SGS-THOMSON Announces Mpact™ Second Generation Media Processor
 

Mpact 2 integrated Graphics, Video, Audio and Communication Media Processor delivers unbelievable Multimedia experience at new price point not possible with alternative solutions.

March 16, 1998 – SGS-THOMSON Microelectronics has strengthened the industry's most powerful range of multimedia silicon solutions with the introduction of the 125 MHz Mpact 2 Media Processor and its accompanying 3DVD evaluation board. Complementing the Company's ultra-high performance RIVA128™ multimedia accelerators, the Mpact 2 Media Processor is a highly integrated, software-programmable device that brings high performance multimedia to the more cost-sensitive end of the consumer PC market. SGS-THOMSON's Mpact 2 can be used in PC motherboards and add-in card solutions for PCI as well as AGP bus based systems. It takes advantage of the latest Rambus Concurrent RDRAM, the industry's highest performance DRAM solution.

Based on a programmable architecture developed by Chromatic Researchâ, the Mpact 2 offers higher performance of the 2D/3D graphics, DVD video, AC-3 and wavetable Audio, fax/modem (now including K56flex™), telephony and videophone features of the first generation Mpact 1. Additionally, it includes enhanced 3D-pipelining that enables it to deliver some of the industry's best 3D performance figures, specially on lower cost Pentium MMX class PCs. The Mpact 2 runs at 125 MHz that is twice the speed of its predecessor, thus is capable of executing over 6 billion operations per second (BOPS), allowing it to provide the best DVD and audio performance in its class. Using the Mpact as a co-processor to the x86 dramatically reduce the Multimedia load on the host CPU and allows to build sub $1,000 PCs with Multimedia capabilities you never thought possible with a low cost PC.

"With the introduction of Mpact 2, SGS-THOMSON delivers best-in-class solutions across the whole spectrum of PC multimedia requirements," said Jean-Claude Monney, Marketing Director for SGS-THOMSON New Ventures Group. "The VLIW and SIMD capable Mpact 2 Media Processor breaks the PC architecture paradigm by moving the handling of multimedia data types to a more optimized processing architecture than the x86, thus dramatically lowering the cost of multimedia PCs".

"In addition to offering Mpact 2, SGS-THOMSON is uniquely positioned to provide complementary ICs such as Audio and Video CODECs, Super integrated x86 processor and other peripheral circuits to implement complete multimedia solutions, not limited to PCs. This will be supported by reference design kits from SGS-THOMSON".

For Mpact 2, SGS-THOMSON is now offering samples and a 3DVD PC add-in evaluation board that plugs directly into a single PCI expansion slot and is supplied with drivers for 2D and 3D graphics, DVD video, and AC-3 audio functionality. Additional reference boards with full modem and telephony functions will be available around mid-year.

The Mpact 2 is available in 2 versions to complement Chromatic Research Mediaware offering, these are:
 

• The Mpact 2 3/DMAX (STMP601BG) offers the full Multimedia capabilities and is available production quantities in June 98 at $36 for 10,000 units.
• The Mpact 2 3/DVD (STMP602BG) is tailored to 2D/3D graphics and DVD solutions and is available production quantities June 98 at $32 for 10,000 units.
• The Mpact 2/3DVD evaluation board is available for $200 and includes the 3DVD Mediaware.

SGS-THOMSON's Mpact 2 has been designed in collaboration with Metaflow Technologies Inc., - a specialist developer of advanced microprocessor architectures, based in La Jolla, California - in which SGS-THOMSON holds a majority stake - and with SGS-THOMSON's Mpact design team in USA. It is being manufactured at the advanced 8 inch fab in Crolles, France using the Company's 0.35 micron HCMOS-6 process.

SGS-THOMSON Microelectronics, a global independent semiconductor company with strong European roots, has shares listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: STM) and on the Bourse de Paris. It designs, develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) and discrete devices used in a wide variety of microelectronics applications, including telecommunications systems, computer systems, consumer products and industrial automation and control systems. Further information about SGS-THOMSON can be found at www.st.com.

Chromatic Research is the leader in media processor technology and the world's first "chipless" semiconductor company. Based on a unique business model, the company's semiconductor partners LG Semicon, SGS-THOMSON and Toshiba co-develop, manufacture and sell Chromatic-architected Mpact media processors while Chromatic Research develops and sells the enabling Mpact Mediaware software. Customers include Compaq, Gateway 2000, Micron Electronics, STB, Diamond and Leadtek. Founded in 1993, the company is privately held. For more information on Chromatic Research or Mpact, please visit www.chromatic.com or www.mpact.com.

SGS-THOMSON is registered trademark of SGS-THOMSON Microeletronics, Inc. K56flex is a trademark of Rockwell International. Mpact is trademark of Chromatic Research, Inc.,Chromatic Research is a registered tradmark of Chromatic Research Inc. RDRAM is a registered trademark of Rambus Inc. Rambus is a registered trademark of Rambus Inc.

Chromatic Research, Inc. is the pioneer and leader of the fast-growing media processor market. Chromatic Research is the world's first "chipless" semiconductor company, based on a unique business model whereby Chromatic Research's semiconductor partners co-develop, manufacture and sell the Chromatic Research-designed Mpact media processor and Chromatic Research develops and sells the enabling software called Mpact Mediaware. The Mpact media processor solution integrates a full spectrum of multimedia functions, including video, 2D graphics, 3D graphics, audio, fax/modem, telephony and videophone. Founded in 1993, the company is privately held. Chromatic Research, Inc., 615 Tasman Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94089-1707.