ATI once again redefines the future of set-top graphics and video with new Set-top-Wonder(TM) II
- Second-generation advanced set-top box reference design using ATI
Rage(TM) XL and Rage(TM) Theater now available to
Consumer Electronics OEMs
- Easily the world's highest performance set-top graphics subsystem
TORONTO, April 5 /CNW/ - ATI Technologies Inc., (TSE:ATY, NASDAQ:ATYT)
the world's largest shipper of graphics chips and boards, today announced its
second-generation set-top box reference design. Called the Set-top-Wonder(TM)
II, the design provides a platform from which consumer electronics OEMs can
develop low-cost, but high performance set-top boxes. This reference design
incorporates the Rage(TM) XL and Rage(TM) Theater from ATI, which together
easily provide the world's most powerful set-top graphics subsystem.
The Set-top-Wonder II is a complete set-top design, including RISC CPU,
memory, graphics, modem, audio, I/O, drivers, and sample applications. It is
an ideal platform for OEMs designing a variety of consumer electronics devices
including cable, satellite, and terrestrial set-top boxes, digital VCRs, and
other devices requiring a high degree of interactivity or graphics/video
performance.
Previous set-top box designs provided little in the way of graphics
capabilities. These limitations frequently lead to stale 2D-only user
interfaces, a limited ability to run applications beyond simple electronic
program guides, and no ability to support the future gaming, electronic
commerce, and internet applications that are being designed for the set-top
space. The Set-top-Wonder II breaks out of this rut by supplying the advanced
2D, 3D, and video engines capable of powering the convergence set-tops of the
future.
''Video controllers based on PC technology will become an increasingly
important contributor to multimedia features in consumer devices,'' said
Martin Reynolds, Vice President and Chief Analyst at DataQuest. ''DataQuest
anticipates the video controller will continue to evolve, becoming the hub for
multimedia operations in both the PC and the set-top box. Technology and cost
lessons experienced in developing PC products create astoundingly competitive
products for set-top applications.''
Set-top-Wonder II Specifications
The Set-top-Wonder II reference design is comprised of two components - a
Set-top-Wonder II motherboard and Windows CE multimedia drivers and demo
applications.
The Set-top-Wonder II motherboard reference design integrates ATI's
industry-leading graphics, video, multimedia and TV tuning technology with
virtually all the other semiconductors needed to produce a complete set-top
system. Included are the ATI Rage XL and Rage Theater multimedia chips, a 250
MHz MIPS CPU, a TV tuner that can tune in hundreds of channels,
hardware-assisted MPEG-2 replay, and a 56Kbit soft-modem interface.
Multiple PCI slots allow OEMs to add other capabilities such as VSB / QAM
/ QPSK / CODFM receivers for cable / satellite / terrestrial applications or
MPEG-2 encoders for digital VCRs.
''OEMs were enthralled with the capabilities of our first-generation
set-top design, and a number of manufacturers are building products based
around that technology,'' said Dan Eiref, ATI's Manager of Set-top Box
Marketing. ''But they also wanted greater levels of video integration,
video/graphics alpha blending, and a design based around low-cost RISC
processors. We listened to what OEMs wanted and the Set-top-Wonder II
delivers.''
Rage XL and RAGE Theater Ideal for Advanced Set-top Boxes
ATI's Rage XL is clearly the highest performance chip available today in
the set-top market. It integrates 2D and 3D graphics, hardware MPEG-2 decode
and industry-standard digital video peripheral busses. 3D features not found
elsewhere in the set-top space include Z-buffering, bilinear and trilinear
filtering, alpha blending and fogging, specular lighting, texture morphing,
and a set-up engine that exceeds 1 million triangles/second.
The video engine includes such important set-top features as per-pixel
video/graphics alpha blending, video scaling, video textures,
picture-in-graphics and graphics-in-picture capabilities, and square pixel
graphics support.
ATI's Rage Theater is the industry's first integrated video encoder and
video decoder with S/PDIF support. It supports all NTSC, PAL, and SECAM video
formats as well as composite, s-video, and SCART inputs and outputs. The
chip's integrated video mux can select from up to 5 different video sources.
10-bit DACs, comb filters, noise reduction circuits, and other features
provide the highest consumer quality video available anywhere. Rage Theater
attaches seamlessly to ATI graphics controllers such as Rage XL through
digital video ports.
Windows CE Software Available on the Set-top-Wonder
The Set-top-Wonder II runs the Microsoft Windows CE operating system.
Windows CE is an operating system from Microsoft that is designed for set-top
boxes, hand-held PCs, and other embedded devices.
Windows CE drivers are available for the Set-top-Wonder II to support 2D
and 3D graphics, MPEG-2, audio, USB, keyboard, mouse, IR, EIDE, and parallel
and serial ports. Modem support will be available shortly.
ATI is the Leader in Windows CE Graphics
ATI is the leading manufacturer of graphics chips that support the
Windows CE operating system. Previous ATI firsts with Windows CE include the
first Windows CE set-top box, the first 2D/3D graphics, the first 3D game, and
the first MPEG-2 and AC-3 decode. ATI also scored the first Windows CE set-top
box design win when it was announced last summer that General Instrument will
be incorporating ATI's graphics chips into millions of their DCT-5000+
advanced set-top boxes.
ATI supports set-top operating systems other than Windows CE on an
as-needed basis.
Set-top-Wonder on the Road
ATI will be demonstrating the Set-top-Wonder II at WinHEC (April 7
through 9 in Los Angeles), in the PixStream booth at NAB (April 19 through 22
in Las Vegas), and at the Windows CE Developers Conference (June 6 through 9
in Denver). In addition, ATI will be making a presentation at WinHEC entitled
''Set Top Box & Multimedia Graphics using Windows CE - a case study.''
Consumer electronics OEMs needing further set-top information please
visit one of these trade shows, speak to your local ATI sales representative,
or send email to set-top(at)atitech.com.
Corporate Profile
ATI Technologies Inc., the world's largest supplier of 3D graphics and
multimedia technology, designs, manufactures and markets innovative and
award-winning multimedia solutions and graphics components for the personal
computer, set-top box and consumer electronics appliance markets. An ISO 9002
company, ATI is the world's leading supplier of video and 2D/3D graphics
accelerators to OEM and retail customers. Founded in 1985, ATI employs more
than 1,600 people at headquarters in Thornhill, Ontario, and in offices in the
United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Barbados,
Malaysia, Japan and Hong Kong. ATI is a public company whose shares trade on
the Toronto Stock Exchange and NASDAQ.
For other ATI news releases visit our web site at atitech.com.
Copyright (C) ATI Technologies Inc., 1999. All company and/or product
names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective
manufacturers. Features, pricing, availability and specifications are subject
to change without notice.
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