January 7, 2000 - National Semiconductor Corporation
(NYSE:NSM) and Planetweb®, Inc. today announced the industry’s
first reference platform for an Internet DVD (iDVD) player. Based
on Planetweb software and National® Mediamatics® Pantera-DVD
hardware, the new iDVD reference platform can deliver advanced
DVD features, personalized entertainment content, Internet browsing,
email and more. The iDVD platform is on display through January
9 at the 2000 International CES, located in the North Hall of
the Las Vegas Convention Center, booth 6728 and room M5676.
By developing a complete reference platform, National and Planetweb
are enabling consumer electronics manufacturers to reduce their
overall design and development costs and shorten their time-to-market
for iDVD players. National and Planetweb already have several
ISPs who plan to introduce subsidized iDVD players in early 2000,
including Favorite On Line and eHOLA.com, and manufacturers such
as RAITE, Lucus Origin and TCL A/V Corporation are already producing
these devices.
“With shrinking product life cycles, accelerated growth
and intense competition in the DVD space, many OEMs are demanding
out-of-the-box solutions," said Prem Nath, president of
National’s Mediamatics group. “Because of the combined
strengths of our software-hardware partnership, National and
Planetweb can offer our customers complete solutions that allow
them to differentiate their products from those of their competitors."
The iDVD Market
The market for consumer DVD players has steadily grown over the
past few years, and National and Planetweb expect iDVD technology
to further accelerate consumers’ adoption of DVD. The Consumer
Electronics Association estimates that nearly 4 million DVD players
were sold in 1999, and Cahners In-Stat Group expects DVD player
shipments will double in 2000. The number of players sold since
DVD’s introduction in 1997 has already surpassed the sales
figures for both VCRs and CD players during their comparable
debut periods, making DVD one of the most rapidly-adopted entertainment
technologies of the last 25 years.
“Considering that current DVD market projections don’t
account for Internet functionality, we believe these figures
are somewhat conservative,” said Jan Gullett, CEO of Planetweb.
“iDVD players could account for 25% of the overall DVD market
in 2000, growing to as much as 50% by 2002. And when convergence
features like time shifting and recording are integrated into
players, the iDVD market could really take off.”
National and Planetweb’s iDVD reference platform delivers
the first truly interactive experience on a consumer DVD player,
enabling consumers to take full advantage of the embedded content
and features that are already available on many DVDs today. These
features can include behind-the-scenes commentary from actors
and directors, access to movie scripts and storyboards, links
to a film’s or studio’s Web site, the ability to view
multiple camera angles, screen shots and endings, and more. The
iDVD platform also delivers personalized entertainment content
to users – content that’s based on the CDs they listen
to and the DVDs they watch. By providing users with this personalized
data, the iDVD player allows them to cut down on the time they
spend searching the Internet for relevant information.
“The Internet has really changed all of our lives, it’s
literally placed a whole wealth of information at our fingertips,”
said Jan Gullett, CEO of Planetweb. “But locating the information
we want is like finding a needle in a haystack, which is what
led us to develop the concept of ‘inverting the Web.’
We can provide users with information and entertainment that
targets their specific interests, saving them from spending countless
hours surfing the Internet.”
The iDVD Platform
National and Planetweb’s iDVD platform, based on the Mediamatics
Pantera-DVD chip and Planetweb’s software, is a worldwide
solution that’s compatible with both the PAL and NTSC viewing
standards. This allows manufacturers to design iDVD players for
several different global markets with only minimal changes to
the system’s design. The platform is fully compatible with
all DVD specifications, CDDA, Video CD and China’s emerging
SuperVCD format. The iDVD platform features a karaoke function,
a 56k v.90 internal modem, a wireless infrared keyboard with
integrated mouse, and optional six channel audio.
The Mediamatics Pantera-DVD chip is a prime example of National’s
commitment to bring higher levels of integration to the marketplace
with system-on-a-chip technology. Utilizing its hardware and
software design expertise, Mediamatics has integrated all the
hardware and software needed to control a DVD player’s back-end
functions into a single chip, creating a unique total system
solution that delivers the high-quality playback demanded by
the most discriminating consumers.
Planetweb's Internet software engine can be configured to be
ISP-independent, with an ISP default, or as an ISP-specific design.
Its small footprint (approximately one half Megabyte) facilitates
integration, and it supports Web browsing and email with any
standard ISP. Planetweb’s television display technology
includes easy to read anti-aliased outline fonts, two-stage flicker
reduction, a one-pass Web site layout engine for fast navigation,
and Web site enhancement technology. The software is designed
to be consumer-intuitive, with features such as bump scrolling,
a one-touch command compass and a patented two-step magnifier.
The software also offers a unique Parental Control Web site application
that can be set on a scale consistent with the user’s value
system.
About Planetweb
Planetweb is the industry volume leading producer of Internet
software designed for consumer electronics devices. The company
gives consumers a complete Internet experience on devices like
game systems, iDVD players, set-top boxes and phones. Planetweb
is recognized for its cost effective and efficiently designed
Internet software solution, superior display technology, Java
multimedia technology, consumer-intuitive interfaces and powerful
portal infrastructure. Planetweb, a pre-IPO Internet software
company, is headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., and has offices
in Tokyo, Japan. Planetweb is available on the Internet at www.planetweb.com.
About Mediamatics
Mediamatics, a wholly owned subsidiary of National Semiconductor
Corporation, delivers consumer quality digital video and audio
hardware/software solutions for the consumer, PC and convergence
markets. Mediamatics’ software and system expertise is integrated
into the emerging home entertainment market comprising of entertainment
PCs and DVD players. Its software products are licensed by Microsoft
and major PC OEM manufacturers, making Mediamatics the world’s
largest supplier of MPEG products. Visit Mediamatics on the World
Wide Web at: www.mediamatics.com.
About National Semiconductor
National Semiconductor provides system-on-a-chip solutions for
the information age. Combining real-world analog and state-of
the-art digital technology, the company's chips lead many sectors
of the personal computer, communications, and consumer markets.
With headquarters in Santa Clara, California, National reported
sales of $2 billion for its last fiscal year and currently has
about 11,000 employees worldwide. Additional company and product
information is available on the World Wide Web at www.national.com.
