STB wins awards and praise from leading PC magazines

Business Wire, June 18, 1997

RICHARDSON, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 18, 1997--

Nitro 3D, Velocity 3D and TV PCI take top honors for

performance, features and value

STB Systems, (NASDAQ:STBI), a worldwide leader in the design of graphic and multimedia solutions, Wednesday announced multiple product award wins and accolades from some of the top PC publications.

A trio of the company's newest products, Nitro 3D, Velocity 3D and TV PCI, recently earned awards from PC/Computing, PC Magazine, PC World and Windows Magazine.

Nitro 3D

STB's Nitro 3D multimedia accelerator earned the No. 1 rating and the coveted Best Buy award in the July issue of PC World magazine. The Nitro 3D is the fourth consecutive accelerator from STB to win the publication's top product award and the third STB product in a row to debut at the No. 1 spot in PC World's monthly Top 10 Graphics Boards ranking. The Nitro 3D also received a four-star rating in PC/Computing Magazine's July issue and an Editor's Choice honorable mention from PC Magazine in that publication's June 24 edition.

"Consumers rely on the unbiased evaluations of PC publications to help them make their buying decisions," said J. Shane Long, vice president of sales and marketing at STB Systems. "By continuing to award STB products their top ratings, these industry experts recognize the outstanding value and performance of STB's technology."

Velocity 3D

The STB Velocity 3D multimedia accelerator is one of the most celebrated products in STB's 15 year history. It was most recently selected by Windows Magazine for its annual Top 100 Hardware Products of the Year list. The Velocity 3D also earned a four-star rating from PC/Computing and was named to that magazine's prestigious A-List of the editor's top 100 hardware products. The Velocity 3D previously received a Best Buy award and the No. 1 rating on PC World's Top 10 list, a position it held for four months in a row.

TV PCI

STB's new TV PCI Television Tuner with Intel Intercast Technology was also named as one of Windows Magazine's Top 100 Hardware Products of the Year. Windows Magazine has also included the TV PCI on its Recommended Products list for three months in a row.

"The investment these publications make in conducting their product evaluations is staggering, but its a big part of how they compete for readers," related John Gunn, director of marketing for STB. "It's extremely satisfying to engage our competitors on the pages of the leading computer publications and emerge victorious."

Product Information

The NITRO 3D delivers high-end 2D/3D digital video playback with 2MB of ultra-high bandwidth Extended Data Out DRAM (EDO DRAM) that can be expanded to 4MB. The NITRO 3D also features an incredibly fast 170MHz DAC, which supports refresh rates up to 160Hz. The NITRO 3D can accelerate Windows-based and other applications in resolutions up to 1600x1200 and in modes with up to 16.7 million colors for photo-realistic images.

The Velocity 3D provides 64-bit graphics acceleration supported by a high-powered Digital Video Engine and is available with 4MB of EDO VRAM, upgradeable to 8MB. Designed specifically to boost DOS, Windows 97 and Windows NT 4.0 based applications to new levels of graphics performance, the Velocity 3D can deliver up to 16.7 million colors, resolutions to 1600x1200 and refresh rates up to 160Hz.

The TV PCI lets users turn any PC into a cable- or antenna-ready television, and is ideally suited for viewing news, financial updates or other broadcast programming right on a PC screen. The TV PCI includes Intercast capabilities and both video- and audio-capture features. Special functions allow the user to select any size window for the TV image, and to use a virtual TV remote-control to manipulate channel, sound and other television settings.

Simply The Best!

STB Systems designs, manufactures and sells video graphics accelerators and other multimedia subsystem products for use primarily in desktop personal computers. STB has established a history of designing award-winning graphics controllers and writing specialized video drivers which provide maximum software performance and compatibility. STB is the second-largest supplier of video graphics adapters worldwide, as ranked by International Data Corp. (IDC) and is registered ISO 9002 compliant. Founded in 1981 and with headquarters in Richardson, STB Systems also has facilities in Houston; El Paso; Eugene, Ore.; Juarez, Mexico; London; Belfast, Northern Ireland; Paris; and Munich, Germany.

CONTACT: STB Systems Inc., Richardson

Brian Burke, 972/234-8750 ext. 2113

fax, 972/234-1306

bburke@stb.com