| Toshiba Introduces DVD Decoder Board for Use in PCs 26 September, 1996
DVD-Video discs differ from the DVD-ROM discs for computers in that the video files they store are compressed and encoded to the MPEG2 format for visual images and the Dolby Digital (AC-3) 5.1 channel format for audio signals. For play back of DVD-Video discs on a PC equipped with a DVD-ROM drive, a decoder function has to be added to the system. The "IPC0101A" incorporates key LSIs developed by Toshiba, including the company's MPEG2 decoder LSI, and provides four dedicated decode functions for the video images, the audio signals, the sub-picture, such as captions and text data, and for the DVD-Video stream. Any computer incorporating "IPC0101A" and connected to Toshiba's "SD-M1002" DVD-ROM drive can play back movies and other software with the high quality video and sound levels characteristic of DVD. All the decode functions are realized on a board fully meeting the PCI (PCI 2.1 compliant) standard, achieving a hardware solution that minimizes burdens on the computer's CPU and system bus. High quality video can be produced on the computer monitor through the digital video output, and connection to a TV is also enabled through the analog video output (NTSC, S-Video). Audio output provides two analog channels which can be connected to a PC-based audio system, and an output for the Dolby Digital (AC-3) 5.1 channel which requires an additional AC-3 amplifier. DVD is expected to create a huge market spanning everything from use in industry to home entertainment. The DVD decoder board will contribute to market development as a key device for enabling personal computers to process the huge volumes of data contained in high quality video and sound.
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