______________________________
***Playstation Continues to Dominate Video Consoles (October 22)
Sony Computer Entertainment America announced the results of its first full month of sales since it reduced the price of its PlayStation console to $129 on August 30th. According to a recent TRSTS report from The NPD Group, September sales of PlayStation game consoles shot up by 97 percent over the previous month.
Sony Computer Entertainment America's major retail partners saw a significant increase in sales since the company announced its lower price point for the PlayStation console with the Dual Shock Analog Controller pack-in. For the month, reports from major retail outlets showed PlayStation outselling its competition at price parity by an average margin of 2 to 1, with some stores selling as many as three PlayStations for every other one console they sell.
According to the unadjusted TRSTS data, more than 385,000 PlayStation game consoles were sold during the month of September, a significant number because it represents more PlayStation sales for the month than all other videogame systems combined. In addition, PlayStation enjoyed an unadjusted market share of 66 percent for September 1998, capturing an additional eight percent of the next-generation hardware category.
Sales have also increased on PlayStation software titles. In August, Sony Computer Entertainment America added five new titles to the "Greatest Hits" collection, making them available for a suggested retail price of $24.99, and often as low as $19.99. For the month of September, overall software sales increased by 210 percent over the same period during the previous year and sales on "Greatest Hits" titles increased significantly. According to the TRSTS report, PlayStation software enjoyed a 71 percent market share in September.
In three years, PlayStation has become the dominant leader in videogame entertainment, with a North American installed base of more than 11.5 million consoles, and life-to-date software sales exceeding 85 million units, as of August 25, 1998.
All information reported from The NPD Group's September TRSTS report is unadjusted. Sales monitored by the TRSTS measurement system only account for approximately 70 to 75 percent of total PlayStation sales within the North America region.
***ATI Closes the Year with Excellent Results (October 22)
ATI Technologies announced financial results for the company's fourth quarter and year end.
Sales for the year ended August 31, 1998 increased 92 percent to $1,156.9 million up from $602.8 million for the 1997 fiscal year. Earnings for the fiscal year rose 253 percent to $168.4 million or 79 cents per share compared with $47.7 million or 24 cents per share for the 1997 fiscal year. All per share amounts are expressed on a fully diluted basis.
For the fourth quarter, sales increased 111 percent to $321.3 million and earnings were 21 cents per share, compared with $152.3 million and 6 cents per share for the corresponding quarter of 1997.
"We not only surpassed our fiscal 1998 goal of one billion dollars in sales, ATI also became the top graphics supplier in the world," said K.Y. Ho, ATI's president and CEO, "This is a validation of our strategy to remain focused on increasing market share by providing the most highly integrated products possible in the graphics field. It is a strategy we will continue to follow in the coming year."
ATI experienced good growth in both its component and board sales across all geographic regions. Gross margins were 36.7 percent compared with 35.7 percent in the same quarter of last year. The overall change in gross margin results from fluctuating material costs and changes in product sales mix.
Total dollar operating costs increased as a result of larger sales volumes and added programs to support multiple product lines and development teams. As a percentage of sales, total operating costs for the fourth quarter were 18 percent or $57.8 million compared with 25 percent or $38.4 million in the same period last year. As a result of strong sales and improving operating costs as a percentage of sales, net income rose to $46.1 million or 14 percent of sales versus $11.6 million or 8 percent of sales in the fourth quarter of last year.
To support strong sales demand, net working capital rose from $250.2 million at the end of the third quarter of fiscal 1998 to $297.7 million at the end of the fourth quarter of fiscal 1998. Inventory balances rose to $173.1 million consistent with the company's growth cycle and to maintain multiple product lines and company-owned material components. After expenditures on capital equipment and investments, net cash balances decreased $8.0 million in the fourth quarter to $68.9 million.
ATI did very well in 1998. It has become the clear graphics leader as S3 and Cirrus Logic stumbled. The market will shift again in 1999 with integrated graphics, significantly higher performance 3D and new forms of portable devices. ATI has shown that it is anxious to go after new markets including the signal sent out with the acquisition of Chromatic Research. With high growth and a rapidly changing market it must continue to focus on its core business. The market may tolerate at late RAGE 128 for one product cycle but as a $1b company with its rate of growth it cannot afford to stumble.
***Tokyo DisneySea park Begins Construction (October 22)
Kyodo News reports that Disney's first theme park based on oceanic tales and legends had its ground-breaking ceremony at a waterfront area east of Tokyo. The ceremony for DisneySea was led by Michael Eisner, chairman of Walt Disney Co. at a site adjacent to Tokyo Disneyland in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture. Eisner indicated that the theme may someday be exported to the U.S., and said the sea park will be combined with Tokyo Disneyland to form the Disney Resort. The sea park will be run by Oriental Land Co. under license from Disney and is being constructed on a 71-hectare site at an estimated cost of 338 billion yen. The opening is scheduled for autumn 2001.
It will consist of seven theme areas and 23 attractions, including those featuring characters from the Disney film "The Little Mermaid," and another modeled on an old Mediterranean town. It will be connected to Tokyo Disneyland by monorail, Oriental Land officials said. The company expects around 10 million visitors for Tokyo DisneySea in its first year.
***Six Flags Great America Rolls with 'Hyper-Twister' Roller Coaster in 1999 (October 21)
Six Flags Great America announces its plans to open Raging Bull, the world's first steel "hyper-twister" roller coaster, in the Spring of 1999. Featuring a 202-foot (20-story) lift hill and a 65-degree first drop that plunges riders into an underground cavern at more than 70 miles per hour, Raging Bull will be the first roller coaster in the world to combine the thrill of a steel "hyper-coaster" with the tight, intense twists and turns common to a wooden "cyclone-style" roller coaster.
The ride features six "inclined loops"-steep, high-speed turns banked as much as 50 degrees (or, loops lying horizontally) -- plus a combination of towering hills and gut-wrenching drops that comprise nearly a mile of track.
The multi-million dollar attraction will span the entire length of the Park's Southwest Territory, wrapping behind the Stunt Show Arena, paralleling the guest parking lot and rising over the queue line for the Viper roller coaster. Featuring a bold orange track and wine-colored support structure, Raging Bull's 202-foot-lift will dominate the Park's "skyline," dwarfing its neighboring roller coasters the Viper and the American Eagle, whose maximum heights are 100 and 127 feet, respectively.
The next tallest roller coaster in the Park is ShockWave, the seven-looping mega-coaster that opened in 1988 at 170 feet. The addition of Raging Bull brings the Park's roller coaster tally to 10.
Raging Bull is named after a beast that terrorized the citizens of the old Southwest Territory until they fled the town and built the beautiful courtyard and mission seen today. The raging bull still lurks in the ruins of the old mission, which today serves as the loading station for this unpredictable, wild roller coaster. Upon entering the old mission, riders will be ushered into one of three unique, side-less 36-passenger trains. Riders will sit high up in these open- air trains, with their feet barely brushing the floor. A simple T-bar style restraint will extend from the floor between each rider's feet, with the bar resting across the rider's lap. Vivid teal, red and yellow trains will feature a bovine animal print motif as well as bull's horns on the front of each train.
When the train leaves the station, it will begin its 76-second ascent up the 202-foot lift hill. From there, it will plunge 208 feet at 73 miles per hour down a nearly straight drop into an underground cavern. The train will roar out of this tunnel and soar, practically sideways, through an inclined loop 159 feet off the ground. This will be followed by more soaring hills, steep drops and wildly banked turns before returning to the station. This non-looping, wild ride on 5,057 feet of track will last more than 2-1/2 minutes.
Raging Bull is being designed and manufactured by Bolliger and Mabillard, the Swiss roller coaster design firm.
Construction has already begun on this roller coaster and will continue throughout the winter months. The ride is expected to open to the public in the Spring of 1999.
RAGING BULL FACTS
WHAT:
Steel "hyper-twister" roller coaster,featuring speeds
exceeding 70 m.p.h., steep drops and high-banked turns
WHEN:
Debuts Spring 1999
WHERE:
Ride traverses the entire length of the Southwest Territory at Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Illinois paralleling the guest parking lot and reaching from the Viper queue line to the Stunt Show Arena.
DESIGNED AND FABRICATED BY:
Bolliger and Mabillard Monthey, Switzerland
COLORS:
Wine-colored support structures with orange track; bright teal,red and yellow trains feature a bovine print motif and bull's horns.
TRACK LENGTH:
5,057 Feet
NO. OF TRAINS:
3 trains
NO. OF CARS/PASSENGERS:
9 Cars and 36 riders per train
NO. OF PASSENGERS/HOUR:
1,560
HEIGHT OF FIRST LIFT:
202 Feet
LENGTH OF FIRST DROP:
208 Feet (into an underground tunnel) at 65 degrees
MAXIMUM SPEED:
73 m.p.h.
LENGTH OF RIDE:
Estimated, 2-1/2 minutes
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Riders are secured in unique, open-sided cars by a simple lap
bar restraint This high-speed roller coaster features 6 steep-
banked turns and "inclined loops." The highest points on the ride
are 202 feet (first lift), 159 feet (first inclined loops) and
144 feet (second hill) and 128 feet
At the WAVE Report we relaxed our "hype" standards for this story. Raging Bull has to be one awesome roller coaster.
***RealNetworks Releases RealPlayer G2 Full Beta (October 21)
RealPlayer G2 full beta has quality enhancements in RealVideo with the introduction of RealVideo G2. RealVideo G2, which uses technology from Intel, delivers smoother video with higher frame rates.
The major improvements in RealPlayer G2 full beta are:
· The new RealVideo G2 offers smoother and more life-like video with technology from Intel
· SureStream delivers a reliable, continuous streaming media experience without rebuffering or breakups. SureStream now supports live broadcasts.
· More programming, more choices with RealChannels and presets
· For high-bandwidth users, RealAudio is now CD-quality.Download from:
http://www.real.com/products/player/fullbeta20.html
***Multimedia Convergence Corp. Negotiating to Buy Mpact Product Line (October 21)
Multimedia Convergence Corporation (mcc) announced that it is in negotiations regarding the acquisition of the Mpact product line from Chromatic Research. mcc. plans to support all existing Mpact mediaware products, including recently introduced 3DVD and 3DVA Mpact 2 mediaware, as well as continue development on future Mpact technology. Both companies have signed a detailed Letter of Intent and are negotiating to formalize a Definitive Agreement at this time. Further terms will be announced once an agreement is reached.
Multimedia Convergence Corp. was founded in 1996 and has become a think tank for innovative convergent solutions and technology. mcc.'s technology combines the power of Interactive Digital TV, Set-Top-Boxes and Streaming media for products for the cable, satellite and Broadband Telecommunication networks.
This is fire sale time at Chromatic.
***SGI Announces Slip of NT Workstation and 1st Quarter Results (October 21)
Silicon Graphics, Inc. announced results for the first quarter of its 1999 fiscal year. Revenue for the first quarter was $616 million, compared with $768 million in the same quarter a year ago. Operating expenses for the quarter were $335 million, down approximately $40 million from the previous quarter and same quarter a year ago.
The Company reported a net loss, including the Company's gain on the initial public offering of its MIPS Technologies subsidiary, of $44 million, or $0.24 per share, compared with a net loss of $56 million, or $0.31 per share, in the same quarter a year ago. Excluding the MIPS gain, the Company's net loss would have been $77 million, or $0.41 per share.
"Reporting a loss is never satisfying, but I am very encouraged with the progress demonstrated in this quarter's results," said Richard Belluzzo, chairman and chief executive officer. "One of our key strategic objectives is to impose discipline on our cost structure which has resulted in operating expenses coming down dramatically for the quarter. We've also sharpened our focus on our core businesses with the successful initial public offering of our MIPS subsidiary. And we continue to see strong performance in our Origin server program. This quarter's results validate that our efforts are on target."
"While we still have a way to go before we achieve sustained profitability," added Belluzzo, "We are encouraged by the progress we are making in transitioning our business to growth markets. Our new NT workstation product is an important element of that transition, and that product has been rescheduled for introduction in the first half of January. We remain encouraged by the response the product is receiving from customers, industry analysts and software developers."
The Company's cash position continued to increase during the first quarter, as a result of the MIPS offering, increased collections of accounts receivable and lower inventory purchases. Cash, cash equivalents and marketable investments were $757 million at September 30, 1998, as compared to $737 million at June 30, 1998. The Company's consolidated backlog at September 30, 1998 was $317 million.
It is grim at SGI. The Windows NT workstation was to be announced at SIGGRAPH and this did not happen. More recently the company was firm in its resolve to announce and ship before the end of 1998. Now the date has slipped to "first half of January." Curious way to state an announcement date. There are great expectations for the 3D performance of this product, however, at the WAVE Report we see the platform and its performance secondary to the challenge to the business model SGI faces as it moves into a commodity market. The bottom line is that SGI must return to consistent profitability while competing with Dell and Compaq. 3D is a secondary issue to survival in the low margin small volume high end 3D workstation market.
***Monorail Shows How Low High Performance PCs Can Get (October 5)
Monorail Computer Corporation announced products based on Intel's latest Pentium II processor, operating at speeds up to 450MHz, and Intel's 440BX chipset, with a 100MHz front-side bus.
The Monorail 8325 features an Intel Pentium II 350MHz processor, a 100MHz front-side bus, 64MB of 100MHz SDRAM, a 4.3GB Ultra ATA hard disk drive, a 4MB 2X AGP 3-D video card, a 32x CD-ROM, 3-D audio with amplified stereo speakers, a 56k Modem and Microsoft Windows 98, at an expected price below $1,150.
The Monorail 8340 features an Intel Pentium II 400MHz processor, a 100MHz front-side bus, 64MB of 100MHz SDRAM, a 6.4GB Ultra ATA hard disk drive, a 4MB 2X AGP 3-D video card, a 32x CD-ROM, 3-D audio with amplified stereo speakers, a 56k Modem and Microsoft Windows 98, at an expected price below $1,400.
Monorail Monitors Available to complement the new Monorail models are the Monorail M-150 15" and M-170 17" monitor. The Monorail M-150 15" monitor provides a .28 dot pitch and a 70khz scan rate, for an expected price below $200. The Monorail 17" monitor features a .26 dot pitch and a 70khz scan rate, for an expected price below $300.
Monorail PC products are currently available nationwide through Monorail's extensive network of resellers and retailers including CompUSA, Insight and NECX; and distributors including Ingram Micro and Tech Data.
***Cadence Reshapes PCB Market With Design Solution and VAR Channel (October 12)
Cadence Design Systems announced Allegro studio, a complete printed circuit board (PCB) design solution for Windows NT. This product includes Concept HDL schematic capture, Allegro PCB layout, SPECCTRA auto router and edit router, and library management software for $9995.
To support distribution of Allegro studio, Cadence is extending its direct sales channel by enlarging its telesales team and adding a network of EDA value-added resellers (VARs). This move reflects expansion from the company's high-end PCB market to an entry into the mainstream market.
Allegro studio is a complete PCB design solution with an integrated set of tools including schematic capture to place-and-route through output to manufacturing. It is built on the proven foundation of Cadence flagship PCB technology-Allegro designer and the SPECCTRA auto router. Allegro studio does not suffer from built-in database limits such as design size and pin number.
Allegro studio shares the same library and design database used by other high-performance PCB design tools, including Allegro expert system and SPECCTRAQuest interconnect designer. Cadence is establishing a new VAR network focused on selling and supporting products to the mainstream design community that initially includes EMA Mid-Atlantic, Inc. and Ward/Davis, Associates.
Allegro studio is immediately available for Windows NT platforms in the United States at a list price of $9995. Purchasing information can be obtained by contacting Cadence telesales at 800/995-8908.
EMA Mid-Atlantic, a full-service VAR dedicated to the EDA market, will distribute Cadence PCB design software products in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States, covering New York through Virginia, and can be contacted at 716/334-6001 or by e-mail emainfo@ema-eda.com.
Ward/Davis Associates is headquartered in Redondo Beach and supports a large sales organization of more than 55 people and enduser customer sales of $100 million. The company will distribute Cadence PCB products to its broad base of customers in California, Nevada, and Arizona and can be contacted at 408/245-3700 or by e-mail at edasales@warddavis.com.
***Silicon Metrics announces CellRater
(October 12 )
Silicon Metrics Corporation announced availability of CellRater, the first characterization tool designed to accurately model the electrical behavior of deep-submicron (DSM) cell libraries. CellRater reduces the risk, cost and cycle time of characterizing DSM libraries required in the design of next-generation systems-on-a-chip (SOC). To better reflect the company's strategic focus, the Austin-based startup also announced that it has changed its name from Taveren Technology to Silicon Metrics.
CellRater is the first product in Silicon Metrics' Rater series of characterization and modeling solutions for DSM silicon intellectual property (SIP). It provides the fastest characterization and library publishing environment on the market. CellRater provides full support for combinatorial, sequential and I/O cells. It offers significant advances over conventional solutions in throughput, accuracy, quality and extensibility. CellRater features a client-server architecture that automatically distributes SPICE runs to any number of CPUs and SPICE licenses, making it the most productive library characterization and publishing environment available. Characterization throughput improvements are nearly linear with each additional CPU.
CellRater's patent-pending data acquisition and reduction algorithms work in conjunction with customers' preferred SPICE simulators to produce concise, accurate timing models. Typical results are within two percent of SPICE, making it the most accurate characterization tool on the market.
CellRater's data management, dependency checking and error reporting systems ensure that obsolete or incorrect models are never generated. An automated Q/A suite tests every generated model for syntactical, functional and timing correctness within the target tool environment.
Users can add new cell types to CellRater, or modify measurements used for existing ones. A well-defined API offers complete access to the measurement database for easy generation of custom datasheets or proprietary model formats. Currently, CellRater generates model views for Synopsys.LIB and Verilog XL. Additions scheduled for Q1 1999 include Synopsys STAMP, VHDL/VITAL, IBIS and Cadence TLF.
CellRater is scheduled for release in November 1998. The product may be licensed on either a purchase or rental basis, with pricing based on the total number of clients and servers in a given installation. Purchase prices begin at $150K for a low-end configuration of one client and two servers.
CellRater is currently available on Sun Solaris. HP-UX and Microsoft Windows NT will be available in 1999.
*** NeoLogic Announces Embedded Object Database (October 12)
NeoLogic Systems, announced a suite of embedded object database management system (ODBMS) products. This product family includes NeoAccess 6.0 includes-NeoShare - a multi-user object database; and NeoOpen-a standards-based interface for accessing NeoLogic's database engines from diverse languages and application development environments.
Both NeoAccess and NeoShare share a common API (application programming interface) so that a single-user application developed under NeoAccess can then be deployed over a network for multiple users with NeoShare. NeoOpen lets non-C++ programmers gain seamless access to NeoAccess and NeoShare.
The company's database technology is included in interactive games and content management applications including Encyclopedia Britannica and The X-Files Game. It is also used in major Internet products like Netscape Messenger, NetObjects Fusion, America Online and Connectix' SurfExpress.
NeoLogic's product family consists of three separate object-oriented components: NeoAccess 6.0, NeoShare 2.0 and NeoOpen 1.0. These products can be used separately or combined with the other components in the family.
NeoAccess 6.0 is NeoLogic's flagship object-oriented database management system. With new release, developers benefit from:
· Journaling based recovery to ensure failsafe database integrity
· Symmetric multiprocessing and pre-emptive multi-threading to extract optimal performance
· Microsoft COM (Component Object Model) compatible for interoperability with other environments including ActiveX
· A simplified API that streamlines the development processNeoAccess 6.0 includes a high level programming interface with features such as garbage collection and the automatic handling of referential integrity. This new interface allows the developer experience to be very efficient. The single-user NeoAccess engine has a memory fingerprint of only 500K useful for database management system for embedding in portable applications including mobile devices.
NeoShare 2.0 is a multi-user embedded object server for developers in TCP/IP or other client/server environments.
NeoShare 2.0:
· Extends NeoAccess classes to support multiple transactions and multiple users in a networked environment
· Supports multiple clients to access the database concurrently either locally or from around the world
· COM compatible like NeoAccessWith NeoShare, the number of users is limited only by the resources of the hardware platform. A single server can even communicate with multiple clients, each of whom are using a different network protocol. With NeoShare 2.0, traditional single-user interactive applications, like games, can now support multiple players. The multi-user NeoShare engine also has a memory fingerprint of 750K.
NeoOpen 1.0 is a set of standards-based interfaces allowing users to access the NeoAccess and NeoShare object database engines from other applications like Crystal Reports and Microsoft Access. In its first release, NeoOpen provides support for ODBC (Open Data Base Connectivity) -- offering access to NeoLogic's database engines to developers who are themselves not C++ programmers. These developers can now make calls directly from their native environment, like Visual Basic, and have access, through NeoOpen, to either the single-user NeoAccess or the multi-user NeoShare engine. NeoLogic plans to release additional interfaces under NeoOpen in future.
NeoAccess 6.0 single-user toolkit solutions begin at $749 per seat for a single platform. NeoAccess Professional, the advanced version of NeoAccess, is available for $1,499 per seat. NeoShare for multi-user environments is available for $2,999 per seat and NeoOpen for $199 per seat. The company does not charge for run-time fees for basic NeoAccess, and the run-time fees for NeoAccess Professional and NeoShare range from $10 to $1 per client, depending on the volume of licenses purchased.
The family of NeoLogic products are expected to ship in the fourth quarter of 1998. These products are cross-platform across Windows, Unix and Macintosh environments with full binary compatibility of databases. A database can be created on any platform and opened on any other platform.
***Expert Software, Inc. Expects Third Quarter Results Below Analysts' Expectations (October 12)
Expert Software announced that it expects financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 1998 to be below analysts' expectations. The Company expects net revenues to be approximately $5.0 million for the quarter, which includes a higher than normal provision for returns primarily related to lower than expected sell-through rates. Operating expenses will also include a charge of approximately $1.3 million for additional reserves for potential doubtful accounts related to a distributor which will likely not be collectible in full in the near term. Due to the operating loss resulting from these items, the Company currently anticipates writing-off approximately $5.5 million of deferred tax assets primarily related to tax benefits associated with tax operating loss carryforwards. As a result, the estimated loss per share will likely range from $1.35 to $1.40 per share, based on approximately 7.6 million shares outstanding.
"Sales in the third quarter historically have been low in July and August, and tend to ramp up in September as retailers prepare for the holiday season," said Ken Currier, CEO of Expert Software. "However, late quarter orders from retailers were below expectations.
"While it is always difficult to predict short-term swings in consumer demand and retail activity, we are optimistic about the long-term outlook for the consumer software market due to sales of low cost home PCs and other factors, and we continue to focus on our core business strategy of bringing high-quality software products to the market," Currier added.
Over 25 million units of Expert products have been sold, including Home Design 3D, Landscape Design 3D, Diet & Fitness, ResumeWriter, and Casino. The Expert Software family of brands also includes the popular Sega PC Collection, Bicycle Card Games and the Gamers Choice Line of classic games. Expert Software can be found on the World Wide Web.
***ShareWave Announces New Financing With Strategic Investors Ameritech, Cisco, Intel, and Philips (October 5)
ShareWave announced it has raised $25 million in financing from a group of investors, including Ameritech , APV Technology Partners, Cisco Systems, Intel Corporation, Philips Electronics NV, Softbank Technology Ventures, and Paul Allen's Vulcan Ventures.
ShareWave will use the proceeds to further its product engineering, marketing, and technology development efforts, as ShareWave continues to propel its vision of the Multimedia Furnace as the optimum model for digital convergence in the home.
At the core of the Multimedia Furnace model is ShareWave Digital Wireless, a portfolio of ingredient networking technologies. This portfolio consists of patent pending developments in the areas of compression, network protocols, RF radios, and network interfaces.
ShareWave Digital Wireless is a home networking technology that provides for high bandwidth, wireless digital connections capable of sharing interactive multimedia content among appliances in the home. ShareWave enables real-time delivery of full motion video across a digital wireless home network.
ShareWave envisions numerous digital appliances in the home that employ ShareWave Digital Wireless. These devices will wirelessly interconnect, resulting in the creation of a multimedia distribution network driven by a central hub-which may be a personal computer, other future type of home server, or home gateway device.
Analysts predict rapid growth for the home networking market. According to Wedbush Morgan Securities, the home networking market in America will reach in excess of $4 billion in the year 2002.
***NVIDIA Licenses Innovative Semiconductors' VIP Core for Video Interface (October 5)
NVIDIA Corporation has licensed the Video Interface Port (VIP) core from Innovative Semiconductors for incorporation in its future 3D graphics chips. Innovative Semiconductors was the first company to develop and market VESA VIP cores. VIP, an open Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) standard, specifies the interface between graphics controllers and video devices. As a universal standard, VIP meets the industry's demand for compatibility, low-cost and high performance. In addition, VIP offers an upgrade path to support emerging applications such as HDTV and CODEC (Digital VCR). VESA VIP has gained widespread industry support from both the graphics and video semiconductor vendors.
***ICE Acquires Final Effects Complete From MetaCreations (October 6)
ICE announced it has acquired Final Effects Complete (FEC) video special effects software including all intellectual property rights from MetaCreations Corporation of Carpinteria, CA for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition expands ICE's installed base over eight-fold and increases its product range to include over 130 innovative and heavily used special effects filters. ICE also announced plans to deliver an accelerated or "ICE'd" FEC product in the fourth quarter of 1998, and other packages that combine ICE's hardware/software acceleration technology with Final Effects. ICE's acquisition of FEC highlights the ongoing commitment to its users and the industry to deliver high-end special effects power to affordable MacOS and WindowsNT systems. ICE is committed to supporting and enhancing the FEC software and its value to existing customers.
FEC includes over 60 filters or plug-ins for use with major desktop compositing applications such as Adobe After Effects that are used by graphics creators and nonlinear editors, and with stand-alone effects editing applications such as ICE's ICEblast. For FEC users, ICE's acquisition brings added speed to their favorite special effects through the addition of ICE's BlueICE PCI hardware and ICEfx. For ICE's users, the acquisition means access to over double the special effects that render at incredible speeds.
ICE will continue to sell FEC through existing Final Effects Complete authorized resellers and begin distribution immediately through existing ICE resellers. The new ICE'd version of FEC will be available through ICE authorized resellers in Q4, 1998.
***Pinnacle Systems Extends Its Studio Consumer Video Editing Product Family (October 5)
Pinnacle Systems announced Studio DC10 plus a consumer video editing products.Studio DC10 is compatible with today's high performance Pentium class personal computers. With an estimated street price under $200, Studio DC10 plus is Pinnacle Systems' most cost-effective non-linear editing tool. Studio DC10 plus allows users to capture and edit videos right at their desktop.
Studio video editing software, included with Studio DC10 plus, makes video editing easy. One can drag and drop scenes in any order using the intuitive Storyboard view. There is a preview wipes and dissolves function. Studio DC10 plus also comes with the TitleDeko professional character generator from Pinnacle Systems.TitleDeko features over 300 looks and styles .
Studio DC10 plus Features:
· Studio DC10 plus allows one to capture full-screen, full-motion, full-resolution video at 30 frames/60 fields per second. Studio DC10 plus automatically captures your camcorder footage, detecting individual scenes.
· Cut-and-paste, drag-and-drop editing lets you place scenes in any order desired.
· Instant Preview Window lets one try out different scenes, transitions, effects, background music, and more before final edit.
· More than 100 different transitions (including Video SpiceRack lite transitions from Pixelan Software), plus more than 300 different styles and looks for titles, and lots of other effects. Choose from Storyboard or Timeline editing. Create custom musical sound tracks and record voice-over narration.Import 3-D animations and AVI movies.
· Output to videotape or to digital video files. The Studio DC10 plus can capture or output S-VHS, Hi8, Video8, and VHS video formats.Studio DC10 plus is compatible with virtually all Pentium PC's running Windows 95 or Windows 98, and will be available at the end of October, 1998, with an expected price of $229 ($30 mail-in-rebate brings price to $199).
***Truevision Ships Ready-to-Edit Uncompressed Workstation (October 2)
Truevision announced it has shipped the Ready-to-Edit Uncompressed Workstation based on its TARGA 2000 DDR (Digital Disk Recorder) for Windows NT and the IBM IntelliStation computer. This workstation is suited for applications in animation, compositing and post-production This system supports Apple's QuickTime 3.0 for Windows and enables the recording and playback of continuous, 10-bit uncompressed 4:2:2 serial digital video (SMPTE 259M) to and from an attached disk array sub-system. It is shipped complete with Adobe Premiere 5.0 for deck control and assembly and supports numerous other animation, compositing and editing file formats.
A complete turnkey system which stores one hour of uncompressed video and audio (72GB) starts at under $30,000 and is available immediately from Truevision's Signature VARs. Configurations with up to one hour of additional storage are also available.
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