ESS Technology Ushers in New Era of Computer Sound With Introduction of Canyon 3D-2 Audio Chip At Comdex/Fall 2000.Business Editors COMDEX The former, premier computer trade show in the U.S. Although it grew into an end user event, it was originally created for dealers and distributors (it was the COMputer Dealers EXposition). Fall 2000 LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 13, 2000 New Single Chip Provides Desktop and Notebook Computer Users With an Affordable, High-Performance, Multichannel Digital Audio Experience ESS Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq:ESST ESST European Inter-University Association on Society, Science and Technology ESST European Society of Sleep Technologists ESST Environmental Simulation for Sensitivity Training ), a leading provider of silicon solutions for PC audio, communications, home networking and digital video applications, today introduced its latest PCI (1) (Payment Card Industry) See PCI DSS. (2) (Peripheral Component Interconnect) The most widely used I/O bus (peripheral bus). audio chip, the Canyon 3D-2(TM) (ES1992). The new product, launched at COMDEX/Fall 2000 in Las Vegas, is targeted at desktop and notebook computer users of all experience levels. The silicon solution delivers an affordable, high-performance, digital-quality audio experience for video games, audio files, CD- and DVD-ROMs, and software applications with sound effects. The Canyon 3D-2(TM) will be offered in PC add-in board configurations, beginning in the first quarter of 2001. "Computing enthusiasts, regardless of their expertise, are looking to maximize their interaction with today's sophisticated music and entertainment software," said Robert Blair, president and chief executive officer of ESS Technology, Inc. "The Canyon 3D-2(TM) fulfills the promise of these exciting applications -- whether it's listening to MP3 files, playing video games, or getting the most of PC audio -- by giving users the power and functionality to create a rich, cost-effective, and unparalleled digital audio experience." Based on the capabilities of the successful Canyon 3D(TM), the Canyon 3D-2(TM) offers advanced features and configuration options, including bass and treble adjustment capabilities, hardware equalizer, and environmental controls, as well as digital support for Dolby(R) and THX A design system that provides realistic sound playback for movie and home theater from THX, Ltd., San Rafael, CA (www.thx.com), an independent spin-off from Lucasfilm, Ltd. The THX Sound System was developed during the production of the Return of the Jedi in 1982 and named after George (R) surround-sound formats. The Canyon 3D-2(TM) also offers integrated multispeaker positioning and three-dimensional placement to deliver the ultimate dimension in sound functionality. With Sony(R)/Philips(R) Digital Interface (S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital InterFace) A serial interface for transferring digital audio from CD and DVD players to amplifiers and TVs. S/PDIF is typically used to transmit PCM and Dolby Digital 5.1, but is not tied to any sampling rate or audio standard. ) input and output, the Canyon 3D-2(TM) feature set includes: Sensaura(TM) True HRTF HRTF Head Related Transfer Function (3D Audio) 3D positional MultiDrive(TM) technology for rich multispeaker and three-dimensional sound effects and audio placement; and Sensaura ZoomFX(TM), MacroFX(TM), and EnvironmentalFX(TM) for the precise magnification and placement of background audio. Optimized for DirectX(R) 8 and use with DirectSound3D(R) hardware acceleration, the new audio solution carries a six-channel option for the addition of more speakers, and compatibility with I3DL2, A3D (hardware) A3D - (Aureal 3-Dimensional?) A technology developed by Aureal that delivers sound with a three-dimensional effect through two speakers. Many modern sound cards and PC games now support this feature. 1.0, EAX (Environmental Audio Extensions) Sound card functions that reproduce the reverberation effects heard in different environments. Developed by Creative Labs, EAX provides an extension to the Windows DirectSound and OpenAL programming interfaces. 1.0, EAX 2.0, and DirectSound(R) compatibility for use with legacy video games and other software applications. At COMDEX/Fall 2000, ESS representatives will be available in suite 370 at the Las Vegas Hilton The Las Vegas Hilton is a hotel, casino, and convention center in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is a joint venture between Colony Capital, which owns 60 percent, and New York City-based REIT Whitehall Street Real Estate Funds, which owns the remaining 40 percent. to provide an overview and demonstration of the Canyon 3D-2(TM). About ESS Technology Founded in 1984, ESS Technology, Inc. develops and markets products, software solutions, and related technologies for the personal computing, consumer electronics, and home networking industries, as well as the burgeoning Internet appliance and set-top box market sectors. The company's diverse offerings include state-of-the-art audio and digital video chipsets, high-speed DSL DSL in full Digital Subscriber Line Broadband digital communications connection that operates over standard copper telephone wires. It requires a DSL modem, which splits transmissions into two frequency bands: the lower frequencies for voice (ordinary and V.90 modems, and Ethernet and home networking products and chipsets. To date, ESS has shipped over 250 million chips to some of the world's most respected high-tech and consumer electronics corporations, such as Compaq, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Fujitsu, Gateway, IBM (International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, www.ibm.com) The world's largest computer company. IBM's product lines include the S/390 mainframes (zSeries), AS/400 midrange business systems (iSeries), RS/6000 workstations and servers (pSeries), Intel-based servers (xSeries) , NEC (NEC Corporation, Tokyo, www.nec.com, www.necus.com) An electronics conglomerate known in the U.S. for its monitors. In Japan, it had the lion's share of the PC market until the late 1990s (see PC 98). NEC was founded in Tokyo in 1899 as Nippon Electric Company, Ltd. , Samsung, Sony, and Toshiba. The company holds strong No. 1 market share positions in the digital video and PC audio accelerator markets, and is rapidly becoming a dominant player in the international modem market sector. With headquarters in Fremont, Calif., ESS has sales and marketing, research and development, and technical support facilities throughout the world, including China, Germany, India, Israel, and the Pacific Rim. For more information about ESS Technology, please visit the company's Web site at http://www.esstech.com. The matters discussed in this news release include certain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the timely availability and acceptance of the Company's new products, the impact of competitive products, the dependence on continued growth in demand for PC and consumer multimedia products, as well as other risks detailed from time to time in the SEC reports of ESS, including the reports on Form 10-K and Form 10Q. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. |
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