Matrox MGA Combines Fastest Windows Performance With New Productivity
Features For Immediate Release

MGA in brief: The MGA Series of graphics accelerators, based on Matrox's
own 64-bit graphics chip, offers up to 12 times more hardware speed than
traditional 32-bit technology. The PowerDrivers, bundled with MGA, provide
advanced features for PC professionals running Windows and CAD
applications, creating a more flexible working environment. MGA also
offers a number of options such as Video for Windows (VfW) and video
encoding.

June 29, 1993 -- Montreal, Quebec -- The new MGA (Multimedia Graphics
Architecture) Series of graphics accelerators, based on Matrox's new MGA
64-bit graphics chip, offers true workstation level performance for the PC
power user. The only graphics accelerator based on a 64-bit graphics
engine, MGA delivers the industry's fastest WinMark - 60+ million WinMarks
(Ziff Davis Labs WinBench 3.11) - and now, creates a new, more flexible
working environment with the most advanced productivity boosting features.
MGA offers several key innovations, such as resolution switching in
Windows without having to reboot, 24-bit true color support as well as
QCDP (quality color dithering process) for near true color at 8-bit per
pixel, hardware pand and zoom, virtual desktop, anti-aliased fonts,
hardware-assisted Video-for-Window (VfW) and laser printing acceleration.
With 2 to 12 times more hardware performance than competitive offerings,
MGA provides the ultimate in graphics speed, resolution, color quality and
real-time 3D for 486 and Pentium-class personal computers. MGA supports
AutoCAD and Microstation, as well as professional applications under
Windows, Windows NT and OS/2. (Boards in Q3'93 will offer support for Unix
X-Windows and Silicon Graphics Open GL under Windows).

MGA Series 

The MGA line consists of multiple boards with varying memory configurations
within the two categories -- the MGA Ultima and the MGA Impression. The
MGA Ultima and the MGA Impression offer support for the AT, MCA and VESA
VL bus (PCI and EISA versions available in Q3'93). The MGA Ultima supports
up to 2Mbytes of VRAM, and offers resolutions up to 1600 x 1200 in 256
colors, 1152 x 882 in 32,768 colors and 800 x 600 in 16.7 million colors.
The MGA Impression comes with 3Mbytes of VRAM. Users also have the option
of adding 2Mbytes of DRAM to the MGA Impression to increase the resolution
of 3D graphics, Gouraud shading and Zbuffering from 800 x 600 to 1152 x
882. The MGA Impression offers resolutions up to 1600 x 1200 x 8-bits or
1024 x 768 x 24-bits. Both boards are 100% VGA compatible and offer full
2D acceleration with high refresh rates of up to 80 Hz. Shipping in Q3'93
is the MGA Impression-PRO, VL version, with 4.5 Mbytes of VRAM on-board to
provide up to 1280 x 1024 x 24 bits. The optional 4 Mbytes of DRAM
provides high-resolution 3D CAD and off-screen bitmap storage to increase
Windows performance.

Windows PowerDrivers 

Bundled with MGA are Matrox's PowerDrivers in 8, 16 or 24 bits/pixel for
Microsoft Windows 3.1, Microsoft Windows NT and OS/2 2.1 Presentation
Manager. (Support for Unix X-Windows and Silicon Graphics' Open GL under
Windows are planned for Q3'93.) Matrox's PowerDrivers offer the most
reliable software in the industry and provide a host of added-value
features easily accessible through Matrox's Control Panel Menuing System.
Features include: ModeSwitch, on-the-fly, hotkey-driven resolution
switching within Windows without having to reboot; Matrox's Virtual
Desktop gives users a 1600 x 1200 virtual desktop, simply by moving the
mouse; PixelTOUCH, a hotkey-driven hardware pan and zoom, lets users zoom
display pixels by two or four times; MGA's Cleartype displays laser-type
quality anti-aliased fonts, without noticeable speed degradation and
Matrox's QCDP (Quality Color Dithering Process) provides near true color
quality in all display modes. Also bundled with MGA are WinSqueeze
compression utility for on-the-fly JPEG compression and decompression, and
ConsistentColor, a monitor calibration utility. 

CAD PowerDrivers

Bundled with the MGA boards is Matrox's exclusive DynaView/2D & 3D drivers
which provide enhanced features for AutoCAD R11 and R12 for DOS. The
DynaView/2D features include Dynamic Spyglass for magnified viewing and
Bird's Eye View for full viewing of a drawing in a small window, Dynamic
Scroll Bars for fast panning and zooming and Vector Anti-Aliasing for
smooth vectors. DynaView's 32-bit display list driver eliminates
time-consuming regens, offers fast zooms and pans, and provides automatic
manual display list clean-up; DynaView's windowing environment offers
movable/resizable AutoCAD graphic window, an overlay Text window
eliminating the need for a second monitor, user-defined iconic menus and
digitizer button assignment.

DynaView/3D drivers provide features for AutoCAD R11 and R12 for DOS, and
Microstation 4.03. Users have access to real-time viewing and
walk-throughs as well as the ability to manipulate a drawing in real-time
using a wide selection of rendering modes, including wire-frame, outlined
flat shade and high-quality Gouraud shading. The lighting and object
properties permits the use of many light sources and the association of
material properties with objects.

MGA Options 

Marvel Broadcast-Quality Live Video Input and Windowing Controller -- The
combination of MGA and Matrox's Marvel controller offers users the ideal
solution for multimedia video input and windowing applications. Graphics
from the MGA's feature connector is blended with video data on the Marvel
and displayed on a single multi-sync monitor. Marvel is also bundled with
enhanced support for Video for Windows, providing drastically improved
color quality for video animations.

VideoPro Broadcast-Quality Video Encoder -- (Q3-93) 

Fully compatible with Microsoft Windows 3 1, VideoPro lets users output
graphics to standard VCRs or other video devices for recording or mixing
purposes VideoPro includes advanced features like flicker reduction, video
overlay and alpha channel output.

MGA will be shipping in May for $599 to $1499 US

Matrox Electronics Systems Ltd.
1055 St. Regis Blvd, Dorval, Quebec, Canada H9P 2T4
514-685-2630;  fax: 514-685-2853

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