Advances to Award-Winning Real-time Uncompressed System Set New Performance Standards for Live Production, Streaming, Editing and Integration.

October, 2004 -- NewTek, Inc., manufacturer of award winning 3D animation and video products, today announced the release of Video Toaster [4]™, an integrated production suite that provides a comprehensive toolset for all professional SD video production needs. Video Toaster [4]™ offers the most powerful computer-based live production capabilities, able to handle anything from switching and titling for network broadcast to serverless web streaming at the touch of a button. Video Toaster [4]™ provides real-time layering and effects for video and graphics in virtually any input standard or file format, operates internally in uncompressed D1 component video, and includes super-scaling technology to provide super-sharp images when video is scaled for picture-in-picture or real-time DVEs. NewTek's Video Toaster [4]™ includes integrated timeline and storyboard editing with animated titling, paint, 3D modeling and animation, keying, and much, much more.

"NewTek pioneered the concept of the Integrated Production Suite and with the release of the Video Toaster [4], we have once again raised the bar for ease of use, speed and affordability." said Philip Nelson, NewTek’s Senior Director — Video Marketing. "This is the most comprehensive upgrade that we have ever released for our Windows based system adding in groundbreaking features such as PowerPoint support allowing you to integrate PowerPoint presentations into your live production, one button streaming with VT-Stream™, compositor quality scaling and VT-Edit™, the fastest editor on the market."

" Video Toaster[4] is the most practical, user-friendly video suite on the market," said Paul Congo, Executive Director of Access Monterey Peninsula. "The fact that a single operator can have such power at his fingertips continues to amaze me. From broadcasting multi-camera live-switched events to one man productions, Video Toaster [4]’s flexibility is unbeatable. The price point also makes it wonderful for public access. With budget cycles sometimes years apart, Video Toaster [4]’s affordability makes it possible to purchase multiple systems for use in training, remote locations, and in studio."

Video Toaster[4] Overview

• Includes the VT-Pro™ Card, Software, SX-84™ Switcher Expansion and the RS-8™ Remote Switcher
• Ease of use - designed for professionals who need to get work done on time and on budget
• Live Switching of up to 8 component, 8 Y/C or 24 composite sources, as well as SDI and DV sources, with Audio support, Alpha, and Genlock.
• Stream live events or finished productions to the Web in real-time
• Integrated TBC for all input sources — cameras do not require genlock
• Procamp controls for all inputs
• Complete suite of virtual equipment created in software - monitors, decks, switchers, waveform/vectorscopes, audio mixer and more
• Integrated timeline and storyboard editing
• Multiple layers in real-time - as many as your system can handle - not limited by the software
• Real-time keyframeable color correction and blur
• Multi-format and multi-standard editing, with standards conversion on the fly in real-time
• Real-time playback of compressed and uncompressed clips
• Real-time 3D transitions, slow motion and reverse, chroma and luma keying
• 2D video paint with pixel tracking, filters, more
• LightWave 3D, world-class 3D graphics and animation
• Optional SDI I/O

Video Toaster[4]™ New Features

• 200+ new DVEs and video transitions (over 500 total DVEs in VT[4])
• DVD Authoring with instant project import and playback
• PowerPoint^® added as a switcher input
• Real-time DV out
• Image Super-scaling for super-sharp picture-in-picture
• 4 channel audio In and Out with adjustable mic or line feeds
• Improved Audio now allows 12dB of headroom
• 8-band EQ on all audio clips in the editor
• Alpha Out to use VT[4] as CG upstream of switcher
• CG for titles, scrolls, crawls and last-minute changes
• Animated CG pages edited right on the Timeline
• Instant Targa sequence playback for real-time playback and recording
• Preview out for hardware monitoring of the show
• Integrated Genlock for timing to house synch
• Serverless Streaming to accommodate up to 10 simultaneous connections
• Live Integration of Editor to incorporate cameras into projects
• MPEG-2 Encoding for DVD creation
• DVD Authoring with the included DVD Workshop 2 SE
• DVD Project playback is immediate when loading an edit project into DWS 2
• LightWave 3D^® [8] included for high-end animation
• 3D Audio positioning of all 4 channels in VT-Edit
• 66MHz PCI bus support improves overall performance
• And more — see: http://www.newtek.com/products/vt/index.php

VT-[4] Pro I/O Card:

• 66MHz _ Length PCI Card
• 4 Channel audio support
• Operates internally in D1 Component
• Supports Component, Y/C, and Composite I/O, NTSC and PAL
• Integrated Genlock
• Live Preview Out
• Alpha Channel Output

SX-84 Hardware:

Video

• 8 Component inputs, or 8 Y/C inputs, or 24 Composite inputs. (You may have inputs of differing formats on differing rows, so you can have all three formats feeding to the VT[4] at any time).
• Proc Amp controls for each input
• Multiple inputs internally synchronized; cameras do not require genlock capability.
• 4 Component or Y/C program outputs
• 4 Composite program outputs
• Preview output (can also display Alpha)

Audio

In

• 4 XLR balanced inputs
• (mic or line level, switchable phantom power)
• 4 XLR balanced outputs
• 12 RCA unbalanced inputs (6 stereo pairs)
• 2 Auxiliary Return inputs

Out

• 4 XLR balanced outputs
• 8 Unbalanced RCA outputs
• 2 Auxiliary Send outputs
• 1 PA Mix

Machine Control

• 3 RS-422 deck controls for digitizing and batch re-capture

For complete Video Toaster[4] product information see: http://www.newtek.com/products/vt

Pricing and Availability

Video Toaster[4] LIVE! which includes the VT-[4] Pro I/O Card, SX-84 and the RS-8 is available now in Europe, Russia, the Middle East and Africa at 5995 Euro plus VAT(UK RRP: £3999 plus VAT). VT[4] POST! which includes VT-[4] Pro I/O Card and softwares plus the SDI option is priced at 3995 Euro plus VAT (UK RRP: £2750 plus VAT). VT-[4] Pro I/O Card with softwares, with no LightWave 3D and no SDI option is also available for 3295 Euro plus VAT (UK RRP: £2299 plus VAT). Registered owners of previous versions may purchase an upgrade to Video Toaster[4] software for 995 Euro plus VAT ( UK RRP: £690 plus VAT). For information on your nearest NewTek Europe authorized reseller, see http://www.newtek-europe.com/uk/purchase/resellers.html

About NewTek and NewTek Europe.

Newtek Europe is based near Bordeaux, in South West France and deals with Newtek product distribution, communication and technical maintenance for all customers around Europe, Russia, Africa and the Middle East.

With headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, NewTek is a leading provider of full-featured video editing, animation and special effects tools including VT[4]™, and LightWave 3D^®, winner of the 2003 Primetime Emmy^® Engineering Award. NewTek launched the desktop video revolution in 1990 with the release of the legendary Video Toaster^®. The company's products are used worldwide on projects ranging from home video to feature film. Recent television and film projects using NewTek software include The Last Samurai, Threat Matrix, Children of Dune, Firefly, Taken, Smallville, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek 10: Nemesis, Matrix Reloaded, Collateral Damage, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Agent Cody Banks, Daredevil, Spy Kids II, We Were Soldiers, Panic Room, Hart’s War, Driven, A.I., Oscar^®-nominated Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Final Fantasy, Blackhawk Down, The Time Machine and Star Trek: The Motion Picture - Director’s Edition DVD. Recent game titles include Doom III, Unreal Tournament, Serious Sam for XBox, Age of Mythology, Civilization III, Dead to Rights, Baldur's Gate II, EverQuest and Escape From Monkey Island. Website: http://www.newtek-europe.com/uk/products/lightwave/projects.html

Video Toaster, LightWave and LightWave 3D are registered trademarks of NewTek.
VT[4], VT[4] LIVE!, VT[4] Live, VT[4] POST!, VT[3], VT[2], VT-Edit, Aura Video Paint, LightWave Express, VT-CG, VT-Vision VT-Scope, VT-DDR, Tool Shed, Tool Chest, SX-8, RS-8, Digital Confusion, HyperVoxels, Endomorphs, Intelligentities, Motion Mixer, HardFX, SoftFX, ClothFX, MultiMeshes, Particle FX, P.A.V.L.O.V., Skelegons, SkyTracer, and Vmaps are trademarks of NewTek, Inc.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Press Contact :

Audrey-Jane Belin
aj@newtek-europe.com

Marketing & Communication Department
NewTek Europe
Europarc
17 avenue Leonard de Vinci
F-33600 PESSAC
Tel : +33 (0)5 57 262 262
Fax: +33 (0)5 57 262 261

www.newtek-europe.com