News Release

For Immediate Release

New Digital Non-Linear Editing System Combines Film and Video Editing Techniques

System Uses Advanced Video Compression to Provide Full 30 Frames-Per-Second Performance

NAB Show, Las Vegas, April 30, 1989 -- Avid Technology, Inc. today announced the Avid/1 TM Media Composer TM, a new real-time digital non-linear editing system that combines the creative freedom of film editing with frame-accurate digital video technology. The system uses advanced hardware and real-time, high-speed video compression techniques to display edited sequences instantly, direct from digital disk. The Avid/1 provides random access to digitized video and audio, offering from two to six hours of storage capacity. With its three processors working in parallel, the Avid/1 can simultaneously handle full-motion color video at 30 FPS and two channels of 44Khz, 16-bit CD-quality sound.

The power of the Avid/1's hardware and software is seamlessly integrated into an Apple(R) Macintosh TM IIx or IIcx, which serves as the host system.

"As a marketing manager in the engineering workstation industry, I had been using the power of video to introduce new products into the marketplace," said William J. Warner, President of Avid. "But I found the editing technology to be slow and frustrating. In August of 1987 I started Avid with one goal: to provide a new, faster way to make media productions."

The system dramatically increases the speed with which editors can make creative decisions. Its digital technology eliminates the need for shuttling tape decks or premastering video disks.

According to Peter Farago, President of Farago Advertising Inc., "The excitement of seeing your spot come together on the Avid just by pointing and clicking is wonderful!" He continues, "At last I'm in control of the entire creative process. I cut an entire commercial in two hours - the way I wanted it, the way I saw it. That's the power of the Avid/1 - it allows my ideas to flow directly into the finished product and allows me to easily review my work with colleagues and clients."

The Avid/1 provides a range of integrated editing tools. The main editing window features an intuitive interface simulating the familiar source and record monitors of a traditional editing system. A timeline window displays a map of the edited sequence. Bins, databases of clips and edited sequences, can be sorted and sifted and displayed as lists or as head or key frames. The system enables output to workprints and standard EDL formats.

The Avid/1 extends the power of the Macintosh environment to handle full-motion video and CD-quality audio, yet preserves the familiar, easy-to-use Macintosh interface.

Tyler Peppel, Apple's Manager for Multimedia products, stated that "Avid's product represents a pioneering step in the convergence of personal computing and electronic media - an area of strategic interest for Apple. We're especially pleased at how well-integrated the Avid functionality is with the Macintosh platform."

" Apple and Avid's philosophies are closely aligned. Avid has made simplicity and ease-of-use a key part of their product design. With the Avid/1, video editing will now be available to a much wider audience. The notion of empowering our users to communicate in new ways is fundamental to Apple's philosophy," continued Peppel.

A configured Avid/1 system, including real-time video digitizing and playback and CD-quality audio digitizing and playback sells for under $50,000. The system comes complete with high speed disk, real-time video processor, CD-quality audio processor and two color display monitors. The price includes an Apple Macintosh IIx CPU with 5MB of RAM. The maximum Avid/1 configuration sells for under $80,000 and includes over 4 Gigabytes of high speed disk storage.

Avid Technology, Inc., is a privately-held company specializing in the development and marketing of advanced media production technology for film and video professionals.

Avid TM, Avid/1 TM and Media Composer TM are trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. Apple(R) is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. Macintosh TM is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.

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