thad@cup.portal.com (Thad P Floryan) (11/03/90)
Whence CDTV? Is another "window of opportunity" going to be lost? Read on. The following article appeared on the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle BUSINESS section, Friday, 2-Nov-1990: `` NEW CHIPS MAKE VIDEO-EDITING EASIER By Ken Stegmann and Don Clark, Chronicle Staff Writers Intel Corp., The Santa Clara-based chipmaker, will unveil on Monday a pair of chips that will make it easier and less expensive for personal computer users to view and edit full-motion video images. Sitting at a PC, the user will be able to assemble a training video or sales presentation from video clips or animation, and the finished product could be viewed on other computer screens. Intel is not the first company to produce such chips. The release of its so-called digital-video-interactive -- or DVI -- chips comes at a time when increasing numbers of chipmakers are producing comparable products. Video consumes vast amounts of computer memory -- an obstacle that until recently prevented people from using personal computers to produce videos or animations. Technologies such as DVI compress the images so they take up less memory. Intel acquired DVI technology for $40 million from General Electric Co. in 1988, and has since been collaborating with IBM Corp. But smaller competitors have beaten Intel to market with their own video-compression chips, and computer makers have begun to adopt their products. C-Cube Microsystems of San Jose released its video-compression chip last year. LSI Logic Corp. of Milpitas introduced a set of video chips in September, and French electronics conglomerate SGS Thomsen is expected to unveil a line of video chips next week. Intel has been selling a $2,000 circuit board for personal computers that incorporates DVI technology. But users have had to add the board to a $3,000 computer to get a system that's capable of working with video. Now, sources say, Intel has miniaturized the circuit-board technology to make it available on two chips. These can be built into personal computers as standard equipment, eliminating the need for the expensive add-ons. An intel spokeswoman confirmed that the company has scheduled an announcement for Monday concerning chips, but she wouldn't go into more detail. "This is a relatively small part of the business for Intel, but it's important," said analyst Lawrence Borgman of Dillon Read & Co. in New York. "The PC of the future is going to have full-motion video and Intel has to be there." Computers with video capabilities may become a multibillion-dollar market in this decade. But "it is still an area that absorbs money and hasn't returned much on the investment," said analyst Millard Phelps of Hambrecht & Quist Inc. in San Francisco. Intel and IBM, despite their huge marketing clout, have failed to convince many computer makers that DVI is the best technology for compressing data. Other makers of computers and semiconductors have favored different methods -- or standards -- for data compression. Some experts have likened this to the struggle between VHS and Beta formats for videotape. And some analysts have suggested that DVI may go the way of Beta. "DVI is a dead end," said Brian Halla, vice president of LSI's microprocessor group and a former Intel executive. Intel is expected to produce chips that incorporate competing standards as well as its original format. But Halla believes that won't happen for two years. '' -------------------- end of article -------------------- Thad Floryan [ thad@cup.portal.com (OR) ..!sun!portal!cup.portal.com!thad ]
ESDYKE@MTUS5.BITNET (Erick Dyke) (11/05/90)
CDTV was listed in this weeks Sports Illustrated (The one with Bill Laimbeer) in the Whats New section. There was a picture, a release date (Before X-Mas), a retail price ($1000), and some programs that will be available. (Jack Nicks Interactive Golf Tutor.) Erick
seanc@pro-party.cts.com (Sean Cunningham) (11/09/90)
In-Reply-To: message from thad@cup.portal.com I don't really know what this has to do with CDTV, since you're talking about two different technologies here. CDTV is CD based, and has full-motion video off of a disk (I know only half screen, but C= has said they're working on full screen...CDI still doesn't really have it either). The DVI is a chipset that reads compressed video off of your HD, WORM, etc. BTW, have any of you ever seen a DVI screen? The companies running FMVideo off their hard disks for the Amiga had a nicer picture. But then I guess "it's not how a walzing bear waltzes, but that it waltzes at all." Sean >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> .SIG v2.0 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< UUCP: ...!crash!pnet01!pro-party!seanc | B^) VISION GRAPHICS B^) ARPA: !crash!pnet01!pro-party!seanc@nosc.mil | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ INET: seanc@pro-party.cts.com | Dual A3000 based, custom Help keep the | computer graphics, RealWorld: Sean Cunningham competition // | animation, presentation, Voice: (512) 992-2810 under \X/ | simulation, accident- | scene re-creation, and "Does anyone remember laughter?" Robert Plant| recreation...(whew!) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
xrtnt@amarna.gsfc.nasa.gov (Nigel Tzeng) (11/09/90)
In article <5522@crash.cts.com>, seanc@pro-party.cts.com (Sean Cunningham) writes... ^In-Reply-To: message from thad@cup.portal.com ^ ^ ^I don't really know what this has to do with CDTV, since you're talking about ^two different technologies here. CDTV is CD based, and has full-motion video ^off of a disk (I know only half screen, but C= has said they're working on ^full screen...CDI still doesn't really have it either). The DVI is a chipset ^that reads compressed video off of your HD, WORM, etc. ^ ^BTW, have any of you ever seen a DVI screen? The companies running FMVideo ^off their hard disks for the Amiga had a nicer picture. But then I guess ^"it's not how a walzing bear waltzes, but that it waltzes at all." ^ ^Sean Somewhat germane to this discussion: I caught the tail end of a George Washington University course on multimedia. There was a demo of a very impressive MM package that runs on a couple of platforms (in this particular instance a PS2). Having only cought a little bit of the class (broadcast on cable for some odd reason) I didn't catch the name or the company. Anyone know? I uses the std laser disk rather than CDI stuff (given the length of the presentation this is not surprising). They did cover the term DVI but didn't show any. ^ ^ RealWorld: Sean Cunningham competition // | animation, presentation, NT PS Anyone have comments on schools with solid MM programs? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- // | Nigel Tzeng - STX Inc - NASA/GSFC COBE Project \X/ | xrtnt@amarna.gsfc.nasa.gov | Amiga | Standard Disclaimer Applies: The opinions expressed are my own.