Sigma Designs Inc, developer of digital video systems for PCs, has announced the Realmagic NetStream 2 MPEG-2 Playback PCI card. It enables users to play high-quality streaming video and audio on corporate local networks and WANs. The card is compatible with third-party applications such as video servers including Microsoft’s NetShow Theater, Oracle Corp’s Video Server, Silicon Graphics Inc’s WebForce Media Server and Sun’s MediaCenter for video on demand; as well as with MPEG encoders for stored or real-time playback and satellite delivery systems, streaming video playback systems and interactive training titles. Sigma sees the product being used for the distribution of financial news to desktops, training to executives, distance learning or video on demand in hotels and interactive retail sales kiosks and ATMs. NetStream 2 requires a PC with an Intel Pentium 133 MHz or higher and 16 MB RAM, PCI 2.1-compliant expansion slot, VGA graphics card and Microsoft Windows 95. It will ship in the second quarter for $379.
