Robert Levings of ATI Technologies has peered into his crystal ball to make the following predictions about multimedia in the 1990s:

1. Producers will ship around 50 million cd-rom titles, costing around us$40 each, over the next 12 months. This increased accessibility and affordability will intensify interest in still newer titles reaching the market.

2. Double-speed cd-rom drives will fall steeply in price to around us$199, again spurring interest in multimedia technolgy. Around 10 million cd-rom players will be sold worldwide.

3. Video capture/compression boards will similarly fall in price to around us$499 retail.

4. Video game makers Sega, 3DO and Nintendo will provide key delivery boxes for multimedia. Not only will new-generation pc-based computer games use the latest full-motion digital video technology to allow users to, at long last, suspend disbelief while playing a game, but the sheer penetration of video game hardware in homes will transform the multimedia industry.

5. cd-rom titles will become increasingly available in new retail venues like book and record stores.

6. Video conferencing will become more cost-effective and accessible.