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Archive for June, 2003

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Pinnacle In Definitive Agreement to Buy Dazzle from SCM Microsystems

Monday, June 30th, 2003


Reprinted from a Pinnacle Systems press release:

Pinnacle Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: PCLE) announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Dazzle home video editing business from SCM Microsystems (NASDAQ: SCMM; Prime Standard: SMY), a leading provider of digital media and video solutions. The companies expect to close the transaction in July 2003 and have agreed on a total purchase price of approximately $21.5 million of Pinnacle Systems common stock. Pinnacle will acquire selected assets and liabilities, including all product rights, inventory, intellectual property, trade names and other rights related to the business. Pinnacle will account for this transaction as a purchase during the quarter in which the transaction closes, currently anticipated to be the first quarter of fiscal 2004 (quarter ending September 30, 2003). The transaction is expected to be slightly accretive in fiscal 2004 on a non GAAP* (pro-forma) basis. Please visit www.pinnaclesys.com for further details on Pinnacle’s acquisition.

J. Kim Fennell, president and CEO at Pinnacle Systems said, “This is a great move for Pinnacle that allows us to further extend our market share lead in an exciting market. Combining Pinnacle’s industry-leading Studio video editing products with Dazzle’s brand gives us a strong position that lets us bring a wider variety of products to our customers and be the obvious choice for home video editing.”

Robert Schneider, CEO of SCM Microsystems commented, “We are happy to have found a good home for the Dazzle home video editing business. Combining Dazzle and Pinnacle’s product line will benefit all customers and helps ensure continued development for new digital video solutions.”

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Aurora Video Systems Releases RT Extreme driver for IgniterX

Thursday, June 26th, 2003


Reprinted from a Aurora Video Systems press release:

Aurora Video Systems today announced the release of a new software driver that allows their IgniterX family of video capture and editing solutions to support Final Cut Pro 4’s RT Extreme engine, which produces render-free playback of effects in real time, as well as a virtually unlimited number of video streams.

“Our new driver allows editors to take full advantage of RT Extreme, one of the most significant additions to the latest Final Cut Pro release,” said Aurora Video Systems CTO Tim McMahon. “The combination of our driver with FCP 4 offers editors a new degree of flexibility and the ability to take advantage of the feature set of FCP 4, including support for up to seven real-time tracks, LiveType, perfect synchronization and true implementations of 24 fps film support, and editing of the offline RT, DV, uncompressed 8-bit and uncompressed 10-bit formats.”

“I am very excited about the addition of Cinema Tools to the FCP 4 application. This allows any film editor using FCP 4 to take advantage of the unique features of IgniterX’s true film capability,” said CEO Darryl Hock of Aurora Video Systems. “With our industry-unique 24 fps capability, with or without audio pull down and in both NTSC and PAL, the combination of IgniterX and FCP 4 is unrivaled”.

“Once again we are very pleased to add powerful new functionality to our product line at no additional cost to our end users,” stated Aurora Video Systems VP of Systems Engineering Mike Stroven. “With our dedicated Macintosh-exclusive engineering team, we are committed to broadening and extending our IgniterX product line to keep our loyal customer base happy.”

With the highest quality variable-compression-rate video capture and playback, Aurora’s IgniterX is the true companion card for Final Cut Pro. The IgniterX product line offers leading data rates and unparalleled compression ratios while retaining unmatched image quality when working offline. Full-screen effects can be applied in real time for both offline and online editing environments. Each card supports integrated I/Os for all digital and analog online formats, so there is no need for editors to invest in external converters that can degrade image quality.

Aurora Video Systems’ software driver is available now from the company’s Web site at: http://www.auroravideosys.com/support/manualsdrivers.html. For more information about the IgniterX video capture cards, visit www.auroravideosys.com.

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Pioneer Announces TiVo-based DVR with DVD Burner

Thursday, June 26th, 2003


Reprinted from a Pioneer press release:

Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc., a leader in digital home entertainment products, is revolutionizing home video recording with the introduction of the world’s first DVD recorders featuring the TiVo service. These new recorders offer consumers the control provided by the easy-to-use TiVo service integrated with advanced DVD recording for the option of short-term storage on a hard drive or long-term archival of broadcast programming on DVD-R/RW discs.

The Pioneer Elite DVR-57H includes a 120-gigabyte hard disc drive while the Pioneer DVR-810H boasts 80 gigabytes of storage space. Both models are powered by the TiVo service and offer the ability to:

  • Schedule and record programs while playing a DVD.
  • Play programs from the hard drive while recording from the hard drive onto a DVD.
  • Watch a program from the beginning while the recorder simultaneously finishes the recording.
  • Transfer content at high speeds from the hard drive to a DVD for long-term storage.

    Both DVD recorders offer DCDi by Faroudja progressive scan circuitry for outstanding image quality when watching DVD movies.

    “Pioneer is setting the standard for value-added DVD recorders by including the TiVo service with these two new products. Unlike many of the original DVD recorders, we’re offering effortless operation with maximum benefit,” said Russ Johnston, senior vice president of marketing for home entertainment at Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. “Consumers will not see this type of innovation from any other manufacturer in the near term.”

    TiVo Service and Recording from Television
    Both the DVR-57H and the DVR-810H offer consumers the TiVo Basic service with no monthly fee upfront. Consumers will get DVR functionality such as; pausing live TV, recording from the program guide, manual repeat recording by time and date and three days of program guide data. Consumers can upgrade their TiVo service at any time, to include features such as a fourteen-day program guide, Season Pass, WishList and Search by Title.

    Both DVD recorders come equipped with a 181-channel cable TV tuner for instant one-touch recording to the hard drive. Once the content is stored on the hard drive, consumers can transfer the content on to a DVD-R/RW disc and navigate the DVD menus using the friendly TiVo interface. This is the first product to seamlessly integrate DVD-R/RW and TiVo service functionality in one easy to use product.

    When a disc is inserted, the recorder automatically searches for available recording space. There is no tedious process of finding blank space to begin recording as exists with today’s VHS recorders. Through automatic menus and easy navigation with the sophisticated TiVo user interface, consumers can simply locate and play a desired portion of the broadcast material instead of fast-forwarding and rewinding through videotape.

    Transfer Home Movies to DVD
    Both units are equipped to transfer old videotapes to longer-lasting DVD-R or DVD-RW discs for more permanent storage. By connecting a VCR via analog inputs to the DVD recorder, transferring content becomes a snap. Unlike videotape, DVD will not degrade over time when exposed to heat and humidity. Transferring home movies from tape to disc will preserve them for future generations. DVD-R discs are best for archiving because they are write-once discs (like CD-R) and cannot be accidentally erased. Once a consumer has transferred their videotape collection to DVD, the VCR is obsolete.

    Create New Home Movies
    The DVR-810H and DVR-57H offer analog inputs, enabling consumers to connect a camcorder to the DVD recorder for basic transferring functions. Once the content from the camcorder is stored onto the hard drive, users have the ability to edit the content before burning it to DVD. The newly created DVD-R disc can be played back on most other automobile, home, portable DVD players and DVD-ROM computer drives.

    The DVR-810H and DVR-57H will be available in the fall 2003 with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $1,199 and $1,800 respectively.

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    Canopus Releases Visual Effects Suite, Production Suite

    Wednesday, June 25th, 2003


    Reprinted from a Canopus press release:

    Canopus Corporation today announced a special summer software promotion that brings together full versions of the company’s acclaimed software products into two of the most comprehensive video production and effects suites available - the Canopus Visual Effects Suite and the Canopus Production Suite. Canopus is offering these software suites now through August 31, 2003 at a savings from $199 to $896.

    Canopus Visual Effects Suite
    Bringing together Xplode Professional 4.0, PhotoAlbum 2.0 and Imaginate, the Canopus Visual Effects Suite provides video professionals with an arsenal of tools to quickly and easily create stunning videos. With a price of $399, the Canopus Visual Effects Suite is a full-featured, cost-effective solution. For greater savings, customers can purchase the Canopus Visual Effects Suite for just $299 with the purchase of a Canopus hardware nonlinear editing solution, such as DVRaptor RT2 or DVStorm2.

    The mainstay of the Canopus Visual Effects Suite is Xplode Professional 4.0, an advanced 3D video effects package that provides hundreds of customizable effects, transitions and an intuitive interface that makes creating custom effects a snap. PhotoAlbum 2.0 is included and is ideal for displaying a series of still images or creating a video album montage. Also included is Imaginate, the company’s popular still-image animation software application. With Imaginate, editors can breathe new life into still images and photographs, transforming them into movies that can be used to bring history to life, create montages or anything else the video professional can imagine.

    Canopus Production Suite
    Designed to give editors a complete video editing solution, the Canopus Production Suite combines the remarkable collection of applications found in the Canopus Visual Effects Suite with Canopus’s powerful EDIUS nonlinear editing application and its state-of-the-art video transcoding tool, ProCoder. With a price of $999, this collection saves customers almost $900 off the MSRP.

    At the heart of the Canopus Production Suite is EDIUS, Canopus’s new professional editing software for use with the company’s acclaimed DVStorm and DVRex RT lines of editing solutions. EDIUS breaks new ground in editing capability, productivity and workflow by uniting Canopus’s proprietary technologies into a new, unified processing engine. EDIUS delivers unprecedented flexibility by offering unlimited video and audio tracks, unlimited graphics and title layers, the ability to transition between multiple video tracks, voiceover recording directly to the timeline, 3-point or 4-point editing for even greater flexibility, as well as multiformat and realtime output capabilities - all in a fresh graphical user interface that makes it easy to create powerful, professional video and audio content.

    Canopus’s ProCoder video encoding software is also included in the suite. Whether you’re encoding MPEG format for DVD production or Windows Media for Web streaming, ProCoder makes conversion between video formats quick and easy. Featuring Canopus’s highly optimized DV and MPEG codecs, ProCoder provides high-quality video output without the long wait and guesswork of similar tools.

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    Apple Unveils Power Mac G5 at WWDC

    Monday, June 23rd, 2003


    Reprinted from a Apple press release:

    Apple today unleashed the world’s fastest* personal computer–the Power Mac G5–featuring the world’s first 64-bit desktop processor and the industry’s first 1 GHz front-side bus. Powered by the revolutionary PowerPC G5 processor designed by IBM and Apple, the Power Mac G5 is the first personal computer to utilize 64-bit processing technology for unprecedented memory expansion (up to 8GB) and advanced 64-bit computation, while running existing 32-bit applications natively.

    “The 64-bit revolution has begun and the personal computer will never be the same again,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “The new Power Mac G5 combines the world’s first 64-bit desktop processor, the industry’s first 1 GHz front-side bus, and up to 8GB of memory to beat the fastest Pentium 4 and dual Xeon-based systems in industry-standard benchmarks and real-world professional applications.”

    Delivering the industry’s highest system bandwidth, the Power Mac G5 line offers dual 2.0 GHz PowerPC G5 processors, each with an independent 1 GHz front-side bus, for an astounding 16 GBps of bandwidth. The line also features the industry’s highest bandwidth memory (400 MHz 128-bit DDR SDRAM with throughput up to 6.4 GBps); the industry’s fastest PCI interface available on a desktop (133 MHz PCI-X); and cutting-edge AGP 8X Pro graphics capabilities, all within a stunning new professional aluminum enclosure featuring innovative computer-controlled cooling for quiet operation.

    The PowerPC G5 processor is a result of the strategic relationship between Apple and IBM. At frequencies up to 2 GHz, the PowerPC G5 introduces 64-bit processing technology to desktop computing, while also running 32-bit applications natively. The PowerPC G5 processor architecture is based on a completely new execution core that features massively parallel computation for an unprecedented 215 in-flight instructions, full symmetric multi-processing, two double precision floating point units and an optimized Velocity Engine. The PowerPC G5 chips are fabricated in IBM’s $3 billion state-of-the-art semiconductor facility in East Fishkill, N.Y.

    The new Power Mac G5 is the world’s fastest personal computer based on SPEC CPU 2000 benchmark results and leading professional application performance tests when compared against 3.0 GHz Pentium 4-based systems and 3.06 GHz Dual Xeon-based systems:

  • In the SPEC CPU 2000 independent testing comparing the Power Mac G5 against leading 3.0 GHz Pentium 4-based systems and 3.06 GHz Dual Xeon-based systems, the Power Mac G5 won three out of four key benchmark tests. All tests were run with the same industry standard GCC 3.3 compiler to insure a fair comparison;
  • Single processor tests results show the Power Mac G5 an impressive 21 percent faster than the 3.0 GHz Pentium 4-based PC on SPECfp_base2000, which measures single processor floating point performance, and 10 percent slower on SPECint_base2000, which measures single processor integer performance; and
  • Dual processor tests results, which determine the fastest personal computer since dual processor systems are faster than single processor systems, are a clean sweep with the Power Mac G5 beating the 3.06 GHz Dual Xeon workstations by an incredible 41 percent on SPECfp_rate_base2000, which measures the total floating point throughput of the system, and edging out the same system by three percent on SPECint_rate_base2000, which measures total integer computation throughput.

    In addition to outperforming Pentium 4- and Dual Xeon-based systems in industry-standard benchmarks, the Power Mac G5 ran significantly faster than Pentium 4 and Dual Xeon-based systems on performance tests of the most popular applications for creative professionals:

  • On a test of 45 commonly used actions, Adobe Photoshop ran twice as fast on the Power Mac G5 than on 3.06 GHz Dual Xeon workstations;
  • Logic Audio on the Power Mac G5 can play nearly 40 percent more tracks with reverbs applied than Cubase SX running on a 3.06 GHz Dual Xeon workstation; and
  • Genentech Blast runs up to five times faster on a Power Mac G5 than on a 3.06 GHz Dual Xeon workstation.

    Complementing its computational power, the Power Mac G5 provides leading-edge expansion with dual 1.5 Gbps serial ATA interfaces; the industry’s fastest PCI interface available on a desktop with a 133 MHz and two 100 MHz, 64-bit PCI-X slots; and AGP 8X Pro graphics capable of supporting the power and thermal demands of high-end professional graphics cards. The Power Mac G5 comes standard with either the NVIDIA GeForceFX 5200 or the ATI Radeon 9600 Pro graphics card. As a build-to-order option for unprecedented 3D design, visualization and gaming, the Power Mac G5 line also features the ATI Radeon 9800 Pro–a workstation-class graphics card featuring per pixel and vertex shaders, and providing an astonishing fill rate of 3 billion textured pixels/second.

    The Power Mac G5 delivers industry-leading connectivity and high-performance I/O for creative professionals with Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire 800, two FireWire 400 ports, three USB 2.0 ports, dual display support, optical digital audio input and output, analog audio input and output and a headphone jack. The system also supports 54 Mbps AirPort Extreme wireless networking and is Bluetooth ready for wireless connections to a host of Bluetooth-enabled peripherals.

    The Power Mac G5 features a stunning new anodized aluminum alloy enclosure, designed to meet the needs of the most demanding professionals. The new enclosure is built around four independently controlled thermal zones for advanced airflow management, with fans in each zone that are individually controlled based on a sophisticated combination of thermal and power monitoring, resulting in the Power Mac G5 running two times quieter than the previous Power Mac G4. The G5 enclosure also features an easy-to-open access panel allowing quick access to internal components for tool-less installation of memory, hard drives, optical drives or an AirPort Extreme card. Front and rear handles allow professionals to rapidly and safely move Power Mac G5s when and where they need them, and front-mounted FireWire, USB2, and headphone ports provide convenient access for popular peripherals.

    Pricing & Availability
    The Power Mac G5, with a suggested retail price of $2,999 (US), includes:

  • Dual 2.0 GHz 64-bit PowerPC G5;
  • Dual Independent 1 GHz front-side buses;
  • 512MB 400 MHz Dual Channel (128-bit) DDR;
  • 8 DIMMs, 8GB maximum memory;
  • 160GB Serial ATA hard drive;
  • AGP 8X Pro graphics slot;
  • RADEON 9600 Pro-64MB DDR;
  • 3 PCI-X slots (one 64-bit 133 MHz, two 64-bit 100 MHz); and
  • 4x SuperDrive.

    The Power Mac G5, with a suggested retail price of $2,399 (US), includes:

  • 1.8 GHz 64-bit PowerPC G5;
  • 900 MHz front-side bus;
  • 512MB 400 MHz Dual Channel (128-bit) DDR;
  • 8 DIMMs, 8GB maximum memory;
  • 160GB Serial ATA hard drive;
  • AGP 8X Pro graphics slot;
  • NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra-64MB DDR;
  • 3 PCI-X slots (one 64-bit, 133 MHz, two 64-bit 100 MHz); and
  • 4x SuperDrive.

    The Power Mac G5, with a suggested retail price of $1,999 (US), includes:

  • 1.6 GHz 64-bit PowerPC G5;
  • 800 MHz front-side bus;
  • 256MB 333 MHz Dual Channel (128-bit) DDR;
  • 4 DIMMs, 4GB maximum memory;
  • 80GB Serial ATA hard drive;
  • AGP 8X Pro graphics slot;
  • NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra-64MB DDR;
  • 3 PCI slots (64-bit, 33 MHz); and
  • 4x SuperDrive.

    The Power Mac G5 line will be available in August and will ship with Mac OS X “Jaguar” with Mail, iChat, Safari, Sherlock, Address Book, QuickTime, iLife (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, and iDVD), iSync, iCal, DVD Player, Classic environment, Acrobat Reader, Art Directors Toolkit, EarthLink, FAXstf, FileMaker Pro Trial, GraphicConverter, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office v. X Test Drive, OmniGraffle, OmniOutliner, QuickBooks for Mac New User Edition and Developer Tools.

    The Power Mac G5 will be available in build-to-order configurations through the Apple Store (www.apple.com). Options include up to 8GB of RAM, 250GB hard drives, Combo drive, graphics cards (NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200, ATI Radeon 9600, ATI Radeon 9800), AirPort Extreme Card, Bluetooth module and an Apple Fibre Channel PCI Card.

    * “World’s fastest” based on SPEC CPU 2000 benchmark results and leading professional application performance tests against 3 GHz Pentium 4-based Dell Dimension 8300 and 3.06 GHz Dual Xeon-based Dell Precision 650. SPEC CPU 2000 benchmarks run with GCC 3.3 and independently tested; professional applications tested by Apple, June 2003.

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    Frezzi Announces New Dimmer Micro-Fill On-Camera Light Kit

    Wednesday, June 18th, 2003


    Reprinted from a Frezzi press release:

    Frezzi Energy Systems announces the New Dimmer Micro-Fill Kit with Combo Accessory, a powerful combination of lightweight (6 ounces) portable fill light with diffusion and color correction for tungsten and daylight balanced fill light. When paired with the Frezzi Combo Accessory, the Frezzi Dimmer Micro-Fill Kit instantly provides more diffusion with flip-up frosted glass, delivering soft light to fill unwanted shadows. Both dichroic and diffusion filter can flip into position instantly with further control provided by side barn doors, all in a one piece design.

    The kit includes the Frezzi FNP-1S 30 Watt Hour battery, FTC-NP1 trickle charger, Dimmer Micro-Fill with NP connector and NP1 Pouch. “This solution packs a high quality fill light into an incredibly small and lightweight package. Not only have we expanded on our award-winning Frezzi Mini-Fill, we have also given our customers the ability to change the light intensity with advanced pulse width modulation, minimizing color changes,” said James Crawford, CEO of Frezzolini Electronics Inc. “The Frezzi Dimmer Micro-Fill Kit with Combo Accessory is the first true image acquisition lighting solution available for Mini-DV and Mini-DVCAM cameras. The Frezzi Dimmer Micro-Fill Kit and Combo Accessory effectively corrects image quality with variable 35 watts of output power and soft diffusion to remove harsh shadows. Our customers have been asking for this functionality with Mini-DV for both ENG and EFP applications.”

    Other Key Features:

  • All light heads include all necessary mounting hardware for any video camera.
  • The Frezzi FNP-1S 30 Watt Hour battery runs a 35 watt bulb for 45 minutes and a 20 watt bulb for 75 minutes at maximum brightness (longer run-times are achieved at lower intensities).
  • Compact, lightweight, and reliable camera top lighting
  • Full kits available with batteries.
  • Advanced pulse width modulation variable control emits no interference with video signal.

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    Iomega Announces DVD-R/+R Burning Super DVD Drive

    Tuesday, June 17th, 2003


    Reprinted from a Iomega press release:

    Iomega Corporation (NYSE:IOM) , a global leader in data storage, today announced one of the first DVD drives to support all major DVD and CD formats, including DVD+R/+RW, DVD-R/-RW, and DVD-RAM. The new Iomega Super DVD All Format 4X Internal Drive, on display this week at the CeBit America tradeshow in New York City, comes with a suite of software solutions including the award-winning Iomega Automatic Backup software for real-time protection of critical files.

    Until now, consumers looking to buy a DVD recorder have been confused by multiple standards and forced to choose sides as two large industry groups promoted competing DVD technologies. With the Iomega Super DVD Drive, Iomega is eliminating the confusion by supporting all major DVD technologies.

    “The Iomega Super DVD Drive is what DVD users are asking for — a single optical drive that supports all the major disc formats in use today,” said Sean Burke, vice president, mobile and desktops products, Iomega Corporation. “The true value of the Iomega Super DVD Drive goes beyond fast burn speeds and universal DVD format compatibility — buyers of the new Super DVD Drive also get easy-to-use software applications like HotBurn Pro and Iomega Automatic Backup software, giving them everything they need to capture, share and protect their valuable digital content.”

    Multiple Recording and Rewrite Capabilities
    The Iomega Super DVD Drive can read and record DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD-RAM, CD-R, and CD-RW formats, with buffer under-run protection for more reliable recording. In addition, digital audio enthusiasts will appreciate the drive’s 24x DAE (digital audio extraction) speed for ripping audio files.

    With an Iomega Super DVD Drive, a user can record up to two hours of high quality DVD video or other data on a 4.7 GB DVD disc, and up to 700 MB of video, music, or image data on a CD disc. Add a flatbed scanner, a slide scanner, or an analog video capture card, and users can transfer their old videos and print photographs to optical DVD or CD formats for safekeeping and archiving.

    Bundled Software for Complete Solution
    The Iomega Super DVD Drive comes with multiple software titles to give users a complete and easy-to-use DVD solution. Bundled software includes Iomega’s DVD Solutions Wizard, Iomega Automatic Backup, Iomega HotBurn Pro, Sonic MyDVD video-editing software, Sonic Cineplayer software for the highest quality video playback, MusicMatch Jukebox music management software and Adobe ActiveShare photo management software.

    Iomega’s DVD Solutions Wizard launches directly from the desktop and takes the guesswork out of writing DVDs by helping users select the appropriate software and type of disc for different tasks.

    Iomega Automatic Backup software, a PC Magazine Editor’s Choice for real-time backup software (June 17, 2003, edition), provides users continuous real-time backup to any drive letter, the ability to save multiple revisions and keep multiple backup sets on different destination drives, the ability to exclude files by file type, to schedule backups, and to cache backups temporarily. Iomega Automatic Backup is also available separately at www.iomega.com for $39.95.

    Iomega’s HotBurn Pro software, complements Windows XP by adding true drag-and-drop file recording, an integrated console interface, integrated CD copying and CD imaging, compilation creation, and a jewel case editor. Added features include a graphical audio layout editor; pop, click and hiss removal filters; and bootable CD creation.

    Pricing and Availability
    The Iomega Super DVD Internal Drive is expected to ship in the U.S. for availability in August and in Canada, Latin America, Europe, and Asia for availability in September. Suggested retail pricing is $329.95 (U.S. pricing) at select retail stores and at www.iomega.com . An external version of the Iomega Super DVD Drive is expected to ship in the U.S. in September.

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    Pioneer to Bundle Ulead VideoStudio 7, MovieFactory 2 with DVR-A06 Burner

    Monday, June 16th, 2003


    Reprinted from a Ulead press release:

    Ulead Systems, Inc., a leading developer of video editing, image editing and DVD authoring software, today announced a North American agreement to include special editions of VideoStudio 7, DVD MovieFactory 2, DVD PictureShow 2, as well as Ulead DVD player software and burning technology with Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc.’s new multi-format DVR-A06 DVD/CD writer. The Pioneer drive, coupled with Ulead digital media software, gives consumers a fully-integrated, multi-format solution for editing video content, transforming video into Hollywood-like DVDs, and creating digital image slideshows. Consumers can burn final digital projects to CDs or DVDs in both the DVD-R/RW and +R/RW formats to watch on TV or a computer.

    This North American deal is one among a series of similar regional agreements to bundle Ulead software with the Pioneer DVR-A06. The DVR-A06 will be available in North America in June at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $329.

    In line with Pioneer’s support for multiple media formats, the Ulead suite is unique in its ability to handle a variety of formats including the -VR (video recording) format. Using Ulead software, consumers who own a DVD camcorder or DVD set top recorder now have a way to edit home videos, create DVDs and watch finished movies on a variety of entertainment devices.

    “After evaluating various digital media software, we opted for the Ulead software suite because it is a complete collection of quality applications under one easy-to-navigate interface,” said Andy Parsons, senior vice president of industrial video & mass storage sales and marketing at Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. “Not only have we eliminated customer confusion over which drive and media to buy with the introduction of the A06, but users can also rest assured that they are equipped with the latest high-quality software to easily and quickly capture, edit, burn, and share their digital memories.”

    “With its new multi-format drive, Pioneer significantly reduces consumer confusion about which DVD format to choose,” says Lewis Liaw, president of Ulead Systems, North America. “The Ulead software suite further eliminates their frustration towards creating digital media by making it fun, fast, and easy. By offering consumers a host of intuitive and technological rich software within one user-friendly interface, we create one of the best user experiences in the consumer DVD creation market.”

    About the Ulead Software Suite
    VideoStudio 7 SE makes it easy to capture and edit video, complete with transitions, titles, music, narration, and special effects. To create professional DVDs, seamlessly transfer edited video from VideoStudio 7 SE into DVD MovieFactory 2 SE. Add video chapter points with multi-layer chapter menus and choose from a variety of ready-to-go DVD background templates. For digital images, use DVD PictureShow 2 SE to create entertaining digital image slideshows with text, music, narration and a DVD background menu and navigation. Burn the final movie or slideshow project to DVD or CD and watch it via a home DVD player or on a computer using Ulead DVD player software. No need to rewind or fast forward, select video scenes or slideshows with a click of the remote control.

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    Ulead Renames COOL 3D Studio to COOL 3D Production Studio

    Monday, June 16th, 2003


    Reprinted from a Ulead press release:

    Ulead Systems, Inc., a leading developer of image editing, video editing, 3D animation and DVD authoring software, today announced that the name of Ulead COOL 3D Studio, its 3D animation software for video production, has officially changed to Ulead COOL 3D Production Studio. Ulead made the name change due to its similarity to another product in the market. The name change takes effect today and is reflected on the Ulead Web site (www.ulead.com).

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    Gateway Announces Availability of Gateway 200 FireWire-equipped Notebook

    Wednesday, June 11th, 2003


    Reprinted from a Gateway press release:

    Adding hot new Intel Centrino-based technology to more of its portable product line and giving customers two sleek new notebook options, Gateway, Inc. (NYSE: GTW) today unveils the high-performance Gateway 200 notebook and Gateway Tablet PC.

    For business customers ready to standardize on mobile PC technology, both the Gateway 200 notebook PC and Gateway Tablet PC provide the long battery life, ultra-portability and wireless connectivity on-the-go professionals need. And with form factors less than one inch thin, large displays and Intel Centrino technology, customers can get the best of both worlds — a portable PC with the power and reliability of a desktop.

    “The Gateway 200 and Gateway Tablet PC with Intel Centrino Technology combine everything mobile PC users want and need — in two very different form factors — for a range of uses,” said Mike Stinson, vice president and GM, mobile products, Gateway, Inc. “Mobile professionals and consumers will appreciate the power and wireless connectivity of the Gateway 200, while educators, mobile field workers and presenters who need to write directly on the display will appreciate the flexibility of the Gateway Tablet PC.”

    Gateway 200 — One Inch Thin, Packed With Performance
    The Gateway 200 combines the features that make it the ultimate mobile PC — powerful technology in a small form factor. Equipped with Intel Centrino mobile technology, the Gateway 200 mobile PC includes mobile-optimized Intel Pentium-M processors as well as integrated WiFi 802.11b wireless capability. This enables connectivity in offices, homes, airports, convention centers and other places equipped with wireless networks. The notebook delivers more than four hours of battery life on a single charge of the six-cell battery, a huge benefit to those taking advantage of wireless
    computing.

    The 4.3-pound, one-inch-thin Gateway 200 is ideal for highly mobile professionals and savvy consumers who want a PC light enough to take with them everywhere, yet powerful enough to act as their primary PC. The Gateway 200’s large, 14.1-inch high resolution XGA TFT display is perfect for sales and marketing professionals who use their PCs for viewing presentations and office software. The vibrant display is made even clearer thanks to Intel Extreme Graphics with up to 64MB DVMT video memory.

    A range of computer users can utilize the feature-rich Gateway 200 notebook for work and productivity. SOHO workers needing the latest technology in a small space will appreciate the integrated design of the Gateway 200. The new notebook is also a great choice for educational institutions and students needing a wireless-ready system for connecting to a network, as well as savvy consumers who want a power PC with integrated wireless in an easy-to-transport form factor.

    The Gateway 200 offers configuration flexibility, with a choice of Intel Pentium-M processors at either 1.4GHz or 1.6GHz; optical drives including DVD-R/-RW, combo CD-RW/DVD-ROM, or CD-ROM; from 20GB to 60GB hard drives; and 256MB to 1024MB of PC2100 266MHz DDR memory. The new PC also features the latest multimedia ports, including one IEEE 1394 and two USB 2.0 ports, for connecting external devices such as MP3 players, data projectors and digital camcorders.

    The Gateway 200 is available for purchase tomorrow, June 12, at prices ranging from $1,599 to $1,999.

    Pen-Based Tablet PC Gets Wireless Boost
    Beginning tomorrow, June 12, Gateway delivers the new Gateway Tablet PC, which now includes Intel Centrino technology for enhanced mobile performance and wireless computing. Businesses can write directly on the display of the Gateway Tablet PC — combining the simplicity of a pad of paper with the power of a high-performance mobile PC. The Gateway Tablet PC is the ideal mobile computing platform for professionals who need to use their PC while moving throughout their workplace, such as educational administrators visiting classrooms, doctors and nurses making rounds in hospitals, and site managers in a warehouse or manufacturing facility.

    Measuring less than one inch thin and weighing only three pounds, the Gateway Tablet PC boasts a large 12.1-inch XGA TFT display that’s easy to view and use. Integrated WiFi 802.11b wireless connectivity ensures a reliable remote connection, while integrated V.92 56K Modem and 10/100 Ethernet provide direct connectivity to the network when working in the office or remotely.

    The Gateway Tablet PC features the Intel Pentium-M Ultra Low Volt processor 1.0GHz, 256MB DDR SDRAM memory expandable to 1024MB, 40GB hard disk drive, and Integrated Intel Dynamic Video Memory Graphics. The Gateway Tablet PC also provides the full functionality of a notebook PC with the latest multimedia and I/O ports, including IEEE 1394 and two USB 2.0 ports, for a fast connection to external devices.

    Utilizing Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, the Gateway Tablet PC is available with all the supporting peripherals that make it a complete solution, including integrated Intel Centrino WiFi 802.11b wireless, an optional FlexDock desktop docking station, two digitizer pens, a mobile keyboard with touchpad, and an optional external DVD/CD-RW combo drive. The price for the Gateway Tablet PC with Intel Centrino technology starts at $2,399.

    Gateway supports the Gateway 200 and Gateway Tablet PC with a standard one-year limited warranty.

    More information about Gateway’s products and services is available by calling 800-221-9616, via the company’s Web site at www.gateway.com or at one of the Gateway stores nationwide.

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