MALVERN, Pa., Feb 1, 2000 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- RAVISENT Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:RVST), a leading supplier of software solutions to the personal computer and consumer electronics markets, in an industry first, today announced that all of its shipping DVD/MPEG-2 decoder/player products are "HDTV-ready." All copies of the company's CineMaster(R) decoder product line, the leading software-based DVD decoder/players for personal computers shipping since mid-1999, now incorporate advanced proprietary algorithms enabling the decoding of all eighteen (18) digital television formats specified by the Advanced Television Standards Committee (ATSC), including all the high definition television (HDTV) formats.

      In the near future, consumers will be able to easily upgrade appropriate personal computer configurations that already include the CineMaster 99 DVD player to a full "HDTV PC" with only the addition of an ATSC-compliant receiver card and associated drivers for channel tuning and control. No additional HDTV decoder solution will be required. Several independent hardware vendors (IHVs), including Conexant Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CNXT), have announced the availability of ATSC-compliant television receiver cards and/or receiver card reference designs using RAVISENT's software for use in personal computers. These upgrades will be available through OEM computer manufacturers and Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) sales channels later this year.

      "The integration of HDTV decoding capability into the CineMaster digital video platform means that PC-OEM's shipping the RAVISENT DVD solution are now prepared to offer consumers a compatible, easy and highly affordable way to bring true high definition television into their homes on their Microsoft Windows-based PCs," stated Alan McCann, senior vice president and general manager for the PC division of RAVISENT. "The addition of HDTV decoding technology into literally millions of CineMaster software DVD players will enable a tremendous aftermarket software, hardware, and services opportunities for our OEM customers. We are quite excited with this next step in our strategy to deliver on the promise of the PC platform as an enabler of compelling digital video-based content, products, and services."

      Using an already-shipping version of the CineMaster 99 DVD decoder/player and beta versions of its software add-ons for TV tuning/control and ATVEF data viewing, RAVISENT will publicly demonstrate true HDTV plus enhanced viewing of interactive program data at the Intel Developers Forum (IDF), February 14-17, 2000 in Palm Springs, CA. The RAVISENT HDTV demonstration will use a standard commercially available Pentium(R) III-based PC running Microsoft Windows and an ATSC receiver card based on the previously announced DStreamATSC(TM) single card reference platform design from Conexant Systems, Inc. Please note that with this solution, format support may vary based on CPU speed and VGA hardware acceleration available on the system.

      About RAVISENT Technologies, Inc.

      RAVISENT is driving the digital entertainment revolution with an integrated suite of digital video and audio products for PC and CE manufacturers. RAVISENT enables the convergence of personal computer and consumer electronics devices through software and hardware products designed around a unique, modular software architecture that provides a consistent look and feel across technology platforms. Combining outstanding on-screen quality with high overall system performance and integration, RAVISENT provides flexible and cost-effective solutions to a spectrum of partners in the PC-OEM, CE-OEM and semiconductor markets, including Compaq, Dell Computer, Gateway, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard, Packard Bell/NEC, Yamaha, Sanyo, Conexant, Intel, ATI Technologies, and ST Microelectronics. Founded in 1994, RAVISENT completed an initial public offering in July 1999. The company is headquartered in Pennsylvania and has offices in the Silicon Valley, Seattle, Germany and Japan. More information about RAVISENT can be found on the World Wide Web at www.ravisent.com.

      About ATSC

      The eighteen Advanced Television Standards Committee (ATSC) formats were adopted in 1996 by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as the standards for digital television in the USA. These include nine "interlaced" formats based on the type of display technology found in most traditional television sets, and nine "progressive" formats based on the type of display technology typically used for personal computer monitors. More than 100 television stations throughout the United States already broadcast digital television signals. All FCC- licensed stations are required to completely convert to digital television broadcasting by 2006.

      About ATVEF

      The Advanced Television Enhancement Forum (ATVEF) is a cross-industry alliance of companies representing the broadcast and cable networks, television transports, consumer electronics, and PC industries. This alliance of companies, led by Intel Corporation and Microsoft Corporation, has defined protocols for Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)-based enhanced television, which allow content creators such as major television broadcast networks to deliver enhanced programming over all forms of transport (analog, digital, cable, and satellite) to any intelligent receiver. The ATVEF standard for video-plus-data (V+D) services and interactive television is being rapidly adopted by major broadcasters in the United States, as well as by broadcasters in other countries. Specifically, U.S. broadcast networks are adopting the ATVEF standard to complement the move to digital television in the USA, including high definition television (HDTV) based on the Advanced Television Standards Committee (ATSC) specification adopted by the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 1996.

      All companies and product names mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

      This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements that relate to RAVISENT's future business and financial performance. Such statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual events of future results to differ from those discussed herein.

      Such factors include, among others: RAVISENT's recent change in its business model, its limited operating history, fluctuating quarterly operating results, expectation of future losses, anticipated price declines in products, dependence on its CineMaster products, dependence on a small number of customers, lack of long-term commitments with customers, dependence on manufacturers and strategic relationships, product delays, the difficulty of protecting proprietary rights, the ability to manage growth and attract and retain additional personnel, the potential for defects in its products, risks from international operations, its ability to raise capital in the future, its dependence on the personal computer and consumer electronics industries, competition, its ability to manage technological change and respond to evolving industry standards, government regulation and Year 2000 software issues.

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