Avid “Breaks Down the Walls of the Newsroom” with Interplay Sphere

Interplay Sphere is at the center of distributed, collaborative news production, dramatically improving efficiency and reducing time-to-air

NAB (Booth #SU902), LAS VEGAS, 16 April 2012—Avid (NASDAQ: AVID) today announced the debut of Avid Interplay Sphere, a real-time access solution enabling broadcast news professionals to acquire, access, edit and finish stories anytime, from anywhere. Leveraging a cloud-based architecture, Interplay Sphere gives contributors the freedom to work in a completely distributed environment that spans multiple locations and time zones. Dramatically enhancing production effectiveness, Interplay Sphere gives journalists the ability to craft powerful, in-depth stories wherever they’re actually happening – and speed them to air while still maintaining full connectivity with the newsroom operation.

“Consumer enthusiasm for on-demand media services that support multiple viewing platforms is on the rise,” said David Mercer, vice president and principal analyst, Strategy Analytics. “Cloud-enabled applications can help broadcasters meet this increasing demand by making it possible for them to collaborate from remote locations in near real-time to create and distribute stories more efficiently to their viewers, wherever they are and whatever devices they are using.”

Interplay Sphere, along with Avid’s award-winning NewsCutter and Media Composer video editing software, will provide distributed production capabilities allowing journalists to access and edit video footage captured at the scene of breaking news along with media files from any other Interplay Sphere-connected location. This effectively extends the boundaries of Avid’s editing technology and workflow capabilities beyond the traditional newsroom to wherever the most important stories are happening, essentially breaking down the walls of the newsroom.

“In today’s increasingly competitive media environment, the pressure to attract and retain viewers is fierce,” said Dana Ruzicka, vice president of Segment and Product Marketing at Avid. “For news outlets, it’s all about being first to air with breaking stories. Interplay Sphere gives broadcasters the edge they’re looking for. Now, journalists can create and edit complete stories where and when they’re happening by combining footage of breaking news at the scene with Interplay Sphere-connected assets back at the newsroom. There’s nothing else like it, and we believe this will change how news stories are made and delivered.”

Interplay Sphere

Interplay Sphere is a real-time access solution that provides broadcast news professionals with the ability to acquire, access, edit and finish stories anytime, from anywhere. Features of Interplay Sphere include:

• Easy, two-way access/connection—Enables journalists in the field to securely edit complete stories from any location, collaborate with distributed teams across complex workflows, and intelligently deliver content to production facilities.

• Simplified workflows—Automatically manages the transcode, upload and check-in to any connected Avid Interplay system and allows users to edit directly from any Interplay asset store. Pre-defined output processes provide one-button simplicity in the editor and automatic check-in on the production asset system.

• Intelligent media transfers—Speeds the crucial transfer of local media in the field by providing the ability to begin uploading media as a story is being edited, intelligently prioritize media transfer based upon working content, and deliver proxy files ahead of full-resolution files.

• Extends the newsroom to any location—Interplay Sphere, working with NewsCutter and Media Composer, enables the full spectrum of media creation, workflow management, and universal connectivity, optimized for broadcasters.

Availability

Avid Interplay Sphere with NewsCutter and Media Composer for PC will be in technology preview at NAB 2012. To see a complete demonstration visit Avid at Booth #SU902, or contact us for more information, pricing and access to the beta program at Sphere@avid.com.  Avid Interplay Sphere is expected to be available in September 2012.

Joanna Clark, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, joannac@rlyl.com, 44 (0) 207 403 8878

About Avid

Avid creates the digital audio and video technology used to make the most listened to, most watched and most loved media in the world – from the most prestigious and award-winning feature films, music recordings, television shows, live concert tours and news broadcasts, to music and movies made at home. Some of Avid’s most influential and pioneering solutions include Media Composer®, Pro Tools, Interplay®, ISIS®, VENUE, Sibelius®, System 5, and Avid® Studio. For more information about Avid solutions and services, visit www.avid.com, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube; connect with Avid on Facebook; or subscribe to Avid Industry Buzz.

© 2012 Avid Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Product features, specifications, system requirements and availability are subject to change without notice.  All prices are MSRP 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, the Avid logo, Fast Track, M-Audio, Media Composer, Pro Tools, Interplay, ISIS, Sibelius, and Avid Studio are trademarks or registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. The Interplay name is used with the permission of the Interplay Entertainment Corp. which bears no responsibility for Avid products.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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