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TI's Programmable DSP Selected for RCA's New LYRA2 Internet Audio Player
LYRA2 Player Ships today with TI's DSP - Chosen for Best Power-Efficiency and Flexibility
Dallas (Feb. 1, 2001) --Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE:TXN) is extending its leadership role in the Internet Audio market by providing Thomson Multimedia, worldwide manufacturer of RCA brand consumer electronics products, with TI's programmable Digital Signal Processor (DSP) technology to power the new RCA LYRA2 player. Using TI's power-efficient DSP, the LYRA2 player gives consumers the ability to play 12 hours of digital music on two AA batteries and store over an hour of digital music in the most commonly used audio formats. (See http://www.ti.com/sc/internetaudio for more details.)
The LYRA2 player (model RD2211) builds upon RCA's initial success of the original LYRA player, which was the first upgradeable multi-format portable Internet Audio device. The RCA LYRA2 player comes with 64MB of removable CompactFlash memory and supports the most commonly used audio formats, including mp3, Windows Media Audio (WMA) and RealAudio G2. The lightweight, compact LYRA2 player also features a built-in FM tuner, graphic equalizer, USB connection, compact remote control, car kit with cassette adapter, LCD screen and an easy to use control panel.
"Building on the success of the original LYRA player, we once again raise the bar in portable Internet Audio players with the most feature-rich solution on the market," said Mark Redmond, Vice President of Worldwide Audio for Thomson Multimedia, which makes the RCA LYRA line of products. "Using the latest DSP and analog technology from TI, we will continue to offer advanced features and functions to stay ahead of the competitive curve."
Last year, Thomson launched the original LYRA player, which was the first upgradeable multi-format Internet Audio player. Based on TI's TMS320C54x™ programmable DSP generation, the LYRA player was able to add support for an additional audio compression format after its initial shipping, demonstrating its future-proof capabilities. This flexibility allows Thomson to update features and functions with a simple software download, rather than by changing internal hardware. One year later, Thomson is continuing to deliver feature-rich, future-proof products that are able to adapt to the growing market in the sleek, redesigned LYRA2 Internet Audio player.
"We are proud that Thomson has taken advantage of TI's cutting-edge technology to deliver the most advanced solution available," said Jorge Kittl, business manager of Internet Audio at TI. "As the first upgradeable Internet Audio device, the LYRA product line created a new standard for consumer electronics devices. Consumers recognize upgradeability as a differentiating feature in Internet Audio players, and TI is pleased to provide that value again in the LYRA2 player based on the programmability of our DSPs."
TI's power-efficient DSP decodes the audio compression formats, enables the USB connection and integrates the LCD display and user interfaces. Additionally, TI DSPs increase the battery life of Internet Audio players, and its small size enables manufacturers like Thomson to design devices with extremely compact form factors.
Pricing and Availability
The RCA LYRA2 player has a suggested retail price of $299 and is now available nationwide.
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