More Diamond details..............
Diamond Adopts Mpact 2 Media Processor for New Diamond DVD Kit
SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 10, 1998-- Mpact 2 Goes Mainstream Through Diamond's
High-Volume Sales To PC Manufacturers, Extensive Distribution Network, and Retail
Media processors broke into the high-volume, mainstream PC market today with the announcement from Chromatic
Research, Inc. and Diamond Multimedia Systems, Inc.(NASDAQ:DIMD) that San Jose, CA-based Diamond has adopted
Mpact(TM) 2 media processor technology for its new Diamond DVD Kit, Model MC20. Powered by the Mpact 2 media
processor with "Mpact Mediaware for 3DVD" software -- the world's first single-chip 3D/2D graphics and DVD solution --
the Diamond DVD Kit, Model MC20 delivers a new class of DVD upgrade kits for PCs. The new product provides
unprecedented value and functionality for gaming and entertainment by combining arcade-quality 3D graphics;
high-performance 2D graphics; hardware-accelerated, home theater-quality DVD video; and DVD surround-sound audio, all
in a single, low-cost kit.
Diamond will offer a complete graphics and DVD upgrade kit -- including a single Mpact 2-based board with 4 MB
Rambus(TM) RDRAM(R) memory, second-generation DVD-ROM drive, and software titles -- for an estimated retail price
of $299.95, comparable or lower in cost than DVD-only kits without 3D/2D graphics. The Diamond DVD Kit, Model
MC20 is expected to be shipping in the second quarter of 1998. Chromatic Research architects Mpact media processors and
develops and sells Mpact Mediaware. LG Semicon, SGS-THOMSON and Toshiba co-develop, manufacture and sell Mpact
media processors. "We chose Mpact 2 media processor technology because it offers a compelling combination of integration,
performance and value," said David Watkins, Vice President and General Manager of Diamond's Multimedia Division. "As a
result, the Diamond DVD Kit, Model MC20 is a new class of product: a no-compromise, single solution for 3D/2D graphics
and DVD priced for mainstream use." "Quite frankly, this is the moment that everyone watching media processors has been
waiting for, signaling that the second-generation Mpact 2 media processor is breaking into the mainstream," said John Monti,
Vice President of Marketing, Chromatic Research. "Diamond has tremendous manufacturing, marketing, sales and support
resources that will take Mpact 2 media processor technology into all areas of the PC business, from top-tier PC OEMs to
VARs to retail upgrade kits."
Moving DVD Into Mainstream
Because the Mpact 2 media processor integrates complete, hardware-accelerated DVD video and audio and arcade-quality
3D/2D graphics acceleration in a single chip, the Diamond DVD Kit, Model MC20 enables DVD-ROM to move into the PC
mainstream, including sub-$1,000 PCs, by eliminating the traditional cost of separate DVD accelerator chips, cards and
drives. With the Diamond DVD Kit, Model MC20, PC manufacturers can now include a complete 3D/2D and DVD solution
at little incremental cost on Windows(R) 95 and Windows 98 PCs when launched later this year. PCs with DVD-ROM
drives will be ready for a new wave of DVD-ROM based games, entertainment and edutainment titles expected in 1998, in
addition to playing Hollywood DVD movies available today.
3D/2D Graphics Features
The Mpact 2 media processor, available from LG Semicon, SGS-THOMSON and Toshiba, is a multitasking "supercomputer
on a chip" capable of performing six billion operations per second and equipped with the features required for heavy-duty
graphics processing:
--500 MFLOPS (Millions of Floating Point Operations Per Second)
set-up engine to define polygon points and their color spaces
--Dedicated texture cache that provides the 3D rendering engine with
ultra-fast access to the most often-used textures.
--1.3 GB/second memory bandwidth using concurrent Rambus RDRAM
memory.
As a result, the Diamond DVD Kit, Model MC20 offers advanced 3D and 2D graphics features, including:
--Complete support for all Microsoft Direct3D features, including
bilinear and trilinear texture filtering, perspective texture
correction, edge anti-aliasing, specular highlighting, and alpha
blending, mip-mapping, double-buffering and Z-buffering;
--Up to 1600 x 1200 resolution;
--Up to 200 Hz refresh rate;
--and up to 16.7 million colors.
DVD Features
The Mpact 2 media processor with Mpact Mediaware for 3DVD also
provides a complete, hardware-accelerated solution for DVD, enabling
the Diamond DVD Kit, Model MC20 to provide:
--Full-screen, 30 frame-per-second, MPEG-2 video, even at maximum DVD bit rate; --Six-channel Dolby Digital(TM)
audio decoding using SRS TruSurround(TM) for virtual surround-sound playback from two ordinary PC speakers;
--Advanced post-processing for the crispest, brightest DVD video available on a PC --Dynamic, high-quality scaling of video
window; --Hardware-accelerated MPEG-1 decoding with VideoCD 2.0 compatibility, and more.
Mpact Media Processor Technology
Mpact media processors are low-cost, supercomputer-like chips that work in conjunction with an X86/MMX CPU to
provide virtually any combination of high-performance multimedia functions. Functionality is determined by specialized
software, called Mpact Mediaware modules, that run simultaneously on the Mpact media processor and CPU.
Chromatic Research
Chromatic Research is the leader in media processing technology and the world's first "chipless" semiconductor company.
Based on a unique business model, the company's semiconductor partners LG Semicon, SGS-THOMSON and Toshiba
co-develop, manufacture and sell Chromatic-architected Mpact media processors while Chromatic Research develops and
sells the enabling Mpact Mediaware software. Customers include Compaq, Gateway 2000, Micron Electronics, Diamond,
STB and Leadtek. Founded in 1993, the company is privately held. For more information on Chromatic Research or Mpact,
please visit www.chromatic.com or www.mpact.com.
Diamond Multimedia
Diamond Multimedia is driving the interactive multimedia market by providing advanced solutions for home, business and
professional desktop computer users, enabling them to create, access and experience compelling new media content from their
desktops and through the Internet. Diamond accelerates multimedia from the Internet to the hard drive with products that
include the Stealth and Viper(R) series of media accelerators, the Monster series of entertainment 3D and sound accelerators,
the Fire series of professional 3D and SCSI accelerators, and the Supra(R) series of modems. Diamond also markets DVD
and video phone kits. Diamond's common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol DIMD, and its web
site address is www.diamondmm.com.
LG Semicon
LG Semicon can be reached at www.lgsemicon.co.kr/company.
SGS-THOMSON SGS-THOMSON can be reached at www.st.com.
Toshiba
Toshiba America Electronic Components can be reached at
www.toshiba.com/taec.
Chromatic Research is a registered trademark of Chromatic Research, Inc. The Chromatic Research logo and Mpact are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Chromatic Research, Inc. Other marks referenced herein are the property of their
respective owners.
CONTACTS: Chromatic Research
Dave Wilt, 408/752-9217
wilt@chromatic.com
or
Technology Solutions for Chromatic Research
Cindy Morgan-Olson, 212/696-2000
colson@tsipr.com
or
Diamond Multimedia Systems, Inc.
Mary Medeiros/Lorraine Comstock
408/325-7236/408/325-7346
maryme@diamondmm.com/lorraine@diamondmm.com
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