's very subjective like 3D," he said. Mike Schmit, software manager for Zoran Corp. [ZRAN], said his company has an informal internal testing program and "would welcome and participate in an industry wide effort." Chao believes the benchmark also would give PC manufacturers an extra incentive to add high-quality DVD options to their products. "I'd hate to see DVD turn into a checklist," he said. "It would be a huge failure for the PC market and nobody would make any money on it." Seeking Objectivity But the company that determines the paramters for quality, including measurements such as frame rate, must be one that has no stake in the outcome. "I don't see us becoming the gatekeeper because it would look a little self serving," Chao said. Ziff Davis is one of the companies C-Cube is talking with about establishing a rating for DVD video quality. "We consider DVD important, and we're trying to figure out the best way to evaluate it," said Bill Catchings, director of ZD benchmark operation. (C-Cube; 408/944-6300; Diamond; 408/325-7000; Ziff Davis, 919/380-2820; Zoran; 408/919-4111.)