Sigma Designs Inc. now offers a low-cost encoder/decoder card which allows users to create and play MPEG-2 DVD videos on the PC.

The REALmagic Digital Video Recorder lets users record DVD-quality video captured from any video source, then edit, play, and store the information on their PC. The video can also be written to DVD disks or to CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or DVD-RAM drives.

Users can use the REALmagic DVR to create video e-mail or as a digital VCR with timeshifting capability. For example, a PC user can record part of a TV show on the PC, rewind the video while the show is still being recorded, and instantly reply the footage.

Samples of REALmagic DVR will be available later in the second quarter, with volume production expected in the third quarter of 1999. REALmagic DVR will be sold through OEMs and system integrators at a suggested retail price of $999. Sigma Designs can be found on the web at http://www.sigmadesigns.com .