Press Release
Philips New Sound Cards Prominently Feature QSound Technology
Fall Line-up to Include Three New Products Designed to Enhance the PC Multi-Entertainment Experience
Calgary, Alberta - September 13, 2000 -- QSound Labs,
Inc. (NASDAQ: QSND), a leading developer of multimedia and e-commerce
software products, today announced that Philips (NYSE: PHG), one of the
world's largest electronics companies, has featured QSound technology in
three new sound cards set to launch this fall. The new sound cards are
Rhythmic Edge™, Seismic Edge™ and Acoustic Edge™. Several orders have been
placed by major retail chains with Rhythmic Edge and Seismic Edge
scheduled to launch in September 2000, at $49.99 and $79.99 respectively
and the Acoustic Edge to launch in November 2000 for $99.99. All three
soundcards utilize QSound Labs' patented technology in conjunction with
Philips' ThunderBird Digital Signal Processors.
"The introduction of these sound cards into the retail marketplace is an
important milestone for the ThunderBird project," said David Gallagher,
President, CEO, QSound Labs. "By leveraging Philips' strength and
reputation in consumer audio, the Edge product line should provide a solid
foundation for growth."
Acoustic Edge™ is the industry's first PCI audio accelerator enabling
5.1-channel playback of games,music and movies. Using QSound's unique
algorithms any game or other interactive application can now also be
experienced in a theater-like environment surrounding the player in 5.1
channels of sound effects and music with the Acoustic Edge. The sound
card's comprehensive analog and digital connections allow users to connect
to a variety of consumer entertainment equipment, such as a DVD players,
CD/CDR decks and personal TV/VCRs. This enables users to transform the
output of these devices into 5.1 channels.
Powered by the ThunderBird Q3D™ DSP, the Seismic Edge surrounds users with
true quadraphonic playback of any game, music and movie - even simple
two-channel sources deliver high impact 3-D sound using two, three or four
speakers.
Ideally suited for stereo speakers, the Rhythmic Edge offers rich 3D
enhancement of flat 2D games, music & movies. Rhythmic Edge creates
concert hall 3D realism from just two speakers with QSound's 3D
interactive and extreme hardware acceleration also using the ThunderBird
Q3D DSP.
About Philips:
Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands is one of the world's biggest
electronics companies and Europe's largest, with sales of $33.5 billion (EUR
31.5 billion) in 1999. It is a global leader in color television sets,
one-chip TV products, color picture tubes for televisions and monitors,
lighting and electric shavers. Its 226,900 employees in more than 60
countries are active in the areas of consumer electronics, components,
semiconductors, lighting, domestic appliances, medical systems, and IT
services (Origin). Philips is quoted on the NYSE (symbol: PHG), London,
Frankfurt, Amsterdam and other stock exchanges. News from Philips is
located at www.news.philips.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, 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 Company's ability to carry out
its business strategy and marketing plans, including availability of
sufficient resources for the Company to do so timely and cost effectively,
dependence on the performance of third parties who have licensed or agreed
to market the Company's technologies, manufacturing uncertainties,
dependence on intellectual property, uncertainties relating to product
development and commercial introduction, rapid technological change and
competition, and other risks which may be 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.