CyberLink, a leading software developer of video and audio software applications, showed its support for the Linux community by announcing it is releasing the world’s first pure software DVD player, for Linux-based information appliances (IAs). PowerDVD-Linux is a revolutionary software development that will allow users to playback DVD titles on Linux-based information appliances, without the need for special hardware acceleration. Therefore, Linux OS users will now have the ability to enjoy all the high-quality features and benefits of DVD playback on the PC that Windows based users have enjoyed for years. PowerDVD-Linux also provides the best solution to IA manufacturers due to the fact that it is a pure software program that can play back DVD titles at a full frame rate, with minimal CPU requirements (only Celeron 333 and above needed).

This news couldn’t have come at a better time for Linux Information Appliance Manufacturers, who have long been looking for a pure software based DVD playback solution. As the information appliances market continues to rapidly expand (like in North America where it is set to grow from 11 million units shipped in 1999 to 89 million units in 2005, according to IDC) many IA manufacturers, using Linux based software, are looking for high quality product support. As well, in today’s market all IA manufacturers are demanding DVD playback capabilities as a default on their IA devices.

‘We at CyberLink feel that with the introduction of PowerDVD-Linux, information appliance manufacturers will have the best available option for providing superior PC-DVD playback quality to the Linux community,’ says Alice H. Chang, CEO of CyberLink Corporation. CyberLink’s PowerDVD-Linux features unrivaled functions, allowing users to view high-quality video, and media-rich DVD contents on the personal computer. In addition, PowerDVD-Linux also provides users with the ability to play back VCD, Audio CD, MP3, DAT and many other multimedia file formats. Many of the advanced features available on the Windows based version, such as dynamic skin selection, multiple bookmark functions, support for remote control interface etc. are also available on PowerDVD-Linux. PowerDVD-Linux also supports numerous video acceleration chipsets under Linux, and its code size is minimized to 600KB. PowerDVD-Linux is also a great solution due to the fact that it can operate under various different Linux operating systems (e.g. Red Hat, Caldera, SuSE and Corel) and supports both X-Free and non X-Free solutions.