Wired introduces MPEG2 playback board for Win95 and NT.MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--November 14, 1997-- Expanding on their 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). product lines, Wired Incorporated today introduced MasonX (TM), a high-performance MPEG playback board for Windows 95 (TM) and Windows NT (Windows New Technology) A 32-bit operating system from Microsoft for Intel x86 CPUs. NT is the core technology in Windows 2000 and Windows XP (see Windows). Available in separate client and server versions, it includes built-in networking and preemptive multitasking. (TM) computers. MasonX decodes all MPEG streams and outputs high-resolution video and audio signals. MasonX utilizes advanced hardware and software features to assure uninterrupted smooth movie playback within a variety of system configurations. "We are excited to be introducing the MasonX board for Windows 95 and NT," states Michael Whittingham, Wired Inc's VP of Engineering. "With it's advanced technology, the MasonX board is the ideal solution for all MPEG multimedia professionals." Performance MasonX offers the performance demanded by users who need the absolute best MPEG playback. It utilizes 4 Megabytes of RAM memory, proprietary software driver designs, and an advanced single chip MPEG audio and video decoder A hardware device or software that converts coded data back into its original form. See decode and MPEG decoder. from 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) Microelectronics to deliver jitter-free movie playback, even when operating as a background task. This allows simultaneous operation Noun 1. simultaneous operation - the simultaneous execution of two or more operations parallel operation operation - (computer science) data processing in which the result is completely specified by a rule (especially the processing that results from a with other computer activities, like network operations with video servers, computer graphics animation for kiosks, and multi-board multi-stream playback. MasonX decodes any MPEG1 or MPEG2 stream, including Transport, Program, System, and Elementary streams. Even CD-I (Compact Disc-Interactive) A compact disc format developed by Philips and Sony that held text, audio and animated graphics. It required a CD-I player that contained its own operating system. , Video-CD, 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. streams can be decoded and played with MasonX. Software MasonX comes with MasonApp, a full featured MPEG player application. Multi-speed playback, Cue, Loop, Step, and Pause are some of the features of MasonApp which comes bundled with every MasonX board. Also available is a technical API (Application Programming Interface) for the board. The Mason API allows programmers direct access to all the features of MasonX for creation of custom applications and projects. This API has been tested and used in thousands of MPEG installations in the past 5 years. Multi-Platform operation MasonX was originally introduced in 1995 for the Macintosh (TM) platform to compliment Wired's MPEG decoder Software or hardware that decompresses and renders MPEG-encoded data. Because MPEG uses lossy compression, the decoded images are not 100% identical to the original. In most cases however, the differences are not easily detectable. See MPEG. and encoder product lines. Continual demands from PC customers for a better performing MPEG decoder card convinced us to make MasonX Win95 and WinNT compatible. "We asked our customers what features they wanted to see in our next product releases," states Mark Bain, President of Wired Inc. "A large majority stated they wanted a high-performance MPEG board for Windows 95 and NT. So that's what That's What is one of the more idiosyncratic releases by solo steel-string guitar artist Leo Kottke. It is distinctive in it's jazzy nature and "talking" songs ("Buzzby" and "Husbandry"). we gave them with MasonX." MPEG professionals, as most computer users, are hesitant to purchase a product that works on only one platform. By expanding Wired's 6 years of MPEG technology into the Windows market, the end customer benefits from their experiences. More Software Because Wired chose to keep their API compatible with their line of Macintosh products, previous Macintosh software This list of Macintosh software reveals prominent Mac OS computer programs. Since the library of Mac OS programs is unmanageable, this list is confined to those programs for which a Wikipedia article exists. can be easily ported over to Win95 or NT. Look for additional PC software for MasonX that will be released by other third-parties in 1998. Availability and Pricing MasonX is available now for immediate delivery and includes Windows 95 and Macintosh software. Windows NT software for MasonX will be available this Dec '97. MasonX is US$750 in single units. Substantial discounts are available for qualified resellers and computer developers/VARs. Windows upgrades for previous MasonX users are available for US$50, single units. Wired Inc. is the number one supplier of MPEG solutions for the Macintosh market and has been engineering MPEG and digital video solutions since 1991. Since then, they have expanded their product lines to include several MPEG1 and MPEG2 decoders, along with 2 real-time audio and video MPEG2 encoders. For additional information on all Wired products, please visit the Wired Inc. web site at www.wiredinc.com. Or you may contact the company directly at 650.969.9300. Fax 650.969.0119. -0- Note to Editors: Wired Inc, MasonX, and MasonApp, are trademarks of Wired Incorporated. Windows 95 and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation (company) Microsoft Corporation - The biggest supplier of operating systems and other software for IBM PC compatibles. Software products include MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows, Windows NT, Microsoft Access, LAN Manager, MS Client, SQL Server, Open Data Base Connectivity (ODBC), MS Mail, . Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of the individual companies and are respectfully acknowledged. CONTACT: Wired Inc. Mark Bain, 650/969-9300 |
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