*** Video
Oak Technology Introduces Development Platform for DirectShow
2.0
(February 23)
Oak Technology, a provider of semiconductor and software
technology for DVD, introduced the Interactive DVD Browser
Developer to provide software developers the ability to create
and test DirectShow 2.0 applications on a commercially
available hardware platform.
With the IDBD, software developers can create and test titles
that are compliant to DirectShow 2.0 prior to the release of
Windows 98 next year. Oak's IDBD provides a full suite of
DirectShow testing and development software, requiring only
Creative Labs' PC-DVD Encore hardware to make the development
platform complete. Available now directly from Oak, the IDBD
will be licensed to qualified developers.
www.oaktech.com
nCUBE Introduces Video-On-Demand Server
(March 11)
nCUBE is announcing a new video server product designed
specifically for mid-range, interactive video delivery
applications.
The MediaCUBE 300 is a 19-inch, rack-mounted system that meets
the requirements of most Telco /Cable environments and ISP’s.
Capable of delivering from 80 to over 1,100 concurrent
broadcast quality MPEG video streams in a single shelf, the
MediaCUBE 300 offers up to 6,000 hours of content storage
capabilities. The system features Wide UltraSCSI, ATM OC-3c or
100BaseT interfaces, along with redundant power supplies and
hot swappable disks and cooling fans for reliability. The
MediaCUBE 300 is strategically positioned between nCUBE's two
other video server offerings and shares the same, unique
hypercube architecture for scalability.
A MediaCUBE 300 has already been deployed to Telecom New
Zealand for an asynchronous digital subscriber line (ADSL)
trial. During 1997, First Media, a subsidiary of Telecom New
Zealand, deployed two near video-on-demand systems that
broadcast video stored in MPEG-2 digital format over existing
hybrid fiber coax networks. These systems use nCUBE video
servers at the head-end to send video to set-top terminals in
subscribers' homes. nCUBE also offers the MediaCUBE 30, no
larger in size than a tower PC, as an entry-level model that
can be configured for the delivery of up to 270 concurrent
video streams and 1,500 hours of content storage. For large-
scale deployments, the MediaCUBE 3000 offers performance
delivering from 90 to over 20,000 concurrent streams and
supports up to 96,000 hours of content storage. nCUBE video
servers incorporate Oracle Video Server (OVS) software.
www.ncube.com
C-Cube and Intel to develop DVD daughtercard
(February 17)
C-Cube Microsystems Inc. announced it has worked closely with
Intel to develop a DVD daughtercard design for Intel740-based
2D/3D graphics boards.
The design, Chelsea-I, is based on C-Cube's ZiVA chip and is
the first hardware DVD solution that is glueless to the
Intel740. By enabling Chelsea-I to work seamlessly with the
Intel graphics chip, OEMs can now offer hardware DVD
performance at less than half the cost of previous
implementations.
Providers of graphics accelerator cards and motherboards,
including STB, Diamond Multimedia, Real 3D and ASUSTek are
adopting C-Cube's ZiVA chip for DVD daughtercards and add-in
boards to interface with their Intel740-based products.
With ZiVA, PC OEMs can deliver products with full DVD
compliance and home-theater quality audio and video to leverage
the full DVD experience on a PC. ZiVA has an advanced microcode
programmable architecture to enable new, interactive features,
such as pan, zoom, frame-accurate play, pause and slow motion
that enrich the DVD playback experience.
ZiVA is the only DVD decoder in volume production to integrate
SecureView integrated CSS copy protection circuitry for a
tamper-resistant DVD solution.
The Intel740 introduced new technologies to balance performance
of compute-intensive graphical data-types across the Pentium II
platform. The Intel740 is optimized for the Pentium II
processor's advanced floating point engine and the 440LZX's
AGP capabilities to deliver the best performance graphics for
new generation 3D titles. It also incorporates fast 2D graphics
acceleration. With C-Cube's Chelsea-I designed into Intel740
boards, users also gain the benefits smooth, hardware-
accelerated video playback at a low incremental cost to the
system.
www.c-cube.com
Wave Issue 9808 4/15/98 Article 7-01