FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- CULVER CITY, CA, August 12, 2000 -- 4Front Technologies and the X MultiMedia System team are happy to announce the release of MPEG1 video playback plugin for XMMS. The MPEG1 video playback will allow XMMS users to playback video on Linux and other UNIX operating systems. The plugin is based on SMPEG developed by Loki Entertainment Software. SMPEG is based on MPEG1 video codecs developed by University of California at Berkely and the Simple DirectMedia Layer library developed by Mr. Lantinga (see: http://www.libsdl.org for more info). The plugin is released under the Library GNU Public License (LGPL). The plugin provides a fully resizeable Video window as well as full- screen support. Video playback has full forward and backward seeking within the video stream, also it can save window states between mpegs so if you are in fullscreen next mpeg will be fullscreen as well. Audio is synchronized to the video stream and can be heard via any soundcard that supports the Open Sound System API. XMMS is a multi-format audio and video media player capable of playing .mp3 (MP3 Audio), .mpg (MPEG1 Video) wav, au, mod, CD audio, midi files. Video output requires a X-Window based display and audio output/input requires an OSS compatible soundcard. "With the release of the MPEG1 video playback support, XMMS can now be called a true multimedia system", said Dev Mazumdar, President of 4Front Technologies which develops XMMS under an Open Source model. "We will continue to enhance the video playback support in XMMS with other formats as they become available". XMMS is released under the GNU Public License and has been widely hailed as one of the best multimedia applications for Linux. There are over 40 different plugins for visualization, support for different digital audio/video formats, effects such as echo, QSound 3D expansion and support for various input and output devices. XMMS has a liberal BSD like license for the plugins so that developers can either distribute their plugins with full source under GPL/LGPL/BSD or sell binary-only plugins. ABOUT 4FRONT TECHNOLOGIES: 4Front is a privately held company with development facilities in California, Finland and Sweden. 4Front's main focus is on developing audio solutions for the UNIX and embedded Systems marketplace. Open Sound System has become the "de-facto" audio API that is now distributed with Linux and FreeBSD kernel sources and licensed by companies like SCO, Wind River Systems and endorsed by SUN Microsystems. Open Sound System provides a cross-platform audio API with device drivers for over 250 brand name sound cards from vendors like Creative Labs, Yamaha, Crystal Semiconductor, MIDIMan, ESS Technologies and others. More information on Open Sound System and 4Front Technologies is available at http://www.opensound.com. ABOUT X MULTIMEDIA SYSTEM: The X Multimedia System (XMMS) project is developed under the GNU Public License (GPL) and is sponsored by 4Front Technologies. XMMS is a cross platform multimedia player that support MP3, Wave, CD, MOD, MIDI, and digital audio and video formats. XMMS is distributed with all the major Linux and FreeBSD distributions. It has also won the "Best Ear Candy" award from SlashDot at Linux World Expo in Feb., 2000. More information on XMMS is available at http://www.xmms.org. --XX-- Copyright (C) 2000, 4Front Technologies. All rights reserved. Open Sound System is a trade mark of 4Front Technologies. XMMS and X MultiMedia System are trade marks of 4Front Technologies Linux is a registered trade mark of Linus Torvalds UNIX is a registered trade mark of X/Open Company Ltd. All other trade marks that appear in this document are acknowledged and owned by their respective owners.