Old Zoran news, new audio..............
QSound announcement/Zoran deal
(Full text of press release from Canadian Corporate News)
JANUARY 9, 1998
Zoran and QSound Labs Announce the Immediate Availability
of QSurround(TM) 3D Audio on the Vaddis DVD Decoder
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA--QSound Labs, Inc. (NASDAQ: QSNDF) and
Zoran Corporation (NASDAQ: ZRAN) announced today the immediate
availability of QSound's QSurround(TM) 3D Audio implementation
on Zoran's Vaddis(TM) single-chip DVD decoder IC. This makes
Vaddis the world's first DVD decoder available with integrated
3D audio capability. The QSurround implementation running on
the Vaddis decoder is currently shipping in Sharp
Corporation's new DVD player, model DV-S100. The Vaddis
QSurround implementation is now available for licensing to DVD
player and PC DVD manufacturers and OEMs.
The Vaddis QSurround implementation will be demonstrated
at the CES show in Las Vegas, January 8 through 11, in the
Zoran booth, Las Vegas Convention Center, South Hall, Booth
3838. Visit QSound's Booth 6032D for demonstrations of the
company's 3D audio technology.
"We are very excited to offer the capabilities of the
QSurround implementation on the Vaddis decoder," said Dr.
Isaac Shenberg, VP of Sales and Marketing, Zoran Corporation.
"The implementation of QSurround on the Vaddis decoder is
proof of the power and flexibility of the Vaddis architecture.
By performing 3D audio together with DVD decoding on the same
chip, significant cost savings result. Our close cooperation
with QSound to offer this solution to our customers is
yielding impressive results as demonstrated in the new DVD
player from Sharp Corporation."
"We value our continued partnership with Zoran," said
David Gallagher, President of QSound Labs. "This latest
collaboration is yet another demonstration of the leading edge
technology available from both companies in the DVD market."
ON THE VADDIS DVD DECODER
The Vaddis decoder is the world's most advanced DVD
solution targeted at second generation consumer stand-alone
DVD/VideoCD/CD-DA players and PC-based DVD systems. Based on
Zoran's proprietary MPEG 2 video and Dolby Digital audio
technology, the Vaddis decoder integrates the decoding and
presentation functionality required for full implementation of
the DVD standard in a single chip. This includes DVD content
protection (CSS), Program stream demultiplexing, MPEG 2 video,
MPEG 1 video, Dolby Digital (AC-3) audio, MPEG audio, audio
and video synchronization, Linear PCM audio, Subpicture, OSD,
Letterbox, Pan-Scan and more.
The first member of the Vaddis family, the ZR36700
integrates many of the different components required in first
generation DVD systems and interfaces efficiently to the
remaining components in the system. Using a Zoran proprietary
implementation, the Vaddis decoder requires only a single 16
Mbit SDRAM for full operation. The Vaddis decoder
dramatically reduces the number of chips and the size of the
required memory thereby lowering the power consumption and
overall cost of a DVD system.
Zoran's highly integrated Vaddis decoder offers the
advanced feature set and flexibility which enables the
development of robust, powerful second generation DVD player
solutions. Addressing the needs of today's competitive
market, the Vaddis decoder implements Zoran's
SiliconSoftware(TM) architecture, based on a high-performance
DSP technology for enhanced flexibility and programmability.
This architecture enables DVD player manufacturers to add
features enabling them to differentiate their products. For
example, a 3D sound feature such as QSurround can be
implemented on the Vaddis decoder as a SiliconSoftware
application and executed simultaneously with all the other
required DVD audio decoding functions. 3D sound brings the
movie theater experience of multi-channel audio to a DVD
player or PC with just two speakers without requiring any
additional equipment or circuitry.
The Vaddis ZR36700 DVD decoder is in volume production now
and is priced at under $30 in volume quantities.
ON QSURROUND(TM)
QSurround is a patented, key enabling technology for
playback of DVD multi-channel audio providing accurate audio
positioning from two speakers. It effectively meets the
challenge of new multi-channel audio delivery formats and
enables decoded Dolby Digital (AC-3), Dolby Pro Logic or MPEG
2 information to be reproduced across the entire range of
playback systems. By creating "virtual speakers", QSurround
reproduces the full surround sound effect of multi-channel
audio so that surround sound encoded movies and music can be
enjoyed with only two speakers. QSurround is certified by
Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation for both the Dolby
Pro Logic and Dolby Digital processes.
ABOUT ZORAN
Zoran Corporation develops and markets integrated
circuits, integrated circuit "cores" and software for digital
video and audio applications enabled by compression for the PC
and consumer multimedia markets. Zoran's product lines
include JPEG codecs, MPEG and DVD decoders, Digital Audio
Signal Processors, real-time Video CD and DVD software for the
PC, and VLSI cores. The company's SoftDVD and SoftPEG
software for the software-only and hardware assisted decoding
of DVD and VideoCD on the PC is bundled by leading PC and
graphic system manufacturers. Current applications for Zoran
IC products include professional and consumer video editing
systems, filmless digital cameras, PC-based or stand-alone
VideoCD systems and DVD players, and digital audio systems.
Zoran is headquartered in Santa Clara, California with
additional operations in Haifa, Israel, Toronto, Canada, and
Tokyo, Japan.
Zoran's products and technologies have been adopted by
many of the world's largest manufacturers including Acer, ATI,
Avid Technology, Cirrus Logic, Compaq, Denon, Diamond
Multimedia, Dolby, FujiFilm, Fujitsu, Harman Kardon, Hewlett
Packard, Hitachi, IBM, Iomega, Kenwood, Marantz, Matrox,
Matsushita, miro/Pinnacle, NEC, Packard Bell, Pioneer,
Samsung, Sharp, Sony, Toshiba, Truevision, Yamaha and many
others. For more information about Zoran call (408) 919-4111
or visit our web site at www.zoran.com.
QSOUND LABS, INC.
Founded in 1988, QSound Labs, Inc. (NASDAQ: QSNDF) is an
advanced audio technology company specializing in 3D sound
placement and audio image enhancement. Based in Calgary,
Alberta, the company uses patented 3D audio technologies to
serve the home entertainment, PC/Multimedia, consumer
electronics and professional audio industries. The
technologies provide immersive, realistic environments that
include positional audio, stereo enhancement and virtual
surround sound.
PC OEMs and manufacturers and consumer electronic
manufacturers who have licensed QSound include Acer, AIWA,
Crystal Semiconductor, IBM, Sharp and Yamaha. Electronic
Arts, Microsoft, Mindscape and Sega have all employed QSound
technologies in developing video games. Musical artists
Sting, Madonna and Janet Jackson have recorded music using the
system, and television shows such as The X-Files and Ally
McBeal utilize QSound technologies during post-production.
Vaddis, ZR36700 and SiliconSoftware are a trademarks of
Zoran Corporation.
Dolby Digital is a trademark of Dolby Laboratories.
QSurround is a trademark of QSound Labs.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Zoran Contact:
David Anisman
Director of Marketing - MPEG
(408) 919-4274
davidazoran.com
zoran.com
or
Zoran Media Contact:
Carey Mitchell
Virtual Public Relations
(650) 369-7833
careyvirtualpr.com
or
Investor Contact:
Hannah Bruce
Financial Relations Board
(415) 986-1591
hbbsf.frbd.com
or
QSound Contact:
David Gallagher
President
(403) 291-2492
djgqsound.com
qsound.com
or
QSound Media Contact:
Michael Quint
Alexander Communications
(404) 897-2300 Ext. 323
mquintalexander-pr.com
or
QSound Investor Contact:
Paula Murray
(954) 783-6992
(954) 783-6952 (FAX) |
