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

To: J Fieb who wrote (35835)	9/11/1998 8:40:00 AM
From: J Fieb	Respond to of 50808

Here's what SONY has to say; Friday 11th September Warm, fuzzy - and focused It's going to be a very different, warmer, Sony (stand 11.230) you'll encounter at IBC this year, according to Miles Flint (above), President of Sony Broadcast and Professional Europe. Twice the size of last year's presence but less intimidating. There's no enormous "arrogant, blazing logo" hovering over the stand, he says. And the tree pushing up through its centre is intended to be more organic than the usual mesh of steel. The slogan "Ideas for an Open World" reflects a changing attitude, he explains. "We thought about 'Solutions for an Open World' or 'Answers . . .' But 'Ideas . . .' is more about dialogue. We want to be listening more. Humility not arrogance." In line with this, Sony is playing down the format war. There will be no talk of big wins for this format, or that. "The days of the station-wide format decision are numbered. Customers, like the BBC, are using SX equipment without making a formal decision," Flint claims. While recognising DV's popularity, he suggests a change in SX's fortune. "There's a swing back from 'DV can do it all'. People are coming back to half-inch tape." Though the buzz at IBC may be the alluring promise of dual standard solutions that integrate DV and MPEG2 and which promise to defuse the conflict, Sony has no intention of supplying such devices itself. According to Flint, "There's no need. DVCAM and MPEG are targeted at different sectors. And as the market fragments even further it makes more sense to keep them separate." Sony is reiterating its commitment to co-operation with other manufacturers. The newly announced Reuters installation is indicative of this (see story above), with Sony's servers linked to Avid news systems. "We learnt from the Oracle collaboration that the customer didn't want to be tied in to one system. It's no longer: 'do it the Sony way or don't do it at all'." Product-wise, the stars on Sony's stand are the MAV-70 MPEG2 server; the DSR-300 one-piece DVCAM camcorder and entry-level ES-3 DVCAM non-linear editing system; several DVCAM and SX decks; and new DVD authoring and digital audio dubbing solutions. There's also a demo of iLink (IEEE-1394) networking and Sony will start to take orders for its high-definition telecine (on demonstration in a dedicated suite) at the show, for delivery early in 1999. Totally new is the eagerly anticipated transcoder device, for converting SX to standard MPEG2 4:2:2 Profile. Not making an appearance is the rumoured universal MPEG2 VTR/data. Sony is still evaluating feedback, says Flint. And the Sony/Intergraph Windows NT workstations are nowhere to be seen. Systems like the animation solution previewed at SIGGRAPH in August are not aimed at this market. Further off is the much-rumoured, DVD-RAM-based MPEG2 disk camcorder, though Flint admits to the existence of prototypes being developed in collaboration with numerous broadcasters, including NHK, the BBC and ABC. "There was a lot of admiration for Avid/Ikegami's Camcutter. While it was recognised that the technology meant it wasn't a realistic option there's a feeling that, ultimately, disk is the way to go," he explains. A product is still several years off, however. "There was an assumption that because people had heard of it, it was just around the corner. It's not." Here are Friday's press conferences. It's already going on 2pm there. FRIDAY 11 SEPT 08.00 - Canal+ Press Conference - Room E - RAI 09.30 - Avid/Softimage Champagne Breakfast and Press Conference - Novotel Hotel 11.00 - Pluto Technologies Press Conference - Room E - RAI 11.00 - Omnibus Systems Press Briefing - Stand: 8.140 11.00 - Philips Digital Video Press Brunch - Stand: 8.170 12.30 - Fujinon Press Reception - Stand: 11.624 14.00 - Panasonic Press Conference - Room E - RAI and CUBE should be at this one. 14.30 - Nokia Press Conference - Stand: 1.458 15.00 - Beta Research Press Conference - Stand: 7.327 17.00 - Pinnacle Systems Press Conference - Park Brasserie - RAI 17.30 - Telemedia Systems Happy Hour - Stand: 1.252 17.45 - EBU/SMPTE Task Force Press Conference - Room L - RAI 18.00 - Accom Press Conference - Stand: 8.449 18.00 - Chyron/Pro-Bel Press Conference - Rooms E & F - RAI 18.00 - ARRI Press Launch - Stand: 1.248 19.00 - Intergraph Press Conference and Boat Trip - Meridien Hotel They will have five issues of their daily magazine.