New VIA Apollo CLE266 Enables Stunning DVD Performance
and Digital Video Streaming in Fanless, Small Form Factor PC and Home
Entertainment Devices
The VIA Apollo CLE266 chipset takes the digital video
performance you expect from a multi gigahertz pc into next generation consumer
devices
Taipei, Taiwan, 3 June 2002 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a
leading innovator and developer of silicon chip technologies and PC platform
solutions, today announced the launch of the VIA Apollo CLE266 chipset, designed
to optimize DVD Playback and Video Streaming, the killer applications of the
digital entertainment age, in Next Generation PC and IA devices.
The VIA Apollo CLE266 possesses a fully integrated video
processing feature set including MPEG-2 decoding and video scaling for high
quality DVD acceleration and an integrated 128-bit 2D and 128-bit 3D graphics
engine with internal AGP 8X and Alpha Blending for multimedia and gaming
applications. Supplied with 2.1GB per second of bandwidth from an ultra-fast DDR
memory subsystem, the VIA Apollo CLE266 enables real world performance in key
applications like video streaming or DVD playback that equals that of the most
powerful PC systems in production today, while operating as part of a fanless,
power efficient, low cost device.
"Today's consumers are demanding high quality digital
entertainment in convenient, low cost form factors," commented Richard Brown,
Director of Marketing of VIA Technologies, Inc. "The VIA Apollo CLE266 chipset
combined with the power-efficient VIA C3Ô and VIA EdenÔ ESP processor series can
meet this challenge, by enabling compact, fanless systems for a wide variety of
multimedia and entertainment applications at price points substantially lower
than the high-end PCs that currently deliver an equivalent level of video
performance."
About the VIA Apollo CLE266
The VIA Apollo CLE266 boasts a complete integrated VIA
128-bit 2D/3D graphics engine with a high quality video processing unit
including MPEG-2 decoding, video scaling and Alpha Blending. In addition, there
is support for CRT, LCD or TV dual display technology, two Video Capture ports
and Picture in Picture functionality for multi-channel capability. The VIA
Apollo CLE266 North Bridge is connected to the very latest in South Bridge
technology, the VT8235 through a 4X V-Link connection to the North Bridge
transferring data at 266MB/s, twice the speed of the conventional PCI bus. This
enables CLE266 based systems and devices to take advantage of the integrated
support for 6 USB 2.0 ports with 40 times more bandwidth than USB 1.1, as well
as ATA-133, the fastest available IDE interface. Additional features include
integrated VIA MAC for 10/100Mbps Ethernet, integrated PCI support, 6 Channel
Surround Sound AC'97 audio interface and MC'97 modem.
About VIA Technologies, Inc.
VIA Technologies, Inc. is a leading innovator and
developer of PC core logic chipsets, microprocessors, and multimedia, optical
storage, communication and networking chips. VIA delivers value to the PC
industry by designing, marketing, and selling high-performance VIA Apollo core
logic chipsets for the full range of PC platforms, and cost-effective VIA C3(tm)
processors for Value PCs and Internet Appliances, as well as developing complete
solutions for the PC platform through its VPSD Business Unit. Its customers
include the world's top OEMs, mainboard manufacturers, and system integrators.
VIA is headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, at the center of the Greater China
high-tech manufacturing engine, and has branch offices in the US, China and
Europe. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE2388), and
achieved annual revenues of nearly US$1 billion in 2001. Additional information
can be found at
www.via.com.tw.
