STB announces a new combo 3D/DVD graphics board, but don't get excited...
STB Announces Single Board Solution for 2-D/3-D Acceleration and DVD
Decode; NITRO DVD Targets Growing Entry- Level Systems Market
03/04/98
Business Wire
(Copyright (c) 1998, Business Wire)
RICHARDSON, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 4, 1998--STB Systems Inc. (Nasdaq:STBI), a leading supplier of PC multimedia and convergence products, Wednesday announced its NITRO DVD 2-D/3-D and DVD multimedia accelerator into the distribution channel.
NITRO DVD , which is scheduled to ship in mid-March, provides excellent 2-D and 3-D acceleration, and hardware-assisted DVD decoding. By combining a 2-D/3-D accelerator with a DVD decoder, the NITRO DVD makes it possible for system vendors to add high-end 3-D gaming and DVD entertainment features to systems targeted at the sub-$1,000 computer buyer.
''The NITRO DVD gives STB additional opportunities to win business in the sub-$1,000 PC market,'' remarked J. Shane Long, STB vice president of sales and marketing. ''With the added benefit of an onboard DVD decoder, a new set of features can now be offered to this emerging market without increasing the cost of the system.''
Support From the Channel
The Nitro DVD is entering the market with a wealth of support from industry-leading distributors and system integrators.
''We look forward to bringing STB's Nitro DVD accelerators to our reseller customers,'' said Jenny Ayala, senior director of purchasing at Ingram Micro. ''This affordable solution will be a welcome addition to our current product offering.''
''We look for the NITRO DVD to be a very popular choice among our VAR and system integrators,'' said Jeff Marinagel, vice president of peripherals at Tech Data. ''It will allow them to add cutting-edge features without a drastic impact on the overall system cost.''
''Comstor will feature NITRO DVD accelerators in several of our high-performance multimedia systems. It will give our customers an AGP solution for both graphics and DVD at a very aggressive price,'' said Alex Sammoury, vice president of manufacturing at Comstor.
''Having the video and DVD controller on the same board, like it is with the NITRO DVD , eliminates any compatibility issues that could come up during integration,'' noted Kevin Hourigan, head of operations at Intol Computers Inc. ''When we build systems faster and with fewer support problems, our customers invariably end up happier.''
Winning 3-D and 2-D Performance
STB's NITRO DVD utilizes the Mpact 2 media processor with Mpact Mediaware for 3DVD from Chromatic Research Inc., to generate impressive 3-D benchmark performance scores.
According to a recently published survey by industry analyst Mercury Research (www.mercury.com), the Mpact 2 processor delivers 3-D Winbench 98 scores that outperform those of Rendition's V2200 and V2100, as well as Matrox Mystique and MGA2.
In addition, the Mpact 2 chip is a powerful 2-D accelerator that delivers outstanding performance and flicker-free, high-resolution color for mainstream PC applications such as Web browsing, digital photography and full-color animated business presentations. Mercury Research numbers demonstrate that the MPACT 2 outperforms ATI's Rage Pro Turbo, Matrox Mystique and MGA2, and Rendition's V2200.
The NITRO DVD provides 3-D hardware acceleration features that enhance the quality of 3-D computer games. These features include MIP-Mapping, true per-pixel perspective correction with subpixel positioning accuracy, texture maps with bilinear or trilinear texture filtering, double-buffer and Z-buffer support, and video texture mapping.
This increased functionality provides improved screen images for a more realistic game-playing experience.
Hardware DVD Playback Performance
NITRO DVD allows PC users to enjoy full-motion DVD decode and playback of high-resolution digital video content at up to 30 frames per second.
The DVD decoding is performed in hardware, freeing the system processor to perform other tasks. This results in a substantial increase in performance when compared with software DVD decoding, which uses as much as 98 percent of a 300 MHz Intel Pentium II processor while achieving only 24 frames per second.
The NITRO DVD also provides Dolby Digital audio decoding using SRS TruSurround for virtual surround-sound playback from ordinary PC speakers.
''Most PC users won't be satisfied with the performance of software-only-based DVD solutions. To get smooth playback, some level of hardware DVD acceleration is required,'' said Jon Peddie of industry-analyst firm Jon Peddie & Associates (Tiburon, Calif.). ''The great thing about Mpact 2-based subsystems like the NITRO DVD is, you get a world-class DVD decoder and a great 3-D pipeline from the same board.''
The NITRO DVD can support 4MB or 8MB of 600MHz concurrent RAMBUS DRAM video memory, and includes optimized drivers for Windows 95, including full DirectX support and 32-bit Windows 98 support. It has VESA DDC-2B plug-and-play monitor support and is VESA Display Power Management Standard-compatible for energy conservation. NITRO DVD is also CE-, FCC-, Dolby Labs- and Microsoft WHQL-certified.
''STB has a legacy of designing and manufacturing award-winning products and backing them with outstanding support,'' commented John Monti, vice president of marketing for Chromatic Research. ''We designed the Mpact 2 media processor to deliver high-end multimedia features like DVD to the mainstream computer market, and we think STB is a great way for us to reach that market.'' |
