Press Release
Mitsubishi Electronics Launches Industry's First Sound Processor Integration of QSound Labs' QSurroundT 5.1 Technology
New Sound Processor is Continuation of Technology Alliance Formed Last Year to Provide the Highest-Quality Audio Products, Cost-Effectively
Calgary, Alberta - June 29, 2000 -- QSound Labs, Inc.
(NASDAQ: QSND) and the Electronic Device Group of Mitsubishi Electronics
America, Inc., today announced Mitsubishi's M65857FP sound processor, the
semiconductor industry's first chip to incorporate QSound Labs' QSurround™
5.1 technology. Integrated into Mitsubishi's digital delay core as an
analog circuit, the QSurround 5.1 technology generates a surround sound
effect of up to 5.1 speakers from any mono or stereo input signal.
Mitsubishi's M65857P sound processor, the newest chip to come out of the
technology alliance formed by QSound Labs and Mitsubishi last year,
provides a cost-effective, high-quality surround sound solution for home
theater, audio-visual receiver, television, MP3 digital player,
mini-stereo system, car audio and any other mono or stereo consumer audio
application. Samples will be available in July 2000.
"Combining QSound's QSurround 5.1 technology with Mitsubishi's digital
delay technology effectively provides a realistic 5.1-speaker surround
sound effect for a vast array of consumer audio products which
traditionally have been only stereo or two-channel output," said George
Riehm, Senior Marketing Manager for Consumer Products at Mitsubishi
Electronics America, Inc. "With this new sound processor, customers can
apply the benefits of this technology to a wide range of consumer product
applications very cost-effectively."
"We are very pleased with the introduction of yet another QSound-enhanced
product by Mitsubishi," said David Gallagher, President and CEO, QSound
Labs. "By continuing to work together we believe we will be able to
provide customers the widest range of high-quality audio solutions
available in today's marketplace."
QSurround is QSound's family of 3D audio processes that were designed to
meet the challenge of all multi-channel audio delivery formats. By
creating "virtual speakers", QSurround reproduces the full surround sound
effect of multi-channel audio with only two physical speakers, and also
includes enhancements for every system configuration up to a full 5.1
channel set up. Specifically, QSurround 5.1 is QSound's stereo-to-surround
synthesis algorithm. Applied in the consumer environment, it creates a
stunning surround effect with distinctly different outputs for the
full-range of speaker configurations: two, three, four, five, or 5.1. With
true stereo material, the acoustic image is effectively wrapped around the
listener, retaining correct and distinctly relative placement. For mono
content, a surround image is synthesized with remarkable realism.
About Mitsubishi Electric & Mitsubishi Electronics America:
Ranked among the top-10 worldwide semiconductor suppliers, Mitsubishi
Electric Corporation is a leading manufacturer of low-end to high-end
sound processors for numerous applications, such as home and car audio;
Compact Disc player; videocassette recorder; middle-class and high-end
monitor; and middle-class, high-end and LCD TV applications. The company
also makes other application-specific standard products (ASSPs) for motor
driver, TV, VCR, fax, disk drive, telephone, communications and
audio/video system applications, as well as standard linear and
digital/analog interface ICs. Mitsubishi's ASSPs are manufactured with
extensive feature sets that meet specific application requirements and use
a standard-cell design approach to reduce chip size, costs and product
development time. The company implements its ASSPs as standard ICs for
multiple customers and maps them to singular or multiple applications.
Mitsubishi Electric offers an extensive range of semiconductor-based
products and markets them to the North American marketplace through the
Electronic Device Group of Mitsubishi Electronics America, Inc. Additional
information on the Mitsubishi Electric Semiconductor Group is available at
www.mitsubishichips.com.
This release contains
forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Act of 1995 concerning, among other things, the anticipated
introduction of new products and projected shipment dates of products and
future financial results. Investors are cautioned that such
forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainties, which could
cause actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, or
industry results to differ materially from those reflected in the
forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are
not limited to, risks associated with the commercialization of the
Company's technologies, dependence on the performance of third parties who
have licensed the Company's technologies, dependence on intellectual
property, uncertainties relating to product development and commercial
introduction, rapid technological change and competition, manufacturing
uncertainties and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's
periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations,
projections and opinions of the Company's management, and the Company
undertakes no obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions
to such forward-looking statements which may be made, for example to
reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the
occurrence of unanticipated events. QSound and QSound logo are
registered trademarks and QSurround is a trademark of QSound Labs, Inc.
Mitsubishi and the Mitsubishi logo are registered trademarks of Mitsubishi
Electric Corporation in the U.S.A., Japan and other countries.