Microsoft and Toshiba Work Together to Enable DVD

Companies to Deliver Impressive Video and Audio in Windows 98

REDMOND, Wash., and TOKYO - Dec. 16, 1997 - Microsoft Corp. and Toshiba Corp. have worked together closely to bring the superior attributes of DVD to the Microsoft® Windows® 98 operating system utilizing Toshiba hardware. This DVD support will appear in beta 3 of Windows 98.

"Users of Windows are increasingly demanding a very high-quality audio and video experience," said Bill Veghte, general manager, Windows 98 at Microsoft. "This experience is a key focus for us, and with Windows 98 we are taking a big step forward. For the mainstream marketplace, DVD defines the best audio and video experience today, and the relationship with Toshiba has helped us deliver a great DVD platform for the PC industry."

Windows 98 provides an end-to-end architecture for DVD, which includes a DVD-ROM device driver, UDF file system, DVD navigation and playback applications, a WDM-based streaming architecture, and support in the DirectX® set of APIs for great video playback. Not only does Windows 98 provide great support for DVD video titles, it supports a new breed of highly interactive titles based on the DirectX Media and the DirectShow™ DVD APIs.

Toshiba helped Microsoft build support for DVD navigation and is providing Microsoft with a DVD decoder minidriver, player application and DirectShow-based sample code. The Toshiba DVD board incorporating Toshiba's Timpani-I TC81203TB single-chip DVD system processor was used as a reference design in the development process. Timpani-I integrates all of the critical functionality required for high quality, including MPEG 2 video decoding and video mixing, hardware-based CSS copy protection processing, subpicture decoding and digital video port support as well as audio and video interfaces and a PCI interface.

"Toshiba welcomes Windows 98 support for DVD," said Haruhiko Banno, general manager of the PC division at Toshiba Corp. "As one of the world's leading PC manufacturers and a DVD technology leader, we have no doubt that DVD will soon become a core feature of PCs. We are excited about this relationship, which I am confident will provide a trigger for a rapid expansion of both the DVD and PC industries."

About Toshiba

Founded in 1875, Toshiba is today one of the world's leading integrated electronics companies and a recognized leader in key fields such as energy, semiconductors, and computers and communications. The company is a technology leader in portable PCs and PC peripherals, and Toshiba played a leading role in defining and establishing the de facto standard for DVD. Toshiba is now promoting development and sales of a wide range of innovative DVD products.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft, Windows, DirectX and DirectShow are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsoft's corporate information pages. For more information on Toshiba, please visit the Toshiba home page at (http://www.toshiba.co.jp/). On Timpani-I, contact Annette Birkett, Toshiba America Electronic Components, (714) 455-2298 or Lisa Nemec, Shafer Public Relations, (714) 553-1177.