Avid Announces New Versions of Media Composer Adrenaline HD and Avid D

Avid Announces New Versions of Media Composer Adrenaline HD and Avid DS Nitris; HD, DI, and Tapeless Workflow Capabilities Broaden Creative Choices for Film and Video Postproduction Professionals

    Business Editors/High-Tech Writers/Tradeshow Writers
    NAB2005
    Booth #SL600

    LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 17, 2005--Avid Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVID) today announced the latest versions of the industry's leading postproduction solutions for advanced film and video professionals - the Media Composer(R) Adrenaline(TM) HD 2.1 system and the Avid(R) DS Nitris(R) 7.6 family.
    The Media Composer Adrenaline HD 2.1 system enhances HD support and adds true 24 fps HD for film projects, while delivering new tapeless workflows with support for the Panasonic P2 and Sony XDCAM professional cameras. Version 7.6 of the Avid DS Nitris family - comprising the Avid DS Nitris and Avid DS Nitris Editor systems - delivers powerful new finishing features and expanded DPX file-conform functionality for digital intermediate (DI) workflows. These capabilities cement the system's position as the performance leader for online professionals working on 10-bit uncompressed HD and 2K/4K media projects.
    "Our customers consistently tell us that they prefer editing and finishing tools that don't lock them into a single way of working. They want products that support the broadest range of formats, resolutions, cameras, decks, and workflows - plus they need reliable, fast performance that empowers them to accomplish a greater number of creative tasks in less time," said Dana Ruzicka, vice president of Post Solutions for Avid. "The latest enhancements to Media Composer Adrenaline HD and Avid DS Nitris deliver on all these fronts, further underscoring how Avid distinguishes itself from the competition. Our tools enable our customers to offer the most robust, complete postproduction services to their customers - from DV to DI."

    Media Composer Adrenaline HD 2.1

    The Media Composer Adrenaline HD system offers 10-bit video capture and playback, real-time HD and SD multicam editing, normal pulldown capture of 24p DV25 and DV50 over IEEE-1394, and easy tracking of DPX file metadata for high-efficiency DI file-based workflows. New enhancements in version 2.1 include:

--	Expanded HD project format support - with the addition of 720p/23.976 for added HD flexibility and 1080p/24 for film projects requiring true 24 fps, plus six new Avid DNxHD(TM) resolutions for these new formats;
--	Four-screen HD multicam - a performance improvement now possible with 720p/23.976 projects;
--	Tapeless acquisition workflow - with Panasonic P2 support, allowing users to edit DV25 and DV50 directly from P2 cards or to quickly transfer media files to hard disk; and with Sony XDCAM, allowing customers to efficiently capture and edit media natively, including DV25, IMX 30/40/50, and MPEG-4 proxies;
--	Frame Chase(TM) editing capabilities - a unique "edit while capturing" feature that allows users in time-sensitive MXF/AAF workgroup environments to view and edit clips during the capture process through Avid Unity(TM) TransferManager; and,
--	Color Correction split screen - for displaying the split screen in either the client or edit monitor, allowing users to accurately compare corrected and uncorrected versions of a segment on properly calibrated broadcast monitors.

    The optional Avid DNxcel(TM) board adds HD capture, real-time editing, and output to the Media Composer Adrenaline HD system. Customers can work with the broadest range of popular HD resolutions and frame rates, including 720p at 23.976 and 59.94; 1080p at 23.976, 24, and 25; and 1080i at 50 and 59.94fps. The Avid DNxcel board also encodes and decodes 10-bit Avid DNxHD media, the only encoding technology on the market capable of maintaining superior HD image quality throughout the postproduction process and allowing professionals to work in a collaborative shared-storage environment in HD. Customers who do not require extensive HD I/O capabilities - or do not need to preview their work on an HD client monitor - can import, natively edit, and preview DVCPRO HD and Avid DNxHD media in real time in the Media Composer Adrenaline HD system without the Avid DNxcel board. Native HDV support is planned for future release.

    Avid DS Nitris 7.6 Family

    Versions 7.6 of the Avid DS Nitris and Avid DS Nitris Editor systems build on their extremely powerful nonlinear finishing architecture, strengthening Avid's leadership in file-based DI workflow and effects capabilities. The Avid DS Nitris system is designed for professionals who want the ultimate in quality, real-time performance, effects and compositing versatility, and interoperability. In addition to scaling from DV25 through multiple streams of 10-bit uncompressed HD to native 2K/4K file-based media, versions 7.6 of the Avid DS Nitris and Avid DS Nitris Editor systems now offer robust new features, including:

    -- FluidMotion(TM) Timewarp - providing professionals with a
    greater level of detail and control when creating slo-mo and
    other motion-based effects;

    -- Source Side Effects - featuring a "one-step" approach for
    applying any effect to multiple clips based on source tape
    name, master clip, or sub-clip relationships;

    -- Expressions - enabling users to extend the creative
    adjustments from the parameters of one effect into other
    effects without having to explicitly animate a range of
    individual parameters;

    -- Media Tool Enhancements - facilitating content archival,
    restoration, and purging tasks that increase the intuitiveness
    of working with media and tape names as visual references;

    -- Frame Rate Conversion - allowing users to mix source clips of
    various frame rates in the same timeline; and,

    -- DPX File Conform from Edit Decision Lists (EDLs) -
    streamlining the offline-to-online DI workflow with Media
    Composer Adrenaline HD projects that track DPX metadata.

    The Avid DS Nitris and Avid DS Nitris Editor systems deliver powerful file-based workflow capabilities including real-time editing and playback of 2K RGB files as well as multiple streams of HD proxies of 2K or 4K files. Both systems manage native log or linear DPX/Cineon files at resolutions up to 4K with robust management of color look-up-tables (LUTs) and timecode, and feature 16- and 32-bit processing for maintaining quality when working with high-resolution media.

    Pricing & Availability

    The Media Composer Adrenaline HD 2.1 system - which comprises the Media Composer Adrenaline HD 2.1 software and the Avid Adrenaline hardware - is priced at $24,995 USMSRP and is now available through Avid's worldwide reseller channel. The optional Avid DNxcel board, which is also now available, may be added for $10,000 USMSRP. Free software upgrades to Media Composer Adrenaline HD 2.1 are available for existing Media Composer Adrenaline HD customers with Avid Assurance contracts. Media Composer Adrenaline customers without Avid Assurance contracts can upgrade to Media Composer Adrenaline HD 2.1 for $995 USMSRP. Existing customers can also purchase the Avid DNxcel board with the version 2.1 software upgrade for $10,995 USMSRP. The Media Composer Adrenaline HD system is qualified for the HP xw8200 and xw8000 workstations, as well as other existing Media Composer Adrenaline Windows XP platforms. Support for Mac OS X Tiger is planned for later in 2005.
    The Avid DS Nitris and Avid DS Nitris Editor 7.6 systems are now available through Avid's worldwide reseller channel. Pricing is $147,995 USMSRP for the Avid DS Nitris system and $78,995 USMSRP for the Avid DS Nitris Editor system. Free software upgrades are available for existing Avid DS Nitris 7.5 and Avid|DS 7.5 customers with Avid Assurance contracts. Avid|DS 7.5 customers without Avid Assurance contracts can upgrade to Avid DS Nitris 7.6 systems for $5,000 USMSRP. Hardware upgrades to Avid DS Nitris systems start at $35,000 USMSRP. The Avid DS Nitris 7.6 family is qualified for the HP xw8200 and xw8000 workstations.

    About Avid Technology, Inc.

    Avid Technology, Inc. is the world leader in digital nonlinear media creation, management, and distribution solutions, enabling film, video, audio, animation, games, and broadcast professionals to work more efficiently, productively, and creatively. For more information about the company's Oscar(R), Grammy(R), and Emmy(R) award-winning products and services, please visit: www.avid.com.
    (C) 2005 Avid Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Product features, specifications, system requirements, and availability are subject to change without notice. All prices are USMSRP for the U.S. and Canada only and are subject to change without notice. Contact your local Avid office or reseller for prices outside the U.S. and Canada. Avid, Digidesign, Film Composer, Pro Tools, Media Composer, Adrenaline, Nitris, Avid DNxHD, Avid DNxcel, Frame Chase, Avid Unity, and FluidMotion are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Avid received an Oscar statuette representing the 1998 Scientific and Technical Award for the concept, design, and engineering of the Avid Film Composer(R) system for motion picture editing. Digidesign, Avid's audio division, received an Oscar statuette representing the 2003 Scientific and Technical Award for the design, development, and implementation of its Pro Tools(R) digital audio workstation. Oscar is a trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Emmy is a registered trademark of ATAS/NATAS. Grammy is a trademark of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Inc. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

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CONTACT: Avid Technology Carter Holland, 978-640-3172 carter_Holland@avid.com or Edelman Debra Masters, 202-326-1821 debra.masters@edelman.com

KEYWORD: NEVADA TRACK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: HARDWARE COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS TRADESHOW PRODUCT SOURCE: Avid Technology, Inc.

Copyright Business Wire 2005