VIA has announced a high definition audio codec, supporting eight channels of output and four channels of input at up to 192KHz sampling rates at 24 bits. Talk about high definition audio!

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VIA Announces VIA Vinyl™ VT1708 High Definition Audio Codec,
Delivering Premium Performance Audio for the PC

Building on the acclaimed audio excellence of VIA's Vinyl Audio
solutions, the VIA VT1708 Codec is designed the deliver the Warmth of
Sound™ for media-centric PCs

Taipei, Taiwan, 22 February 2006 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading
innovator and developer of silicon chip technologies and PC platform
solutions, today announced the VIA Vinyl VT1708 High Definition (HD)
Audio Codec with premium quality and features for expanding PC audio
requirements.

The HD Audio standard realizes the next step in fulfilling the needs
of a new generation of PCs that are taking on increasingly complex
communication and entertainment roles. To meet these growing
requirements HD Audio technology enables support of the latest high
definition audio content, and advanced features such as enhanced
microphone support for clearer VOIP communication.

The VIA Vinyl VT1708 HD Audio Codec delivers to the market a solution
with high fidelity audio playback featuring four premium quality
stereo DACs enabling 8 channel support, and 2 stereo ADCs, all of
which support the latest 24-bit, 192KHz audio standards. The VIA Vinyl
VT1708 HD Audio Codec additionally supports features that further
tweak the audio experience, such as a high quality headphone
amplifier, enhanced recording features, and advanced connectivity.

"As users increasingly depend on their PC for multimedia applications,
there is a strong requirement for every PC to ship with high quality
audio support as a standard feature," commented Philip Chen, Special
Assistant to the President, Multimedia and Consumer Electronics
Division, VIA Technologies, Inc. "The VIA Vinyl VT1708 HD Audio Codec
builds upon VIA's strength in developing high quality audio solutions,
and was designed from the ground up to ensure a premium acoustic
experience."



About VIA Vinyl VT1708 HD Audio Codecs

VIA Vinyl HD Audio Codecs are compliant with the Intel(r) High
Definition Audio Rev. 1.0 specification. Integrating stereo DACs
featuring a 100dB S/N ratio, and two stereo ADCs the VIA Vinyl VT1708
HD Audio Codec enables support for the latest 24-bit, 192KHz audio
content. To ensure a high quality audio experience the VIA Vinyl
VT1708 integrates leading features such as a high quality headphone
amplifier, enhanced recording support, and advanced power management
features making them ideal for mobile devices.

The VIA VT1708 Audio Codec also optionally supports leading QSound
technology that offers unmatched technologies to transforms the PC
Audio experience with enhancements for games, music, and movies as
well as advanced feature control that allows users to fully customize
their audio experience.

For more information on the VIA VT1708 HD Audio Codec please go here:

www.via.com.tw/en/products/audio/8-channel/vt1708/

VIA VT1708 HD Audio Codec Pricing and Availability

VIA Vinyl VT1708 HD Audio Codec samples are available now. Pricing is
available upon request.