SGI unveils technology for 3D on Web
Silicon Graphics introduced client-server technology for video and virtual reality applications.
SGI demonstrated its free Cosmo Player, a VRML 2.0-compatible browser for Windows 95, Window NT, and SGI's own Irix version of Unix. Cosmo Player can be used as a stand-alone viewer to surf 3D Web sites or as a plug-in to Netscape Navigator and will be posted to the company's Web site in May. Paper, recently acquired by Cosmo, also provides a VRML 2.0 plug-in called Live3D for Navigator that will be bundled with Navigator 3.0.
The company announced its WebForce Media Server family, another entry in its WebForce line of Internet servers for corporate intranets and cable and telecommunications companies that provide Net-based services. Media Server runs on SGI's Challenge hardware server and includes the Cosmo MediaBase software for media streaming from a Web server to browsers.
Media Server can be used for computer-based training, video on demand, LAN multi-casting of live or recorded multimedia material, and multimedia presentations, according to the company. The bundle also comes with a content management system and Cosmo StreamPlayer, which allows viewers to see full-motion video content using Web browsers.
The company plans to deliver the WebForce Media Server in July, priced from $30,000 to $545,000 depending on configuration.
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