Avid DNxchange Now Available for Seamless Migration to HD

Turnkey network appliance facilitates exchange of high-definition content over existing
standard-definition infrastructure

Tewksbury, MA, January 26, 2006 – Avid Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVID) today announced the immediate availability of Avid® DNxchange™, a rack-mountable input/output (I/O) device that enables professionals to convert high-definition (HD) media to Avid DNxHD™ media for use over any standard-definition SDI network. The award-winning Avid DNxchange allows broadcasters and postproduction editors to work with eight- and 10-bit full raster Avid DNxHD files, which deliver the image quality of 10-bit uncompressed HD media – but with the bandwidth of SD files. 

When installed within a postproduction or newsroom environment, the Avid DNxchange system automatically encodes HD content from cameras, switches, routers, and decks, via HD-SDI, to Avid DNxHD.  Once encoded, the Avid DNxHD media is available for transport and exchange over the facility’s existing SD infrastructure.  During output, the Avid DNxchange system will convert the Avid DNxHD content back into uncompressed HD files for any device with an HD-SDI interface. 

“The key challenge for broadcasters today is how to embrace high definition and migrate their production environments without breaking the bank,” said David Schleifer, vice president of Avid Broadcast and Workgroups.  “Avid DNxchange provides a simple way to begin the newsroom conversion by starting the transition at the infrastructure level rather than embarking on an expensive and disruptive rip-and-replace-everything approach.  By installing this simple but powerful system, broadcasters and post facilities can continue to leverage their existing equipment and use the network they’ve already got up and running.”

The Avid DNxchange system enables professionals to transport HD media throughout a facility for a fraction of the cost of adding other HD-SDI components; and employ Avid DNxHD encoding, which provides uncompromised HD image quality and HD migration flexibility that cannot be matched by other HD technologies.

Pricing & Availability

The Avid DNxchange system is now available and is priced at $10,000 USMSRP.  For more information about Avid DNxchange, visit www.avid.com.

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®, Grammy®, and Emmy® award-winning products and services, please visit: www.avid.com.

© 2006 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, Pro Tools, Film Composer, Avid DNxHD, and DNxchange are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. or its subsidiaries 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® system for motion picture editing. Digidesign, Avid’s audio division, received an Oscar statuette representing the 2003 Scientific and Technical Award for design, development and implementation of its ProTools® digital audio workstation.  Oscar is a registered 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.