For Immediate Release

(1 September, 2000) At IBC Amsterdam, AIST, Avid, Discreet, Leitch, Panasonic,Quantel and Sony are making significant announcements regarding the Advanced Authoring Format.

AIST is announcing that two of its products now incorporate AAF technology. Avid announced that Media Composer®, Symphony® and Avid Express® DV will all support AAF for file interchange, Quantel have announced a completely new platform - iQ - which will be launched at IBC. iQ uses AAF at the core of its interoperability technology. Sony also announced their Content Management Network Platform that will provide support for AAF interchange.

The AAF Association is also announcing the formal release of RC1 (Release Candidate 1) of its AAF Software Developer’s Kit or SDK. The SDK is based upon the Advanced Authoring Format file interchange specification, Version 1.0. "RC1 shows that the AAF is making demonstrable progress towards a general release", Brad Gilmer, Executive Director of the AAF Association said. "One of the most significant additions to RC1 is a UNIX port containing significant technical contributions by Discreet and Avid."

Panasonic will also announce development of AAF-based NLE products that will support AAF file interchange.

Terry Ragan, Director of Industry Marketing for Discreet comments, "Discreet is pleased to participate in the AAF Association, and intends to support the AAF standard in the future releases of its systems product line."

John Edwards, Director of Product Development – Server division at Leitch commented: "The exchange of data, both essence and metadata, is essential to the new digital entertainment and information infrastructures being driven by the Internet, DTV, DVB and Digital Cinema. Leitch will continue to take a leadership role and work with AAF and other industry participants in this endeavour."

Jan Weigner, Business Development Manager for AIST said, "We have both professional and consumer products." "I believe we are the first company to be shipping a consumer product incorporating AAF technology. " "As we sell quite a large amount of MovieDVsuite and MoviePack, this should give the AAF movement a definite and broad push." "AAF will be supported in MovieDVsuite and MoviePack as well as in products yet to be announced."

"AAF follows on from OMFI in promoting better collaboration in production workgroups, using the award-winning SMPTE Metadata Standards. Avid is pleased to contribute to the growth of open standards in the industry," said Oliver

Morgan, senior consulting engineer at Avid Technology. "Avid's Media Composer, Symphony and Xpress are now supporting AAF. The plan is to have a range of Avid's products support AAF in the future.

The next major step for the AAF is the Developers conference in Santa Fe New Mexico November 13-16. We expect major technology roll outs in 2001 based on the work done at the conference. The conference is an opportunity for education and hands-on training with the AAF SDK, along with the opportunity to set the future direction of the AAF specification.

About the AAF

The Advanced Authoring Format (AAF) is a multimedia file format that enables content creators to easily exchange digital media and metadata across platforms and between applications. The AAF simplifies project management, saves time, and preserves valuable metadata that was often lost when transferring media between applications in the past.

AAF Association: Incorporated in January 2000, the AAF Association, Inc. is a collaborative body that promotes the development and adoption of the Advanced Authoring Format (AAF) technology throughout the media industry.

The AAF multi-media file format enables content creators to easily exchange digital media and metadata between platforms, systems and applications, thus simplifying project management . The AAF already has representatives from most major players in the industry and now has over 25 members with Post Impressions another recent signing.

AAF technology will help deliver the full benefits of digital media to content creators including film, television, the Internet and post-production professionals. Further details on www.aafassocation.org.

AAF Association Contact:

Brad Gilmer – Executive Director, +1-770-414-9952,
[email protected]