Brooktree expands support for Microsoft DirectX Technologies, adds Direct3D accelerator for mainstream Windows 95 applications; Brooktree introduces BtV2120 Direct3D accelerator, a cost-effective solution for optimizing Direct3D performance in mainstream Windows 95 applications.

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 4, 1996--Aiming to provide Windows(R) 95 users with the ultimate DirectX(TM) multimedia and gaming experience, Brooktree Monday announced that its BtV(R) MediaStream(TM) DirectX accelerator family now supports Microsoft's(R) new Direct3D(TM) interface.

This support is available in two BtV chipsets: the BtV2115 DirectX accelerator for applications with complex interactivity between sound, 2D/3D graphics and high-quality video; and a new BtV solution configured specifically to cost-effectively accelerate Direct3D applications in mainstream Windows 95 gaming environments.

Additionally, Brooktree has closely coupled BtV's Direct3D acceleration capabilities with its support for Microsoft's other DirectX APIs. For instance, Brooktree's highly integrated, single-memory-buffer BtV solution reinforces Direct3D's tight integration with DirectDraw(TM) as its buffer management system, which allows DirectDraw surfaces to be used both as 3D rendering targets and as source texture maps.

Similarly, the unique BtV architecture also supports Direct3D's tight integration with the DirectInput(TM) API, which delivers low-latency support for user interaction when tracking up to six axes of movement in support of alternate input devices such as digital joysticks, rudder pedals, flight yokes, steering devices, virtual-reality headgear, and other 3D-type devices. Hardware acceleration support for the full range of cross-API DirectX gaming functionality is fully integrated into the BtV architecture.

"We are excited to see the level of support that Brooktree's BtV DirectX accelerator chipset is providing for Windows 95," said Brad Chase, general manager, Internet platform and tools division, Microsoft Corp. "Brooktree's BtV MediaStream chipset not only provides some very innovative support for our new Direct3D API, but also simultaneously supports all of Microsoft's other DirectX graphics, video playback, sound and gaming APIs, too."

BtV 2120 Leverages Direct3D Emulation

Rather than taking the traditional approach of adding expensive silicon-based 3D acceleration functionality, Brooktree has optimized its new BtV2120 Direct3D accelerator to specifically reinforce Direct3D's powerful emulation capabilities.

"Direct3D's hardware-emulation capabilities, which reside in Direct3D's Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL), go beyond simply providing access to 3D hardware features," said Tom Clarkson, division vice president of multimedia marketing for Brooktree Corp.

"They actually provide an impressive level of software-only 3D acceleration support that's often faster than 3D silicon -- plus, the gap between Direct3D and 3D silicon should widen even further with the impact of Intel's MMX processor strategy. The BtV2120 supports this trend by including unique display surfaces for Direct3D acceleration.

"This substantially improves multimedia interactivity during such Direct3D operations as hardware-decompressed motion-video mapping, hardware 3D rendering in 2D overlay planes, and spites. Plus, it yields a significantly lower-cost solution with performance that is comparable to available 3D chipsets that dedicate a substantial number of silicon gates to boosting 3D rendering speed."

Brooktree was an early supporter of Microsoft's DirectX technologies, and was the first to announce support for the DirectDraw, DirectInput, DirectSound(tm) and DirctPlay(tm) APIs that Microsoft introduced in October 1995. In addition to directly supporting basic DirectX features, BtV has been optimized to ensure "fully overlapped processing" during all key DirectX operations, so that the CPU can continue processing while waiting for these operations to be completed. Game players using a BtV-based multimedia subsystem may achieve on a Pentium P75 the same level of gaming complexity and interactivity for which they'd otherwise require a P90 or P133 if they were using a multimedia solution that could not accelerate all DirectX APIs.

"Brooktree strongly endorses Microsoft's concept of a fully integrated DirectX software platform," said Clarkson. "Now, we've taken DirectX hardware support a step further by optimizing BtV's unique all-media MediaPacket architecture to reinforce Direct3D's tight integration with Microsoft's other DirectX graphics, audio and video APIs."

Brooktree's BtV2115 and BtV2120 DirectX accelerator chipsets are available now in OEM volumes.

This press release may make forward-looking statements concerning Brooktree products or potential market performance and actual results could vary. We refer you to the documents the company files from time to time with the SEC, specifically the company's Form 10-Q filed in February 1996 and Form 10-K filed in December 1995, which detail certain risk factors.

Brooktree Corp. designs and markets high-performance digital and mixed-signal integrated circuits for computer graphics, imaging, multimedia and communications applications. The company, which has its headquarters in San Diego, employs more than 625 people worldwide. Brooktree stock is traded on the NASDAQ National Market System under the Symbol BTRE.

Customers interested in more information about Brooktree products should contact the Applications Hotline at 800/2BT-APPS. More information on Brooktree Corp. is available from the company's SEC filings, or by contacting the company directly. Information about Brooktree is also available on the company's World Wide Web site, http://www.brooktree.com.

CONTACT: Brooktree, San Diego

Bill Berridge or Karen Hartz, 619/535-3273 or

619/535-3516

or

The Benjamin Group

Donna Kather or Carolyn Fromm, 714/753-0755

email: dkather or [e-mail]