The Briefing Room

BURBANK, Calif. – December 14, 2009 – AmberFin today announced that Version 5.0 of the award winning iCR ingest, Transcode and automatic QC software is now shipping. Version 5.0 incorporates additional enhancements since its initial announcement at IBC 2009. Major features include:

• JPEG2000 support: for ultra high quality intermediate masters, which includes new and unique AmberFin functionality:
o Quality Consistency Optimisation (QCO): dynamic controls that adapt to the complexity of the picture, giving a better subjective perception
o Application Customisation Templating (ACT): optimises the balance between quality versus data rate
o Choice of profiles including, 10 Bit, Lossless. Lossy and 8 Bit with Dither, giving best results whatever the requirement
• Enhanced SD to HD file format conversion: a new benchmark in software file format conversion image quality
o Delivers superior results for interlaced to progressive conversion
o A comprehensive range of up, down and cross format conversion modes between SD and HD
• Transcode API override: changing setups for output deliverables is simple and fast to execute, saving time and minimizing complexity
• New MXF AS02 functionality: lightweight MXF for mastering now supports wrapping of IMX/D10 encoded, HD/SD 10 bit uncompressed and other
enhancements

Further enhancements include: A new ‘Mark-Up’ tool for easily segmenting content; Closed Caption tool enhancements for North American markets; Audio Advance/Delay; Global Audio Gain.

“We are committed to offering our customers practical day to day business benefits that will enable them to deliver quality content while maximizing ROI�, said Bruce Devlin, CTO, AmberFin. “AmberFin iCR is rigorously tried and tested to ensure optimum performance and best in class functionality which continues to deliver our customers outstanding quality plus new levels of efficiency�.

AmberFin offers best-in-class image quality for HD/SD ingest, video conversion and transcoding using its multiple Emmy award-winning image processing technology. AmberFin’s unique integrated automatic assisted quality control helps users achieve quality results first time. Extensive third party integration interoperability and user programmable tools deliver efficient and cost effective workflow for anyone distributing media on multiple revenue-generating platforms.

About AmberFin
AmberFin enables content owners to maximize the value of their TV, film and video content, from capture through to distribution, while increasing revenues, reducing costs, saving time and eliminating incompatibility issues. AmberFin iCR, with award winning technology, plays a key role in turning the content that owners have into the content their customers want. As an open standard, future proof platform that digitizes and transforms new and archived content, AmberFin iCR delivers the best quality pictures at smaller file sizes across multiple delivery platforms, including the Internet, VoD, TV, mobile and other small screen devices. AmberFin already has 100s of iCR systems in the field, and is trusted by some of the world’s most prestigious companies including Sony, NBA, Turner Broadcasting, BT, Channel 4, RTM and Warner Brothers, managing the digitization and repurposing of their content.

AmberFin is privately held by Advent Venture Partners and headquartered in Basingstoke, UK. More information is available at: http://www.amberfin.com

Editorial contacts:

Matthew Lloyd (US)
Hotwire for AmberFin
matthew.lloyd@hotwirepr.com
617-834-3146