Wave Issue 2001 1/10/00 Article 2-05

***Amoisonic Introduces Consumer-Affordable VideoDisc Recorder
(January 4)

Amoisonic Electronics Company and Stream Machine have joined
forces to produce a home VideoDisc Recorder (VDR). The VideoDisc
Recorder/player is enabled by Stream Machine's MPEG-2 digital
video real-time encoding and decoding technology and is a low-
price, high-performance recordable digital video solution
designed for consumers.

The VideoDisc Recorder is similar to traditional analog VHS VCRs
in features and functions and provides high-quality
record/playback at low bit rates enabling the use of low cost CD-
RW drives and low cost CD-R and CD-RW disks as the recording
media. Amoisonic's VDR can play pre-recorded Super Video CD
titles, Video CD titles and audio CDs, as well as create disks in
these formats.

This VDR is made possible by the Stream Machine SM2210 MPEG-2
video codec which supports real-time video encoding and decoding
using a single-pass variable bit rate MPEG-2 encoding technique,
providing higher video quality than traditional constant bit rate
MPEG-2 encoding.

As the SM2210 is a true codec, performing both encode and decode
functions, the total system cost and parts count is reduced
compared to systems using separate MPEG-2 encoders and decoders.
In addition, the SM2210 requires only 4 MegaBytes of SDRAM for
full resolution NTSC 30 frames per second MPEG-2 encoding --
further reducing parts count and system cost.

The technology is available in two reference designs: Symphony, a
reference design for standalone personal video recorders (PVRs)
and Insta-Replay, a PCI board reference design for video capture
and playback PC applications. Both reference designs are
complete - including software/firmware, schematics, bill of
materials (BOM), Gerber files, and user documentation - to enable
products based on these reference designs to be brought to high
volume manufacturing.

Amoisonic's VDR is available now at a retail price of $299.

www.streammachine.com