Canopus Corporation

Lore & Background

Canopus Co., Ltd. initially focused on enthusiast video cards before shifting to other video hardware and software after the Spectra line. When 3dfx's Voodoo series became popular in the mid-1990s, Canopus produced the Pure3D, a Voodoo-based card with 6 MB of memory instead of the standard 4 MB. With the Voodoo 2, the Canopus Pure3D II was noted for being shorter than competitors' Voodoo 2 cards. Canopus gained a reputation for driver optimization that provided a performance advantage, and their cards were chosen for Maximum PC's 1998 Dream Machine.

Canopus also released a version of the nVidia TNT that included a unique internal cable to connect to the Pure3D II, rather than the standard external cable. The company later produced the DVStorm2, a realtime video editing card discontinued in early 2005. Canopus is also known for EDIUS non-linear video editing software, the ProCoder transcoder application, and the ADVC range of DV (IEEE1394) video conversion units. In 2005, Thomson Multimedia acquired Canopus to bolster their Grass Valley broadcasting and network product line.

Reader's Guide

Canopus's significance lies in its niche role during the mid-to-late 1990s PC graphics market, particularly through its Voodoo-based Pure3D cards. The company's decision to equip the Pure3D with 6 MB of memory instead of the standard 4 MB, and the Pure3D II's shorter card design, differentiated it from competitors like Matrox and Pinnacle Systems. Its driver optimization gave a performance edge, leading to its selection for Maximum PC's 1998 Dream Machine. The unique internal cable connecting an nVidia TNT card to the Pure3D II further illustrated Canopus's engineering approach. After shifting focus from enthusiast video cards, Canopus became a provider of video editing hardware and software, including the DVStorm2, EDIUS, ProCoder, and ADVC converters. The 2005 acquisition by Thomson Multimedia to support the Grass Valley line marked the end of Canopus as an independent entity, but its products remained influential in video production workflows.

Did You Know?

• The Pure3D had 6 MB of memory instead of the standard 4 MB for Voodoo-based cards.
• The Pure3D II was praised for being shorter than competitors' Voodoo 2 cards.
• Canopus was acquired by Thomson Multimedia in 2005 to bolster the Grass Valley broadcasting line.