VIA and ArcSoft Bring Full HD Audio to Home Theatre PCs

VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced that the recently launched VIA Vinyl HD Audio codecs, the VIA Vinyl VT1818S and 1828S, are now supported by ArcSoft's universal multimedia player, ArcSoft TotalMedia Theatre.

With the rising demand for a realistic cinema experience in the comfort of the home, along with the growth in adoption of the Blu-ray Disc video format, VIA and ArcSoft have collaborated to provide an enhanced playback solution that makes home movie viewing more enjoyable than ever.

Essential for uncompromised audio performance, VIA Vinyl HD Audio codecs support Blu-ray Disc audio content protection allowing for optimal, 24-bit/192 kHz audio output. Without content protection support, audio quality is dramatically reduced to that of a regular CD with a sampling rate of only 16-bit/48kHz.

"One of the most important aspects to the home theatre experience is a system's ability to provide high quality surround sound", said Richard Brown, Vice President of Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. "VIA's delighted that users of ArcSoft TotalMedia Theatre will now be able to enjoy the multi-channel HD audio experience offered by VIA Vinyl HD Audio codecs."

"ArcSoft is pleased to work with VIA in order to develop the best possible home entertainment solution for our customers," said George Tang, ArcSoft Vice President and General Manager of Video and Home Entertainment Group. "Combining our expertise in video playback with VIA's advanced HD audio technology allows us to deliver an exceptional audio visual experience to PC users."

The VIA Vinyl VT1818S and VT1828S HD Audio codecs are compliant with the latest Microsoft Windows 7 operating system and also provide support for optional sound effect software, including Dolby, DTS Connect, DTS Surround Sensation, Creative and QSound and SRS.

For further information on VIA Vinyl HD Audio codecs, please visit the VIA website here.