SRS Labs' TruSurround to Hit the Mainstream DVD Markets; Diamond Multimedia Adopts Mpact with SRS TruSurround for Retail DVD Kit
PR Newswire - February 24, 1998 09:25
-- SRS Labs, Inc. (Nasdaq: SRSL),
the world leader in audio enhancement technologies, has scored a major win in
DVD audio through Diamond Multimedia's use of the Mpact(TM) 2 Media Processor
technology which is architected by Chromatic Research. Through an agreement
between Diamond and Chromatic, the Mpact 2 is being used in Diamond's new DVD
Kit -- Model MC20 -- which is being introduced as a single low-cost DVD
upgrade kit targeted at the mainstream PC market. The MC20 boasts DVD
surround-sound, which has been attained through the SRS TruSurround(TM)
technology. The Kit is expected to begin shipping in the second quarter of
1998.
With Diamond's high-volume sales to PC manufacturers, extensive
distribution network and retail channels, the incorporation of the Mpact 2
Media Processor puts SRS TruSurround in mainstream PC markets worldwide. The
kit has been priced for mainstream use and is opening the door for media
processors to break into all areas of PC business, from top-tier PC OEMs to
VARs to retail upgrade kits. The opportunity for TruSurround in its media
processor implementations is equally impressive.
"With their TruSurround sound virtualization technology, SRS Labs is
instrumental in helping Mpact media processors bring high-performance
multimedia to low-cost PCs," states John Monti, Vice President of Marketing,
Chromatic Research, Inc. "This gives us and our OEM customers a marked
advantage by providing Diamond MC20 upgrade kit customers the superior sound
quality of Dolby Digital AC-3 audio without requiring an investment in
surround sound speakers. Also, the SRS, TruSurround and Dolby Digital brands
are recognized by both PC and consumer electronics customers, further
enhancing the value of our solution."
The rising trend of putting DVD in the PC is becoming evident with major
OEMs offering it in next generation products and after-market upgrades. Using
sound enhancement technologies on DVD-equipped PCs was the topic of a report
by Dataquest (July 11, 1997; Virtual 3-D Sound Technology and Dolby Digital:
Update) in which the report recommended "manufacturers prepare to offer
virtual 3-D sound by the end of this (1997) year... Only SRS appears to have
an established name recognition among consumers to make the case that its name
would also provide some clear differentiation." Diamond's adoption of
TruSurround as its DVD audio provider is a testament to SRS Labs' leadership
position in the interactive multimedia market.
"This is an exciting opportunity for SRS Labs," states Thomas Yuen,
chairman of SRS Labs, Inc. "Our technologies are recognized worldwide for
their sound quality, and are being adopted by many OEMs in their most
important product offerings. This particular TruSurround implementation in
the MC20 upgrade kit has the potential to launch SRS and the TruSurround
technology directly into the mainstream retail market, further strengthening
TruSurround as a standard for DVD audio."
The Diamond MC20 is 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, which 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
(TruSurround) surround sound audio, all in a single, low-cost kit.
The Mpact media processor, which was jointly designed by Chromatic
Research, LG Semicon, SGS-THOMSON and Toshiba, is proving to be a key element
because it enables PCs to deliver home theater-quality playback of Hollywood
movies, and also creates an expandable platform for entertainment software
mixing high-quality video and audio with the Internet, 3D graphics and
interactivity of the PC.
About 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.
About TruSurround
Designed to allow consumers to enjoy the multi-channel DVD audio from only
two standard speakers, TruSurround is a ground breaking new technology from
SRS Labs. With its heritage traced to the patented Head Related Transfer
Function-based (HRTF) Sound Retrieval System (SRS), TruSurround envelopes the
listener in the most sensational sound ever experienced.
DVD systems provide digital audio and video for both the PC and home
theater markets. The Dolby Digital-encoded audio for a DVD title has six
output channels (five discrete digital surround sound channels plus one
subwoofer channel). TruSurround totally encompasses the listening environment
with all of the spatial and ambient sounds of the original recording, when it
is played back through a standard two speaker system.
About SRS Labs
Under the leadership of chairman Thomas C.K. Yuen, co-founder of AST
Research, SRS Labs, Inc. is the world's leading licenser of 3D audio
technology to consumer electronics and computer OEMs worldwide. Audio
technology from SRS Labs has shipped in more than 23 million products
worldwide, including televisions, home audio receivers, DVD players, movie
theater processors, mini-sound systems, car CD players, computers and home
digital pianos from more than 170 leading manufacturers, including AST, Acer,
Apple, Compaq, Dell, Gateway 2000, Hewlett Packard, Hitachi, IBM, Kawai,
Kenwood, Kurzweil, Micron, Mitsubishi, Nakamichi, Packard Bell, Pioneer, RCA,
Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp, Sony and Toshiba.
SRS Labs' current patent portfolio now includes over 50 issued U.S. and
foreign patents relating to the SRS, Sound Retrieval System, technology. SRS
Labs' total patent portfolio includes over 75 issued U.S. and foreign patents.
In addition, SRS Labs has numerous patent applications still pending in
countries worldwide. For more information on the SRS Labs' worldwide licensing
program or its portfolio of audio technologies, please visit www.srslabs.com.
SRS, the SRS symbol, Sound Retrieval System and the phrase "everything
else is only stereo" are registered trademarks of SRS Labs, Inc. in the United
States and selected foreign countries. VIP, TruSurround, FOCUS, and AVT are
trademarks of SRS Labs, Inc. All other brand names mentioned are trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective holders.
Statements made by the Company in paragraph two and Mr. Yuen in paragraph
five of this release are forward-looking statements and projections (including
statements concerning plans and objectives of management for future operations
and services, and statements concerning earnings expectations), that are based
on management's belief as well as assumptions made by, and information
currently available to, management.
Although the Company believes that its expectations are based upon
reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurances that the Company's
financial goals will be realized. The forward looking statements and
projections made in this release may be affected by certain factors beyond
the control of the Company, such as the ability to deliver sufficient
quantities of the Diamond MC20 upgrade kit to consumers, the ultimate
acceptance of the Diamond MC20 upgrade kit by consumers and the continued use
of the Mpact processor within the Diamond MC20 kit.
Numerous additional factors may affect the Company's actual results and
may cause results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking
statements made by or on behalf of the Company. Some of these factors include
the extent to which the Company's licensees incorporate SRS or the Company's
other technologies into products, the increase in the Company's licensee base,
the acceptance of the Company's new technologies, the rate the Company's
semiconductor licensees manufacture and distribute chips to OEMs, the
Company's ability to continue to effectively compete with others in the field
of audio enhancement technologies and general business and economic
conditions, particularly those affecting the consumer electronics |
