SRS Labs' Circle Surround Interactive Adds Surround Sound To New Generation Game Consoles

25-Apr-00

SRS Labs, Inc. has announced a new technology aimed at the game market - Circle Surround Interactive (CS-I). This latest customized version of SRS Labs' Circle Surround technology will deliver real time, interactive multichannel sound capability, when used in conjunction with existing and future game consoles such as Sony PlayStation, Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo Dolphin or Microsoft X-box, adding surround sound realism for all supported games. Circle Surround Interactive products and technology will be demonstrated May 11-13 at E3, the Entertainment Electronics Expo, held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, and will be available first in Japan beginning in the third quarter of 2000. The United States and Europe will have available product in the fourth quarter.""We're very pleased with this new CS-I technology,"" stated Thomas Yuen, CEO of SRS Labs, Inc. ""We've been aggressively pursuing a new directive focused on taking our existing technologies and adapting them for major growth markets. The development of CS-I and the availability of a surround sound API for various game platforms is an example of how our current offerings can be tailored for specific markets. Game enthusiasts world-wide will appreciate the immersive and rich sound these new technologies deliver ... as will developers who will have unprecedented control over real-time sound movement. We're anxious to demonstrate these breakthroughs and to continue to bring superior audio technologies to the many applications in need.""CS-I was developed by SRS Labs and is based on SRS Labs' patented multichannel Circle Surround 5.1 technology. Based on a combination of software and hardware developments consisting of real-time 5.1 channel encoding technology that can be incorporated into console game software, and a small, simple and inexpensive hardware decoder, CS-I creates a new dimension in sound for console gaming.The first available hardware product will consist of a custom CS-I decoder and two-rear surround speakers, which in conjunction with the stereo speakers of a TV or a separate stereo system can play back the CS-I encoded game audio signals in five channels. The center speaker is simulated as a phantom source using the front left and right speakers. Designed by SRS, the hardware decoder will be manufactured by its wholly owned subsidiary ValenceTech Limited and marketed by SRS Labs via third party game product channels.Game developers will be able to take advantage of these sound advancements for real-time position encoding through easily integrated ""middleware"" which will be available from various SRS Labs partners. By utilizing the encoding API, developers can achieve real-time movement of sound locations; front, back, left and right, in accordance with the movement of game objects relative to the user.CS-I can also be used to playback encoded sound source from DVD, video, and satellite broadcasts. When connected to the stereo output of a media player, it provides a dramatic five-channel surround sound field comparable or superior to other 5.1-channel transmission and decoding methods. For conventional non-encoded stereo sources, a special mode of CS-I can create a five-channel sound field allowing the user to enjoy any existing library of non-encoded source material.About SRS Labs, Inc.SRS Labs is the provider of audio and voice enhancement technology solutions. For more information on SRS Labs' technologies, the company's worldwide licensing program or its design and manufacturing capabilities, visit the SRS Labs Web site at http://www.srslabs.com.

Read More:
http://www.srslabs.co