News:  November 13-19, 2000

Sunday, November 19, 2000

Swedish Touring Car Championship 2 (STCC 2) Demo Review - Mark @ 17:33 EST

IntelGamer has posted a review of the STCC2 Demo. They are very impressed with the overall demo and the sound. Here's a snip on sound:

Sound : 93% The aforementioned Camaro noise seemed a bit too weak. All other sounds were right on including that nice pop on the shift.

Carmageddon TDR 2000 Reviews - Mark @ 17:29 EST

A new review of Carmageddon TDR 2000 is up at Avault. According to Avault's own preview a while back, the game was supposed to have 3D sound support but this review goes so far as to say they checked for it and did not notice any positional effects. We are not sure if they meant that there is an option to enable 3D sound and it does not work, or if there is no option but they checked in the hope that it would autodetect 3D sound hardware but the end result is the same. They were unimpressed with the overall game (2.5/5) and the sound (2/5) as you can see from the following snip:

The sound effects in Carmageddon TDR 2000 are nothing special, and most appear to be quite similar to those heard in its predecessors. You hear cursing from other drivers, and indeed, profanity is rampant during the gameplay. Each car does have a distinctive engine sound, and there are numerous ambient industrial sounds in the background. Even with my 3D audio card, I could not hear any trace of three-dimensional audio effects during the action.

Alice Gone Gold - Mark @ 17:06 EST

Jim Molinets of Rogue Entertainment has updated his plan to announce that the Q3A engine based American McGee's Alice has gone gold. We know that Rogue Entertainment used some of the engine modification work done for FAKK2 which uses the Miles Sound System for A3D 1 and EAX 1 (should also be 2) support so hopefully we will get the same for Alice. If you see any audio details we would love to hear from you.
News Source: Blue's News

Labtec APX-4620 Review - Mark @ 17:01 EST

Inside Hardware has posted a review of Labtec's APX-4620 2.1 speaker system. Overall a very positive review. As you can see from our own review of this system (done before we expanded our testing), I was also impressed by its performance and agree that it's good option in the $100 price range.

Sound Card Volume Control Mod - Mark @ 16:51 EST

Overclocking @ GQL has posted an article detailing how to make a volume control for your sound card mostly for use for in game adjustments when using headphones plugged directly into the sound card. This mod is not for the feint of heart as it will require that you solder wires to your sound card. For details check out the full article.

Sacrifice reviews - Mikael @ 10:42 EST

IGNPC has posted a review of Sacrifice. They think it's an excellent game that everyone that enjoys action and strategy games should buy as soon as possible. Here's the short sound bit:

And the kudos keep rolling in with the incredible sound quality that this game delivers. The voice-overs are excellent coming from both no-names and names such as Tim Curry (who is does a great job as Stratos by the way). Everything is done well. The music, the effects, the speech… Man alive the production value on this game is high.

Rune Reviews - Mikael @ 10:18 EST

Plnety of new reviews of this UT engine based Viking action game. First up is Stomped that a very positive impression of the game including the audio:

Sound is well done also. However, I did encounter some problems with my Sound Blaster Live card. For some reason or the other, my sound volume would fluctuate depending on where I was in reference to certain objects. Since I've got 4 speaker surround sound, I was able to notice how sound would cut off from zone to zone, depending on where I moved my characters head. I browsed around in the http://www.runegame.com forums, and discovered that some other people had had this problem as well. Old sound card drivers turned out to be the culprit, and everything ended up being resolved.

The neastest thing perhaps is hearing critters snarl at you, then not being able to find them.. and hearing their little feet (depending on the critter) pad across the floor. Honestly, the scariest experience was when I walked into a cavern room and heard a scuttling noise. I looked around, didn't see anything.. then I looked up just to see a monster cavern crab almost land right on me. EAX is supported as well, and makes the experience truly wholesome. You can hear each individual water droplet hit the floor, way groovy. :).

Dirt Track Racing Sprint Cars review - Mikael @ 09:58 EST

OperationSports has posted a very positive review of Dirt Track Racing Sprint Cars but that positive impression didn't include the aural aspect of the game:

Of all the departments in DTRSC, this is the weakest. The beta builds of DTRSC had a nice, mean scream to the cars. In the demo, and the final version, they sound like sprints on queludes. Take a real sprint car, drop its pitch about 2 or 3 notches, and there’s the sound in the game. It doesn’t convey the sheer power in the engines…and even when you gear it short enough to tach out, the car still sounds like it’s bogging. These are quick hitting demon cars, they’re not big boat cadillacs that need a full mile to get up to speed…the game just doesn’t capture that aurally. It sounds like a race car, and for those of you who have never been in (or to) a sprint car race, it won’t make a big deal. But given the fact that I personally know 11 or 12 men who went out and purchased a PC just to play the game (all avid sprint car racers in real life, who had never played a computer game), the audio needed to be dead-on. It missed the mark, and enabling 3D sound AT ALL on some cards (Soundblaster Live! Cards, for example) will give you a crackling, stuttering sound. Again, the sound gets the job done, but isn’t going to make anybody go out and buy a new 3D sound system in order to get the most out of it.

Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force review - Mikael @ 09:31 EST

Gaming-Unlimited has posted a positive review of Star Trek Voyager Elite Force and just like most other reviews considers it the best Star Trek game ever. Here's the sound snip:

Probably one of Elite Force's best points are its sound and music elements. All of the sounds, the doors sliding open, the phasers firing, the Turbolifts initiating - sound exactly like that of the TV show. You won't be disappointed at all of Elite Force's amazing voices, either. Most of the voices are done by the person who plays them on the TV series. That mean Janeway, Tom Paris, Harry Kim, and all the rest of the stooges are professionaly done. Kudos to Raven for putting such time and effort into Elite Force's excellent sound effects. Elite Force's music is fitting for what environment you're in. If you're strolling along the halls of Voyager, expect low-key, relaxing tunes. Get in a fight, though, and you'll be tensed up by the rapid change of pace in the music.

Heavy Metal FAKK 2 review - Mikael @ 09:25 EST

GamesHideout has posted a short but very positive review of Heavy Metal FAKK2. Here's the sound bit:

The sound in the game is perfect to. The voices of the different characters and enemy's are good, but what makes this game special are the great sound effects that I've described earlier like the raging sound of a waterfall, birds signing, the sharp sound of a sword clanging against a metal object just perfect.

realMYST review - Mikael @ 09:07 EST

IGNPC has posted a very mixed impression of realMyst. The following bit sums it up nicely:

So the graphics are fantastic, the sound is great, and the control is simple. Unfortunately, the gameplay is a chugfest. Move a tower, run all the way up the tower. Write down everything you see, and work an annoying puzzle to gain access to more puzzles that have you repeating simple tasks ad infinitum. If you've never, ever, ever… ever, ever played Myst, than realMyst may get you for a little while puzzle-wise, but by the time you've hit your second or third age, you'll be wondering just how many time you'll have to enter numbers and symbols into a machine in order to open a door. It's sad because the world of Myst is very real and enthralling, while the puzzles are so ridiculous at times that they pull you completely out of the wonder of it all. Exactly why do I need to find dates on a planetarium to raise a ship? Who knows. One thing's for sure -- if you've played through Myst once, chances are you probably won't want to redo the puzzles again, even if that means seeing them in 3D.
[snip]
Sound
Ambient sounds and animal noises put you right into the world of Myst.

4x4 Evolution review - Mikael @ 09:03 EST

IGNPC has posted a fairly positive review of 4x4 Evolution giving the game a score of 8 out of 10. The sound effects didn't impress as much:

Sound effects weren't very impressive, but the music was a hoot to race to.

Blair Witch Volume 2: The Legend of Coffin Rock reviews - Mikael @ 08:57 EST

Blair Witch Volume 2: The Legend of Coffin Rock continues to get clearly worse reviews than Blair Witch Volume 1 and last weeks reviews are no exception. First up GoneGold that had the following bit on the aurals:

The ambient music is similar to the score for Rustin Parr, but oddly, never seemed to mesh with the graphics or storyline. The dialogue and voice acting was almost universally bad, which was compounded by the fact that the language was very contemporary. Still, the sound effects were good and the Civil War era rifle shots sounded especially realistic.

Starship Troopers reviews - Mikael @ 08:39 EST

IGNPC has posted a review of Starship Troopers. The story (and game itself) is drawn from both the novel and 1997 movie of the same name. It's a war against Earth and a race of giant, extraterrestrial insects. Here's a snip on sound:

But the details in the visual half of the design aren't as sharp in the sound department. The sound is quite choppy on our systems here at the office and the balancing is way off. Effects and ambient sounds are turned up really high and the vocal directions you receive from your commander are universally drowned out. Even adjusting the balance didn't seem to rectify the problem

Superbike 2001 reviews - Mikael @ 08:24 EST

Avault has posted a bit mixed impression of Superbike 2001 where gameplay and graphics got pretty good scores while they were a bit less impressed with the sound effects (3 out of 5 stars):

Possibly the only area which fails to meet the standards of the rest of this title is the sound effects. What sounds there are in the game seem to be recorded with ample quality, conveying a sense of realism, but ultimately lacking much real depth. The primary problem with the sound is that the races suffer from stifled engine sounds and poor announcing. Not only did the announcers sound forced, but their comments were extremely few and far between, only seeming to pop up when an accident would occur on the track. Hardcore racing fans will doubtless be disappointed by the lack of action by the famous commentators and the muted noises from the superbike engines.

Blair Witch Volume 1 reviews - Mikael @ 08:06 EST

A couple new Blair Witch Volume 1 reviews have popped up. As most others they are overall positive. First up the GameZone that didn't had any major complaints:

The music and sound have to be the scariest of any game that I have played. There are times when you feel chills up your back from the children laughing and the creepy music that the game has. The sound makes the game so engrossing that you actually feel like screaming at moments in the game. OK, I may admit I did jump, but I didn't scream. Try playing this game with all the lights off and then get up to go to bed. You'll understand exactly what I am talking about.

Baldur's Gate II reviews - Mikael @ 07:56 EST

Several new reviews of Baldur's Gate II have been posted the last few days, as usual they all think it's an excellent RPG. Here's the sound snips:

Outer-Edge:

Since the graphics set the mood for an area bicely, the sound had better follow with quality as well. Well, it does... beautifully. I fell in love with the soundtrack from the first opening area. It just helps to keep the mood going, whether you are exploring or fighting and adds to your experience in a great way.

Also nice are the sound effetcs. While not revolutionary, they are very solid and fit each part of the game to a tee. The best of these though, is the ambient sounds. The soundtrack may help bolster the experience and set the mood of an area, but the background noise is what can put the fear or excitement into your heart. In dungeons you may hear screaming or crying from far away, forests or caves may be filled with the roar of a dragon that lives there, or simply the smaller creatures that call it home, and you even hear the chatter of people in a marketplace. It all adds a realistic quality to the areas and combined with the soundtrack, gives the perfect overall mood and feel for each area.

Devil Inside supports EAX? - Mikael @ 07:05 EST

Devil Inside is not on Creative's EAX list and there is no mention of EAX or 3D sound on the official site but MPOG says the game supports 3D sound and EAX. They don't offer any opinion on how well it works but they have a nice bit on the sound effects and music:

The high-energy techno track that opens the TV show is network quality and fits the game perfectly. During the game you are treated to some excellent ambient sounds and subtle music that adds a bit of suspense to the action. The sound effects are dead-on. Fire crackles, zombies moan, and body parts fly off with satisfactory splats. The guns and other weapons all sound authentic, and nothing is more chilling than hearing the unearthly roar after Deva consumes a soul.

There is also a considerable interactive quality to the sound in regards to the audience and Jack T. Ripper. When you make a spectacular kill the crowd will cheer and you may see a studio camera showing the rating meter increasing and the hostesses applauding. Jack will often make comments to you as you explore the levels and his interaction with Angelina, the rival reporter, will have you laughing out loud. If you try to open a locked door the crowd will groan in disappointment and when you switch back and forth between Dave and Deva you will always get lots of applause and hear your character-specific fans yelling your support such as "We love you Deva!" Everything really comes together to pull you into the TV-show atmosphere.

New Submarine Titans map - Mikael @ 04:08 EST

Another multiplayer map has been released for the 3D sound supporting Submarine Titans. It was posted a few days ago but don't think we mentioned it.
News Source: Blue's News

How to make a sound pack for any Q3A model - Mikael @ 03:13 EST

PolyCount has posted a short editorial on how to make a sound pack for any Q3A model.
News Source: Blue's News

Saturday, November 18, 2000

GamePC Reports : Comdex 2000 - Mark @ 21:55 EST

GamePC has posted their Comdex 2000 report. Pretty much the same audio coverage as the other reports we have posted with mention of products from Creative Labs and ESS (Canyon3D-2). One thing we can't figure out is why no one is asking NVDIA about their sound card development or where the coverage on Guillemot's new cards are (assuming they are at Comdex).
News Source: Anandtech

Vortex 2 and EAX Support - Mark @ 21:49 EST

If you have a Vortex 2 card with the 2048 drivers you will know that some games that support both A3D and DS3D with EAX autodetect the A3D support and won't let you enable EAX for that reason. The fix is to rename a couple files to trick the game into thinking there is no A3D support. Forum regular BrianL has posted a couple of simple batch files that you can use to automate this process. For details check out the post.

Philips Acoustic Edge 5.1 Sound Card Review - Mark @ 11:44 EST

Sharky Extreme has posted a review of the Philips Acoustic Edge 5.1 sound card. Overall a very positive, well written review, but also one that is lacking detail on what games were tested and how they performed on the card. When it comes to music and QMSS I think it really comes down to personal tastes. Some people will prefer the QMSS effects to stereo or to full multichannel music offered by DTS or Dolby Digital 5.1 and others won't. The nice part is if you don't like it applied to your music then you can set the system to 2 speaker output for a traditional stereo experience. The other bit worth mentioning is with respect to using the system with software DVD decoders like the bundled PowerDVD 3.0. That is, with the current drivers you can enable DVD QSurround to get full subwoofer support from all 5 channels and not just the LFE channel when using the system in 5.1 analog mode. This means that it will function well in small speaker mode with systems like the MidiLand S4-7100. DVD QSurround also enhances the rear channel effects for Dolby Digital 5.1 source material, something that some people may not desire. Philips has indicated that they plan to offer an option to enable the bass redirection from the five main channels to the subwoofer without enabling the DVD QSurround in a future driver release. Thanks to Michael "Micmar" Marchant of System Velocity for the pointer.

Rio 600 Review - Mikael @ 05:11 EST

SoundcardCentral has posted a review of SonicBlue's Portable MP3 Player, the Rio 600. They complained about little memory (32MB), crappy earphones and lack of FM tuner. Despite the complaints they still thinks it's pretty good player overall, thanks to low price, USB interface, Ergonomic design, light weight, equalizer and backlit LCD display. Just like Nomad II it can support future formats thru firmware upgrades. Worth noting that you according to the review you can upgrade it with a FM tuner for $34.95 that will also work as a remote control.

Gunman Chronicles Goes Gold - Mikael @ 05:01 EST

Avault reports that a Sierra Studios pr agent has confirmed that the futuristic shooter, Gunman Chronicles, has gone gold and will be in stores on the 27th of this month. Gunman uses the Half-Life engine so hopefully it will offer the same 3D sound support but it's no mention of it on the official site.

Friday, November 17, 2000

MidiLand FP-21 Announced - Mark @ 22:49 EST

MidiLand has announced the MidiLand FP-21 flat panel speaker system. MidiLand has designed the MidiLand FP-21 in two colors, chic metallic gray and mauve. The MidiLand FP-21 is powered by 20-watts RMS and includes two 4" flat panel speakers with drivers containing unique neodymium magnet technology. Estimated street price of the MidiLand FP-21 is $19.95 (MSRP $29.95) and like all of MidiLand's products the FP-21 comes with the MidiLand "Peace of Mind Guarantee" of total satisfaction and a three-year limited warranty back the MidiLand FP-21. For a few more details as well as information on Acer Labs decision to use MidiLand FP-21 with their flat panel monitors for Comdex 2000 you can check out the full press release.

Creative DTT3500 Dolby Digital 5.1 Review - Mark @ 18:43 EST

Tech Extreme has posted a review of Creative's DTT3500 Dolby Digital 5.1 speaker system. A very positive review where I have only one comment. They mention testing the system with a Live 5.1 and getting 4.1 sound. I suspect its a typo and they meant to say 5.1 sound as when combined with the DIN output on a Live 5.1 (and only a Live 5.1) the DTT3500 will work as a 5.1 speaker system for games that support 3D audio via DS3D or A3D 1.x. You can also check out my own early impressions on the system for a second (brief) opinion.

Diamond Rio 600 MP3 Player Review - Mark @ 18:32 EST

Technoyard has posted a review of the Diamond Rio 600 MP3 Player. Overall they were very impressed with the unit and think it was worth 93/100. One comment - they say that 64 kbps WMA files yield the same quality as a 128 kbps MP3 file. Weknow that MS claims this true and it was also backed up by a study performed by ZD Labs. While that might be true against a worst case MP3 file I think most people would agree that it's certainly not true if you compare against an 128 kbs MP3 using a quality encoder such as Fraunhofer's MP3ENC. You can do you own listening tests and find some more info over at www.pcabx.com.

CNET Editors' Top 5 Portable MP3 Players - Mark @ 18:21 EST

The C/Net editors have gone through their collection of MP3 player reviews and picked what they consider to be the best five players they have reviewed. In order of one to five the picked the Creative Labs Nomad Jukebox (Silver), the Creative Labs Nomad II MG, the Philips eXpanium EXP 103, the Nike PSA Play 120 and the Iomega HipZip. For the reasons why as well as links to full reviews of each player you can check out the article.

Fuji FinePix 40i Review - Mark @ 18:17 EST

Looking for a digital camera that plays MP3s? That's just what the Fuji FinePix 40i does. The question is does it do a good job at both functions? C/Net thinks not with poor picture quality and software being the main knocks. For all the gory details you can check out the full review.

Sony eMarker: Track Your Tunes - Mark @ 18:13 EST

Do you ever hear a song on the radio and can't quite remember the title? Do you get frustrated when the DJ doesn't identify the title and artist of new music? Sony has just the solution for you with the eMarker. The eMarker lets you keep a list of the best songs that you hear on the radio so that you can preview the whole album online. Does it hit the mark? C/Net thinks so and you can find out why in their full review.

SonicLink and AudioStation Shiipping - Audiotron Soon to Follow - Mark @ 08:04 EST

Voyetra Turtle Beach has announced that SonicLink and AudioStation Remote are now available from major computer and electronics retailers. AudioStation Remote ($59.95 estimated street price) is the first software-based digital music "jukebox" to include the convenience of a universal RF remote control out of the box. By using the remote with the included Voyetra AudioStation software, users can run their PC just like any other home stereo component. With the ability to transmit through walls and ceilings, the RF remote allows the user to control MP3 and WMA digital music files from up to 100 feet away. The remote also doubles as a universal controller for CD players, DVD players, TVs, and other media devices, as well as optional home automation devices. The SonicLink ($129.95 estimated street price) includes everything needed to play MP3 and WMA audio files anywhere in the home. Users simply play digital music on their computers using AudioStation 4.0 software, which outputs the signal to a RF transmitter (2.4 GHz). The corresponding RF receiver -- which can be plugged into a home stereo or set of powered speakers using standard RCA and 1/8" mini-jack connectors -- receives the music "broadcast" from any room in the house, or even outside (within a limited effective range). For additional details you can check out the full press release. It's worth noting that while this may be the first integrate software jukebox/remote package, similar options have been availalble seperately for some time now from both retail and online sources for both more and less money for the hardware. What Turtle Beach has done is integrate the full featured Audiostation 4 and refine the remote interface.

In a seperate press release they announced that they are now taking orders for its highly anticipated home-networked digital audio appliance, the AudioTron. The device ($299 estimated street price) can be ordered at www.turtle-beach.com, with shipments following in early December. The AudioTron transmits and receives data via standard in-wall phone wiring or an Ethernet network, and organizes and plays an unlimited number of digital audio files stored on the owner's personal computer or found on the Web. With the included Voyetra AudioStation software, the PC becomes a whole house music jukebox, delivering audio to any room where the AudioTron is located. Using either the included remote control or buttons on the base unit, users can play digital music stored on their computer. This includes MP3 and WMA files, as well as uncompressed WAV files. The AudioTron will not interfere with normal phone operation or DSL Internet service. For more details check out the full press release. More information is also available at http://www.audiotron.net.

Voyetra Releases AudioStation 4.0 Digital Music Player - Mark @ 07:34 EST

Voyetra Technologies has announced that AudioStation 4.0, the latest version of its flagship PC audio control software, is now shipping. A free version, incorporating most features found in the retail product, is available for download from http://www.voyetra.com. This marks the first time that AudioStation, which was first released in 1992, will be available without charge. When you consider the range of very good to excellent free options avaialble on the market today it was probably essential that Turtle Beach followed this trend if they want the player to be more than an OEM bundle.

According to the release, the retail version ($19.99) AudioStation delivers end-to-end capture, management, and playback of digital music files. This includes the ability to import (rip) digital music from audio CDs, and then automatically convert the files to MP3 or WMA formats. Users can even receive help from the recording wizard for importing songs from analog (LP, tape, microphone) sources. In addition to playing popular file types such as MP3, WMA and WAV, AudioStation provides catalog and library functions and it automatically downloads ancillary data, such as artist, album, track, and genre names, using CDDB. For some additional detail and quotes you can check out the full press release.

New PC Music Products from Voyetra - Mark @ 07:25 EST

Voyetra Technologies is now shipping several new music oriented retail products.

The Digital Music Starter Kit ($49.95 estimated street price) which, just as you would expect, is a bundle that lets you combine any Windows-based multimedia PC and MIDI keyboard into a desktop music system. The second is eJay SE ($12.95 estimated street price) which is a sample bundle of the award-winning eJay ``loop-based'' music creation series developed by PXD Musicsoft, Inc. The full version of each eJay title is available from Voyetra Turtle Beach. The third is the Voyetra MIDI Cable Pack ($19.95 estimated street price) which includes a 10-foot standard MIDI cable and includes demos of Voyetra's eJay titles and its Music Write series of notation products. For lots more detail on the products you can check out the full press release.

In a separate press release they announced the shipping of Hip Hop eJay 2 ($39.95 estimated street price), the latest in the award-winning eJay series developed by PXD Musicsoft, Inc. Hip Hop eJay 2 places the power of electronic hip hop music creation on any multimedia PC. Over 3,000 professionally recorded samples can be arranged and mixed on 16 stereo tracks, then played with real-time pitch altering. Custom samples can even be recorded, with final mixes output to .wav files (to post and share online, to convert to MP3 files, or to burn personal mix CDs). For more details check out the full announcement.

There's still more! In yet another announcement they introduced Teach Me Rock Guitar and Teach Me Blues Guitar. They are the latest titles in Voyetra's edutainment software line, and follow what they call the highly successful Teach Me Guitar software. Teach Me Rock Guitar ($39.95 estimated street price) gives the user one-on-one guitar instruction. Guitar enthusiasts will learn how to play three classic rock songs, chord by chord: ``Crossroads'' by Cream, ``Little Wings'' by Jimi Hendrix, and ``Freeway Jam'' by Jeff Beck. Scales, riffs, and phrasing are also covered. Teach Me Blues Guitar ($39.95 estimated street price) explains the phrasing, scales, and chord progressions (dominant 7ths, dominant 9ths, 6ths, 13ths, and minor chords) essential to playing most blues songs. Four classic blues styles are taught with step-by-step instructions: a 12-bar medium shuffle, a slow blues, a minor-key blues, and an 8-bar blues. Again, for additional detail you can check out the full press release.

QPICT And Sanyo Collaborate On MP3/CD Player Reference Design - Mikael @ 04:21 EST

QPICT and Sanyo Corp have announced that they will collaborate in developing a complete MP3CD player reference solution.

The Reference design will include a complete software suite to support CD content navigation, MP3 and CDDA identification, extraction of right management data, screening, Meta-data recovery, which will be matched to Sanyo CD chip set & mechanisms. Features of the Software package include embedded CD Checker for copyright information and management, extraction of embedded metadata to allow for a song database to be created, a comprehensive navigation system which will allow users to create play list. Additional features include Anti-Shock and built-in Base Boost.

The reference application solution is scheduled for release Q2/01 and will be available from either party. The design will be licensed to OEM customers.

Addonics Announces Mobile DVD/CDRW Drive - Mikael @ 04:18 EST

Addonics Technologies has announced the Mobile DVD/CDRW drive -- a combination DVD/CDRW drive with high-speed FireWire, CardBus and USB interfaces. The Addonics Mobile DVD/CDRW features 12x CD-R write,10x CD-RW rewrite, 32x CD-ROM read , and 8x DVD-ROM playback speeds.

Addonics bundles the drive with CD mastering software, and MPEG-2 decoding software for DVD movie playback on all FireWire, CardBus or USB-equipped mobile computers and desktop PCs. The combined DVD/CDRW functionality saves users the cost of buying two storage units for recording CD-ROM discs and playing DVD movies, and satisfies the demand for a low-cost storage and back-up device. The Mobile DVD/CDRW has a list price of $445, $459, and $499 for USB, Cardbus and FireWire connections respectively. You can find even more details in the press release

Computing giants struggle over DVD recording format - Mikael @ 04:16 EST

That's the title of a Cnet News.com article about the DVD recording format war. Here's a taste:

Still, for the first time, the DVD recordable market is finally shaking out, although which format will win--DVD-RW, DVD+RW or DVD-RAM--remains uncertain. All three formats record to 4.7-GB disks similar to those used in DVD movies. DVD+RW and DVD-RW are compatible with many DVD movie players and some drives can also record CDs. DVD-RAM beat the others to market, but suffers from compatibility problems with DVD players and DVD drives.
[snip]
On paper, DVD+RW is the most impressive of the lot, and at this year's Comdex it solidified some of the biggest supporters in the industry. But the DVD+RW camp also has been showing off prototypes longer than any of the others and, to date, has delivered no product to market.
[snip]
DVD+RW's backward compatibility with DVD players and DVD-ROM drives is one of the technology's strongest selling points. Its six backers control 75 percent of the CD market, said Pradeep Jotwani, president of HP's consumer business organization.

MP3.com faces new law suit for copyright infringement - Mikael @ 04:12 EST

MP3.com has announced that a class action complaint for copyright infringement has been filed on behalf of Unity Entertainment Corporation, and others similarly situated, by the law firm of Engstrom, Lipscomb & Lack in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Los Angeles. As you know they have already settled with all five of the major record labels so I doubt this will have much impact.

Thursday, November 16, 2000

Diablo II MP3 of the Week - Mark @ 18:02 EST

Blizzard has released "Toru", the Diablo II MP3 of the week and as usual, it has some liner notes to go along with it at their site.

WinAmp 2.7 Released - Mark @ 17:53 EST

Nullsoft has released a new version of Winamp bringing this popular audio player upto v2.7. You can grab it from Winamp.com where you can also check out whats new or changed in this version.
News Source: 3D Audio Immersion

FiringSquad's Comdex '00 Report Part 1 - Mark @ 13:08 EST

Firing Squad has posted part 1 of their Comdex 2000 report. The audio related stuff comes by way of Voyetra Turtle Beach where they look at their new Sonic Link FM transmitter as well as at their Audiotron MP3 player. If you are familiar with products from X10 you will note that the Sonic Link hardware looks very similar to lower priced hardware offered from X10.com. However, unlike the X10 packages, the Sonic Link comes with the full retail version of Audiostation4 ($20 value). Based on this Comdex report it also looks like Turtle Beach has enhanced the supporting software interface for the remote, so it's not an apples to apples comparison. The Audiotron is a wired solution for routing audio around the home. Firing Squad reports that by using a HomePNA phoneline network or ethernet network, the AudioTron is able to scan hard drives on the network and stream digital audio files off of them. For more details and images of these devices and lots more non-audio coverage you can check out their full report.

Klipsch V.2 -400 Promedia Speaker System Review - Mikael @ 12:30 EST

SystemLogic has posted a detailed review of Klipsch V.2 -400 Promedia Speaker System. As most other reviews they think it offers excellent sound quality and had no complaints. The few that complain about the system beyond noise thinks the midrange is lacking when it comes to music. You can check out Mark's review for a second opinion.
News Source: Anandtech

VideoLogic DigiTheatre LC 5.1 Speaker System review - Mikael @ 12:15 EST

Anandtech has posted a detailed review of VideoLogic's $150 DigiTheatre LC 5.1 speaker system. It's the same system as VideoLogic's DigiTheatre with the only exception it doesn't come bundled with the DigiTheatre decoder (the same MidiLand sells under the ADS-2000 name). Anandtech's Jim Warren found the system to perform very well with the only major complaint being bass response was lacking slightly.

realMYST in stores - Mikael @ 11:43 EST

Avault reports that realMYST has reached stores. The game is a re-creation of the best-selling computer game MYST, realMYST represents Cyan’s original vision--an immersive 3D interactive adventure that they say is both timeless and excitingly new for both first-time players and long-time enthusiasts. The test 3 included support for 3D audio so I assume that's still there for the retail release. You can download test 3 from 3dfiles

New firmware for Creative DVD 1241E Drive - Mikael @ 11:39 EST

Creative Labs has released new firmware for its DVD 1241E Drive.

Super 1 Karting demo - Mikael @ 11:37 EST

Midas Interactive has released a demo of Super 1 Karting. The game is featuring a full go-kart simulation of the Karting Grand Prix Championship for the PC and Sony Playstation. The game will include accurately modeled 3D replicas of all of the international circuits and go-karts used throughout the Karting GP season and the player will have a choice of different class karts in which to race. In addition to the eleven circuits, there will be a bonus, full GP circuit to race. The player will have to work their way through the various classes earning a racing licence for the next kart class, with the goal being to reach the GP circuit and win using a 150 mph kart. To improve the overall appeal of the product, there is a separate, stripped down ARCADE mode as well as the full simulation.

According to the official site the PC version supports 3D Audio, Force Feedback and hardware acceleration. I assume the latter refers to 3D graphics using D3D or OpenGL. You can download the 11 MB small demo from 3dfiles

Waves' MaxxVerb 'Reverberation' Technology Integrated Into Direct X 8 - Mark @ 08:05 EST

Waves Ltd. has announced that Microsoft has integrated Waves' MaxxVerb artificial reverberation technology as a DirectX Media Object (DMO), a new technology in DirectX 8. According to Wave, the inclusion of MaxxVerb brings professional-quality audio reverberation effects to interactive games and entertainment developers using DirectX 8. They note that MaxxVerb is a highly effective tool for creating artificial reverberation effects in audio streams. DirectX Media Objects, the new Microsoft standard for media data filtering and processing, enables software developers to deliver high-quality, interactive music and other sound in Windows-based applications, including professional authoring applications and interactive games. For quite a bit more detail and quotes you can check out the full press release.

Creative Makes the Call With VoIP Blaster - Mark @ 07:46 EST

Creative has announced the VoIP Blaster, an Internet telephony solution that delivers voice-over IP calls at savings over traditional phone calls. The VoIP Blaster is shipping in North America in November, 2000 at an estimated street price of US$19.99. According to the announcement, the VoIP Blaster features a powerful DSP that minimizes distortion, echoes and latency while reducing the need for additional system requirements or resources. This simple to install plug-and-play USB device powered by InnoMedia's voice-over IP technology allows callers to place free PC-to-PC calls when both PCs are equipped with a VoIP Blaster. Callers making PC-to-phone calls with a VoIP Blaster may also enjoy greatly reduced rates in more than 200 countries. The device functions with most standard corded and cordless telephones and supports dial-up, DSL or cable Internet connections. You can find lots more detail in the full press release.

MP3.com to revive My.MP3.com--for a price - Mark @ 07:41 EST

That's the title of an article over at C/Net. They report that MP3.com plans to restart My.MP3.com by the end of November and, for the first time, will charge a fee for the once-controversial service. The service which allows users to store music digitally and later access it via any computer, was shut down in May after a U.S. district court held that a database of 80,000 albums copied by MP3.com--an integral part of the service--violated copyright law and ordered MP3.com to pay damages. The new serives will offer two options, a free service that uses advertising to generate revenue with restrictions on the amount of music you can load in the service and a subscription service without the advertising. According to the report, MP3.com hasn't determined prices for the services or whether they should be in the form of annual or monthly fees. For more details and analysis head over to C/Net for the full report.

Fur Fighters Demo and Patches - Mark @ 07:33 EST

The Fur Fighters are an elite fighting force of stuffed animals on a mission to rescue their families from the evil General Viggo. The Fur Fighters must battle their way through Viggo's legions of Stupid Bears and solve diabolical puzzles to save their babies, rescue their mutated kin in six outrageous boss levels and snatch the planet from Viggo's clutches. You can check out a demo of this game over at 3Dfiles. Here's what you should have in store taken right from the readme file thanks to Jeff "wumpus" Atwood of Gamebasement:

Fur Fighters supports the following technologies: Triple Buffer, 32bit Z Buffering, Bump Mapping, Dynamic Lighting, Trilinear Filtering, Transform and Lighting support, 32 bit rendering, texture compression and 3D &
environmental audio.....

If you have the retail version of this game there is also set of patchs out that you can grab from 3Dfiles. They report that one patch fixes some issues with the text being displayed incorrectly in Spanish, French and German and corrects a compatibility issue when playing against the European version of the game in Internet Fluffmatches. The second patch will allow you to install Fur Fighters PC on your Windows Millenium Edition system.

Wednesday, November 15, 2000

Game Commander 2 Review - Mark @ 12:33 EST

Cached.Net has posted a review of Game Commander 2 voice recognition package with overall positive impressions. This is a detailed, nicely done review worth checking out if you are considering this product.

Comdex report - Mikael @ 11:59 EST

Ga-Hardware has posted the first part of its Comdex report. It discuss what Creative Labs, ATI and Matrox had on display, when it comes to audio they briefly mention Creative Labs' Live 5.1 cards and , BlasterKey MP3 digital keyboard. In a bit more detail they talk about the new VoIP Blaster, a $20 Voice over IP product that Creative Labs will start to ship next week.
News Source: Anandtech

MP3.com to Pay Universal $53.4 Million - Mikael @ 10:34 EST

U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff has awarded $53.4 million in statutory damages and attorneys fees to the Universal Music Group (UMG) in its copyright infringement suit against MP3.com. Last January, UMG and others filed the lawsuit challenging MP3.com's copying of thousands of copyrighted CDs onto its file servers to create its My.MP3.com ``locker'' service.

Concurrently, it was announced that UMG has granted MP3.com a non-exclusive, North American license for the use of UMG-controlled recordings on the My.MP3.com system, including the ``Beam-it(TM)'' and Instant Listening(TM)`` software services. You can find a couple quotes from Universal and MP3.com in the press release. This was really just a settlement that was approved by the judge so there won't be any apeals. It also means MP3.com has now settled with all five of the major record labels.

In a separate press release MP3.com announced that that it has sold to Universal Music Group (UMG Recording, Inc.) warrants to purchase up to 3,000,000 shares of MP3.com common stock. These warrants give UMG the right to purchase up to 3,000,0000 shares of MP3.com common stock at specified prices ranging from $3.75 to $5.00 per share and over terms of one to three years. If fully exercised, the shares issuable under the warrants will represent less than five percent of MP3.com's outstanding shares.

You can quite a bit more details on this deal and some analysis in this CNet News.com article

B-17 Flying Fortress II Goes Gold in UK - Mikael @ 10:15 EST

Avault reports that B-17 Flying Fortress II has gone gold in UK and will be released later this month. US and Canada will have to wait until February next year. No mention if UK includes other European countries. More than a year ago when the title was expected to be released Janaury 2000 the game was supposed to support A3D 2.0 with wavetracing. No idea if that's still the case. For some info about the game you can check out Avault's preview
News Source: Avault

Interview with Russell Shaw (head of sound and music at Lionhead) - Mikael @ 10:08 EST

LionSource has posted an interview with the head of sound and music at Lionhead, Russell Shaw. In the interview they discuss sound, music and the technical features of Black&White. The developers has claimed both DS3D with EAX and A3D 1.x support quite awhile ago and it's still on Creative's EAX list but according to this interview it won't support either:

ls.com: On the technical side, rumour has it that neither EAX nor A3D are supported. Is that true and if so, what can you tell us about a "substitute" technology? Is there any?

RS: EAX and A3D are great for adding environmental elements to sound effects such as room reverbs and occlusions etc using your hardware. Fantastic if you happen to be producing a game where you are running in around a deserted warehouse full of different sized rooms with different materials in them. Black and White is essentially an outdoor game and as such it was not benefiting from the inclusion of either of these technologies. In addition to this, all these hardware technologies tend to add their own 'colour' to the sound effects which is out of the control of the audio designer. I am using the QMixer API to give a fully immersed 3D experience. QMixer has the fastest 3D API I have ever used and supports four speaker surround. The software mixer is quicker and more efficient than a lot of hardware accelerated mixers. I am spending a great deal of time in balancing the sound effects and music in Black and White and in using QMixer I know that what I am hearing here in the studio will be heard exactly the same by everyone who buys the game.

New DMX - XFire 1024 drivers (Win 9x and Win2k/ME) - Mikael @ 09:59 EST

Terratec released new Windows 9x and Windows 2000/ME drivers for the DMX - XFire 1024 a couple days ago. Terratec also sent us a driver update chart that claims they have released Windows ME beta drivers for the orginal Canyon3D based DMX (XFire 1024 uses the CS4624 chip) but they are not available on their website. Thanks to Sven Hantschack for the DMX - Xfire 1024 driver update.

Dell's Digital Audio Receiver and THX-Certified PCs Top Holiday Charts - Mark @ 08:07 EST

Dell has unwrapped several offerings for the holidays, including two products designed to help consumers in the United States and Canada maximize the entertainment value of their PCs. The Dell Digital Audio Receiver (DAR) is designed to enable listeners to enjoy CD-quality music stored on a PC in any room of the home by distributing sound to remote receivers or home stereo systems over existing phone lines or via an Ethernet network. The receiver is available for purchase immediately, and available exclusively from Dell until Dec. 15. It's priced at $249 for customers purchasing a DAR with an appropriately configured Dimension desktop or Inspiron notebook Customers will be able to purchase the receiver for their existing desktops or notebooks for $299.

For a limited time, Dell will also be the only computer manufacturer offering THX-certified PCs. Buyers can customize a qualified Dimension PC for THX certification. Pricing will be announced with the availability of a future Dimension platform. According to the PR, "THX-certified Dell Dimension desktop PCs are designed to provide the superior audio and video quality that movie directors and game developers intend". We knew when THX announced the multimedia speaker certification process (Klipsch ProMedia v-2-400 was the first and the next was the Altec Lansing ADA885 sold by Dell) that they planned to cover other multimedia devices and I would guess that's what this certification process offered by Dell will be about. Something to keep in mind is companies that qualify for THX certification still have to pay for right to make that claim so you it's possible to find systems and components that are just as good or better without the certification as not everyone wants to pay the licensing costs. For quotes and additional detail you can check out the full press release.

i2GO Launches World's First Wireless Web Audio Network - Mark @ 07:44 EST

i2Go (www.i2go.com), has announced that it has completed the infrastructure requirements needed to deploy the 2Go Network. This platform will be used by enterprises to deliver mission critical content, in any data format and rendered out into audio format to any mobile audience increasing revenue opportunities and staff productivity. Once delivered, the end user, using patent-pending i2Go technology, has the ability to "interact" with the information via multiple methods, depending upon the device capabilities, including voice recognition technology. The front-end audio information channels will include cell phones, WAP phones, MP3 and WMA audio players, digital TV "set top" boxes, Pocket PCs and telematics devices. i2Go is currently working with several major electronics companies, such as AudioVox, to embed their technology into mobile devices coming to market in the near future. For lots more detail you can check out the full press release.

Sensaura Virtual Ear Upgrade Available for SoundMAX - Mark @ 07:41 EST

Sensaura has announced the availability of Sensaura Virtual Ear for SoundMAX PC audio systems. By upgrading SoundMAX-based systems to support Virtual Ear, users with SoundMAX-based PC desktops and laptops will now be able to customize their PC audio systems to suit their individual physical hearing characteristics. SoundMAX is shipped with the motherboards of leading PC OEMs and motherboard suppliers, providing premium audio features without the installation of a soundcard. The Virtual Ear software will for the first time allow users to select different sets of HRTFs to match their individual ear physiology. While baseline Sensaura 3D audio is included in SoundMAX, the Virtual Ear upgrade allows the user greater configurability of HRTF data, providing a more realistic 3D listening experience, particularly for headphone users. Priced at $24.95, the upgrade is available from Sensaura through their web site. The main difference between this version and the version we tried out as part of our Santa Cruz / SonicFury reviews is on top of an advanced setup option, the retail version provides 25 pre-set HRTF types from which the listener can choose. Both Mikael and I found the setup process for the advanced option that provides total control of four key ear characteristics to be less than ideal. For more details on how it works and on SoundMAX you can check out the full press release.

Spatializer Audio Laboratories and 4Front Technologies introduce StreamFX(TM) for Linux - Mikael @ 07:08 EST

Spatializer Audio Laboratories and 4Front Technologies have announced the launch of StreamFX(TM) for Linux, a software plug-in for XMMS. XMMS is a cross platform MP3 and Multimedia player that has become the most popular audio application on Linux. StreamFX is a plug-in for XMMS that provides rich 3D audio (that is stereo expansion), enhanced bass support and support for headphone/speaker audio adjustment. StreamFX is available immediately and can be purchased directly from www.opensound.com and in the future from www.Spatializer.com for the special price of $10.00. You can find more details in the press release

MusicMatch® Jukebox 6.0 released - Mikael @ 07:03 EST

MusicMatch has released a new version of MusicMatch® Jukebox(TM) 6.0. The new software is available now for free download at http://www.musicmatch.com. In case you don't know MusicMatch is a very nice program that let you create (encode), organize and play music files in the MP3, Windows Media and now AAC format. You can check the press release for what's new. MusicMatch also released the following separate press releases

1. MusicMatch Supports High-Quality AAC Audio Format in MusicMatch Jukebox 6.0
   
2. MusicMatch to Support DFX Audio Enhancement Technology in MusicMatch Jukebox 6.0
   
3. MusicMatch And IBM Provide Complete Path For Digital Music Distribution

DirectX8 update - Mikael @ 03:11 EST

I don't think we mentioned that the DirectX8 SDK that's now available (released last weekend) confirms that DirectX8 includes support for I3DL2 (similar to EAX 2.0). Here's a snip from the SDK help file:

DirectX supports environmental reverberation in accordance with the Interactive 3-D Audio, Level 2 (I3DL2) specification, published by the Interactive Audio Special Interest Group.

The DirectX environmental reverb effect is an implementation of the listener properties in the I3DL2 specification. Source properties are not supported in this release.

Sounds reaching the listener have three temporal components:

a.. The direct path is the audio signal that goes straight from the sound source to the listener, without bouncing off any surface. There is thereforeonly one direct path signal.

b.. Early reflections are the audio signals that reach the listener after one or two reflections off surfaces such as the walls, floor, and ceiling.

If a signal is the result of the sound hitting only one wall on its way to the listener, it is called a first-order reflection. If it bounces off two walls before reaching the listener, it is called a second-order reflection. Humans can typically perceive individual reflections only of the first or second order.
c.. Late reverberation, or simply reverb, consists of the combined lower-order reflections, usually a dense succession of echoes of diminishing intensity.

The combination of early reflections and late reverberation is sometimes called the room effect.

Reverb properties include the following:

a.. Attenuation of the early reflections and late reverberation.
b.. Rolloff factor, or the rate at which reflected signals become attenuated with distance. The rolloff factor for the direct path is managed by the DirectSound listener.
c.. Reflections delay. This is the interval between the arrival of the direct-path signals and the arrival of the first early reflections.
d.. Reverb delay. This is the interval between the first of the early reflections and the onset of late reverberation.
e.. Decay time. This is the interval between the onset of late reverberation and the time when its intensity has been reduced by 60 dB.
f.. Diffusion, which is proportional to the number of echos per second in the late reverberation. Depending on the implementation, the density can change as the reverberation decays. In DirectX, the application can control this property by setting a percentage of the range allowed by the implementation.
g.. Density, which is is proportional to the number of resonances per hertz in the late reverberation. Lower densities produce hollower sounds like those found in small rooms. In DirectX, the application can control this property by setting a percentage of the range allowed by the implementation.

Reverb properties are represented by an IDirectSoundFXI3DL2Reverb8 interface, and the parameters of the environment are contained in a DSFXI3DL2Reverb structure.

DirectX supports many sets of default parameters, or presets, that describe the reverb properties of audio environments ranging from mountains to sewer pipes. Most applications can simply choose one of these environments by using IDirectSoundFXI3DL2Reverb8::SetPreset.

To set custom properties, use DirectSoundFXI3DL2Reverb8::SetAllParameters.
You can retrieve the current properties by using IDirectSoundFXI3DL2Reverb8::GetAllParameters

PowerDVD 3.0 released - Mikael @ 03:00 EST

Cyberlink has released PowerDVD 3.0. You can buy it for $50 or first try the trial version. Based on the beta version it offers much better audio quality in 4-speaker mode than the previous version.

Airfix Dogfighter supports 3D sound - Mikael @ 02:57 EST

Just noticed that the official Airfix Dogfighter site says the game supports "Support for real or emulated 3d sound through DirectSound". The Scandinavian version was released this summer and the international version was released a couple weeks ago. You can download a demo from Avault where you can also find a preview of the game.

Sensaura Jamma launched - Mikael @ 02:50 EST

Sensaura has announced the availability of Sensaura Jamma, a stereo enhancement software program for PC music listening. The Jamma product utilises existing Sensaura technology, as well as incorporating many new features, and will according to Sensaura revolutionise music listening on PCs. Jamma widens the stereo field, immersing the listener in a cleaner, richer sound experience, significantly improving the quality of MP3 files.The product is available for US$19.99 as a software download from the Sensaura website. You can also read the full press release for a few more bits why Sensaura think you should buy this product.

DVD+RW Prototype Drives Unveiled at Fall COMDEX 2000 - Mikael @ 02:47 EST

Hewlett-Packard Company, Philips Electronics and Ricoh Company Ltd., three of the six CD-ReWritable technology industry leaders supporting the DVD+RW format, have displayed prototype DVD+RW drives during a breakfast event held at Fall COMDEX 2000. DVD+RW supporters MCC/Verbatim, Sony Corporation and Yamaha Corporation also participated in the event. They said DVD+RW drives will be out in late 2001 when they also expect consumer demand for rewritable DVD will begin to grow. You can find some more info in the press release. You can also check out Philips press release that we mentioned yesterday.

Palm and Shinei Announce First MIDI Synthesizer for Palm Handhelds - Mikael @ 02:40 EST

Palm and Shinei International have announced the release of the Tsunamidi product, the first add-on MIDI player for Palm(TM) handheld computers.

The Tsunamidi portable MIDI player is a portable recording studio developed for use with Palm V series handhelds. This mobile music authoring and editing tool is General MIDI compliant and contains a built-in speaker and external stereo headphone connector for private monitoring of the user's creative efforts. Built with standard MIDI IN and MIDI OUT connectors, the Tsunamidi product allows musicians to connect their instruments to the Palm V series handhelds for composition and playback on external MIDI devices.

The device, which has an estimated street price of $129, is available through The Palm Store at http://store.palm.com and at www.tsunamidi.com. You can also read the full press release for more details.

New Crystal AC'97 CODEC'S for High Performance Notebooks and Docking Stations - Mikael @ 02:36 EST

Cirrus Logic has announced the new Crystal® CS4205 AC'97 CODEC designed for high-performance notebooks and docking stations.

The CS4205 represents a new generation of AC'97 CODECs that provide the industry's first digital mixer and offers built-in special effects, built-in digital tone controls for treble and base, integrated ZV port, and I(2)S input/output all in one chip. Cirrus Logic is also including SRS Labs' patented algorithms to provide a natural 3-dimensional soundscape for systems using only two speakers. Not sure if it supports 3D Sound for games and if it does what algorithms it will use. You can find more details in the press release

Labtec Introduce Headset System That Connects to Telephone and PC - Mikael @ 02:26 EST

Labtec has announced its entry into the telephony products market with the introduction of its Dialog(TM) Series of Telephone and PC Headset Systems. The systems are designed for hands-free communications, allowing users to conveniently switch between their telephone and PC using a single headset.
Suggested retail prices of the Dialog(TM)-301 and Dialog(TM)-501 are $49.99 and $69.99, respectively. You can find more details in the press release

SoundJam MP For Nomad II & Jukebox (MacOS only) - Mikael @ 02:23 EST

Creative Labs has released new SoundJam MP for Nomad II, Nomad II MG & Nomad Jukebox for users running MacOS.

Luna demo - Mikael @ 02:20 EST

Luna is the first ever 3-D Sim/Strategy game featuring complete camera freedom and dynamic surround sound within ultra realistic, fully 3-D environments. Build lunar colonies, create industries, trade with Earth and alien races, and survive the perils and disasters of life in space. Take mankind to the final frontier by colonizing the Moon, solving the Earth's energy crisis, and boldly going beyond the stars to befriend or conquer aliens, while unlocking the mysteries of the universe.

The official site supports lists "Dozens of 3-D sounds, immersing players in a incredible lunar environment." as one of the features in this game. They also mentions dynamic surround sound so good chance it has support for DS3D but always a risk they just talk about Dolby Prologic or some home made 3D sound engine. You can download the demo from 3dfiles

Tuesday, November 14, 2000

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Fallen Ships to Retail - Mark @ 22:37 EST

Simon & Schuster Interactive announced today that Star Trek Deep Space Nine: The Fallen has shipped to retail. The Fallen, which has been in development for two years, utilizes a heavily modified version of the Unreal Tournament gaming engine. The demo had only DS3D support but it uses the Unreal Tournament engine so possible the full game will support EAX and/or A3D 2 with wavetracing as well. One thing we should not hear in reviews is complaints about voice acting as several of the original cast applied their talents to the computer game.

S4 MidiLand 4060M Speaker System Review - Mark @ 22:10 EST

OnePC has posted a review of the S4 MidiLand 4060M 2.1 speaker system. Overall a very positive review where I have just one minor comment - I don't think most people would consider the $99 list price to be expensive for a 2.1 system (as alluded to in the review).
News Source: Anandtech

LAVA now called Oozic - Mark @ 21:57 EST

From S3 to Sonic Blue and now from LAVA to Oozic...LAVA.com, has announced it has changed its name to Oozic, www.Oozic.com. Previously known as a do-it-yourself music video tool for independent artists and music enthusiasts, Oozic plans to offer products and services for both consumer and commercial applications and is a core component of Creative Technology Ltd.’s digital entertainment initiatives. You can get full details of the change in the press release.

First Combination DVD-Recordable/Re-Recordable Drive for PC - Mark @ 21:51 EST

Pioneer has announced the world's first combination recordable DVD/CD drive for PC use. The third generation drive reads and writes four recordable formats including DVD-R, DVD-RW, CD-R and CD-RW, and offers up to 4.7GB of storage capacity per DVD side. In addition, the new drive is capable of recording DVD-R discs at twice normal speed (2X) -- another industry first. The new unit will begin shipping to the OEM market in Q1 2001. DVD-RW is a re-recordable format that allows users to record, erase and re-record their own DVD discs more than 1,000 times. For lots more detail including key product specifications for the new drive you can check out the full press release.

Plantronics Releases Digitally Enhanced USB Headsets - Mark @ 21:47 EST

Plantronics Inc. has released its new line of digitally enhanced USB headsets for PC and Macs. According to the release, these are the first headsets available offering digital quality stereo and microphone capabilities to make "sound clearer, speech more accurate and multimedia applications more realistic". Each of the four new headsets comes complete with Plantronics PerSono audio control software to give users a complete audio package they can use with today's computer applications. Each of the four new headsets features DSP technology for enhanced sound and microphone performance. This, combined with the headset's noise-canceling microphone, minimizes background noise and offers superior accuracy for voice applications. There's even one model, the Plantronics DSP-500 Digitally-Enhanced USB Gaming/Multimedia Headset & Software, that is being targetting at gamers. The PR say the headet has incredible range, from deep bass to crisp highs, complements the best voice recognition capabilities available. PerSono audio control software and third-party software including the OEM version of Soldier of Fortune. The MSRP for the DSP-500 is $139.95. Note that there is no mention of 3D sound support on the DSP and since it's a USB headset, you sound card does not come into the picture. For details on each of the four new models you can check out the full press release.

Cyber Home AD-M512 DVD/CD/MP3 Player Review - Mark @ 21:36 EST

Hardware Central has posted a review of the Cyber Home AD-M512 DVD/CD/MP3 Player. Here's a snip from their intro that set the stage for the review:

DVD/CD players are nothing new and can be had for as low as $199. However, most of those devices can only play DVDs or CDs and usually don’t come with extra features, like the ability to play Video and MP3 CDs. But the Cyber Home AD-M512 does offer these added features, and on top of that it has full Dolby Pro Logic, 5.1, and DTS Dolby Digital support. That means that it has separate outputs for front, rear, and center speakers, and a subwoofer. And there’s more: the AD-M512 also has coaxial and optical digital-out, a S-VHS and coaxial video-out, and to top it all off a SCART connector for A/V connectivity.

Philips Demonstrates Integrated DVD+RW Video Recorder and Data Drive - Mark @ 21:27 EST

Philips Electronics has demonstrated samples of its first DVD+RW video recorder and data drive at COMDEX Fall 2000. As what they call the ideal solution for storing digital home video recordings and data, DVD+RW uses CD-sized 12 cm discs -- without a caddy -- and can write up to 4.7 GB of data on a single disc. Furthermore, the drive can read and play all existing pre-recorded DVD-ROM and DVD-Video titles. With read, write and rewrite compatibility, and support from today's leading CD-RW manufacturers, DVD+RW heralds the age of convergence. Unique lossless-linking technology allows variable bit-rate recording without blank spots, which means longer recording times and continuous playback for video or data. For more details and quotes you can check out the full press release.

Maxi Sound Muse Review - Mark @ 13:03 EST

Hot Hardware has posted a review of the Guillomot Maxi Sound Muse. It's a very inexpensive soundcard using C-Media's CMI-8738 chip that supports A3D 1.0, DS3D and EAX 1.0. I would expect future drivers to use the current Sensaura engine that also offers support for EAX 2.0. I have only one main issue with this review. They claim the cards rear outputs are mono and put that down as being logical since the card only supports EAX 1 and A3D 1. First, the rear outputs are stereo and secondly, the fact that the card does not currently support EAX 2 and will never support A3D 2.0 has nothing to do with the rear output design.

Updated Santa Cruz Review (updated) - Mark @ 12:52 EST

Digi-Life has updated their sound quality focused review of the Turtle Beach Santa Cruz. My main comment is I can't always follow the logic of some of the conclusions, but after exchanging an email with the author I think it's likely just lost in the translation. When it comes to the tests they correctly note that their numbers are not meant to be taken as absolute results. Rather, they are meant to offer an A vs B comparison using the same platform and test methodolgy. I can add that we are starting to use the Spectra soft test suite (their review at least in part used some Spectra product) and my analog loopback results using both the new Live 5.1 and Live CT4760 board are different than theirs in that the s/n tests come out in favour of the Santa Cruz. I also did some freqnecy response tests and for wave output found the Santa Cruz again had the edge (more pronouned at 44.1 kHz). We need to do quite a bit more familiarization with our test suite before I am ready to offer any hard numbers or insist that my numbers are correct, but I thought it was worth noting. The other bit worth noting is when it comes to game audio quality, MP3 playback and DVD playback via the cards analog outs the important numbers are the Digital to Analog numbers but those can't be tested using loopback testing. We will also adding a reference audio card to our test suite in order to get at those results along ADC results. Getting back to sound card audio quality testing, if this type of testing is of interest to you then you may want to check out PCAVTech, where they have tests of many different sound cards.

Good Technology Unveils the EnergyClip - Mark @ 12:38 EST

Good Technology has unveiled the EnergyClip for the SoundsGood MP3 audioplayer, a new accessory that turns the SoundsGood audioplayer into a stand-alone MP3 player, one of the smallest players on the market. Handspring Visor owners can load their digital music onto the SoundsGood audioplayer, then take the SoundsGood from the Visor Springboard expansion slot and pop it directly into the EnergyClip. The EnergyClip battery pack is essential for active music lovers who want to enjoy more than 6 hours of on-the-go listening with just a single AA battery. The SoundsGood audioplayer works with all versions of the Handspring Visor. It features 64 MB of built-in memory, with capabilities to deliver more than an hour of high quality digital music. The SoundsGood audioplayer and the EnergyClip will be available at leading retailers, including Best Buy, CompUSA, Fry's Electronics, J & R Computer World and Staples, as well as online at Good.com, Amazon.com and www.palmgear.com/hs. The retail price of the EnergyClip is $39.99. Good Technology also recently announced a limited time $20 mail-in rebate offer for all SoundsGood audioplayers purchased, bringing the total unit cost to $249. For additional detail you can check out the full press release.

New Windows Media Player for Pocket PC - Mark @ 07:36 EST

Microsoft has announced the immediate availability of the Microsoft Windows Media Player for Pocket PC Technology Preview Edition. For the first time, this new player delivers streamed wireless Windows Media-formatted audio and video to a portable device. The Technology Preview Edition gives owners of Pocket PC devices from Compaq Computer Corp., Casio Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) the ability to stream and download Windows Media video and audio content. You can find lots more detail in the full press release as well as in a second press release that goes into additional detail on the varity of Pocket PCs avaiable to take advantage of the new Windows Media Player.

Toshiba Introduces Its 64MB and 128MB SmartMedia Cards - Mark @ 07:27 EST

Toshiba hsa added to its line-up of high capacity NAND flash memories with the addition of 64 and 128 MB SmartMedia cards. Toshiba's 64MB SmartMedia card is based on its single-chip 512-megabit (Mb) device, one of the industry's highest capacity monolithic die. The 128MB SmartMedia card is based on Toshiba's 1-gigabit (Gb) device, which combines two of the 512Mb chips. Both products are based on Toshiba's advanced 0.16-micron (um) process technology. Samples of the 64MB card are available now, with volume production slated for the end of fourth quarter of 2000. The 64MB card samples are priced at $150. Samples of the 128MB card will be available in first quarter of 2001, with volume production slated for late first quarter of 2001. Samples of the 128MB card are expected to be priced at $300. For lots more detail check out the full press release.

In a seperate announcement Toshiba announced the availability of its technologically-advanced Secure Digital (SD) Memory Card products ranging from 8 to 64 MB to OEM customers. According to the release, these SD Memory Cards also provide key enhancements over existing flash cards such as cryptographic security, improved protection of copyrighted data, a high data transfer rate for fast copy/download, and high storage capacity. For additional detail check out the full press release.

Sandisk Introduces TriFlash - Mark @ 07:23 EST

SanDisk Corporation has introduced TriFlash, a high capacity, small-size embedd