Turn any PC into a High End TV and personal video recorder with ATI's revolutionary Video Processor
THEATER 550 PRO delivers unmatched video quality on the PC.
Multimedia personal computers take a giant leap forward today, finally reaching the video quality levels associated with high-end $2000 consumer televisions. ATI Technologies Inc. is proud to announce and ship the THEATER 550 PRO video processor that delivers superb TV reception and Personal Video Recording (PVR) functionality for PCs through products such as add-in PC cards, motherboard-down solutions and notebook computers.
THEATER 550 PRO continues the THEATER family tradition of industry-leading video reception achieved by ATI's consumer Digital TV division. THEATER 550 PRO integrates five discrete functions into one powerful chip to create a "PVR-on-a-chip" that revolutionizes video quality for PCs, allows for the creation of new small form factor computers and reduces production costs. Products featuring THEATER 550 PRO will be created by leading PC manufacturers including Gigabyte Technology Co. Ltd., Info-Tek Corp., Micro-Star International Co., Ltd, Sapphire Technology Limited, Tul Corporation and YUAN High-Tech Development Co. Ltd.
"With the introduction of THEATER 550 PRO, ATI has leveraged its success in the consumer DTV markets to effectively change the landscape of the PC by enabling a new level of video experience," said Rick Bergman, Senior Vice President Marketing and General Manager, Desktop, ATI Technologies Inc. "THEATER 550 PRO sets a high bar for a new level of video quality standards that leads the way for PC manufacturers to create the Home Theater PC that surpasses most dedicated consumer electronic solutions in the market today. With solid Digital TV research and development combined with the innovative chip design of the THEATER 550 PRO, ATI is firmly set to lead the PC video revolution."
THEATER 550 PRO integrates:
Next Generation 12-bit Video Decoder that features 3D Comb Filtering for NTSC and PAL and 5-line 2D Comb Filtering that delivers absolutely unrivaled video quality;
Next Generation Hardware Video and Audio Encoder with new features such as Advanced Noise Reduction;
PCI Express X1 and PCI interface on a single device to allow PC companies the ultimate flexibility in form factor designs;
Digital IF Demodulation that improves video quality and reduces the overall solution cost by eliminating the need for expensive tuners; and,
Worldwide multi-standard Audio Decoder.
Consumers will benefit from the THEATER 550 PRO in a variety of ways including Microsoft's Windows XP Media Center Edition. When combined with computers based on Windows XP Media Center Edition, THEATER 550 PRO delivers a PC that rivals the best television sets and consumer PVRs.
"Microsoft is thrilled with the work ATI has done to develop and deliver exceptional video quality for Windows XP Media Center Edition PCs," said Kevin Unangst, director of Windows consumer marketing for Microsoft Corp.'s Windows division. "ATI's video processor complements Microsoft's innovative Windows XP Media Center Edition technology to provide customers with an unmatched entertainment experience."
THEATER 550 PRO also supports ATI's own award winning MULTIMEDIA CENTER, Cyberlink's PowerCinema and Intervideo's WinDVR and Home Theater. ATI will continue to support other third party applications based on customer requirements.
Notebook original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Acer and original design manufacturers (ODM) including Compal Electronics Inc., Quanta Corporation, and Wistron Corp will also feature THEATER 550 PRO in their upcoming products. The THEATER 550 PRO also revolutionizes how TV on the PC is delivered by offering unique design features that were simply not previously possible. When building a home theater or mobile notebook PVR PC, THEATER 550 PRO offers many benefits:
Low power consumption coupled with no need for heatsink or cooling fan that's well designed for low noise environments; and,
Small PC form factor integration is possible with THEATER 550 PRO as it takes less space than competitive solutions.
The THEATER 550 PRO is currently sampling and is ramping to production. Products featuring THEATER 550 PRO will be available from ATI and other manufacturers later this year.
"Customers demand the best visual quality for their consumer electronic devices and industry leader ATI has produced THEATER 550 PRO to meet that request," said Calvin Wu, CEO of MSI Computer Corp., a subsidiary of Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. "Together, MSI and ATI can create a new class of high quality digital video consumer electronics."
"Our PowerColor products will take on a whole new view with the addition of THEATER 550 PRO," said Ted Chen, CEO, Tul Corporation. "ATI's amazing new video processor will allow Tul to provide more innovative solutions for consumers."
The THEATER 550 PRO integrates a flexible worldwide front-end analog 12-bit video decoder with a high-quality digital audio/video MPEG encoder to meet the needs of the fast emerging multimedia consumer PC market. THEATER 550 PRO delivers excellent quality at low video display bit-rates -- most noticeable in scene changes where other solutions will show 'blockiness' for a second or so after a scene change. THEATER 550 PRO features noise reduction for crisp clear image quality and adjustable noise reduction that intelligently detects noise and algorithmically removes it from video. The result is more efficient video compression. In addition, THEATER 550 PRO offers excellent audio quality for stereo separation and attention to even the faintest sound details in the video.
THEATER 550 PRO continues the THEATER family tradition of industry-leading video reception achieved by ATI's consumer Digital TV division. THEATER 550 PRO integrates five discrete functions into one powerful chip to create a "PVR-on-a-chip" that revolutionizes video quality for PCs, allows for the creation of new small form factor computers and reduces production costs. Products featuring THEATER 550 PRO will be created by leading PC manufacturers including Gigabyte Technology Co. Ltd., Info-Tek Corp., Micro-Star International Co., Ltd, Sapphire Technology Limited, Tul Corporation and YUAN High-Tech Development Co. Ltd.
"With the introduction of THEATER 550 PRO, ATI has leveraged its success in the consumer DTV markets to effectively change the landscape of the PC by enabling a new level of video experience," said Rick Bergman, Senior Vice President Marketing and General Manager, Desktop, ATI Technologies Inc. "THEATER 550 PRO sets a high bar for a new level of video quality standards that leads the way for PC manufacturers to create the Home Theater PC that surpasses most dedicated consumer electronic solutions in the market today. With solid Digital TV research and development combined with the innovative chip design of the THEATER 550 PRO, ATI is firmly set to lead the PC video revolution."
THEATER 550 PRO integrates:
Next Generation 12-bit Video Decoder that features 3D Comb Filtering for NTSC and PAL and 5-line 2D Comb Filtering that delivers absolutely unrivaled video quality;
Next Generation Hardware Video and Audio Encoder with new features such as Advanced Noise Reduction;
PCI Express X1 and PCI interface on a single device to allow PC companies the ultimate flexibility in form factor designs;
Digital IF Demodulation that improves video quality and reduces the overall solution cost by eliminating the need for expensive tuners; and,
Worldwide multi-standard Audio Decoder.
Consumers will benefit from the THEATER 550 PRO in a variety of ways including Microsoft's Windows XP Media Center Edition. When combined with computers based on Windows XP Media Center Edition, THEATER 550 PRO delivers a PC that rivals the best television sets and consumer PVRs.
"Microsoft is thrilled with the work ATI has done to develop and deliver exceptional video quality for Windows XP Media Center Edition PCs," said Kevin Unangst, director of Windows consumer marketing for Microsoft Corp.'s Windows division. "ATI's video processor complements Microsoft's innovative Windows XP Media Center Edition technology to provide customers with an unmatched entertainment experience."
THEATER 550 PRO also supports ATI's own award winning MULTIMEDIA CENTER, Cyberlink's PowerCinema and Intervideo's WinDVR and Home Theater. ATI will continue to support other third party applications based on customer requirements.
Notebook original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Acer and original design manufacturers (ODM) including Compal Electronics Inc., Quanta Corporation, and Wistron Corp will also feature THEATER 550 PRO in their upcoming products. The THEATER 550 PRO also revolutionizes how TV on the PC is delivered by offering unique design features that were simply not previously possible. When building a home theater or mobile notebook PVR PC, THEATER 550 PRO offers many benefits:
Low power consumption coupled with no need for heatsink or cooling fan that's well designed for low noise environments; and,
Small PC form factor integration is possible with THEATER 550 PRO as it takes less space than competitive solutions.
The THEATER 550 PRO is currently sampling and is ramping to production. Products featuring THEATER 550 PRO will be available from ATI and other manufacturers later this year.
"Customers demand the best visual quality for their consumer electronic devices and industry leader ATI has produced THEATER 550 PRO to meet that request," said Calvin Wu, CEO of MSI Computer Corp., a subsidiary of Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. "Together, MSI and ATI can create a new class of high quality digital video consumer electronics."
"Our PowerColor products will take on a whole new view with the addition of THEATER 550 PRO," said Ted Chen, CEO, Tul Corporation. "ATI's amazing new video processor will allow Tul to provide more innovative solutions for consumers."
The THEATER 550 PRO integrates a flexible worldwide front-end analog 12-bit video decoder with a high-quality digital audio/video MPEG encoder to meet the needs of the fast emerging multimedia consumer PC market. THEATER 550 PRO delivers excellent quality at low video display bit-rates -- most noticeable in scene changes where other solutions will show 'blockiness' for a second or so after a scene change. THEATER 550 PRO features noise reduction for crisp clear image quality and adjustable noise reduction that intelligently detects noise and algorithmically removes it from video. The result is more efficient video compression. In addition, THEATER 550 PRO offers excellent audio quality for stereo separation and attention to even the faintest sound details in the video.