A digital wind could ruffle Tomb Raider Lara Croft’s hair in real-time on
Sony’s Playstation-2, due out next year. A digital video decoder will let the
console blend live action and multichannel surround sound with synthesised audio
and graphics. And a 128-bit processor, with 32 megabytes of memory, will run at
300 megahertz and outstrip a Pentium PC or workstation by generating 75 million
graphics polygons per second. The machine will be based on DVD technology, so
the 4.7 gigabyte drive can store multi-level games that are more realistic.
DVD’s encryption and regional coding system should also help curb piracy.
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