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Features Latest Sound Card Technology for Digital Music and 3D Gaming

The forthcoming PC audio accelerator (full details and specifications to be announced shortly) will provide six discrete output channels as well as dynamic resource reconfiguration. For instance, if a game demands 3D audio but not MIDI wavetable sound, the on board audio DSP will focus its processing power on accelerating the 3D streams. If the user instead decides to listen to MP3 files, the DSP will reconfigure itself to optimize the MP3 decoding process. The new sound card will be available across Europe and in Australia this summer from VideoLogic and from Voyetra Turtle Beach in North America.

Says Kevin Dale, president, VideoLogic Systems: "This product sets a new benchmark for PC audio coupling a re-configurable DSP core, audiophile performance and six-channel sound with a feature set you'd only expect to find in expensive pro-audio gear. This affordable and versatile sound card will enhance every major PC audio application from MP3 digital music through gaming and 3D surround sound to PC home theatre. We are delighted to be working with Voyetra Turtle Beach to bring this technology to the widest possible worldwide market."

VideoLogic is renowned for including excellent software bundles with its soundcard products and this software, in combination with the product's outstanding technology, will elevate this new card to the top rank of PC audio. Application areas will include MP3 music, digital home studio, PC gaming and home cinema.

Product Feature Summary

Digital music playback. The card accelerates MP3 decoding, thereby freeing the host CPU for processing other tasks during playback of MP3 files. An optional digital S/P-DIF interface also allows CD audio, MP3, and other digital music files to be transferred to MiniDisc in pure digital format.

PC game playing. In addition to providing six output channels, the product supports every major 3D audio standard, including EAX(tm), A3D(tm), I3DL2, DirectSound3D, and Sensaura's MacroFX(tm) and MultiDrive(tm). The card also includes Sensaura's new VirtualEar(tm) technology, which heightens the 3D experience by conforming positional algorithms to an individual user's ear characteristics.

Music recording and auditioning. The Santa Cruz technology offers a wealth of features for desktop music production, including super-low noise analog circuitry; 18-bit resolution recording from four sources simultaneously; six-channel, 20-bit playback; a 10-band hardware graphic equalizer; multi-channel effects processing; an 8MB DLS-compatible wavetable synthesizer; and support for an optional GS-compatible digital wavetable daughter board and an optional dual S/P-DIF I/O interface with optical and coax connectors.

Home theatre-style entertainment. For PC home-theater effects, the card allows the pass-through of digital streams (e.g. Dolby Digital) to dual S/P-DIF outputs for external decoding and creating environmental ambiance within a multi-speaker room, or onboard Dolby Digital decoding when used with a suitable softDVD player for output to two, four or six channels for the direct drive of active speaker systems.

Business applications. The technology supports acoustic echo cancellation algorithms for enhancing videoconferencing or speakerphone applications. Voice recognition performance is also improved by the aforementioned high-resolution converters and exceptionally low signal-to-noise and total harmonic distortion levels and the DSP's ability to process four independent signals from a low-cost array microphone that creates a narrow "listening area" to eliminate extraneous noise in an office environment.

Additional distinctive features include automatic shutdown to eliminate power on/off thumps; automatic sensing of rear jack connections to notify the user of the card's input/output capabilities; and a unique hardware matrix system for automated diagnostic support.

About Voyetra Turtle Beach, Inc.
Since its founding in 1975, Voyetra Turtle Beach, Inc. has earned a worldwide reputation as the Multimedia Sound Specialists(tm). VTB's Turtle Beach Systems division is a leading provider of premier audio hardware for the PC platform. In addition to a full line of multimedia sound and music software titles for consumers, audio enthusiasts and professionals, Voyetra also provides audio utilities, software applications, hardware drivers, as well as consulting and engineering services to the multimedia industry. Visit www.turtle-beach.com  for further information.

About VideoLogic Systems
VideoLogic Systems - a division of Imagination Technologies - produces a range of innovative and award winning products in the areas of 2D/3D graphics and sound acceleration, home audio systems, electronic music, DVD, digital entertainment, video-capture and video-conferencing. Key products include graphics accelerators based on PowerVR technology and the Sirocco range of hi-fi quality PC speakers. More information is available on the VideoLogic Systems web site at www.videologic.com

About Imagination Technologies
Imagination Technologies Group plc is an international company that develops, licenses and supplies market-leading 2D/3D graphics, digital video, audio and speech technologies and products for PCs and home entertainment, games consoles, arcade entertainment machines, mobile devices and digital set-top boxes. Since it was founded in 1985, the company has introduced, via licensing arrangements or directly, a succession of innovative technologies, silicon chips and add-in boards, which have played a major role in the development of multimedia and computer-based entertainment systems. Imagination Technologies Group plc has its corporate headquarters in the United Kingdom and is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange (FTSE:IMG). More information is available on the Imagination Technologies web site at www.imgtec.com

Contact: David Harold/Julia Horne tel +44 (0)1923 260 511 Imagination Technologies fax +44 (0)1923 270 188 Home Park Estate email david.harold@imgtec.com Kings Langley Herts WD4 8LZ All trademarks belong to their respective companies and are hereby acknowledged.