INTERNATIONAL. ADS Technologies unveiled new hardware releases for video fans this week, with the launch in the region of its two latest compact multimedia devices; the MiniDualTV and the DVD Xpress DX2.

ADS Director for Southern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Tawfik Djafari, commented: “Video entertainment is becoming more mobile, and the accompanying devices smaller and more powerful. As more and more video content becomes available, we believe devices these this feel a real gap in the market.”

Djafari claims the firm’s new DVD Xpress DX2 product is, “the world’s only hardware-based video compression device that can format content for use on Sony’s PSP and Apple’s video iPod.”

The Xpress DX2 effectively enables users to record and reformat their video content for use with portable video players (specifically, the PSP, video iPod and Creative’s Zen Vision). The DX2 can connect to any video device, from digital cameras and camcorders to TVs and even VCRs.

Djafari added: “The captured video travels into the box and is compressed by the built-in chip. It’s then adapted to the relevant format, such as MPEG4 for the PSP.”

Featuring scheduled recording and time-shifting capabilities, the DX2 will be distributed throughout the region over coming weeks by ITE Distribution and looks set to retail for around US$99.

The company's MiniDualTV meanwhile is a tiny hybrid TV tuner and recording device. Available in capacities of 1Gbyte (for US$99) and 2Gbytes (for US$139), this USB stick can be used to watch and record TV shows on a PC or notebook computer. It comes bundled with an antenna and remote. “This is more than flash memory, although it can be used as such, it is a digital VCR," commented Djafari.

The MiniDualTV includes MediaTV software (which in turn is compliant with Microsoft’s Media Centre version of Windows XP) and is available in several versions. In the Middle East however, and in keeping with the TV services on offer here, only the analogue version will be sold for now.

Note: ADS Technologies is a world leader in Universal Serial Bus and IEEE-1394/FireWire solutions for the personal computer. Since the company's inception in 1992, the cornerstone of the company's success has been to introduce niche or high-end technologies to the consumer marketplace with quality devices sold at a reasonable cost.

Over the years, ADS Technologies, has brought a wide range of products to market including VGA-to-TV scan converters, video capture and TV Tuner cards, which enabled ADS Technologies to sustain steady growth and sales during the mid-1990's. This company experienced dramatic growth in the later part of the 1990s with the expansion into the external bus industry, namely USB and IEEE-1394/FireWire.

Since the introducing of the USB Port for Desktops in 1998, ADS Technologies has contributed to the successful adoption of the USB standard among the 150 million legacy personal computer owners. Currently boasting seven complementary peripherals in its award-winning USB product line, the USB Port for Desktops has become the world's best selling USB PCI host card.

The year 2000 marked the year of FireWire. By the third quarter, nine new PYRO products were announced making the brand name 'PYRO' synonymous with FireWire for the PC and Macintosh.

ADS products are designed by hardware and software development staff in the headquarter offices in Cerritos, California, US. Products are manufactured and assembled by contract manufacturers in San Jose, CA and Taiwan in ISO 9002 approved facilities. The company has corporate offices in Ireland, France as well as the US. ADS also has several OEM private label customers around the world who market ADS products under their own brand name.

See also: www.adstech.com

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