Sony to use ATI

[Joe DeFuria]

....nah...probably not for PS3.

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030908/85140_1.html

MARKHAM, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 8, 2003--Top consumer electronics manufacturers, including Sony Consumer Electronics, Epson, and Scientific-Atlanta are turning to digital television (DTV) technology from ATI Technologies Inc. (TSX:ATY - News; NASDAQ:ATYT - News). ATI has delivered XILLEON(TM) solutions that enable consumer electronics manufacturers to create a wide range of products from high-definition televisions to advanced display projectors and high-definition set-top boxes...

It is interesting though, that this is technology (digital signal decoding and display among other things) that appears relevant for the PS3 device, or any "consumer entertainment media convergence" device.

 

[Qroach]

interesting, hope that makes my stock go up

 

[DeadmeatGA]

...

Here is the proof that Sony headquarter and consumer electronics division doesn't care about or wish to be a part of Kutaragi's CELL game...

 

[Dave Baumann]

Not sure how you managed to reach that conclusion. Seems mearly to be proof they needed a DTV solution, now!

 

[Paul]

Here is the proof that Sony headquarter and consumer electronics division doesn't care about or wish to be a part of Kutaragi's CELL game...

Yea than again when talking about Cell Ando mentioned that Sony bought 8 billion worth of IC anually and things like Cell would make it so Sony wouldn't have to buy this IC from another company.

Sony's investment will benefit not only SCEI but the entire Sony Group, said Kunitake Ando, president and chief operating officer of the group. Sony buys nearly $8.4 billion worth of ICs annually, Ando said. "Less than 20 percent of [our IC requirements] are internally produced. We have purchased even core devices that differentiate products. If such devices are fabricated internally and the percentage of internally procured devices doubles, Sony's semiconductor strategy will change greatly," he said.

http://www.eetimes.com/issue/mn/OEG20030428S0038

 

[Blade]

Supporting Xbox 2, GCN 2, Sony, and kicking nVidia's ass all the while..

Time to buy ATi stock and hold on tight!

 

[Natoma]

Supporting Xbox 2, GCN 2, Sony, and kicking nVidia's ass all the while..

Time to buy ATi stock and hold on tight!

Question is, does ATI have the resources to do this and not be stretched too thin? One of the big questions surrounding Nvidia getting the Xbox was whether or not their desktop business would suffer with all of the committments. They had recently announced the original Nforce. They were doing the Xbox, getting into the mobile space, and they were doing their desktop graphics solutions. Many analysts speculated that all of this activity might have a deleterious effect on Nvidia, and it may been one of the reasons why the NV30 was the mess it was.

ATI is selling an integrated P4 chipset, Desktop Graphics Solutions, Mobile Graphics Solution, GC2, Xbox 2, and now this for Sony, whatever it may end up being.

I just hope they have the resources to pull this off. It seems Nvidia didn't.

 

[Psychogenics]

....nah...probably not for PS3.

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030908/85140_1.html

MARKHAM, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 8, 2003--Top consumer electronics manufacturers, including Sony Consumer Electronics, Epson, and Scientific-Atlanta are turning to digital television (DTV) technology from ATI Technologies Inc. (TSX:ATY - News; NASDAQ:ATYT - News). ATI has delivered XILLEON(TM) solutions that enable consumer electronics manufacturers to create a wide range of products from high-definition televisions to advanced display projectors and high-definition set-top boxes...

It is interesting though, that this is technology (digital signal decoding and display among other things) that appears relevant for the PS3 device, or any "consumer entertainment media convergence" device.

Maybe its for there computer and pda's but not for PS3

 

[jvd]

Supporting Xbox 2, GCN 2, Sony, and kicking nVidia's ass all the while..

Time to buy ATi stock and hold on tight!

Question is, does ATI have the resources to do this and not be stretched too thin? One of the big questions surrounding Nvidia getting the Xbox was whether or not their desktop business would suffer with all of the committments. They had recently announced the original Nforce. They were doing the Xbox, getting into the mobile space, and they were doing their desktop graphics solutions. Many analysts speculated that all of this activity might have a deleterious effect on Nvidia, and it may been one of the reasons why the NV30 was the mess it was.

ATI is selling an integrated P4 chipset, Desktop Graphics Solutions, Mobile Graphics Solution, GC2, Xbox 2, and now this for Sony, whatever it may end up being.

I just hope they have the resources to pull this off. It seems Nvidia didn't.

Well this chip they are selling to sony has been made already. I'm pretty sure its what they use on thier aiw's. The xbox 2 deal is for i.p so once ati designs it thats it from them. The p4 mbs have been in design for a long while now. I'm sure gc wont effect them to much. Remember they have more engineers than sony.

 

[cthellis42]

Remember they have more engineers than sony.

Yeah, and I'm beginning to think they all wear catheters so as to have less distractions.

 

[Vince]

Wait, ATI has more engineers than Sony Group? Since when?

...and they have catheters too? Damn, there's no competition then as Sony only has leftover sumo-wrestler diapers.

 

[cthellis42]

Well considering the size of most engineers, those could probably hold a LOT before needing to be changed. Then again, the smell might be a little distracting...

 

[Megadrive1988]

Wait, ATI has more engineers than Sony Group? Since when?

maybe he ment ATI has more 3D graphics engineers than Sony Group.

ATI has engineers from ArtX/SGI, as well as Real3D--which was GE Aerospace+Martin Marietta+Lockheed. ATI probably also has some engineers from Evans & Sutherland, 3Dfx (SGI again) on top of ATI's own original engineers.


What does Sony have in the way of 3D graphics engineers? They have some obviously, since they made PSX and PS2 Graphics Synthesizers
(as well as PSP GPU and eventually PS3's GPU) but I never heard of Sony acquiring large amounts of 3D graphics engineers. they have not produced nearly as many graphics processors as ATI, nor of the same quality.


ATI will be powering the graphics of not one, but two competitors of the PS3.

 

[Deepak]

Not all ATI engineers are 3D engineers....
Not all engineers from companies ATI aquired were 3D engineers also...

 

[jvd]

I meant engineers for 3dhardware. Not for tvs and other things

 

[archie4oz]

ATI has engineers from ArtX/SGI, as well as Real3D--which was GE Aerospace+Martin Marietta+Lockheed. ATI probably also has some engineers from Evans & Sutherland, 3Dfx (SGI again) on top of ATI's own original engineers.

Everybody has people from SGI, that's no big deal. Most of the Real3D/Lockheed-Martin Marietta folks went to Intel.

As far as 3D research goes, Sony's been doing it since 1980 (before ATi existed). Most of their work has been oriented towards pure research and/or real-time broadcast related (that's how the Playstation was born in 1984).

What does Sony have in the way of 3D graphics engineers? They have some obviously, since they made PSX and PS2 Graphics Synthesizers

They pretty much have anybody who's worked on an arcade system, simulator, theory researchers in France, and US (like Mitubishi's MERL)...

(as well as PSP GPU and eventually PS3's GPU) but I never heard of Sony acquiring large amounts of 3D graphics engineers. they have not produced nearly as many graphics processors as ATI, nor of the same quality.

Well how often do you track electronics and semiconductor news in Japan or the rest of Asia (especially non-PC)? The mainstream PC oriented sites (which are what most enthusiasts are educated with) barely provide coverage. Plus it's not like PC display components are a major business for Sony, so it's not like they're gonna be bothered to pick up some failing chip 3D manufacturer for the hell of it (that's a pretty poor way to gather people)...

 

[Deepak]

As far as 3D research goes, Sony's been doing it since 1980 (before ATi existed). Most of their work has been oriented towards pure research and/or real-time broadcast related (that's how the Playstation was born in 1984).

Archie is a human after all....

 

[Squeak]

Well actually that's not completely off. IIRC it was called System G.
Read the first (free) online chapter of this book, for further details.