Intel Acquires Digital Video Interactive Technology Venture From General Electric

By Deborah Conrad
Business Wire

October 14, 1988

New York, NY, US -- Intel Corp. announced Friday that it acquired the Digital Video Interactive Technology Venture from General Electric Co.

The DVI Technology Venture, currently located at the SRI David Sarnoff Research Center, in Princeton, N.J., will become an operation in Intel's Microcomputer Components Group.

The purchase covers the DVI Technology Venture's proprietary digital compression and decompression technology, patents, and hardware and software products which bring interactive, full-motion video and audio capability to personal computers and consumer electronics. In addition, the 35-person DVI development team has joined Intel.

To date, DVI technology has been available only to selected beta site customers in the form of development systems.

"It's time to start the process of bringing DVI technology from the lab to the marketplace," said Dave House, Intel's senior vice president and general manager of the Microcomputer Components Group.

"DVI's unique ability to deliver a combination of text, advanced graphics, high quality audio -- and full-screen, full-motion video - -through a variety of digital media will create revolutionary new types of personal computer applications," House added.

"Through DVI's intuitive and realistic human interface, personal computers will be transformed into personal interactive tools easily used by anyone to obtain and synthesize information, in new and interesting ways," he said.

Intel's role will be to drive the commercialization process. Intel and others will start announcing DVI-based products in the first half of 1989. Such products include DVI-based applications software that integrates video and computer graphics, and DVI-based hardware in the form of boards and chip sets.

Currently, Intel's Princeton operation will continue to provide development systems to selected beta site customers, software developers and OEMs. More than 20 beta sites have been working on DVI-based applications during the past two years. A dozen of these applications were demonstrated at the news conference in New York today.

The DVI technology standard was introduced in 1987. GE/RCA DVI Technology Venture pioneered and funded the standardization effort of interactive, full-motion digital video/audio at the David Sarnoff Research Center.

GE and Intel will continue to work together on DVI-based products. According to GE, the company remains committed to the standard, and is integrating the technology into several of its product families and services.

Nigel Andrews, GE vice president for corporate business development and planning, said, "We decided to seek another party to guide DVI through its commercialization. Because a fundamental part of DVI is the video processor, and the standards strategy is integral to the technology's success, Intel was at the top of the list."

A three-phase program was outlined by Intel at the news conference. First, Intel will set up its Princeton operation and complete development of the initial DVI products. In the second phase, beginning in 1989, Intel will be cost-reducing existing DVI products and working with strategic partners and developers to proliferate the technology and motivate applications development.

Board products, initially for IBM PC AT/a and compatible personal computers, will be available then. Phase three will occur in the 1990 timeframe when Intel brings out low-cost, highly integrated DVI products based on a new Intel DVI chip set.

For more information on Intel's DVI technology, contact Intel Corp. at 1-800/548-4725 from the United States or Canada.

Intel Corp. manufactures microcomputer components, modules and systems.

a) IBM and PC/AT are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corp.