Leading Post Production Facilities Save Customers Time and Money Finishing High Profile Projects on Avid DS Nitris Systems

"Law and Order," "Black Gold" and "" Among Productions Using Avid DS Nitris Systems on Multi-Format, Multi- Resolution Projects

TEWKSBURY, MA, Jul 18, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX News Network) -- Avid Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVID) today announced that a majority of today's popular film, television and commercial projects such as 2008 Cannes award-winning "Three Monkeys," 's "Deadliest Catch," NBC's "Law and Order," truTV's "Black Gold" and ESPN's "E:60," are finished on Avid® DS Nitris® systems. With an integrated toolset for advanced compositing, visual effects, conform and finishing, Avid DS Nitris systems enable facility-level customers to work more productively and finish projects against tight deadlines, without having to tie up several edit bays. Facilities and production companies currently using Avid DS Nitris as a part of their overall workflow include: FotoKem, Bluefoot Entertainment, Ironik Design and Post, Kappa Studios, Inc., MAX Post, Serious Robots and The Post Group.

Recent projects that have been finished on Avid DS Nitris systems include: -- Animal Planet's "Raw Nature" -- DirecTV's "Hometown Heroes" -- Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch," "Future Car Series" (parts 1-4), "Iditarod" and "" -- ESPN's "E:60," "The Masters Tournament" (features and teasers) and "British Open" (teasers) -- European Drama Network's "The Mandrake Root" -- FOX's "Prison Break" -- FOX Reality's "Rob & Amber: Against the Odds" -- History Channel's " and " -- "Lower Learning" -- National Geographic's "America's Port" and "LA Hardhats" -- NBC's "America's Toughest Jobs," "Las Vegas," "Law and Order," "Law and Order Criminal Intent" and "Law and Order Special Victims Unit" -- North One Television's "Fifth Gear" and "The Gadget Show" -- "Searchers 2.0" (Concorde-New Horizons) -- Sony's "NFL on CBS" pre/post game with Jim Nantz and Peyton Manning (teasers) -- SpikeTV's "1000 Ways to Die" -- TBN's "Christmas at Cadillac Jack's" -- "The Cell 2" -- "The Tournament of Roses Parade" -- "The Wordz Project" (Pinlight) -- "Three Monkeys" -- "Travelocity commercial spots" -- truTV's "Black Gold"

Quotes:

"The Avid DS Nitris system is a workhorse for us. Within this one system, we can assemble and do color correction, titling and VFX work for our reality TV projects. Since the shows are edited on Avid Media Composer, we have a straight conform to the DS Nitris system. We often use the same graphics and titles on multiple shows, and I can pull the elements I need from the DS without having to import them separately into every show, which saves me hours of additional work. We also use DNxHD 220 for our online work and it's an incredible cost savings for us. We don't have to make heavy investments in additional storage, and I can have a whole season online in the system and still have room to start the next series. With the volume of footage we're constantly handling here, that's a huge benefit." -- Marc Fisher ("Black Gold," "Ax Men," "Deadliest Catch," "Raw Nature," "Las Vegas"), DS Nitris artist at MAX Post.

"Avid DS Nitris gives us the ability to cater to a client's many developing needs. When a workstation can be so flexible and so powerful, it becomes the centerpiece for our company's working model. With DS Nitris, we can offline a project of any flavor, then online that very project in the same box or receive a project that was offlined in another suite and take the online to the DS. For promo work, there's nothing better on the market. Networks are governed by the clock, and when you have a limited amount of time to cut, color grade, mix audio, title and graphic a piece, Avid DS Nitris is your savior. Avid DS makes sense for us in every way imaginable and keeps our clients ahead of schedule and coming back for more." -- Sean Stall ("E60," "British Open," "The Masters"), owner, Ironik Design and Post.

"DS Nitris plays a critical role here at Kappa, occupying a niche that no other solution can fill with the same ease and reliability. The integration of editing and compositing tools in one solution allows us to tackle jobs that would otherwise have to be split in two, if not three, different bays. Procedures that we did on a recent RED-project, like frame rate conversions and fixing certain shots by removing extraneous objects and replacing content on computer monitors, would be difficult if not outright impossible to do in solutions like Final Cut Pro." -- Igor Ridanovic ("Hometown Heroes," "The Searchers 2.0," "The Wordz Project"), colorist/designer/editor at Kappa Studios, Inc.

"Our customers have figured out that they can generally get more done in a DS Nitris bay, in less time, for less money per hour, than on any of our other systems here. That's what's really great about the DS -- it allows us to create incredible client loyalty by consistently making our customers look good to their clients. Simply put, the DS system is incredibly powerful, extremely versatile and enables us to deliver what our customers need at the highest quality." -- Derek Herr ("Prison Break," "Las Vegas"), Senior finishing editor/compositor.

For more information on Avid DS Nitris, check out a recent customer story or click here for product information.

About Avid Technology, Inc.

Avid is a worldwide leader in tools for film, video, audio, 3D animation, gaming and broadcast professionals -- as well as for home audio and video enthusiasts. Avid professional and consumer brands include Avid, Digidesign®, M-Audio®, Pinnacle Systems®, Sibelius®, Softimage® and Sundance Digital®. The vast majority of primetime television shows, feature films, commercials and chart-topping music hits are made using one or more Avid products. Whether used by seasoned professionals or beginning students, Avid's products and services enable customers to work more efficiently, productively and creatively. Avid received an Oscar® statuette representing the 1998 Scientific and Technical Award for the concept, design, and engineering of the Avid Film Composer® system for motion picture editing. For more information about the company's Oscar, Grammy® and Emmy® award-winning products and services, visit www.avid.com, del.icio.us, Flickr, technorati and twitter; or connect with Avid on Facebook.

Copyright 2008 Avid Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Product features, specifications, system requirements and availability are subject to change without notice. Promotions and discounts are subject to availability and change without notice. All prices are USMSRP for the U.S. and Canada and are subject to change without notice. Contact your local Avid reseller for prices outside the U.S. and Canada. Avid, Avid DNxHD, Digidesign, Film Composer, M-Audio, Media Composer, Nitris, Pinnacle Systems, Sibelius, Softimage, and Sundance Digital are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the and/or other countries. Emmy is a registered trademark of ATAS/NATAS. Oscar is a trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 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.

Contact: Amy Peterson [email protected] 978-640-3448

SOURCE: Avid Technology, Inc. mailto:[email protected]