Philips New Sound Cards Provide the Ultimate PC Home Theater, Gaming and Music Experience

Business Wire, Sept 14, 2000

Business Editors

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 14, 2000

Line-Up Features First Card to Provide

5.1-Channel Sound for All Applications

Sound Cards Combine Leading Hardware Acceleration, 3D Virtualization

and Multi-Channel Speaker Support

Philips Consumer Electronics is introducing three new sound cards to bring an enhanced multi-entertainment experience to the PC. The new lineup includes: Rhythmic Edge(TM) (3D stereo), Seismic Edge(TM) (quad surround) and Acoustic Edge(TM), the industry's first PCI audio accelerator enabling 5.1-channel playback of games, music and movies. While current industry technology limits 5.1-channel output to DVD content, the Acoustic Edge(TM) breaks this barrier by converting all types of media into 5.1 channel output and enhancing DVD movies, allowing a realistic home theater experience from the PC.

The Acoustic Edge is also the industry's only sound card that combines high-performance hardware acceleration, effective two-speaker 3D virtualization and multi-channel speaker support, making it the ideal solution for gaming, music and movie enthusiasts.

"As a global leader in digital audio, Philips accommodates audio applications for consumer electronics and the PC including portable audio, USB audio and now PCI audio," said Karla Tharin, product marketing manager, Philips Consumer Electronics. "The new sound card range will leverage Philips' strength in consumer audio and bring the power of the home entertainment center experience to the PC."

Acoustic Edge(TM) 5.1 Speaker Support

Previously, only a few applications such as 5.1-encoded DVDs and 3D audio games could be enjoyed in a home theater 5.1-speaker format. Other sources, including music and most games, could only be experienced in stereo. The Acoustic Edge is the first sound card that transforms the PC into a home theater, providing 5.1-speaker playback of music CDs and videos, digital audio and MIDI files.

Using unique algorithms developed by QSound Labs for the Acoustic Edge, any game or other interactive application can now also be experienced in a theater-like environment surrounding the player in 5.1 channels of sound effects and music. Even movies designed for 5.1 playback can be dramatically enhanced by the sound card. The product provides a similar theater experience on four-channel speaker systems and in addition offers two speaker and headphone 3D virtualization making it the most flexible technology available.

Seismic Edge(TM) 4-channel Acceleration

Powered by Philips ThunderBird Q3D(TM) Digital Signal Processing (DSP), the Seismic Edge surrounds users with true Quadraphonic playback of any game, music and movie - even simple two-channel sources deliver high impact 3-D sound using stereo or quad surround speakers.

Rhythmic Edge(TM) 2-Channel Acceleration

Ideally suited for stereo speakers, the Rhythmic Edge offers rich 3D enhancement of flat 2D games, music & movies. Rhythmic Edge(TM) creates concert hall 3D realism from just two speakers with QSound3DInteractive(TM) and extreme hardware acceleration also using Philips ThunderBird Q3D(TM) DSP.

Superior Hardware Acceleration

The Acoustic Edge sound card is powered by Philips Semiconductors' Thunderbird Avenger(TM) - SAA7785 PCI audio chip, delivering best-in-class PC audio hardware acceleration for realistic audio, with minimal CPU utilization. This results in higher graphic frame rates and improved system benchmarks, providing smoother, more consistent audio playback without taxing the overall system.

The Rhythmic Edge and Seismic Edge are both powered by Philips Semiconductors' Thunderbird Q3D(TM) - SAA7780 PCI audio chip.

Compelling 3D Virtualization

All three sound cards utilize QSound Labs' patented algorithms developed for speaker playback, eliminating the need for the cross-talk cancellation that burdens other solutions. The result is a wide "sweet-spot" for strong positional perception regardless of head movement and positioning, allowing listeners to enjoy a true 3D experience using only two speakers.

Acoustic Edge(TM) 5.1 Output to Consumer Entertainment Equipment

The sound card's comprehensive analog and digital connections allow users to connect to a variety of consumer entertainment equipment, such as DVD players, CD/CDR decks and personal TV/VCRs. This enables users to transform the output of these devices into 5.1 channels.

Broad API Support

Additionally, the sound cards offer the industry's broadest 3D API support. This extensive compatibility includes DS3D(TM), EAX(TM) 2.0/I3D Level 2 (Acoustic Edge), EAX(TM) 1.0 (Seismic Edge and Rhythmic Edge), and A3D(TM) 1.0.

Industry's Highest Concurrency

With the highest concurrency in the industry, the Acoustic Edge reaches up to 96 simultaneous 3D streams for a broader range of audio sounds, which also makes the audio output sound more realistic. Additionally, it supports 256 DirectSound streams, up to 576 Wavetable voices for MIDI music synthesis and offers an integrated game port for analog and digital joysticks.

Equally impressive for the stereo and 4-channel sound card categories, both reach up to 64 simultaneous 3D streams and support 128 DirectSound streams and 576 Wavetable voices.