MPEG-4 is
currently one of the most exciting technologies. Also companies like Ahead with its product Nero Digitial, are currently involved in the development of MPEG-4 technology and it is likely that many other companies will follow. The technology allows entire movies to fit on a normal CD-R while the quality remains the same as DVD quality. Besides that, it also allows streaming movies over broadband connections.
Unfortunately many DVD players are currently not able to play MPEG-4 formats, like DivX. Cirrus Logic, a chipset company that is also active in the DVD market has signed a contract with DivXNetworks to natively support DivX in their next generation chips that should allow users to transfer DivX-based content from PCs on CD media and play it on their DVD devices.
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By early 2004 Cirrus Logic said its chips would allow users to play DivX content from the web in real-time as well as access the Internet and play streaming audio content. The devices would also enable service providers to offer direct video-on- demand services. |
Terry Ritchie, Cirrus Logic's vice president of video marketing, said adding DivX technology to its DVD chips would allow Cirrus to "raise the bar of performance to provide more horsepower in DVD ICs and create a new class of DVD product." The first DivX-capable DVD players would allow users to transfer DivX-based content from PCs on CD media and play it on their DVD devices. The company has also announced it will add support for the Microsoft Windows Media 9 format in future chips. Cirrus currently holds about 5 to 6 percent of the DVD chip market, which is currently mainly dominated by MediaTek that holds about 50 percent. Read the entire story here.
Source: EET.com
