Ligos Enhances DV Gear With GoMotion MPEG SDK

SAN FRANCISCO (Feb. 27, 2001) -- Ligos Technology today announced a new DV Module for its GoMotion video compression SDK. Release of the new module continues Ligos' development for its GoMotion software for software-based MPEG encoding. Ligos is demonstrating the latest GoMotion technologies at this week's Intel Developer's Forum (IDF) in booth #1027.

Aimed at all developers of PC-based video applications and hardware, the new DV Module provides enhanced API functionality needed to capture DV content from IEEE-1394 enabled camcorders. The new module also allows users to capture DV data into multiple file formats, control the camcorder, and encode/decode DV video and audio data. When used in conjunction with the full GoMotion MPEG SDK, the DV Module provides scalable conversion to the more efficient distribution formats of MPEG-1 and fullscreen MPEG-2, in either real-time or buffered operations, even on Pentium III systems in wide use today.

Previous DV-to-MPEG solutions required enormous processing power to maintain real-time capture. The newly enhanced GoMotion SDK, however, scales this function to both the Intel Pentium III and Pentium 4 PC, thereby dramatically broadening the value of those PCs. The DV Module incorporates an optimized DV video/audio codec, while still allowing developers to select an alternate DV codec for maximum flexibility and performance. The new module also features a sample application built on the GoMotion SDK.

The new DV Module joins other recent enhancements to the GoMotion SDK, including:

-- Timeshifting Module, which provides simultaneous MPEG encoding and decoding on a standard PC, enabling developers to create software-based digital VCR applications. This feature is already shipping in products from such Ligos customers as I-O Data Device and products like the recently announced Matrox Marvel G450 eTV.

-- Quality Improvements through new routines for variable bitrate, rate control, quantization, filtering, and full support for both interlaced and progressive video

-- MPEG Decoder Module, a newly optimized decoder filter based on technology from Intel's Microprocessor Research Lab allows integration of high quality MPEG video and audio playback with lower processor usage.

-- Disc-Based Formats Support, which allows developers to incorporate DVD-Video, VideoCD, and Super VideoCD compliant stream options into their applications. This feature allows end users to create discs that can be played back on home DVD players.

-- Intel Pentium 4 enhancements, providing unsurpassed levels of quality and efficiency that give PC OEMs even more reason to bundle powerful video applications from Ligos customers such as Ulead, MGI, Dazzle and Sonic Foundry.

Ligos' GoMotion video compression software enables desktop PC video products from AIST, ATI, Avid, Dazzle, DPS, Hercules, ICTV, Matrox, MGI, Pinnacle, Sonic Foundry, Sonic Solutions and Ulead.

The GoMotion SDK enables application developers to add MPEG-1/MPEG-2 encoding capabilities into any Windows-based application. GoMotion's approach to motion estimation provides real-time performance, at high or low bit rates. GoMotion is enhanced for Intel Pentium II, III and the newer Pentium 4 processors, providing end-users the most from the PCs they have today and tomorrow. This flexibility provides value both to software and hardware developers by allowing them to easily and affordably integrate "must have" features to their digital video applications and hardware.

About Ligos Technology
Headquartered in San Francisco, Ligos Technology is a provider of real-time software-only media stream management technology. For more information on Ligos Technology, its products or licensing, access its Web site at ligos.com or call 888/464-8765.