Earlier this month, at the Internationale Funkausstellung 1999 in Berlin, Germany, Syrinx music & media announced that, together with Panasonic/Technics and their new DVD-Audio players (see previous story), they successfully presented the world's first DVD-Audio disc. The Internationale Funkausstellung 1999 ran from August 28 until September 5 under the theme of "Your World of Consumer Electronics."

Syrinx reports that, as the DVD-Audio players were available only hours before the trade fair opened, it was uncertain whether the DVD-Audio disc would work in them. But it did, and Syrinx says that Panasonic/Technics is now planning to bundle the Syrinx-authored DVD-Audio disc with the new players when the machines are put on the German market later this year.

According to Syrinx, they succeeded in compiling a comprehensive disc that demonstrates all the features of the recently adopted DVD-Audio standard, including high-resolution stereo, surround sound, visual menus, slide shows, and full-motion video with multichannel audio. The DVD-Audio disc presents the Hamburg Westport Jazz Festival, recorded by Syrinx in July '99, and includes performances by Pat Metheny and Stanley Clarke, among others.

Andreas Stange, co-founder of Syrinx and head of DVD production, says that "With the help of Sonic Solutions we were able to make exhaustive use of all aspects currently available on the production side. So this disc can be truly said to be not only a world first, but also the most versatile disc."