mp3 PRO FAMILY GROWS
Online Content Providers, Hardware Manufacturers
And Software Developers Line Up For The New Codec
San Diego, CA, January 8th, 2002 – Thomson multimedia (Paris Euroclear: 18453)
(NYSE: TMS), the exclusive licensing representative for mp3 patents and software of
Fraunhofer and Coding Technologies, today announced that the mp3PRO music format
continues to gain widespread industry and consumer support as content providers,
hardware manufacturers and software developers conclude licensing agreements for the
advanced mp3 codec for their products.
According to Henri Linde, Vice President, New Business of the Patent and
Licensing unit for Thomson multimedia, the company has reached a number of
significant mp3PRO licensing agreements with leading Internet providers, software
developers and designers and hardware manufacturers, underscoring the rapid expansion
of the next generation mp3 format.
Launched in mid-June, mp3PRO is an update to mp3, the ubiquitous standard for
digital audio files and clearly the most popular digital audio format available. The new
mp3PRO codec combines more efficient compression and a higher-fidelity “CD quality”
music experience to give users better sounding, smaller files that are backward
compatible with the standard mp3 format.
Hardware Support:
In addition to the products offerings from Thomson multimedia, such as the RCA
LYRA Personal Jukebox (an mp3PRO-ready hard-disc device that can hold 300 hours of
music), the industry’s most prominent hardware manufacturers have reached licensing
agreements with Thomson multimedia for mp3PRO, including:
Philips – Premiering a range of consumer products at the CES show, Philips
devices will decode mp3PRO streams via such popular services as Radio Free Virgin,
mp3.com and MUSICMATCH.
(more)
Mp3PRO Expands
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Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE:TXN) became the first company to
license Thomson's mp3PRO digital audio format, a