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XILINX'S PRICE/PERFROMANCE BENEFITS ENABLE
UNIQUE
KINETIC HOME THEATER EXPERIENCE FROM D-BOX TECHNOLOGY
Xilinx® Spartan® family facilitates DSP-FPGA
combination in innovative
synchronized and updateable motion simulation systems
LAS VEGAS, Nev., January 8, 2004 At the Consumer Electronics
Show (CES) today,
D-BOX Technology, Inc. (CDNX: DBO.A) and Xilinx, Inc. (NASDAQ:
XLNX), announced a collaboration that enables D-BOX's unique motion
simulation system to enhance home theatre systems by adding
synchronized movement to the traditional audio-video experience.
D-BOX uses Xilinx and its programmable chip technology to power its
Odyssee Simulation System, a product that includes a controller
component device, four motor-driven actuators that mount under the
corners of a sofa or other seating, and a wireless remote control.
The D-BOX system, which can be updated with new content remotely,
has won high praise and awards from the home entertainment press
and is on display January 8 - 11 in D-Box/Runco booth number
16877.
The Odyssee system works by lifting home theatre seating and
occupants on a four-point suspension, in perfect synchronization
with the onscreen action and sound, creating a virtual reality
experience. The viewer is drawn into the action through
experiencing the same motional forces as the actors and players on
screen. The underlying technology - consisting of Xilinx's
programmable chips and proprietary algorithms -- translate cues
from any high quality audio soundtracks (DVD, cable, VHS,
satellite, CD-ROM or broadcast) from movies, sporting events and
video games into exhilarating, spectacular representations of
onscreen motion.
The system contains a CD-ROM drive which can be used with special
discs (each containing codes for about 50 movies) programmed with
eMotion F/X information for specific movies and games, precisely
synchronized to the DVD or CD-ROM program source to deliver even
more accurate and expressive motion. Xilinx programmable technology
is critical as new Odyssee F/X codes can be downloaded to the
system to expand the library of content.
Price and Programmability Benefits Appeal to Consumer Electronics
Developers
D-BOX's innovative product required a processing solution that was
both flexible and able to meet the stringent price requirements of
the consumer market. The company chose Xilinx's Spartan Series
FPGAs over a traditional ASIC approach based on cost as well as
adaptability, an increasing trend in the consumer electronics
industry.
"Xilinx FPGA technology is an ideal way to meet the combination of
challenges consumer electronic developers face - price, complexity,
functionality and flexibility - all in the context of unforgiving
time-to-market pressures," said Clay Johnson, vice president and
general manager of the General Products division at Xilinx. "The
Odyssee system from D-BOX is a perfect example: They needed a
solution that would allow them to implement a very complex and
innovative design but do so in a way that met specific price
requirements and still be adaptable to changes and updates even
when the product was in the field."
FPGA the ideal implementation option
D-BOX used the Spartan Series' capabilities to combine the
flexibility of an FPGA with the performance and functions of a
traditional DSP. This allowed developers to integrate the variety
of capabilities necessary to make the Odyssee System perform as
desired, including full-range of motion and precise synchronization
with audio-video inputs.
"The development of an ASIC would have required too high an
investment, and the risk would have been too large," said Bruno
Paillard, director of Research and Development at D-Box. "We also
considered using a DSP specialized for motor drives -- however to
be able to drive three motors in parallel, which is what our system
requires, the cost would have been higher and we would have had
less flexibility."
Field programmability was the final critical element since the
Odyssee System allows new content to be downloaded and incorporated
into the system by the user.
About Xilinx Low Cost FPGAs
Xilinx first shipped the Spartan-3 family in March 2003 as the
world's first and only FPGA utilizing 90nm process technology. The
Spartan-3 platform is the world's lowest cost FPGA with unrivaled
price points, starting at under $2.95*. Already, the Spartan Series
is the world's most successful low-cost FPGA family in its class
with over 11,000 customers worldwide. Since the introduction of the
Spartan Series in 1998, the company has shipped more than 60
million devices. By continuing to set new price-density standards
for the FPGA industry, Xilinx has dramatically narrowed the
price-performance gap between programmable and fixed logic. This
has driven Spartan-3 device adoption further into higher volume
consumer applications and hastened the decline of ASIC designs.
About D-BOX Technology
D-BOX Technology Inc. (CDNX: DBO.A), established in 1992, designs
and manufactures motion simulators for the home entertainment
industry. The Odyssee product adds a new dimension (movement) to
home theatre viewing and video games. The company is based in
Longueuil, Quebec, Canada, and its products are marketed primarily
in North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and
Asia. For further information regarding D-BOX Technology Inc. and
its products, please visit its Website at www.d-box.com
.
About Xilinx
Xilinx is the worldwide leader in complete programmable logic
solutions. For more information, visit www.xilinx.com.
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#0404
*250K units, end of 2004
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