Announcement

**Six Of One** · 18 June 2001, 16:20

Not yet. First, there is still no anouncement on the official Matrox Site and second the article mentioned a release date of 3rd quarter 2001. Then, the article is actually talking about Headcasting as a technique to animate heads... I put this into the hall of silliest ideas when it first came up... oh no.

[Edit on: I fear it's true nontheless... Edit off.]

[This message has been edited by Six Of One (edited 19 June 2001).]

MK · 18 June 2001, 16:21

Here is the BabelFish translation of the first page:

Matrox Graphics presents today a new diagram chip - the G550 - and also equal the appropriate diagram card - the Millennium G550. This will be available in the third quarter this yearly to a recommended selling price of approximately 350 DM. In order to take it directly in front: Gamer should not set large hopes into the G550. The chip produced in 0,18µ technology offers like already the G450 only a 64bit broad GDR memory interface, is thus in this point with the GeForce2 MX more comparable. Presumably the performance rises opposite the G450 by the Rendering from now two binary textured pixels per clock and by a higher clock frequency, but one will probably only know that if Matrox outputs the first test samples.
As expected Matrox sets its priorities elsewhere and offers instead of High end performance rather interesting and/or useful features. With the new HeadCasting engine one wants to open new ways of on-line communication. This was developed, in order to accelerate according to Matrox the 3D-Rendering of close-to-reality human a face courses with high resolution as possible. Only few control data (blue points on the right in the picture) are needed, in order to produce for example a smile or a Stirnrunzeln. Combined with lip-synchronous Spachausgabe can one so even over slower Internet connections quasi a video conference hold. The user can create 3D-Reproduktionen of its own heading by only two portraits(in front and side view) and appear practical to so its virtual interlocutor from face to face opposite-stepped or on its display. Base of the engines is an extended hardware implementation of a Microsoft DirectX 8 Vertex Shaders and offers acceleration of matrix pallet Skinning (MPS), highest performance according to Matrox the ", which is available on the market ". I the HeadCasting engine already on the CeBIT in March this yearly demonstrated got (unfortunately only as video), but the animations looked really mad and realistic.
All in all surely a really nice feature, however places itself the question whether the world needs sowas. But sowas one never knows in advance... You find further information and pictures to the G550 diagram chip, to the technology and to the new Millennium G550 diagram card here and here on these two pages.

MK :/

MK · 18 June 2001, 16:25

Six of one - Go read the press releases from big `M` !

Here are the german translations:

http://www.hartware.net/press.html?id=190
http://www.hartware.net/press.html?id=191

MK

**Six Of One** · 18 June 2001, 16:27

Just doing so. Still can't believe it. Sooo long... and so shitty?

**xortam** · 18 June 2001, 16:27

Thank MK, but I had just gotten done reading the babbled version.

I can't wait to start reading rylan's whinings about the shortcomings of this new card.

**Six Of One** · 18 June 2001, 16:32

I will fill the gap

No, actually it is nice to finally see something is happening... but this "Headcasting" feature? I really thought it would be too silly. That's so single sided. But let's wait what good these lots and lots of registers are...

**Kruzin** · 18 June 2001, 16:33

Well, I've scoured Matrox's web sites.
There is no press release posted that I can see. Those links you gave are not to Matrox pages, therefore not official.

Until I see something on Matrox's press release pages ( http://www.matrox.com/mga/media_cent...s_rel/home.cfm ) it's just another rumor to me

MK · 18 June 2001, 16:34

Here is the Babelfish translation of Matrox`s press release 1:

The new Matrox G550: graphic chip with revolutionary technology and innovative features for Business and Home users

Singular Matrox HeadCasting engine puts yardsticks for new trend in on-line communication (single dump from the press release) to Montreal forward, Canada, 19 June 2001 - faithful of firm philosophy to offer to the diagram market always innovative and besides practice-oriented technologies places Matrox Graphics the revolutionary Matrox G550-graphic chip with integrated 2D/3D/DualHead® - and DVD acceleration. The G550-Chip was developed both for Business and for Home users and covers singular features, which enable completely new dimensions as well as outstanding DualHead display technologies to on-line communication. The heart of the G550, the new HeadCasting engine, points the way for the new trend ' Visual on-line Communication ' owing to an efficient, high performance 3D-architecture. The innovative HeadCasting engine of the Matrox G550 was particularly developed, in order to accelerate the 3D-Rendering of realitynear human face courses with high resolution - even over Internet connections with 56K of means of photo-realistic figures of their heading in 3d and correct lip-synchronous acoustic output in real time Business and Home users over Internet and by E-Mail can communicate.

Face animation with matrix based skinning
A face represented as usual by a multiplicity of triangles... The HeadCasting engine of the G550-Chip consists 8 Vertex Shader of an extended hardware implementation of a Microsoft® DirectX® and offers the highest performance acceleration of Matrix Palette Skinning (MPS), which is available on the market. The extended Vertex Shader covers 256 constant registers, into which 32 stencils can be loaded at the same time, in order to enable ' Low Overhead ' MPS. This forms the basis for fast, realistic animations of face courses with high resolution - even with Internet connections with small bandwidth. With its 256 constant registers the G550 orders over more than twice as many constant registers as all other announced or on the market available hardware products. These registers function as large Cache for the animation data and ensure thus immediate availability, in order to let in real time dynamic human face courses in photo quality develop. can be animated by the control of only few points (blue marked). With the G550-Chip Matrox continues to develop its prominent position in the area of the DualHead display technology, because the G550 integrates independent transmission Minimized differential Signaling as the first graphic chip two (TMDS) Transmitter. by it of two completely independent digital flat displays can be addressed with only one chip. Beside the binary TMDS transmitters also two cathode ray tube CONTROLLERS (RCTcCs) are integrated, two UltraSharp RAMDACs and a TV Encoder in the Matrox G550. In connection with the enormously various eDualHead software Suite and the only genuine multi-display support for Microsoft® Windows® 2000 (note, available on the graphic market: independent resolutions and depths of shade) proves the Matrox G550 offers as the highest performance and most global DualHead display solution at all. Additionally to the revolutionary HeadCasting engine the high performance Matrox G550 extends the Matrox G450-Chiptechnologie by the Rendering of two binary textured pixels per clock. With the help of the Matrox Vibrant Color Quality2 (VCQ2-)Rendering-Architektur develops so a never unprecedented color accuracy for alive 32-Bit-Farben. The Matrox G550 supports beyond that Single Pass Trilinear and Anisotropic Filtering as well as Environment Mapped Bump Mapping (EMBM), which is supported up-to-date in over 40 games available on the market.

The Matrox G550 is pin compatible to the price-crowned G450-graphic chip by Matrox. The high performance 64-Bit Double Data Rate SDRAM and AGP4x-Device enables an outstanding Windows Desktop acceleration and offers due to the 360 MHz Ultrasharp RAMDAC (primary display) into renowned Matrox tradition similar output in highest quality for crystal-clear representations - and in resolutions of up to 2048 x 1536 @ 32 bpp on the primary similar display and 1600 x 1200 @ 32 bpp on the secondary monitor. Beside complete OpenGL® - and DirectX compatibility supplies the Matrox G550 besides first-class DVD play back quality owing to its singular DVDMax functions.

MK

[This message has been edited by MK (edited 19 June 2001).]

MK · 18 June 2001, 16:35

Kruzin - Mind the timeshift between Canada and Germany. Here it is already June the 19th.

MK

**Ali** · 18 June 2001, 16:36

Funny looking card, I wonder why they put the connection for the VGA out on a seperate card? Surly the more connections between the RAMDAC and output, the more chance for interferance. Not to mention the extra const involved in manufacturing it.

I like the DVI connection though. About time

**xortam** · 18 June 2001, 16:46

I like some of these new features! DVD acceleration (need to hear more on this), dual TMDS transmitters, and single pass trilinear and Anisotropic Filtering. Of course the skinning sounds interesting and I look forward to some demos showing this off. Looks like this card could be very nice for the HTPC folks. Will have to see what the T&R capabilities are in the drivers to see what DVD and HDTV support it will have.

MK · 18 June 2001, 16:48

Here is the BabelFish translation of Matrox`s second press release:

The new Matrox Millennium G550 - the first graphic card for 3D-Communication
Innovative HeadCasting engines, renowned Matrox Design and outstanding features for commercial Desktop and Home PC users (single dump from the press release)

Montreal, Canada, 19 June 2001 - Matrox Graphics Inc. quits the Millennium G550 - graphic card on, the first and only graphic card, which enables the acceleration of high-resolution Multimedia contents over connections with small bandwidth apart from trend-setting diagram functions also. Thus the Millennium G550 Business and Home users offers an ideal solution for on-line communication and Web Entertainment.

The Millennium G550 - graphic card is based on the new Matrox G550-Chip , which integrates the new high performance Matrox HeadCasting engine. The HeadCasting engine accelerates in singular way high-resolution reality close to animations of human face courses themselves over Internet connections with small bandwidth on the basis of an extended hardware implementation of the DirectX® 8 Vertex Shader of Microsoft®. Thus the HeadCasting engine enables visual on-line communication, which comes in a set of Business and Entertainment applications to application - like Instant Messaging, virtual presentations and Customer Relationship management.

Matrox Millennium G550 graphic card

With the Millennium G550 DualHead® card concerns itself it around a AGP 4x-Device with 32 MB fast Double Data Rate (DDR -) memory. (note: Only Retail version. OEM and SI versions can indicate different configuration features and specifications.) The graphic card is equipped with an integrated data processing ii-output, with which Matrox its prominent position within the area of DualHead able graphic solutions owing to genuine multi-display support for Windows® 2000 (note: offers independent dissolutions and depths of shade) and the newest eDualHead features continues to develop. With a integrated DVI-I-output and a HD-15-Ausgang on the Slotblech - including adapters for the conversion of the integrated DVI-I-output into a HD-15-Ausgang as well as the HD-15-Ausgangs in a Composite or an s-video-output - enormously flexible possibilities for DualHead display functions are ordered to the users.

Visual on-line communication
The HeadCasting engine is particularly suitable for Mainstream Business and Home PC users, which used Internet as efficient medium for communication with business partners as well as friends and use. During Internet communication strong increasing is in the near future predicted to the application of so-called " Rich Media " - i.e. Multimedia contents such as video, animations or Voice of over Internet Protocol (VoIP) -. According to a study of the IDC market study in the year 2001 presumably 16.5 billion VoIP will be registered minutes - a number, which presumably rises up to the year 2005 to 432.8 billion minutes. Beyond that Aberdeen Research determined that approx. 150 million humans either use Internet Chat or Instant Messaging at present - markets, which will likewise profit from an additional visual dimension by Internet communication. With its exclusive HeadCasting engine the Millennium G550 is equipped in singular way, in order to accelerate diagram over Internet and to prepare with it the way for a new visual interface in such popular applications of Internet communications.

So that the users can exhaust the advantages of the HeadCasting engines fully, Matrox concluded strategic and exclusive partnerships with software producers such as Digimask and LIPSinc and developed additionally even application software. With the technology of Digimask the users can create to 3D-Reproduktionen of their own heading on the basis of only two portraits (in front and side view). The technology of LIPSinc converts language data into real time to 3D-face and lip deformations, which are then rendered by means of acceleration by the HeadCasting engine as reality near animated " Talking Heads ".

With the Peer to Peer real-time application HeadFone ™ of LIPSinc is lent to on-line communication in the real sense of the word " a face ". Similarly as with the Instant Messaging uses HeadFone speaking digital figures for the real time interaction by means of language in place of text. Users select simply a heading - this knows its photo-realistic heading, a comic figure or the like its -, make an on-line connection and converse with its virtual interlocutors. By HeadFone, which is suitable both for environments with high and and with small bandwidth, users are put into the position to execute its on-line communication live and " from face to face ".

Matrox Millennium G550 and HeadFone
With the help of the Tools of LIPSinc and Digimask Matrox developed a singular application of software for remote presentations in highest quality - which is Matrox Virtual Presenter for Microsoft PowerPoint ®. the Matrox Virtual Presenter for PowerPoint® software particularly for Matrox HeadCasting and DualHead display optimizes. With this application the users PowerPoint presentations can inclusive acoustic output, which takes place synchronously to the appropriate PowerPoint foils, create and pass on. The acoustic output is implemented thereby either over a photo-realistic ' Talking Head ' of the author or e.g. over a character.

Matrox Virtual Presenter for Microsoft PowerPoint

Software Bundle
In the software package of the Matrox Millennium G550 the following applications are contained: the Digimask system of Digimask, HeadFone - the Matrox HeadCasting edition of LIPSinc, Matrox Virtual Presenter for PowerPoint and the Matrox software DVD Player.

Availability
The Retail version of the Millennium G550 becomes in the 3. Quarter ' 01 at a price of DM 349, - (noncommittal price recommendation) available its.

MK

[This message has been edited by MK (edited 19 June 2001).]

**xortam** · 18 June 2001, 16:59

" ... strategic and exclusive partnerships ..."

**Muted** · 18 June 2001, 16:59

well , i'm disapointed..

imagine cybersex with that head thing..

i can get head from anywhere in the world

Announcement

The G550 is here !!!

The G550 is here !!!

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