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The Week in
Review: January 6-12, 2003
Last week's features at
3DsoundSurge
Last week's sound news
Drivers and bugs
- New DieselPower 3D Audio Engine and SDK Released
The Danish 3D audio provider, AM:3D, has released a new version 1.2.10 of their
DieselPower 3D Audio engine and SDK. The new version includes HRTF positioning with
4-speakers with what they describe as "superior elevation cues". In
addition, four different rear-speaker placement standards are supported, small and large
sweetspot supported, headphone/2-speaker modes now works on non-DirectSound cards (with
emulated driver) and finally there are some minor fixes. For more information and to to
download the new "DieselStudio v. 1.4a", "DieselPower for Hitman 2"
and the "Miles DP plug-in" (works with the "MOHAA"-games,
"GTA3", "Tribes2" and more) you can visit www.am3d.com.
New
games, demos, patches and bugs
New World Order Patch
A new patch (v1.34) for
New World Order has been released.
- Raven Shield Demo Update
An updated demo (v1.1) of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Raven Shield is now available. You can
grab it from 3D
Gamers.
- Ron Jones (Composer) Interview
GameCritic has conducted an
interview with composer Ron Jones, who's credits the game music for Starfleet Academy
and Starfleet Command, film (Mission Impossible), and TV shows such as Star Trek: The Next
Generation and Family Guy. Here's a taste:
Did your gaming experience have any impact on how you approached
making game soundtracks?
No. I approached the game scores the same way I do on film and TV
scores, in that I play the story and support the emotions. The shift came in making the
music seamless. In a film the story is linear in that it starts somewhere and ends
somewhere. In a game, anything can and does happen. The story changes as the player
responds to the game. The hard part of game scoring, I believe, is to design the score so
the music can shift easily, yet not draw attention to itself in the process. That is not
an easy task.
Let's talk about the process of making a soundtrack for a game. What
are the various steps that you go through?
The process involves making appropriate music but that comes as a
result of taking care of several other aspects first. I have to first listen to the
producers and what they want. These guys have lived with it for a long time, usually
years. They can tell you a lot. I have to be a really good listener. Then you take note of
everything you can about the game, its story and characters. Next, you ask how you would
like the players to feel emotionally and where in the game it should occur. Music
functions on an emotional level. Music can help to create or stimulate emotions, so you
need to understand what the goal is. With all this information I can begin to write some
basic thematic material and come up with a style or genre that most helps to support the
goals of the game. With the specific information I have collected I can direct my composer
brain to come up with the right music.
Most game producers pick the composer in a typecast way. They find a
rock guy or an orchestral guy. I am far more eclectic in my styles. I can score in any bag
possible. Some people think of me as an orchestral composer, others a Jazz guy, others
think I am avante-guard, some think I do songs, and some think I only do animation music.
They are all right, but I do many styles and kinds of scoring. I do whatever is right for
the project. This is how I have been trained and how I work. Being able to score in many
ways makes it hard for people to label me. So what? I have worked with the best and I know
my craft inside and out. I am proud of being able to score in diverse ways. It beats
getting stuck in a loop, doing the same thing over and over.
- Command & Conquer: Renegades Patch
A patch for Command
& Conquer: Renegades has been released (v1.036).
Reviews
of soundcards, speakers, headphones and MP3 players.
- Hercules DigiFire 7.1 Sound Card Review
Maximum 3D has posted a review of
Hercules DigiFire 7.1 sound card. A couple of minor comments on this overall very
positive review. First, a matrixed audio means that extra channel(s) are carried on
another channel, rather than they are the same as another channel. Secondly, to be clear
3D audio support is via DS3D, rather than the EAX extensions which delivers reverb,
occlusion and obstruction effects.
- 5.1 Speakers Round-up
Tom's Hardware has posted a 5.1 speaker round-up featuring Cambridge SoundWorks MegaWorks 550
5.1, Logitech's Z-640 and Z-680, Altec Lansing's 5100 and 251. They found the
MegaWorks 550 to offer the best sound quality while the Z-680 had the most impressive
feature set. Worth noting that the scores on the last page is incorrect for the Z-680 as
you will see if you check the last page of the Z-680 part of the review. Thanks to Jesse
Tjang for the pointer.
- Logitech Z-640 Review
Envy News has done a review
of Logitech inexpensive ($99) 5.1 system, the Z-640. They found the bass performance
to be awesome while they described midrange as "tinny". Despite this complaint
the review is overall very positive, especially if you intend to use it mostly for games
and movies.
- Sony DRU120A DVD Writer Review
GeekShelter has posted a review of Sony DRU120A DVD Writer. They found it to perform
well but note that Sony already released a faster drive (the DRU500A which writes at 4x
instead of just 2.4x like this one)for the same price.
- Toshiba SD-R5002 6-in-1 DVD-R/RW Drive Review
Digit-Life has done a review
of Toshiba SD-R5002 6-in-1 DVD-R/RW Drive. It support write speeds of 1x for DVD-RW
and 2x for DVD-R discs. Digit-Life found it to outperform Pioneer DVD-RW drive but notes
that there are new drives that now support DVD-R write speeds up to 4x and DVD-RW write
speeds of 2x.
Other sound news
- Dolby Approves Software Implementation of
Real-Time DD 5.1 Encoder for C-Media Chipset
Dolby Laboratories has announced that it is demonstrating C-Media's newest chipset to run
a PC game at the 2003 International CES trade show in Las Vegas. Dolby has certified
C-Media Electronics' software-based implementation of the real-time Dolby Digital encoder
for the CMI9739 6CH AC97 chipset. For the first time, PC
users with Intel- and AMD-based PCs equipped with C-Media's chipsets will have access to
the convenience of the multichannel audio experience that Dolby Digital provides. As we
mentioned many times before the only benefit of Dolby Digital Encoding compared to the
more common 5.1 analog output most soundcard offers is convenience except of course if
your Dolby Digital receiver lacks 5.1 analog input. You can find more details in
the press release.
The Dolby Digital Encoding has been listed as optional on CMedia's
site for awhile now but not seen anyone that licensed it yet. As you probably know several
motherboard features the CMI9739 solution and you will also find it in Philips new low
cost soundcard line but then with technology from QSound instead of Sensaura.
- M-Audio Announces Revolution 7.1 and Sonica
Theater USB 7.1
While both of these products have been previously announced, M-Audio is taking advantage
of the CES publicity to again announce the Revolution 7.1, the first high-definition 7.1
surround sound card providing up eight channels of professional 24/192kHz audio with
consumer-oriented features. In addition to up to eight simultaneous channels of
high-definition 24-bit/192kHz audio the Revolution 7.1 offers pro features like Bass
Management, Speaker Optimization and Input Metering, built-in SRS Labs’ Circle
Surround II™ technology and 3D audio and EAX 2 support via Sensaura. Revolution 7.1 is scheduling to ship in January 2003, and will be distributed
in major retail stores throughout North America. It will be released soon after that in
Japan and Europe. Estimated street price for Revolution 7.1 is $99.99. For additional
details you can check
out the full press release.
M-Audio has also announced the Sonica Theater USB 7.1 Surround Sound
Card which they describe as the ultimate audio upgrade for USB-compatible laptops and
desktops. Sonica Theater provides ultra-immersive surround sound output up to 7.1,
crystal-clear audio quality, and high-resolution 24-bit/96kHz audio playback and
recording.
Sonica Theater is shipping in mid-January 2003 for distribution in
major retail stores throughout North America, with Japan and Europe following shortly
thereafter. Estimated street price is $99.99. For more details on the Sonica Theater you
can check out the
full press release.
- VIA Audio Support of WM9 Series to Drive Adoption
of 24-bit and 7.1 Audio Standards
VIA Technologies, Inc. today announced that its audio solutions fully support the latest
24-bit and 7.1 multi-channel content that promises be widely propagated with the new
Microsoft Windows Media 9 Series platform. Fully supporting
the new Windows Media Audio 9 Professional codec, the VIA Envy24, Envy24HT, and Envy24PT
Audio Controllers support 24-bit resolutions and up to 192kHz sampling rates for optimum
high fidelity performance in both recording and playback. In close cooperation with
partners, VIA has extended this support into the professional and consumer soundcard
markets, with cards like the new M-Audio Revolution and the Terratec Aureon 7.1 Space
delivering the next level of audio performance.
For some additional details you can check out the full
press release.
- SigmaTel Interview
3DAI has posted an interview David Roach, head of PC audio software division at
SigmaTel. The interview focus on the STAC9758, the newest AC'97 codec to come out from
SigmaTel. Two new features the STAC9785 offer is JackSense and Universal Jacks. For
details on these check out the interview. Here's three other interesting q&a:
Q: With the 9758 AC'97, this is a 6 channel codec. What
advantages does the 9758 have over something from ADI or Realtek?
A: We really threw in everything plus the kitchen sink on the most advanced AC'97 codec
that's been made to date. We have six channels of analog output, we also have two or six
channels of digital output depending on the format, in fact it will support an eight
channel digital format that has been popular in the pro-audio field called ADAT. So we
support two, six, or eight channels of digital output. The 9758 does feature the Universal
Jacks, so basically there are five different jack pairs or stereo jacks that can be
attached to the part, and each of those can be stereo/mono mic-in, stereo line-in, or
stereo line-out. They can also be front channels, rear channels, or the center/LFE
channels. Center/LFE is a special condition because there is no standard for how that's
wired so we designed the chip to where it can adapt to whatever type of speakers are
plugged in. Two of the jack pairs can also be used to drive headphones compared to all the
competitors who can only drive one pair so they have to designate a jack that is the
headphone jack. We tried to make it a lot more flexible than that.
Q: I see that both the 9752 and the 9758 support 20bit/96kHz audio resolution, why not
24bit/96kHz like Creative or other newer add-in soundcards?
A: Basically the AC'97 specification has really hit its upper limits with the 9758. It was
only specified initially for 20bit/48kHz audio, we've actually added the 96kHz resolution
in two channel mode but the bus itself is basically maxed out by the 9758. Microsoft and
other industry leaders are pursuing a new strategy called UAA that is expected to be
introduced at about the same time as the Longhorn OS from Microsoft. That will support
more than eight channels of 24bit/192kHz to allow for DVD-Audio support so that will be
the next big migration. We've already got parts that work at six channels 24bit/192kHz,
but they are primarily being used in DVD players, set-top boxes, and the like, but there's
no standard for connecting those to a PC. So with the UAA standard we expect to take that
same technology and repackage it for use in the PC market. We definitely have all the
peices and we're just waiting for the standard to come in place to put all the building
blocks together into the right shape.
Q: A lot of gamers use add-in soundcards for their gaming machines. What advantages to the
gamer does using something like a SigmaTec 9758 give to them?
A: First of all, we are seeing interest in the 9758 for soundcards so we expect to see
some soundcards coming up soon that do have the 9758. If you are plugging in six channel
speakers, we're going to have something called the auto configuration wizard that's going
to setup the six channel speakers which will make it real easy to setup and verify that
you have all the speakers plugged in the right way. Another thing, actually, as odd as it
sounds, you'll typically get a lower CPU usage and a higher framerate with the on-board
audio if it's laid out correctly, and a lot of the motherboards are now laid out
correctly. The noise is really not an issue as we have motherboards exceeding 100dB S/N
ratio which has been a challenge in the past but really that challenge has been overcome.
Soundcards that go into a PCI slot are inherently inefficient. Back when what's called
hardware acceleration (we call it hardware deceleration now) was conceived the front side
bus was 33mHz as was the PCI bus and CPU speed were about 100MHz. Clearly with a 533MHz
front side bus this totally outstrips the old 33mHz PCI bus it's just not an efficient way
to carry audio. Also to use hardware acceleration features that you can find in some of
the high end soundcards, you actually have to run 32 or 64 streams of audio over this very
slow PCI bus. Where if you are using the integrated audio that's built into the computer
chipset it's not limited to the PCI bus speed and you only have to run however many
channels of audio that are actually going to your speakers two, four, or six channels
rather than 32 or 64 channels. So it just really eliminates a lot of the bottlenecks in
the old PCI way of doing things and just cleans it all up. Our tests show that when
everything is properly installed that we can often have an order of magnitude less CPU
usage with our solutions than with the leading soundcard solutions.
- Creative Unveils Audigy 2 Platinum eX and
MegaWorks THX 6.1 650
Creative Technology kicks off four days of demonstrating the latest lifestyle digital
entertainment innovations at the CES show with an exhibit dedicated to the introduction of
new digital entertainment solutions from key product categories that leverage the power of
the PC to expand upon the capabilities of consumer electronics devices. At CES 2003 Creative will unveil the new Sound Blaster® Audigy™ 2
Platinum eX sound card and preview the new MegaWorks® THX 6.1 650 speaker system, which
delivers 600 watts of Burst Power through six speakers and a subwoofer.
For full list of featured products including the I-Trigue™ 2.1
3300 speaker system, Creative Prodikeys™, Creative TravelSound™ MP3 and more you
can check out the
full press release.
- Dolby Laboratories at CES
Dolby Laboratories continues to showcase its technology at CES. As part of its Sound of
Entertainment theme, Dolby will treat visitors at its 2003 International CES convention
exhibit to a sampling of the latest implementations of Dolby's Surround in Motion in-car
entertainment technologies. The Dolby exhibit will feature a mobile entertainment concept
car, outfitted with a high-performance DVD-Audio/Video system and equipped with Dolby®
Headphone technology. For additional details on Dolby's
Surround in Motion in-car entertainment technologies, including information on the Kenwood
Excelon KVT-915DVD DVD-Audio/Video In-Dash Touch Screen Receiver, you can check out the full
press release.
Dolby has also announced that approximately 50 DVD-Video titles are
presently encoded with Dolby® Digital EX technology, and an additional 20 first-run
movies scheduled to be released on DVD in 2003. Recent Dolby Digital EX releases on
DVD-Video include Monsters Inc., The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
(Extended Version), Austin Powers in Goldmember, and Star Wars: Episode II--Attack of the
Clones. Dolby Digital EX releases currently showing in theatres include Harry Potter and
the Chamber of Secrets, James Bond: Die Another Day, and The Lord of the Rings: The Two
Towers.
For additional details on details Dolby Digital EX you can check out the
full press release.
- Dolby Headphone Technology Goes Portable and
Personal
At CES, Dolby showcases seven Dolby Headphone technology demonstrations, including devices
such as the Nintendo GameCube, Sony PlayStation 2, Microsoft Xbox, and technologies
including DVD-Video with Dolby Digital, AAC, CD audio played through Pro Logic® II
decoders, and DVD-Audio. Various products that incorporate Dolby Headphone technology will
be shown, including audio receivers from Denon and Onkyo, the Pioneer SE-DIR1000C cordless
headphone system (currently available in Japan), and the InterVideo WinDVD player. You can
find more details
in the full press release.
- Spatializer Introduces Spatializer® enCompass AV
Spatializer Audio Laboratories has launched Spatializer® enCompass AV(TM), a
multi-speaker audio enhancement technology targeted directly at home theater and game
platform applications. Designed to offer high quality, multi-channel audio, even from mono
or stereo sources, Spatializer enCompass AV creates a spherical sound field incorporating
as many as eight speakers simultaneously. The technology incorporated into Spatializer
enCompass AV effectively targets AV Receivers, game platforms, Home Theater-in-a-Box, DVD
Receivers, CD and MP3/WMA playback systems as well as automotive audio systems.
Spatializer enCompass AV transforms ordinary stereo into a virtual concert hall,
transporting the listener beyond average dual-channel sound, to the exceptional sound
experience of a movie theater. Utilizing the latest Head
Related Transfer Function (HRTF -- physical cues to locate a sound source) and
Spatializer's proprietary psycho-acoustic and channel distribution technology, enCompass
AV converts two channel audio inputs to correctly drive up to 7.1 channels of audio
outputs. Spatializer's enCompass AV also provides full compatibility with mono, stereo,
Dolby Pro logic (R), Dolby Surround (R) and DTS®, as well as terrestrial and satellite
broadcast television. You can find more details in the full press release.
- Spatializer enCompass AV Available on LSI Logic
ZSP
Spatializer Audio Laboratories, Inc. has announced today that its new Spatializer
enCompass AV surround sound enhancement technology is now ported and available on the new
ZSP digital audio platform from LSI Logic. LSI Logic is the first DSP supplier to
incorporate Spatializer enCompass AV, a new multi-speaker audio enhancement technology
targeted directly at home theater and game platform applications. Designed to offer high
quality, multi-channel audio, even from mono or stereo sources, Spatializer enCompass AV
creates a spherical sound field incorporating as many as eight speakers simultaneously. For additional details you can check out the full
press release.
- Delphi and Polk Audio to Co-Develop OEM
Automotive Audio Systems
Delphi Corp. and Polk Audio have announced they have signed a cooperation and trademark
agreement to deliver high-performance Polk Audio-branded OEM audio systems for vehicles.
Polk Audio will design and develop the loudspeakers and optimize the smart digital
amplifier used in the system to provide the most accurate and exciting 3D sound for the
vehicle's acoustics, while Delphi will integrate the systems into the vehicle. For details
you can check out two separate press releases on the subject:
- SRS Labs Launches High Performance, Ultra-Thin
Speaker Line
SRS Labs has announced the debut of four lines of home speaker systems that incorporate
new flat panel and miniature modular speaker technology and sleek, functional designs. SRS
Labs is demonstrating the Klayman Signature Series, Prestige Series, Eva and AcouStix
speaker lines to buyers of select retailers and global OEM candidates at CES 2003. SRS
Labs also proudly announces that its Prestige Series speakers have won a CES Innovation
2003 Design and Engineering award. For extensive details
including estimated retail pricing you can check out the full press release.
- Amphony Presents the World's First Audiophile 2.4
GHz Digital Wireless Headphones
As the world's first audiophile wireless RF headphones to provide audio transmission at
full CD quality, Amphony is unveiling its 2.4 GHz Digital Wireless Headphones, Model 2000
at this year's CES which will complement Amphony's line of digital wireless headphones at
a suggested retail price of $249. For details check out the full
press release.
- Airwave Technology Launches Next Generation
Wireless Home Media Communications
Airwave Technology has planned to roll out a new generation of Media Communication
products at the 2003 CES exhibition. Extending from its existing wireless AV sender
product lines, Airwave will debut PC2TV-a media adapter aimed at PC digital media
conversion to home entertainment systems, Home Watchers -- a wireless surveillance system
with DVR web server for Internet access, Wireless Digital Media -- a high quality digital
2.4GHz media distribution system for both audio and video applications, and 2.4GHz
digital, 5.8GHz RF modules for OEM manufacturer to integrate. For lots more detail you can
check out the full
press release.
- THX Showcases New Products, Programs at CES
THX® Ltd., the founder of quality assurance programs for superior cinema presentation and
the leading provider of product certification and venue design for the entertainment and
consumer electronics industries, announced that 30 new Home Theatre and multimedia
products earning THX Certification and the first Certified Car Audio System presented in
the 2003 Lincoln LS will be showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show. By product category, the new certifications include 11 surround sound
controllers, three amplifiers, two AV receivers, one DVD player, three surround sound
speakers, two subwoofers, and eight multimedia systems or components. The new products in
the multimedia category include complete systems from Dell, graphic cards from ATI, sound
cards from Creative Labs and speaker systems from Logitec and Creative Labs.
- Monster Teams With THX To Introduce New Cable
Line
Monster® Cable Products and THX® have announced the introduction of the new Monster
Ultra Series line of THX Certified Cables. The new line of cables, they claim, brings home
theater enthusiasts and installers high performance cabling at a reasonable price whether
it is used with THX or non-THX certified components. Monster
Cable, in alliance with THX, has produced this new line of certified products
incorporating specifications researched and developed by THX. The certification standards
include a series of electrical, physical and ergonomic specifications that guarantee
top-notch sound reproduction and premium-grade construction. You can find more details in
the press release.
- Hitachi Announces New DVD and VCR Products at CES
2003
Hitachi has announced a new progressive scan DVD player, combination DVD/VCR and DVD/VCR
home theater system at the 2003 Consumer Electronics Show. For details, including pricing
and availability you can check out the full press release.
- Zoran and Digital 5 Power New Wireless DVD
Players
Zoran and Digital 5 announce that their technology collaboration is enabling wireless
networked DVD players on display this week at CES in Las Vegas. Zoran's advanced Vaddis
DVD multimedia processor IC powers SONICblue's new Go-Video® D2730 Networked DVD player.
Digital 5's Netplay DVD client technology is the Vaddis-compatible software that allows
consumers to stream digital pictures, music and video clips stored on a personal computer
into the living room to be played on a television or home theater system for a superior
viewing and listening experience. You can find more details in the
press release.
- Aeon Digital Unveils Ethernet Enabled DVD/CDR-W
Player/Recorder
Aeon Digital along with the Petters Group, has launched the first DVD/CDR-W
player/recorder with Polaroid® to include a TV Tuner and is Ethernet ready. The high end
DVD unit incorporates Microsoft Corporation's Windows Media 9 Series playback and encoding
allowing the consumer the capability to do more than just play DVD movies. The new unit
will allow consumers the ability to both view and listen to Windows Media 9 Series
streaming video and music content found on the Internet. The built-in TV tuner will enable
consumers the ability to record up to 2 hours of their favorite television show or home
video to CDR-W and gives them the capability of affordably recording digitally today. You
can find more
details in the full press release.
- Sharp Showcases New Products at CES
Sharp Electronics Corporation is showing a myriad of new and updated products at this
year's Consumer Electronics Show in the display, video, audio and PDA categories. This
includes a $500 1-Bit Home Theater Package with support for DTS, Dolby Digital and Dolby
ProLogic II, a $400 1-Bit Personal Audio System featuring a 2.8 megahertz high speed 1-Bit
amplifier, CD player and tuner, an $800 Recordable DVD and a lot more. For the full range
of new products and more details
check out the press release.
- DVD Software Sales 2002
DVD Entertainment Group has announced that in 2002, consumers spent $20.3 billion buying
and renting DVDs and VHS versus $9.3 billion moviegoers spent at the theatrical box
office. DVD now represents 57 percent of 2002 home video consumer spending, driven by DVD
retail sales which increased 61 percent to $8.7 billion (compared with $5.4 billion in
2001). Consumers spent an additional $2.9 billion renting DVDs (more than double the $1.4
billion in 2001), bringing total DVD spending to $11.6 billion versus $6.8 billion in
2001, an increase of 71 percent. You can find even more statistics in the full press
release.
- DVD Recording Will Become Mainstream Consumer
Product in 2003
The DVD+RW Alliance predicts that DVD recording equipment will become a mainstream
consumer product in 2003 as lower prices and increasing supply spur consumers to add DVD
recording capability to their home entertainment centers and computers. To back up this
predictions they pointed to the research firm In-Stat/MDR which predicts DVD recorder
sales will approach one million units in the United States for the first time this year
and more than four million units worldwide, with triple-digit growth in sales expected
through 2005. You can find
more details in the press release.
- Alpine Electronics Introduce New Mobile Audio
Products
Alpine Electronics of America, the industry-leading manufacturer of high performance
mobile electronics, have unveiled several new audio related products for your car. For
lots of details check out the following press releases:
- NVIDIA Announces New Personal Cinema
NVIDIA has announced an all-new NVIDIA Personal Cinema, described as the industry's most
complete digital entertainment solution for desktop PCs. With NVIDIA Personal Cinema,
consumers can enjoy a combination of personal video recording (PVR) capabilities,
industry-leading 3D graphics and a robust new software suite enabling DVD burning,
playback and video editing, transforming desktop PCs into a complete home entertainment
center. NVIDIA Personal Cinema products, powered by NVIDIA® GeForce4 MX 440 graphics,
will be available at in the US at national retail outlets beginning next month, including
Best Buy, Circuit City and CompUSA. For additional information on NVIDIA Personal Cinema
you can check out
the full press release.
- NVIDIA NVDVD 2.0 Now Available With All EVGA
GEFORCE4 Cards
NVIDIA and eVGA.com Corp have announced that eVGA.com's entire line of e-GeForce4-based
graphics cards are now shipping with NVIDIA NVDVD 2.0, NVIDIA's versatile PC-based
software digital media player. For details you can check out the full
press release.
- Recordable DVD Council Delivers 'Real DVD'
The Recordable DVD Council (RDVDC) rallied consumers to demand "Real DVD" as
they launched a new DVD Recordable awareness campaign today during the RDVDC press
conference at the Consumer Electronics Show. The RDVDC members backs the DVD-R/RW and
DVD-RAM formats so I guess this awareness campaign is mostly intended to convince
consumers why these formats are better than DVD+R/RW. You can find more details in the press
release
- Alera Technologies Adds 4x DVD Recorder
Alera Technologies, developer and manufacturer of Advanced Optical Recording Solutions,
has announced the next generation of its Award Winning DVD Recorder Solutions, the DVD-R
Quad Cruiser. The unit is an external 4x DVD Recorder with USB 2.0 A-Connect supporting
optional IEEE 1394 FireWire or Cardbus/PCMCIA connections and includes a unique software
suite. (A complete Ulead Video Suite, Ahead Nero, and a DVD Movie Player). The estimated
street price of the DVD-R Quad Cruiser is a $399. For details you can check out the full
press release.
- Panasonic Introduces Feature-Rich, Easy-to-Use
DVD Recorder
Panasonic has introduced of the easy-to-use DMR-E50 DVD recorder at the 2003 International
Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Panasonic's fourth-generation recorder offers
consumers many of the features and technology benefits they have come to expect from
digital recording, combined with a user-friendly interface and an unexpected
manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $599.95. The DMR-E50 builds on Panasonic's
success and leading market share in recordable DVD products and will be available to
consumers in March 2003. For details you can check out the full
press release.
- New DVD+R/+RW Recorders Introduced Based on
Philips' Reference Design
Philips Electronics has announced customer wins for the recently introduced DVD+R/+RW
turnkey semiconductor reference design. Among others, three DVD recorder makers -- Daewoo
Electronics, Mico Electric and Tae Young Telstar -- have selected Philips' DVD+R/+RW
reference design, which was announced on October 22, 2002. The three
companies are introducing DVD+RW recorders at competitive price points, quickly
accelerating the growth of this high volume market. You can find more details in the press release.
- HP Introduces Its Fastest DVD Writers Ever
HP has introduced two new DVD writers that allow users to easily preserve, edit and share
video and data faster. Using a write-speed of up to 4X, the HP DVD 300i internal DVD
writer and the HP DVD 300e external DVD writer enable users to quickly preserve and edit
video, store data, record music and back up and transport information on DVD. The HP DVD 300i internal DVD writer is expected to be available at major
retail outlets in the United States later this month at an estimated U.S. street price of
$299, while the HP DVD 300e external DVD writer is expected to be available at major
retail outlets in the United States in February at an estimated U.S. street price of $399.
You can find more
details in the press release.
- Pioneer Highlights Three Lifestyle Trends With
New Products
Pioneer Electronics has introduced a broad range of new products at the 2003 International
Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Pioneer's new product line is designed to continue
to build excitement around three of the hottest consumer lifestyle trends taking shape
today: DVD recording, home networking and the rapidly growing automotive tuner crowd. You can read all
about this focus in the full press release. In a separate press
release you can read more about their powerful new line of multimedia centers that for
the first time brings advanced DVD-Audio home entertainment technology to the mobile
environment. The Pioneer AVH-P7500DVD and AVH-P6500DVD bring exceptional audio and video
quality to the vehicle with DVD-based systems that offer Dolby Pro Logic II, Dolby 5.1,
DTS, and multi-channel automatic EQ. The new systems are designed for a dual-zone
environment so rear seat passengers can enjoy video while the driver and front seat
passenger listen to music.
In yet another release Pioneer features the launch its
DigitaLibrary, the first in the company's line of Digital Network Entertainment products.
The DigitaLibrary will allow users to distribute multi-media content including music,
video, photos and Internet content, wirelessly or through wired connections throughout the
home, helping to establish the home entertainment network. The DL-1000-S and DL-500AV will
be available in May at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $1,200 and $900
respectively. Lots more detail on the DL-1000-S and DL-500AV can be found in the full press
release.
- Sony's New Products For 2003 Put The User in
Charge
Highly customized entertainment networks designed by users to meet the demands of their
individual lifestyles is the common thread for the dozens of new audio, video and IT
devices unveiled by Sony at the 2003 CES. Among the key products Sony demonstrated on the
eve of the annual Consumer Electronics Show were a new VAIO notebook PC with an integrated
dual-format DVD recordable drive, seven new ATRAC3/MP3 CD Walkman players, a tiny
match-box-size Network Walkman Digital Music Player that has 256 MB of built-in memory
with unlimited memory expansion though a Memory Stick Duo media slot, five new Net MD
Walkman player/recorders and lots more that you can check out in the full
press release.
- Turtle Beach Announces AudioTron AT200 and AT300
Series
Turtle Beach has announced the expansion of its award winning AudioTron product line with
the AT200 and AT300 series of networked audio products. Designed to organize and play
digital audio files stored on the owner's PC and play Internet audio streams through
TurtleRadio, the AudioTron transmits and receives data through an Ethernet network. The
AT200 series adds such optional features as built in wireless network connectivity, TV
display, expanded MP3 search and management functions, crossfading, and additional
enhancements. The AT300 series of products are designed for professional custom installers
- providing bulletproof reliability, easy installation and featuring additional
capabilities such as multi-zone playback and home automation and control integration. Both
the AT200 and AT300 models are scheduled to ship in late Q1, 2003. For additional details
you can check out
the full press release
- Microsoft Unveils 'Media2Go' Portable Media
Player Platform
During his keynote address at CES 2003 Bill Gates, chairman and chief software architect
of Microsoft, unveiled the first prototype of a portable media player (PMP), based on the
device platform code-named "Media2Go." "Media2Go" devices are handheld
personal media players that enable entertainment on the go by providing consumers with an
easy and complete solution to download, store and play back all their favorite digital
media content including video, music and photos. Microsoft also announced that it is
working with Intel Corp., whose early pioneering work on the personal video player (PVP)
led to jointly delivering the first "Media2Go" hardware reference design
developed on the Intel XScale-based processors. In addition, Microsoft announced that
leading consumer electronics companies, including Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., ViewSonic
Corp., SANYO Electric Co. Ltd, and iRiver are planning to deliver a variety of PMP devices
based on "Media2Go" for the 2003 holiday season. For lot's more
details you can check out the full press release.
In a separate but related release ViewSonic Corp., a worldwide
Visual Technologies leader, announced plans to participate in the Microsoft and Intel
initiative to create a new category of mobile devices -- the portable video player.
ViewSonic will extend its brand through the creation of a portable
video player, tentatively called the ViewSonic PVP (Portable Video Player). Among the
first portable media players built upon Microsoft's Media2Go platform, the ViewSonic PVP
features a 3.5-inch 240X320 color display and a 10GB hard drive that is large enough to
store up to seven hours of video content. The ViewSonic PVP combines the functionality of
a MP3 jukebox, a portable DVD player and a digital photo album -- all in a single portable
device -- making it the most complete method for users to enjoy all their favorite digital
content while on the go. Pricing is not yet available for this unit expected to be
available in the fall of 2003.
Again, for further details you can check out the full
press release.
- iRiver Announces Next Generation MP3 Player -
iFP-190T
iRiver has announced the unveiling of its next generation flash based memory player -- the
iFP-190T. Including a built-in FM tuner and voice recorder and featuring 256MB of internal
memory for up to eight hours of music enjoyment, the iFP-190T comes with the exclusive
"record from FM" feature and plays MP3 and WMA music files for up to 20 hours on
a single AA battery. The iFP 190T will be available to consumers January 2003 and
suggested retail price is USD $199.99. For lots more detail on the new player you can check out the full
press release.
- cd3o Introduces Family of Wireless Network MP3
Players
cd3o (pronounced letter-by-letter, see-dee-three-oh), a newly formed consumer electronics
company, has announced its line of affordable wireless and wired stereo adapters at the
CES 2003, allowing digital music enthusiasts to stream their PC-based music library to any
home stereo for high-fidelity playback. The cd3o line-up
consists of three "plug-and-play" models: the c100, an Ethernet streaming MP3
player for wired networks; the c200, a wireless LAN streaming MP3 player; and the c300, a
extended range wireless LAN streaming MP3 player with digital output, priced affordably at
$149, $199 and $249, respectively. Products require an existing 802.11b or Ethernet
network.
For lots more detail you can check out the full press release.
- e.Digital to Launch Odyssey 1000 20 GB Portable
Music Player
e.Digital Corp. has announced that the launch of its Odyssey 1000 portable digital audio
player will take place at the 2003 CES in Las Vegas January 9-12. The company will feature
its lineup of flash-based and hard drive-based digital audio players including the Treo
15, MXP 100, Odyssey 100, Odyssey 200, Odyssey 300, and the much-anticipated new Odyssey
1000 digital audio player. The Odyssey 1000 is e.Digital's
sophisticated new portable jukebox, with a 20 GB hard drive, USB 2.0 for high-speed
downloading, and e.Digital's unique VoiceNav technology, which will recognize the spoken
name of an artist or track -- without training -- letting consumers just "Say It to
Play It." It also has an easy-to-use scroll wheel for effortless manual navigation.
The Odyssey 1000 is scheduled to begin shipping to consumers February 5, with a suggested
retail price of $349.
For lots more detail you can check out the full press release.
- Final Release of Windows Media 9 Series Starts
Next Wave of Digital Media
Yesterday Microsoft announced the immediate availability of Windows Media® 9 Series. Beta
versions of the WM9 series have been previously available. Microsoft also announced a new
licensing program for Windows Media Audio and Video 9 Series that enables device
manufacturers and software developers to build high-quality digital audio and video
features into a broader range of their products -- with longer terms and lower prices than
those of other technologies such as MPEG-4 and MPEG-2. A new
range of professional-level audio and video codecs offers audiophile-quality lossless
sound reproduction, high-definition video with up to six times the resolution of today's
DVDs, and the Web's first digital 5.1-channel surround sound audio codec, home-theater
like experiences. For lots more details you can check out the full
press release.
Digitalway Expands Its MP3 Product Line
Digitalway has announced the addition of two new multi-format MP3/WMA Players to its MPIO
product line. The two new and and most advanced players are the FL100 and FD100.
Receiving this year's CES 2003 InnoVations Award, the new MPIO FL100
MP3/WMA player is only a bit larger than a matchbox, but boasts such features as 256MB of
built-in memory, voice recorder, FM radio, portable data storage with expandable memory
using both SD and MMC cards, and stunning backlit LCD. The FM radio function will allow
the user to directly record broadcasts onto the player. In addition, the player doubles as
a mini portable hard drive, with storage, which equates to over 177 floppy disks worth of
data. You can find more
details in the full press release.
For more news from last week check out our news archive.
Upcoming features at 3DsoundSurgeReviews that we are currently working on:
Updated Santa Cruz/Sonic Fury and GameTheaterXP reviews
Hercules Fortissimo II
Terratec DMX Xfire 1024
CMedia CM8738 Reference Review
Full Audigy Review
Full Philips MMS305 Review
There are several other hardware reviews in the pipeline
including, but not limited to the following:
Guillemot Maxi Sound MUSE
Terratec m3po
DigMedia MusicStore
Philips Seismic Edge
Lots of other stuff on the go in including several guides and major site revisions that we
will soon be releasing more details on.
As always if you have any ideas for products we should review or features we should do,
please let us know.
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