VIA Brings PC Audio Hardware Support to Microsoft’s New Windows
Media Audio 9 Series Professional Codec
Supporting 24-bit resolution, 96kHz sampling rates, and 5.1
surround sound and beyond, the VIA Envy series of Audio Controllers looks set to
revolutionize audio on the PC.
Taipei, Taiwan, 5 September 2002 -
VIA Technologies, Inc., a leading innovator and developer of silicon chip
technologies and PC platform solutions, today announced full support of the
latest Windows Media Audio 9 technology, with the VIA Envy series of controllers
enabling high performance playback and recording of the new WMA Professional
Formats in Windows Media Player 9 Series.
Driving the next wave of digital
media, Windows Media 9 Series will enable a dramatically improved playback
experience with unmatched audio and video quality, integrating new
professional-level Windows Media Audio and Video codecs at bit rates to enable a
home theater-quality experience for broadband PC users.
Fully supporting the new WMA
Professional, the VIA Envy24 and VIA Envy24HT Audio Controllers support 24-bit
resolution and up to 192kHz sampling rates for full-spectrum, high resolution
performance in both recording and playback. With up to 12 outputs the VIA Envy
line of controllers can also easily enable 5.1, 6.1, and even 7.1 multichannel
outputs for a complete immersive audio experience.
“With the VIA Envy24 and VIA
Envy24HT, PC audio hardware manufacturers have powerful solutions that support
the next generation of digital content, meeting the standard set by the new
Windows Media Player 9 Series,” commented Steve Chen, Executive Assistant to the
President, and head of the VIA Audio Division. “VIA’s audio products are at the
forefront of high fidelity PC Audio, that is gaining increasing importance as
users seek greater performance from their PCs for entertainment and creativity
applications.”
“The Windows Media Player 9 Series
has exciting audio capabilities for the PC, allowing playback, recording, and
streaming with 24/96 clarity and multichannel performance,” said Jonathan Usher,
director of the Windows Digital Media Division at Microsoft Corp. “With the VIA
Envy line of audio products and the new Windows Media Audio 9 codec, users will
enjoy stunning audio support in Windows Media Player 9 Series.”
About VIA Audio
VIA has developed a broad spectrum of
silicon solutions for enhancing the PC audio experience, including the highly
respected, studio performance VIA Envy24 audio controller that enables 12 inputs
and 12 outputs with a 36-bit wide digital mixer, and is used by some of the
world's leading audio card makers for a variety of high end professional
applications. VIA also offers a range of AC’97 audio codecs, such as the stereo
output VIA VT1612A with an integrated S/PDIF interface for digital audio
connections to the latest devices, and the superior performance VIA VT1616
6-channel audio codec that enables theatre quality sound in both
audio-on-motherboard and soundcard applications.
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™ 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.
