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The Week in
Review: January 21-27, 2002
Last week's features at
3DsoundSurge
Last
week's sound news
Drivers and bugs
New Audigy drivers
Creative Labs claims to have released new Audigy drivers for Win9x/ME and
Windows XP/2000. According to Creative Labs the only new in this driver release is
related to an ATI issue that only affected users of Japanese Windows. That is really
pointless to download unless you use the Japanese Windows with some ATI card.
New games, demos, patches and bugsParadox releases Valhalla Chronicles
Paradox Entertainment has finished work on the role-playing game Valhalla Chronicles and
will be releasing it in signed territories starting in March. Valhalla
Chronicles is a role-playing action game set in an undefined mythological/historical
version of the Viking world. The game will unravel an epic story of a time of Vikings,
discovery, adventures, raging wars and mythology. The game is supposed to feature 3D
sound. For more details head
over to the official site
Max Payne Patches
3D Realms has released new patches (v1.05) for both the full
game and the
demo.
- Medal of Honor Patch
Electronic Arts has released the first patch for Medal of Honor. You can grab it
from Avault
- Midtown Madness 2 Patch
MS has released patch
for Midtown Madness 2 which " fixes launching issues with Windows XP and
graphics related with the Intel 810 and Geforce families of graphics chips. ".
Reviews of soundcards, speakers, headphones
and MP3 players. Santa Cruz
3DGameMan is offering a video review of the Turtle Beach Santa
Cruz where they offer an overall very positive impression of the card.
- Logitech Z-540 4.1 Speakers
Gamer's Depot has done a review of
Logitech's Z-540 4.1 Speakers. It's the $80 4.1 system complementing Logitech's more
famous and expensive ($200) Z-560 system. Gamer's Depot found it to be an excellent system
considering the price with the only complaint being the M3D feature. The M3D feature is
intended to play stereo content on 4-speakers and are similar to forcing Dolby ProLogic on
stereo content. It's not intended to be used with games using 3D audio. Seen several other
reviews that have been much more impressed with this feature. It's of course an optional
feature.
- WOW Thing
The TechZone has posted a very positive review of
the WOW Thing. It's a $20 small translucent-blue device that easily connects between
external powered speakers or headphones and the sound card. The technology upon which the
WOW Thing products are based is WOW(TM), a combination of patented spatial and spectral
enhancement techniques that create a panoramic audio experience with more depth, width,
height and bass than is achievable through inexpensive speakers placed closed to each
other on your desk. SONICblue RioVolt
SP250
Designtechnica has posted a review of the
SONICblue RioVolt SP250, SONICblue's latest entry into the cd/mp3 player market.
Designtechnica was overall impressed with this $180 unit that on top of CDs and MP3 also
plays WMA files, has an FM tuner and has an on-wire remote that provides complete
functionality away from the actual unit.
- RioVolt Sp100 Mp3 player
BurnOutPC has done a review of RioVolt
Sp100 MP3 Player. It's a MP3 CD player featuring shock protection (120s), LCD display
with ID3 tag support, adjustable equalizer, MP3 and WMA support, wired remote control. The
review is very positive giving the unit a score of 5 out of 5.
Other sound news Creative Technology Exceeds Q2
Expectations
Creative Technology has announced financial results for the second quarter of fiscal year
2002, ended December 31, 2001. Creative exceeded revenue expectations for the second
quarter, reporting sales of $250.9 million for the period. The Company had forecasted a
lower revenue base of $225 to $240 million for the quarter -- a reduction from the
previous year's Q2 revenues of $427 million -- as a result of Creative's planned
de-emphasis of certain product categories and the difficult economic climate. Net income for the second quarter was $26.3 million compared to $26.5 million
for the same quarter last year. Creative Labs speaks mostly about the Audigy and the
Extigy in the press release and the continued focus on audio products (as you probably
know Creative has left the graphics market completely in US). You can find more details in the press release.
ESS Technology Reports Fourth Quarter Results
ESS Technology has reported fourth quarter 2001 revenues of $83.3 million and net income
of $16.3 million. Pro forma net income for the fourth quarter was $0.37 per diluted share
which compares to $0.07 in the fourth quarter of 2000 and $0.20 in the third quarter of
2001. Pro forma net income excludes the results of discontinued operations,
acquisition-related costs, and investment gains or losses. Revenues
for the year ended December 31, 2001 totaled $271.4 million, a decrease of 11% from fiscal
year 2000 revenues of $303.4 million. Net loss for the year was $1.8 million compared to
net income of $48.3 million, or $1.05 per diluted share, for the year ended December 31,
2000. Once mostly a PC audio chip supplier ESS has now transitioned itself to a DVD and
digital entertainment chip supplier with DVD and Video CD chips revenues growing from $171
million to $210 million last year. You can find more details in the press release
Cirrus Logic Reports 14% Revenue Growth in Fiscal
Q3
Cirrus Logic has announced financial results for its third quarter of fiscal 2002, ended
Dec. 29, 2001. Fiscal third quarter revenue was $77.0 million, compared with $67.7 million
reported in ongoing businesses during the prior quarter. Ongoing businesses exclude
products for magnetic hard disk drives, which the company exited in fiscal Q2. Total
reported Q2 revenues were $77.3 million. You can find more financial as well as some product
hi-lights in the press release
Logitech Delivers Best Quarter Ever
Logitech International has posted its best quarter yet. Driven by strong holiday sales
across the entire product portfolio, revenue for the third quarter, ended December 31,
2001, was $314 million, an increase of 35 percent over the $232 million posted for the
same quarter last year. Net income of $33 million was 67 percent higher than last year's
net income of $19.9 million ($0.42 per share/ADS). Operating income of $42 million,
compared with $26 million for the same quarter last year, represented a 65 percent growth.
The Company's retail business grew by 45 percent year over
year and accounted for 87 percent of third quarter revenue, continuing to thrive, with new
offerings entering the market in each major product category. Of special note is the
ongoing success of Logitech's cordless products, especially cordless keyboards and
cordless optical mice, as well as strong sales of Internet video cameras. Other high-light
includes the successful launch of Z-series speakers in the U.S. market. These initial
Logitech-branded high-end audio products underscore the opportunity afforded by the
acquisition of Labtec. You can find more details in the press release
MegaWorks available in Europe
Not sure when it appeared but noticed this morning that you can now order the MegaWorks 510D from Creative
Labs European online shop. Also got a mail from Fabian saying he spotted it today as
well so perhaps it appeared today. The price is £275 excluding tax or €430 (at least
if you select Germany as your Country). Considering the Inspire 5300 and 5700 sells for
£85 and £238 respectively it indicates that the US SRP for the MegaWorks would be $350
or $400.
- Videologic ZXR-500 Surround Sound Speaker System
VideoLogic Systems announces its ZXR-500 5.1 channel surround sound speaker system.
VideoLogic claims that the stylish silver ZXR-500 provides outstanding quality audio for
surround sound games and movies for £79.99 (inc. VAT UK). There is no mention when or
even if it will be available in US. You can find more details in the press release
- Benwin Wins 2002 Good Design Award
Benwin has announced that its innovative LTS Flat Panel Multimedia Speaker system is the
recipient of the 2002 Good Design Award from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Design and
Architecture. The LTS multimedia speaker system is part of
Benwin's DML Series of products. In conjunction with the receipt of the design award,
Benwin has repositioned the price of the LTS system to $49.99 (MSRP). You can find more details in the press release
- Addonics Announces Pocket DVD/CDRW Drive
Addonics Technologies has announced a sleek new combination DVD/CDRW storage solution that
plays DVD movies or audio CDs, burns original CDs, and is barely larger than a standard
Compact Disc case. The Addonics Pocket DVD/CDRW drive is
among the smallest and most flexible storage solutions available with its high-speed
FireWire, CardBus and USB 2.0 interfaces and interchangeable cable. The Pocket DVD/CDRW
drive features an 8x DVD player, 8x CDRW burner, and a 24x CD-ROM drive -- all packed
inside a 5.62 x 5.31 x .87 inch enclosure that weighs just 14 ounces. The list price for
Pocket DVD/CDRW starts at $399 for the USB 2.0 version. You can find more details in the press release
- Spatializer Audio Laboratories Introduce
Spatializer N-2-2 Ultra
Spatializer Audio Laboratories has announced the launch of Spatializer N-2-2 Ultra(TM),
the Company's new virtual surround sound software. Designed for next generation DVD
players with high performance processors, Spatializer N-2-2 Ultra is now available to OEMs
on Zoran Corporation's Vaddis V multimedia processor. The most important additions appears
to be improved algorithms/HRTF filters and the Spatializer Natural Headphone, clearly a
direct competitor to the Dolby Headphone offered by several DVD players. Another
interesting new features is it now down-mixes the LFE channel. You can find more details in the press release
- ATI Presents the New ALL-IN-WONDER RADEON 7500
and Contest
ATI Technologies has announced that the ALL-IN-WONDER® RADEON(TM) 7500 multimedia
graphics card is now shipping in North America. This successor to the ALL-IN-WONDER®
RADEON(TM) offers a superior Radio Frequency (RF) remote control, cutting edge 2D and 3D
graphics performance with the RADEON(TM) 7500 graphics chip, 64 MB of Double Data Rate
(DDR) memory, and ALL-IN-WONDER multimedia features. Features includes DVD video playback
with Dolby® AC-3 digital audio, Stereo TV-tuner with 125 channels, Analog video capture
and editing in MPEG-2 format,RADEON(TM) 7500 GPU (graphics processor unit), Remote control
via RF and more. The SRP is $200 and complements the
currently shipping, premium ALL-IN-WONDER RADEON 8500DV. More details are available in the detail.
In related news ATI launched an Eighth Wonder of the World contest
where you among other things can win ATI cards and Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 speaker system.
You can find more details in
the press release
- Soldier of Fortune 2: Diary from a Sound Designer
- Final Cut
Game Spy has posted the nine and final installment of
their Soldier of Fortune 2: Diary from a Sound Designer series. It's written by
Zachary Quarles, the sound director on Soldier of Fortune 2, Raven Software's upcoming
sequel to their mercenary first-person shooter. This short
edition covers death match music, the locale-specific dialogue (some parts of the game
will take place in Hong Kong for example) and also includes a link to some sound samples
from the game.
For more news from last week check out our news archive.
Upcoming features at 3DsoundSurge
- Reviews 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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