Cirrus Logic Adds HDCD to Crystal Audio DSP Chips; HDCD Consumer Product Applications Include A/V Receivers, DVD-Video and DVD-Audio Players, and Automotive Audio.UNION CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 25, 1999-- Pacific Microsonics announced today that Cirrus Logic (Nasdaq:CRUS) has added Pacific Microsonics' HDCD (High Definition Compatible Digital) A digital processing technique that increases fidelity on audio CDs, developed by Keith Johnson and Michael "Pflash" Pflaumer. (R) decoding and HDCD precision filtering to its Crystal(R) CS4928 and CS49300 audio DSP (1) (Digital Signal Processor) A special-purpose CPU used for digital signal processing applications (see definition #2 below). It provides ultra-fast instruction sequences, such as shift and add, and multiply and add, which are commonly used in math-intensive chips. In addition to HDCD, the Crystal audio DSP product line also supports Dolby Digital, DVD-audio, DTS (1) (Digital Theatre Sound) A digital audio encoding system used in movie and home theaters. Popularized by the movie Jurassic Park, the six-channel (5. , and MPEG-2 decoding and processing. "Adding HDCD processing to the Crystal audio DSP product family enables our audio OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) The rebranding of equipment and selling it. The term initially referred to the company that made the products (the "original" manufacturer), but eventually became widely used to refer to the organization that buys the products and customers to incorporate HDCD as a key differentiating feature for their A/V receiver and DVD DVD: see digital versatile disc. DVD in full digital video disc or digital versatile disc Type of optical disc. The DVD represents the second generation of compact-disc (CD) technology. products. Once again we have raised consumer audio standards with a timely DSP firmware release, easily positioning our customers ahead of their competition, who still use hard-coded DSPs," said Terry Ritchie, vice president of Crystal Consumer Audio Products for Cirrus. "The leading-edge performance and programmability of Crystal audio DSPs provide the optimal platform for implementing HDCD decoding and filtering in a wide range of consumer audio products," Ritchie added. Integrating HDCD into the Crystal DSP enables consumer electronics manufacturers to support HDCD with other audio decoding processes without having to add dedicated circuitry. As a result, manufacturers can easily produce new audio systems, such as A/V receivers, DVD players or automotive surround sound, that support all the leading audio standards: Dolby Digital, DVD-audio, DTS, MPEG (Moving Pictures Experts Group) An ISO/ITU standard for compressing digital video. Pronounced "em-peg," it is the universal standard for digital terrestrial, cable and satellite TV, DVDs and digital video recorders (DVRs). , and now, HDCD. In addition to simplifying audio system design, using the Crystal DSP eliminates audio compatibility issues. When a CD or DVD-audio recording is played, the DSP automatically switches to HDCD mode, providing HDCD precision filtering for conventional CD and DVD-audio recordings, and HDCD decoding and precision filtering for HDCD-encoded CD and DVD-audio recordings. "Pacific Microsonics is dedicated to making HDCD available in a range of audio chips, thus meeting the different design requirements of CD players, DVD-Video and DVD-audio players, A/V receivers, mini-component systems, and automotive audio," said Andy Johnson, Vice President of Marketing for Pacific Microsonics. "We are very pleased to be working with Cirrus Logic because their Crystal product line is highly regarded by leading consumer electronics companies." About HDCD Developed by Pacific Microsonics, HDCD(R) (High Definition Compatible Digital High Definition Compatible Digital, or HDCD is a patented encode-decode process, now under Microsoft, that improves the audio quality of standard Redbook audio CDs, while retaining backward compatibility with existing Compact disc players. (R)) is a patented encode/decode process for delivering on Compact Disc and DVD-audio the full richness and details of the original microphone feed. By correcting distortions found in current digital recording technology, HDCD provides more dynamic range, a focused 3D sound stage, and extremely natural musical timbre timbre Quality of sound that distinguishes one instrument, voice, or other sound source from another. Timbre largely results from a characteristic combination of overtones produced by different instruments. . HDCD recordings offer improved sound quality on any CD or DVD-audio player, and when reproduced on HDCD equipped players they provide the ultimate in sonic fidelity. Over 3,000 different HDCD encoded CDs have been made and over 125 million HDCD CDs have been sold. Over 100 HDCD-equipped CD players and DVD players are now available from the world's leading consumer electronics companies including Denon, Harman Kardon, Linn, Madrigal madrigal, name for two different forms of Italian music, one related to the poetic madrigal in the 14th cent., the other the most common form of secular vocal music in the 16th cent. , Marantz, Rotel, Sansui, and Toshiba. |
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