IBM Introduces Family of Six MPEG-2 Encoder and Decoder Chips.

FISHKILL, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 25, 1996--IBM today announced six chips, including three MPEG-2 encoder chips and three MPEG-2 decoder chips, to deliver sophisticated digital video and audio functions for the broadcasting, consumer electronics and communications industries.

These chips will support network-centric computing applications, enabling large amounts of digital video and audio to be transmitted and received via satellite or computer networks. They will appear in products made by manufacturers designing the latest MPEG-2 digital video and audio equipment for professional broadcasters and movie makers, as well as multimedia PCs and workstations, and digital set-top boxes. (MPEG refers to the Moving Pictures Experts Group, the industry group that has devised the primary standards for digital video and audio.)

"IBM's three-chip encoder set offers the industry's fewest number of chips to deliver broadcast-quality MPEG-2 encoding at breakthrough prices," said Nick King, general manager of communications, input/output and storage products for IBM Microelectronics. "Fewer chips cut down on the expense for manufacturers in building their products."

Some customers committed to IBM's MPEG-2 products are: MPR Teltech Ltd. of Burnaby, British Columbia; Tektronix, Inc. of Beaverton, Ore.; The 3DO Company, of Redwood City, Cal.; Sonic Solutions of Novato, Cal.; Vela Research, Inc. of St. Petersburg, Fla.; Wired Incorporated, of Mountain View, Cal.; and the IBM PC Company.

Three of the six chips offer full-function MPEG-2 encoding, or compression, to solve requirements for economical storage and transmission of digital video data. The other three are single-chip MPEG-2 decoders, including a video-only decoder, and two audio/video decoders.

ENCODER CHIPS

The new encoder chip set provides real-time, full-function MPEG-2 encoding, or compression, and operates in several combinations, of one, two or three chips working together. Potential uses include products to help:

--Hollywood movie makers to design special effects;

--cable companies to insert local advertising in national broadcasts;

--professional video producers to create digital video segments for television;

--"desktop" publishers in small offices or home offices, (called "SOHO" users) to develop computer-generated digital video material; and,

--video conferencing with higher-quality, more life-like digital video images.

DECODER CHIPS

At the same time, IBM is also introducing three new single-chip MPEG-2 decoders, including two different chips that each deliver the highest quality of video decompression in a single audio/video chip, and a single-chip, video-only decoder. The MPEG-2 decoder chips can be used in such products as set-top boxes for video on demand, multimedia PCs, or on add-in cards made by manufacturers to upgrade personal computers into more powerful machines.

"IBM's ThinkPad 760CD uses the MPEGCD1 video-only MPEG-2 decoder and produces excellent video on its 12-inch display screen," said Frank Zurla, product manager of IBM Microelectronics' MPEG-2 design team. "These three new decoders have the industry's best decompressed digital video quality and are ideal components for such demanding applications as multimedia PCs and set-top boxes."

IBM will demonstrate the chips at the National Association of Broadcasters' (NAB) convention in Las Vegas, Nev., from April 14-18, Booth 10338.

PRICING AND AVAILABILITY

The MPEGSE10, MPEGSE20 and MPEGSE30 encoder chips are available for sampling now, with general availability in June. The price of the three-chip set is $1,500 in quantities of hundreds. The price of the three-chip set in prototype quantities is $2,500.

The MPEGCD10 video decoder chip is generally available now and the MPEGCD20 and MPEGCD21 audio/video decoder production level chips will be generally available in October. Audio/video decoder chip samples are currently available. Price per MPEGCD20 decoder chip is $30-$35 in set-top box quantities above 100,000.

Complete reference designs that illustrate how IBM's MPEG-2 semiconductors can be used with other industry-standard interface and control components will be made available.

IBM Microelectronics is a merchant market supplier that offers an extensive portfolio of products, ranging from semiconductor design and fabrication to complete and fully tested functional assemblies. -0- NOTE: IBM Microelectronics is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. All other names or products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Readers interested in additional information on IBM Microelectronics' MPEG offerings should call IBM's fax service at 415/855-4121.

EDITORS' NOTE: IBM news releases are available on the Internet, via the IBM Home Page at http://www.ibm.com/ IBM Microelectronics' Home Page is located at http://www.chips.ibm.com/ and the URL address for MPEG products is http://www.chips.ibm.com/products/mpeg/

Pricing is current as of March 25, 1996 and is subject to change without notice.

CONTACT: Kathleen Ryan

IBM

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