Avid to Release Avid Xpress Pro HD

New HD Version of Company’s Award-Winning Portable Editing Solution Supports Panasonic DVCPRO HD and Avid DNxHD Formats; Native HDV Support Planned for Mid-2005

TEWKSBURY, MA -- 12/08/2004 -- Avid Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVID) today announced plans to release Avid Xpress® Pro HD software, the first portable HD version of the company’s industry-leading nonlinear digital editing software. Scheduled to ship worldwide later this month, Avid Xpress Pro HD software delivers support for native Panasonic DVCPRO HD acquisition and editing, Avid DNxHD™ editing and rendering, and real-time multicamera functionality. Avid Xpress Pro HD customers will also receive native HDV support as part of a free software update scheduled for mid-2005.

“As more and more video editors make the switch to HD, they are increasingly demanding an editing solution that offers maximum convenience and portability without compromising on quality, format choice, or flexibility,” said Tim Wilson, senior product marketing manager at Avid. “Avid Xpress Pro HD allows editors to work with DV, SD, HD, and film media in a single sequence, making it easy for them to edit projects that originated from multiple sources. And as HD cameras proliferate across the market in 2005, Avid will deliver the industry’s most fully integrated HDV support as a free update for Avid Xpress Pro HD. Whereas other editing systems require plug-ins, or even separate applications, and complex renderings to intermediate formats, editors using Avid Xpress Pro HD will be able to simply capture, edit, and output native HDV back to tape.”

Avid Xpress Pro HD software also includes additional new features, such as DV50 capture and output over IEEE-1394, 24p and video effects output over IEEE-1394, and expanded film support. Another key benefit of Avid Xpress Pro HD software is its integration with other Avid® editing and finishing solutions. Footage captured on Media Composer® Adrenaline™ HD or Avid DS Nitris® systems in Avid DNxHD -- Avid’s revolutionary new mastering-quality, storage-efficient encoding technology -- can be transferred to an Avid Xpress Pro HD system using shared storage or local storage. In addition, the flawless conform capabilities across the Avid product line allow customers to start projects on any Avid system -- including Media Composer Adrenaline HD, Avid DS Nitris, Symphony™, or Film Composer® -- and continue working on their media in the portable Avid Xpress Pro HD system before sending their work back to other Avid systems for finishing.

Pricing & Availability

The Avid Xpress Pro HD software is scheduled to be available through Avid’s worldwide reseller channel and the Avid store (www.avidstore.com) later this month for $1,695 USMSRP. The Avid Xpress Pro HD software will initially be available for Windows-based systems, with upgrade pricing of $49.95 USMSRP for existing Avid Xpress Pro customers. Users who purchase the Avid Xpress Pro HD software will be eligible for a free upgrade to the next release of the product -- scheduled to ship in mid 2005 -- which will offer native HDV editing capabilities as well as a host of additional new features. A Mac version of Avid Xpress Pro HD software is also expected to be available in 2005.

During DV Expo West, December 8-10 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Avid will demonstrate Avid Xpress Pro HD support for real-time, native HDV editing.

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.

© 2004 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, Film Composer, Pro Tools, Avid Xpress, Avid DNxHD, Media Composer, Adrenaline, Nitris, and Symphony are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. 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 the design, development, and implementation of its Pro Tools® digital audio workstation. Oscar is a 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.

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Alice Palmer

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Avid Technology

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