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  DVI TECHNOLOGY PAGES

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    DVI Technology: | Chronology | Products | Applications | Galactic Challenge | Publications | Photos & Videos |

DVI Technology Chronology

    by Douglas Dixon

A chronology of the development of DVI Technology hardware and software,
which brought real-time interactive full-screen 30 fps motion video and audio to the PC platform --

From the initial simulations at the David Sarnoff Research Center in 1983
    to the first VDP chips and board set hardware in 1989,
productized in 1990 - 91 as the AVSS DOS software on the ActionMedia 750 & II boards,
    with the i750 PA/DA and PB/DB Video Processor chips,
and as AVK software under Windows and OS/2 in 1992.


dsrc_bldg_logo_small.jpg (3133 bytes)     rca_logo_meatball.gif (1632 bytes)    rca_logo.gif (1465 bytes)    ge_logo.gif (2061 bytes)    sri_logo.gif (5354 bytes)    intel_logo.gif (489 bytes)

dvi_rca_logo87.jpg (33510 bytes)   DVI Summary ipo_chips_89.jpg (42895 bytes)   AVSS Products:
  1988 - 1992
gc_title8408.jpg (81612 bytes)   Early Simulations:
  1982 - 1988
comdex91_best.jpg (41215 bytes)   AVK Products:
  1991 - 1992

Summary

Early Simulations: 1982 - 1988

AVSS Products: 1988 - 1992

AVK Products: 1991 - 1992


The development of DVI began in 1983 at the David Sarnoff Research Center (a.k.a. RCA Laboratories). RCA was acquired by General Electric in 1986. G.E. transferred the Sarnoff Labs to SRI International in February 1987, and then sold the DVI technology to Intel in November 1988. Almost all the original DVI Technology group also transferred from Sarnoff to Intel at that time. Intel moved the Princeton Operation to the Plainsboro building in June 1989. On Sept. 17, 1992 Intel announced the closing of the Princeton Operation, to merged into its facilities in Hillsboro, Oregon and Chandler, Arizona.

The technical development of DVI Technology begins with the initial concept and application simulations, then to first chips and boards, then the AVSS DOS software on the Pro750 and ActionMedia II boards with the i750 PA/DA and PB/DB Video Processor chips, then with the AVK software under Windows, OS/2, and finally under Video for Windows on the RT Video board with the scalable Indeo Video algorithm.

    rca_logo_meatball.gif (1632 bytes)    rca_logo.gif (1465 bytes)    ge_logo.gif (2061 bytes)    sri_logo.gif (5354 bytes)    intel_logo.gif (489 bytes)

  • David Sarnoff Research Center -- G.E. acquires RCA 1986
  • Teletext simulations, establish VAX / Ikonas development environment (1982)
  • Early simulations of interactive digital video on VAX / Ikonas systems (1983 - 1986)
  • Protototype applications on Targa and videodisc (1985 - 1986)
  • First public announcement of DVI Technology (3/2/87) with VDP chips on the Tower boards
  • Intel acquires DVI Technology, 11/88
  • AVSS product on the 7-board set (1988)
  • Intel acquires DVI Technology (11/14/88)
  • IBM ActionMedia I announcement (2/20/90)
  • i750 PB/DB Video Processor Announcement (11/5/90)
  • AVSS 2.10 for ActionMedia I with i750PA (1990)
  • AVSS 2.20 for ActionMedia II with the i750PB (1991)
  • Early AVK prototyping (1990)
  • AVK Design and Development (1991)
  • AVK 1.0 for OS/2 1.3 (11/12/91)
  • Enterprise Beta (1991)
  • AVK 1.1 for Windows 3.1 and OS/2 1.3 (5/92)
  • AVK 1.2 for OS/2 2.0 (1992)
  • Enterprise 1.0 (1992)
  • Intel announces closing of Princeton Operation (9/17/92)

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Early Simulations: 1983 - 1988


1982 - Teletext Simulations

Initial development of  the VAX / Ikonas graphics system simulation environment for Teletext simulations
    - Developed resolution-independent displays of raster graphics and text

    See A Core Graphics Environment for Teletext Simulations, D. Dixon,
        Proc. SIGGRAPH '83, July 1983
    See Ikonas Graphics Systems, Nick England

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    corett_map_res.jpg (30590 bytes)    ikonas1.jpg (37694 bytes)    sg98_ikonas.jpg (113369 bytes)

  • 1983 - NAPLPS Teletext simulations, multi-resolution graphics, Radix editor
  • October 1982 - Font studies, scaled fonts, proportional fonts

1983 - Concept Simulations, Pyramid Compression

Early technical simulations of DVI product concept with compressed motion video
    - Developed motion video compression with multi-resolution pyramid approach
    - Developed 4:1:1 color subsampling approach for data reduction

pyrlenna8306.jpg (123043 bytes)

  • June 1983 - Demos of Compressed video with 4:1:1 YIQ sub-sampling
  • October 1983 - Pyramid compression, motion analysis
  • December 1983 - YIQ color studies, seaming of pans

1984 - Product prototyping: Galactic Challenge

Chip architecture design and simulations

First application simulation, "Galactic Challenge", 3/84
    including many seminal ideas which were to become key concepts in DVI technology
    and future multimedia applications:
    - Compressed motion video and audio streaming at PC data rates
    - Interactive control of speed and direction of  motion through through the environment
    - 360-degree panoramas constructed with pyramid seaming from still photos
    - Animated overlays of graphics objects and motion video sequences

    See Life Before the Chips: Simulating DVI Technology, D. Dixon, Comm. of the ACM, July 1989

First application concepts: "Syndicate"

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  • March 1984 - "Galactic Challenge": 930 frames, 3 pans, 214 objects
    • First (simulated) interactive digital video application:
    • Compressed motion video and audio, graphics overlays
    • Pyramid seaming, 360 degree panoramas
  • Spring 1984 - RCA abandons CED videodisc
  • October 1984 - VDP simulations using Ikonas microcode

1985 - Chip Design and Application Development

Development of the VDP chip architecture and microcode specifications

Packaged simulations of DVI capabilities:
    - 2-D video effects: fast polygon generation and moving objects
    - 3-D rendering: texture-mapped 3-D scene generation
    - Fisheye panoramas

    See Warping Video to 3D Graphics, D. Dixon & M. Keith, Computer Graphics World, Sept. 1987

    rca_logo.gif (1465 bytes)     ge_logo.gif (2061 bytes)     warp_vid_office.jpg (21914 bytes)    study_yiq_quant8501.jpg (87506 bytes)

  • February 1985 - First VDP chip spec, microcode syntax
  • March 1985 - Packaged DVI Simulations
        Video effects, Fisheye panoramas, 3-D rendering, Texture-mapped Flight Simulator
  • March 1985 - Order PC/AT's, Microsoft visits
  • April 1985 - Windows 2.0 seminars
  • July 1985 - Windows display driver development: Number Nine, Ikonas
  • September 1985 - VDP1 Micro-programmer's Hardware Manual
  • December 1985 - 3-D Rendering demos: Planets, cars, office, xmas
  • December 1985 - RCA and General Electric boards agree to merger

1986 - Pilot Application Development, First Chips

First i750 PA/DA Video Processor chip samples, 12/86
    Decoded first compressed motion video sequences

Pilot application development using PC development environment with Targa boards
    Palenque: Bank Street College
    Sesame Street: Children's Television Workshop
    Design & Decorate: Videodisc Publishing, Inc.
    Flight Simulator: Activision

    See DVI Video / Graphics, D. Dixon, S. Golin, & I. Hashfield, Computer Graphics World, July 1987

app_dnd_86.jpg (89185 bytes)        vdp_sim86q1.jpg (146623 bytes)    tower_karin86.jpg (80665 bytes)    dvi_cd.jpg (45368 bytes)

  • January 1986 - "ISV Symposium" of partner companies
    • Applications simulated on Targa boards
  • March 1986 - Targa development environment, Windows Targa display driver
  • March 1986 - Reduced VDP chip spec
  • May 1986 - First "CSAV" Programming Library reference manual
  • June 1986 - Application demos:
    • Jester, Palenque Magic Flashlight Photography simulation,
    • Design & Decorate, CDAV->CSAV
  • October 23, 1986 - First DVI CD-ROM pressed
  • December 1986 - First VDP chip samples, first video frame decoded
  • Late 1986 - General Electric completes acquisition of RCA

1987 - DVI Public Announcement

First public announcement of DVI Technology at the Second Microsoft CD-ROM Conference, 3/87
Pilot applications with motion video playing from CD-ROM on 6 MHz IBM PC/AT

First AVSS DOS development software,
    multi-tasked applications and real-time video and audio decompression under DOS

microsoft_logo.gif (5082 bytes)   dvi_rca_logo87.jpg (33510 bytes)  siggr_logo.gif (2077 bytes)  dvi_vg_sys.jpg (59165 bytes)   dvi_team87.jpg (87004 bytes)  sri_logo.gif (5354 bytes)

  • January 9, 1987 - Approval from G.E. to announce CSAV at MS CD-ROM
  • February 1987 - SRI acquires Sarnoff from GE
  • March 2, 1987 - First public announcement of DVI Technology at Second Microsoft CD-ROM Conference.
    • "Tower" board with first VDP1/VDP2,
    • Video and audio playing from CD-ROM, pilot applications
  • July 1987 - Booth at SIGGRAPH '87, Anaheim
    • Demonstrations, "DVI Technology" buttons, "InterActivities" newsletter
  • November 1987 - AVSS Release 1.00, pre-beta

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AVSS Products: 1988 - 1992


1988 - Intel Acquires DVI Technology

Intel acquires DVI Technology, establishes Intel Princeton Operation (PRO), 11/88

Introduction of real-time video compression (ELV - Edit-Level Video, then RTV)

Ship AVSS DOS development software products

intel_logo.gif (489 bytes)     ipo_found_88.jpg (37792 bytes)   

  • March, 1988 - Third Microsoft CD-ROM Conference
    • DVI Applications Developers Workshop, 240 people
    • Optical Memory News, "Outstanding Technical Achievement"
      • in Optical Memory Technology for 1987, to GE/DVI
    • Endorsement by Intel, Lotus, and Microsoft.
    • Introduction of real-time video compression ELV (Edit-Level Video, then RTV), juggler
  • April 1988 - Alpha Program, AVSS release 1.0 (1.03)
    • Documentation, Training, "Copyright Technology, Inc. 64"
  • July 1988 - Ship AVSS release 1.04, DOS 3.3, MS-C 5.1
  • November 1988 - Ship AVSS Release 1.05, Large model microcode
  • October 15, 1988 - Intel acquires DVI ® Technology from General Electric
    • Including 35-person development team from SRI / Sarnoff
  • November 14, 1988 - Intel Princeton Operation Announcement
    • Helmsley Palace Hotel, New York, N.Y.

1989 - Pro750 ADP Product, with AVSS

First packaged DVI product: Pro750 ADP, 7/89
    First PC product for real-time, interactive, full-screen, 30 fps motion video and audio playback
    Intel and IBM,  Application Development Platform - PC and 7-board set

Demo RTV 1.5, Real-Time Video compression at 30 fps

IBM demos DVI networked over Token Ring LAN

ibm_logo.gif (288 bytes)    ipo_chips_89.jpg (42895 bytes)    dvi_team_fcs.jpg (176062 bytes)    dvpc_book89.jpg (46015 bytes)

           
            Pro750 Application Development Kit  / Application Development Platform

  • March 1989 - Intel & IBM announce Pro750™ ADP
    • Fourth CD-ROM Conference, March 28, 1989
    • Application Development Platform, 7-board set
    • 386 PC: $25,000, shipped over 100, reduced to $19,500
    • Announce agreement with IBM to develop MCA boards
  • June 1989 - Intel Princeton Operation move to Plainsboro
  • July 21, 1989 - First Customer Ship of Pro750 ™ ADP
  • October 1989 - Olivetti to OEM DVI Technology in Europe
  • October 1989 - RTV 1.5 announcement, 30 fps
  • November 1989 - COMDEX Demos & Announcements
    • Demos: 7bd & DS1 graphics with stereo audio
    • Prototypes of AM I MCA boards for IBM
    • Authology:MultiMedia introduced,
    • CEIT Demo of DVI over Token Ring LAN for IBM

1990 - ActionMedia 750 Boards, AVK Prototyping

Shipped ActionMedia 750 board set with AVSS 2.10 DOS software, 4/90

Announced i750 PB/DB second-generation Video Processor chip set, 11/90
    See The i750 Video Processor: A Total Multimedia Solution, K. Harney, Comm. of the ACM, April 1991

Began development of AVK (Audio / Video Kernel) software for Windows and OS/2

avss_ref_91.jpg (24251 bytes)   

  • February 20, 1990 - IBM ActionMedia I Announcement
  • February 1990 - Multimedia Roadmap PR
  • March 1990 - Early AVK design meetings with IBM & OEM's IBM PARS project (Special for OS/2)
  • April 1990 - Ship ActionMedia ® 750 (AM I) boards
    • Intel/IBM, Olivetti, AT&T, MEDIAscript
  • May 1990 - AVK DOS prototype plays tHead
  • May 4, 1990 - Bob Brannon departs, Tom Trainor replaces 
  • June 1990 - AVK Windows prototype IBM PARS integration in England
  • July 1990 - AVK Specification & Early Implementation begins
    • ActionMedia II spec closing, IBM reveals XGA 
  • October 1990 - IBM explosion: Microcode solution
  • November 5, 1990 - i750 PB/DB Video Processor Announcement

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AVK Products: 1991 - 1992


1991 - ActionMedia II Boards, i750 PB/DB chips, AVK Software

Intel and IBM ship ActionMedia II board set with i750 PB/DB chips, 11/91
    Wins "Best of Show" and "Best Multimedia Product" at COMDEX/Fall '91 for  IBM / Intel

Next-generation compression algorithms: PLV 2.0, RTV 2.0
    See DVI Image Compression - Second Generation, S. Golin, SPIE, Im. Proc. Alg. & Techniques III, Feb. 1992

Shipped first Digital Compression Facility (DCF) for PLV compression
    See DVI Parallel Image Compression, M. Tinker, Comm. of the ACM, July 1989

Ship first-generation AVK software for IBM OS/2 1.3, 11/91
    Real-time interactive playback and capture of motion video and audio under OS/2
    With genlocked video in Program Manager graphical windows, VGA and XGA
Beta DV-MCI (Digital Video Media Control Interface) Windows software, 11/91

comdex91_best.jpg (41215 bytes)    ds2_at91.jpg (27362 bytes)    ds2_chips91.jpg (68417 bytes)    dvpc_book91.jpg (47466 bytes)

  • January 1991 - AVK playing motion video under DOS
  • February 1991 - AVK release 1.0 to SQA, Windows and DOS
  • February 1991 - AVK / Windows demo for CD-ROM Conference
  • March 1991 - First Functional Lip-Sync
  • April 1991 - PB fifo skip bug, DS-2 blue wire bug (audio)
  • May 6, 1991 - AVK release to formal test, "90% Confidence" reviews
  • June 1991 - IBM Pert Party, Reliability testing
  • July 8, 1991 - "Full Functionality" to SQA, Build v23
  • August 1991, MSCG formed, Ken Fine, MMPO
  • October 17, 1991 - ActionMedia II board Announcement,
    • Intel and IBM AVK for OS/2 1.3 and Windows 3.0, PLV 2.0, RTV 2.0
  • October 1991 - Agreement to port FluentStreams to AVK
  • COMDEX/Fall '91 - IBM / Intel win "Best of Show" and "Best Multimedia Product"
  • November 1991 - Ship ActionMedia II: ISA & CS/2 (+ 1200 to IBM)
  • November 12, 1991 - AVK Release 1.0 (v44c) for OS/2 1.3 is "Gold"
    • Enterprise Beta with AVK / Windows
  • December 1991 - AVK 1.X Spec signed

1992 - AVK / MCI for Windows and OS/2

Intel Annual Meeting with Computer-Supported Collaboration theme, 4/92
    DVI videoconferencing demo

Ship AVK software for Intel and IBM, Windows and OS/2, 5/92
    Portable Audio / Video Kernel for real-time playback and capture of multiple video streams
    Full-screen or windowed, fully interactive, full frame rate
    Programmable resolution and frame rates for playback and capture
    Runs on PC / ISA and PS/2 MCI bus, under Windows, OS/2, and DOS
    Displays NTSC and PAL formats on VGA and XGA displays; Captures NTSC and PAL

    See The Evolution of DVI System Software, J. Green, Comm. of the ACM, Jan. 1992

Intel announces Indeo Video compression technology (derived from RTV)
    with Microsoft announcement of Video for Windows, Comdex/Fall '92
Intel announces RT Video board for real-time capture (becomes Smart Video Recorder product line)

Intel announces closing of Princeton Operation, 9/92

indeo_logo.gif (1737 bytes)     intel_svr_box.gif (6314 bytes)

  • January 1992 - Formal Release of AVK 1.1
  • April 1992 - Intel Annual Meeting, Computer-Supported Collaboration theme
    • DVI videoconferencing demo (Twin Peeks)
  • May 1992 - AVK Release 1.1 (v122) for Windows 3.1 and OS/2 1.3
  • June 1992 - IBM Ships ActionMedia II for AT bus,
    • Adding support for Windows 3.1 and OS/2 2.0
  • July 1992, AVK 1.1 exit testing Windows 3.1, v158, RTV 2.1, Intel Gold OS/2 2.0, v159, RTV 2.1, IBM Gold
  • Comdex/Fall '92 - Microsoft announces Video for Windows,
    • with Intel's Indeo Video compression technology.
    • Intel announces RT Video board for real-time capture.
  • August 13, 1992 - Intel announces halt to V3 development
  • September 10, 1992 - Enterprise 1.1 exits SQA
  • September 17, 1992 - Intel announces closing of Princeton Operation
    • Will be merged into larger facilities in Hillsboro, Oregon and Chandler, Arizona

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