News

Avid Deko 4.0 Delivers New Creative Tools and Increases Workflow Efficiency (7/4/2006)

Avid Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVID) today announced the immediate availability of Avid(r) Deko(r) 4.0 software, a significant upgrade for the entire Deko family of real-time on-air graphics systems. Ideal for standard-definition (SD) and high-definition (HD) broadcast operations, Avid Deko 4.0 software offers unique real-time animation features for creating sophisticated effects as well as tight interoperability between production systems. With the ability to import QuickTime movies, export Deko motions directly to Avid and other nonlinear editing systems, and simultaneously create SD and HD graphics packages in multiple languages, Avid Deko 4.0 software is setting new standards in efficiency for broadcasters producing high-quality on-air graphics for multi-channel playout.

"Broadcasters of all sizes are increasingly faced with the challenge of creating multiple versions of the same graphics content to support SD and HD broadcasts across a variety of markets that have different language needs," said David Schleifer, vice president of Avid Broadcast and Workgroups. "Our latest version of Deko enables broadcasters to address this challenge head on, significantly reducing the time it takes to produce and deliver graphics content to a wide range of audiences. The recent XX Olympic Games were an ideal test case for Deko 4.0, where NBC used a beta version of the software to create all the graphics for its daily broadcasts. In fact, the production team was able to create graphics with greater speed using the new ClipDeko option in version 4.0 to animate moving video clips - a task they would not have been able to accomplish with competitive graphics software."

Robust Creative Tools

Deko 4.0 introduces Motion Behaviors, which allows users to assign unique effect properties to individual graphics layers. These powerful user-defined properties - such as attract, repel, scale, bounce, jitter, flash, and blur - react automatically when effects layers intersect. Motion Behaviors can be used to quickly build sophisticated, one-of-a-kind effects and ensure smooth delivery during live news, sports, and entertainment productions. Other creativity enhancements include:

* High precision depth and rotation controls for 3D animations; and,

* An integrated ClipDeko option for HD and Hybrid Deko systems that provides unmatched flexibility for animating video clips.

Powerful Composition Enhancements

Using Deko 4.0, operators can leverage a new Multi-Compose feature that provides two side-by-side canvases for quickly building multiple versions of a single graphic. This improved layout makes it easy to compose graphics for SD and HD broadcasts simultaneously, or to create new versions in other languages. The software also includes:

* Automatic formatting capabilities that ensure that new graphics conform to design guidelines and templates; and,

* Sophisticated management tools that enable users to move graphics effortlessly between any HD and SD broadcast format.

Tight Workflow and Interoperability

Avid Deko 4.0 also offers a range of features that improve production workflow and interoperability between other systems. These enhancements include the ability to:

* Import QuickTime files directly to ClipDeko for integration with Deko graphics;

* Render complete Deko motions, including audio for QuickTime files, to share with Avid editing systems that are used for news and promo creation; and,

* Playback smooth graphics and effects on all Deko products, including models that have different features and effects than the Deko system used to create the content.

Pricing & Availability

Avid Deko 4.0 is available immediately and is now included on all shipping Deko systems. Customers with valid Assurance contracts for all Deko 3000, Deko 1000, Deko 550, FXDeko II, Deko2200, and PostDeko systems can upgrade by contacting their local Avid support representative.

www.avid.com/deko

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