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To: DiViT who wrote (38906)	2/11/1999 10:32:00 PM
From: John Rieman	Respond to of 50808

ESS has Xiamen Solid Electronics Ltd ....................... asiansources.com VCD players Value-added features take line forward Manufacturers are adding value to their current ranges of VCD players by incorporating more features and improving the units' home theater capabilities. Audio performance quality is climbing as models tend to feature stereo and digital surround sound effects, often by employing special 3D surround sound ICs. Error-correction capabilities minimize the effects of bad or scratched sectors on a disc. Most units are either single-disc or three-disc versions, boasting high-definition pictures and picture-in-picture (PIP) windows. Full-screen text display, karaoke and remote operation are increasingly common. In view of the Asian fondness for karaoke, most VCD/SVCD players from Hong Kong and mainland China provide digital controls for karaoke echo, bass and tone adjustment. Surround sound is often featured. Image quality is also on the rise: For example, mainland China supplier Xiamen Solid Electronics Ltd is set to launch new units with nine active picture previews and zoom. Viewers can double the size of a still picture or move the enlarged image across the screen, according to the company's export manager, Sun Ning-jun. The models use a decoder IC from ESS Technology and drivers from Sony and are produced under ISO 9002-certified conditions, Sun added. Shenzhen Super Industrial Ltd has a range of SVCD players featuring improved video output. The resolutions have been raised to 720x480 at 30Hz and 720x576 at 25Hz, general manager David Tian said. What of Web functions, which are becoming popular additions to many A/V products? Many VCD player manufacturers are reportedly also studying this possibility. Mainland China's Shenzhen Super Industrial already includes Internet connectivity and gaming in its models. One of its offerings is a PC/VCD player which, when connected to a TV, lets a user surf the Internet, do word processing and play games. The unit also supports email, file downloads and simultaneous game playing/VCD playback. There's also the new release from Guangdong Jinzheng Electronic Co. Ltd, which export manager Tang Chao-hui says features a built-in game card. In Taiwan, handheld-PC producer Zi San Electronics Corp. Ltd continues to produce VCD players, handling both chip production and product design in-house. Stephanie Chen of the marketing department said a single-disc model offers on-board games, echoing the concept of a PlayStation console. The model also enables direct connection to karaoke machines, CD players and PCs. Also in Taiwan, Ensing Electronic Ind. Co. Ltd offers a number of extra features. All of its VCD players support VCD 1.0, 1.1 and 2.0; excepting the low-end units, all include a karaoke key controller or a mixer. Ensing's single-disc ESK-7200 is a VCD player with an amplifier and an auto-reverse cassette deck. It has five audio and three video input terminals. The ES-815, a three-disc VCD changer, has an echo function and karaoke sound/voice expansion. Its karaoke mixer supports the simultaneous use of two microphones. The ES-815 will remain the only multidisc model in Ensing's lineup, says company president Chang Chiu-hai. "Multiple-disc changers are not that popular," Chang said. "People forget what discs they have inside, and professional users would rather play one disc at a time." Ensing buys chips from Japan, mostly from Matsushita, and from Philips. The company's minimum order requirement is 500 units, and delivery takes 60 days. Focus on the basics SVCD has its supporters, but other makers prefer to keep it clean and simple. Instead of offering a new format, they are pushing sound quality to its limits, for example. Product upgrades at Hong Kong's SMC Multi-media Products Co. Ltd mainly involve sound-quality enhancements. The company does not plan to develop SVCD players, according to senior manager Jackey Ho. The market for the product is still mostly mainland China, and there aren't enough titles to drive demand there, Ho noted. SMC Multi-media is promoting at least six VCD models, including the low-end VP-101, priced at about $70, FOB Hong Kong. The unit has shock resistance, basic karaoke functions and an RF modulator. The firm also has a three-disc model, VP403H, which lists at $95 FOB. All models use Philips mechanisms and MPEG-2 decoders imported from the United States. Available for $65 apiece FOB, model VCD-898 from Tung Da Audio Products (HK) Ltd is a version 2.0 product with echo functions, two microphone jacks and microphone volume adjustment. The company sells products under its Xingbao brand.