MIDDLEWARE

Accelerates 10+ Year Leadership in RGB Systems and Workflows; Extends IBM/Linux OS Product Offering With New Broadcast Design and Graphics Solution -- Discreet, a division of Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADSK), today opened its "Connect"-themed exhibition at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention. Discreet is showcasing a powerful product line-up designed to deliver on the needs of broadcasters, post-production facilities, and film and broadcast production companies creating content from standard-definition video to high-definition television (HDTV) and digital film. "Discreet's central theme for NAB 2004 is 'Connect'," said Paul Lypaczewski, general manager of Discreet and executive vice president of Autodesk, Inc. "NAB marks a shift in focus from creative, productive seats, to creative, productive facilities. Discreet is a first-mover in delivering data-centric workflows that give broadcasters, production and post-production facilities the open connectivity that maximizes their creativity and efficiency. We're dedicated to connecting everyone in the facility to improve collaboration and throughput. 'Connect' also refers to connecting our customers with their clients, on a global basis, helping them to get jobs done on time, with the utmost quality." At NAB, Discreet's entire booth is a real-world example of the next-generation in data-centric media production facilities, featuring one of the most powerful and comprehensive post-production workflows ever designed. Based on a Gigabit Ethernet IT backbone, the Discreet booth is a single interconnected unit combining advanced shared storage and networking architectures (including Discreet Switchable Storage, SGI(R) InfiniteStorage(TM) CXFS(TM) Storage Area Networks and Maximum Throughput Network Attached Storage architectures) with desktop computers and high-performance workstations that can scale from desktop graphic design to real-time digital intermediates (DI) production. In another step to enhance facility workflow integration, Discreet announced that it will provide a seamless conform workflow from Apple(R)'s Final Cut Pro(R) to Discreet's editing and finishing systems, further demonstrating its focus on delivering real-world, non-proprietary open workflows that offer facilities choice (announced separately). Lypaczewski added, "In addition, Discreet solutions are built to deliver a 'perfect' asset. From HBO to Disney, such assets are not merely digital, they must have long-term archival value, both in terms of quality and content. Generating such assets requires deep and rich creative tools as much as the uncompromised image quality Discreet systems are renowned for -- from RGB 4:4:4 SD and HD capabilities to a 4K film archive -- offering long-term revenue potential to our customers and their clients." Discreet is also extending its Platform Transparency initiative by introducing the latest addition to its IBM/Linux OS product line -- the flint(R) system (announced separately). Discreet's flint 8.5 system is a powerful real-time paint, motion graphics and visual effects solution for broadcast and post production, delivered as a turnkey solution based on a dual Intel Pentium 4 processor IBM IntelliStation ZPro workstation with the NVIDIA Quadro FX3000G graphics card and DVS video I/O. Solutions across all Discreet product lines -- grading, effects, animation, finishing, infrastructure and media mastering -- are now available on powerful IBM platforms, high-end SGI(R) workstations that offer uncontested HD/2K performance, and Apple(R) desktops for effects work and media distribution. Also featured at NAB are technology demonstrations for the following products: -- Discreet's inferno(R), flame(R) and flint visual effects systems; -- Discreet's lustre(TM) digital grading and color correction system; -- Discreet's fire(R) and smoke(R) editing and finishing systems; and -- Open access, i.e. the ability for Discreet's systems to share media directly with other applications via non-proprietary shared storage architectures such as SGI(R) InfiniteStorage and Maximum Throughput's Sledgehammer. New technology for Discreet's inferno, flame and flint visual effects systems being demonstrated at NAB includes: a new spline-based warping and morphing tool for enhanced creativity and faster production, a new and enhanced interactive paint system, the ability to import layered Adobe(R) Photoshop(R) files, Clip History, Notes, and support for 3D color look-up tables, as well as enhancements to the Channel Editor, Batch, GMasks, the view and more. Discreet's inferno, flame and flint systems provide artists with the ultimate toolset for high-performance, interactive content creation at any resolution, whether 2K digital intermediates, 6K film scans or HDTV. At NAB, Discreet is also demonstrating future technology for its lustre grading system for DI, digital film and HD workflows. The future technology includes advanced color correction tools based on a new, flexible image processing pipeline with multiple shapes per secondary and inside/outside color correction. Another key feature is a highly optimized 32-bit per component color correction engine offering real-time 2K grading with unmatched image quality. Developed in conjunction with Colorfront, the lustre system offers colorists and color timers an intuitive creative environment for highly interactive color grading sessions, enabling them to collaborate directly with directors of photography, cinematographers and filmmakers to perfectly adjust the colors and look of a film in ways that were previously not possible. Discreet empowers media professionals to realize the visual experience and transform their most evocative and ambitious visions into reality. Discreet's award-winning solutions are designed for digital media creation, management and delivery -- across all disciplines from film and television visual effects, color grading and editing to animation, game development, web/interactive, and design visualization. Discreet is based in Montreal, Quebec and is a division of Autodesk, Inc, the world's leading design and digital media creation, management, and distribution company. Product and corporate information: www.discreet.com.