Media Vision
American sound card maker known for rapid rise and collapse.
Media Vision Technology, Inc., based in Fremont, California, made computer sound cards and CD-ROM kits from 1990 until around 1995. The company became famous for its Pro AudioSpectrum sound cards—often sold alongside CD-ROM drives—and for both its rapid rise and sudden collapse.
Paul Jain and Tim Bratton founded Media Vision in May 1990. Many early employees, including Russ Faust, Michael Humphries, Dan Gochnauer, Bryan Colvin, and Doug Cody, had worked with Jain at his previous company, Video Seven. Bratton, while an engineer at National Semiconductor, wrote the business plan based on Jain’s idea of moving multimedia from VGA graphics into audio and video. Jain secured funding from venture capital firms such as Brentwood, Nazem, and 3i using just a single sheet of paper. The company went public in late 1992.
In 1993, Media Vision acquired Pellucid, a spin-off from Silicon Graphics, and formed the Visual Technology Group. Pellucid had taken over SGI’s IrisVision business and created high-performance video graphics cards, sold as the Pro Graphics 1024. After Media Vision failed, several Pellucid employees later founded 3dfx. Jain pushed development of multimedia chips, foreseeing that audio boards would become integrated into PC motherboards. The company built three complex chips: a 16-bit accelerator, an FM synthesis chip, and a mixed-signal DSP.
Media Vision updated its logotype in 1993 to signal its expansion beyond computer audio into broader technologies. That year, it launched a Multimedia Publishing Group, producing CD-ROM titles like *Critical Path*, *Quantum Gate*, and *Forever Growing Garden*, often bundled with its multimedia kits. The new logo aimed to position the company as a cutting-edge multimedia technology firm. It also opened a European subsidiary, Media Vision GmbH, in Munich, Germany.
The company’s growth proved unsustainable. On May 17, 1994, CEO Paul Jain resigned, and he soon became the subject of the longest-running securities fraud case in Silicon Valley history. The investigation and trial lasted nearly a decade. Criminal charges were filed against Jain in 1998, but he was not indicted on 27 counts of financial fraud. Judgments were entered against Jain and CFO Steve Allen. Media Vision filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December 1994, and in May 1996 it was renamed Aureal Semiconductor Inc.
Quick Facts
- Defunct
- 1995
- Fate
- Financial fraud, renamed to Aureal Semiconductor in May 1996
- Successor
- Aureal Semiconductor
- Hq Location
- Fremont, California, USA
- Industry
- Audio Technologies, Video games
- Products
- Sound cards, Video cards, Computer games, Multimedia kits
- Subsidiaries
- Pellucid
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Media Vision was founded in May 1990 by Paul Jain and Tim Bratton, with early employees from Jain's prior company, Video Seven. The business plan, written by Bratton while an engineer at National Semiconductor, was based on Jain's vision of evolving multimedia from VGA to audio and video. Jain raised funding from top venture capital firms including Brentwood, Nazem, and 3i, using a business plan on a single sheet of paper.
In 1993, Media Vision took over Pellucid, a spin-off of Silicon Graphics, forming the new Visual Technology Group. Pellucid had developed high-performance video graphics cards sold as the Pro Graphics 1024. After Media Vision's demise, several Pellucid employees founded 3dfx. That same year, the company updated its logotype to reflect expanding product lines and created a Multimedia Publishing Group, releasing CD-ROM titles such as Critical Path, Quantum Gate, and Forever Growing Garden. It also expanded into Europe with Media Vision GmbH in Munich, Germany.
Media Vision could not sustain its rise. On May 17, 1994, CEO Paul Jain stepped down and became the subject of the longest-running securities fraud case in Silicon Valley history. The investigation and trial lasted nearly a decade, resulting in criminal charges filed against Jain in 1998, his unsuccessful indictment on 27 counts of financial fraud, and judgments against Jain and CFO Steve Allen. After seeking Chapter 11 protection in December 1994, the company was renamed Aureal Semiconductor Inc. in May 1996.
Reader's Guide
Media Vision's significance lies in its role as a major early player in PC multimedia, particularly through its Pro Audio Spectrum sound cards that integrated CD-ROM interfaces and helped drive the adoption of multimedia PCs. The company's rapid growth and subsequent collapse became a cautionary tale in Silicon Valley, highlighted by the securities fraud case against its founder Paul Jain, which lasted nearly a decade. Its engineering legacy includes the development of custom chips such as the MVA508 analog mixer ASIC and the MVD101 digital ASIC, as well as the acquisition of Pellucid, whose employees later founded 3dfx, a key company in 3D graphics. Media Vision's product line spanned audio cards, video capture boards, graphics cards, multimedia kits, and software titles. The company's internal structure was dominated by large engineering and marketing departments, with hardware engineers including former Apple employee Bryan Colvin, who designed much of the Apple IIc. After bankruptcy, the company re-emerged as Aureal Semiconductor, continuing in the audio chip space.
Did You Know?
- Media Vision's business plan was written on a single sheet of paper.
- Several employees of Pellucid, a company Media Vision acquired, later founded 3dfx.
- Media Vision was renamed Aureal Semiconductor Inc. in May 1996 after filing for Chapter 11.
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