The publicly available Catalyst 5.6 represents a number of firsts in graphics software including a real-time video preview with on-the-fly adjustments, monthly software upgrades for notebook PCs and plug-and-play HDTV connectivity. Addressing a range of market segments and user needs, Catalyst 5.6 delivers on a commitment to offer certified software with the highest levels of stability, performance and ease of use.
Mobile Catalyst
Power notebook users have long lacked the ability to update
drivers at the same pace as their desktop counterparts. With the
release of Catalyst Mobility notebook users will now have access to
monthly driver updates, ensuring the best levels of game performance
and application compatibility. Catalyst Mobility delivers the same
full feature-set as desktop, along with all of ATI's mobile-specific
power management options. The initial launch of Catalyst Mobility
will support Mobility Radeon® X700 and Mobility Radeon® X800 with
more products to follow in the coming months. Catalyst Mobility will
be supported by industry leading ODMs and system builders, including
Alienware, Arima, Clevo, Eurocom, Falcon Northwest, Mitac,
rockdirect, Uniwill and Voodoo PC.
"The market for gaming notebooks continues to enjoy strong growth
with users demanding performance and features that rival today's high
end desktop PCs," said Patrick Cooper, Director of Product Management
for Alienware. "Catalyst Mobility provides Alienware notebooks with
an important tool to ensure that gamers have an experience that is
second-to-none and get to enjoy the latest games and applications
with optimal performance."
Video Control Redefined
ATI has long been a pioneer and leader in video on the PC and
with the release of Catalyst 5.6 this is taken to the next level. Now
users can make simplified on-the-fly adjustments to their video
quality and see the results instantly through a real-time video
preview. The novice user benefits from a set up wizard that
automatically detects and optimizes for the best video quality.
Enthusiast users can access more advanced setup options to easily
control features like de-interlacing, hue and gamma. In addition HDTV
users have an improved user experience with a simplified connection
wizard for plug-and-play HD connectivity. Video playback efficiency
also sees a noticeable improvement with the addition of WMV9
acceleration.
High Performance Gaming
Gamers also reap substantial benefits from Catalyst 5.6 with
sizable performance improvements in some of today's most popular
games including Doom 3, Chronicles of Riddick and Halo.
Additional benefits in Catalyst 5.6 include All-in-Wonder®
support for Windows® MCE 2005 and a new Linux installer for simpler
and more intuitive driver installation for open source uses.
ATI users can download and enjoy the immediate benefits of
Catalyst 5.6 at www.ati.com.