Avid Liquid Chrome HD Delivers Greater Format Flexibility and New Effects Tools.

LAS VEGAS -- Avid Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVID) today unveiled version 7 of the Avid Liquid(TM) Chrome HD family - the newest addition to the Avid Liquid line of editing software and hardware for advanced videographers who want to work with formats that require SDI (serial digital interface) and HD-SDI capabilities. As the most versatile standard-definition (SD) and high-definition (HD) video editing tool in the Avid Liquid line, Avid Liquid Chrome HD v7 offers customers enhanced format flexibility, new effects tools, enhancements to its integrated toolset, and greater output capabilities - all within a single application. With Avid Liquid Chrome HD, users can create extremely high-quality SD and HD video productions from start to finish - and deliver completed projects on professional digital tape formats, DVD, and a range of streaming formats for the Web.

"Videographers continue to stress how important it is to have access to a single editing tool that is easy to use and allows them to work quickly to create high-quality projects on a modest budget. At the same time, many are looking for advanced features that offer greater flexibility for SD and HD work. Liquid Chrome HD is a perfect solution to address these needs," said James Thill, senior product manager for Avid. "Avid Liquid Chrome HD is already renowned for its ability to enable customers to capture DV, HDV, MPEG, and uncompressed formats and master to tape in both SD and HD formats. With version 7, we've taken this to the next level by offering support for new codecs, new output capabilities, and tons of new effects options for creating stunning graphics and visuals."

The Avid Liquid Chrome HD family of solutions integrates Avid Liquid software with a range of SDI hardware. The product line combines video, audio, DVD, and effects creation in a single application - and equips users with additional features such as enhanced secondary color correction, multicam support for up to 16 cameras, and Avid's industry standard Open Timeline for editing and playing back different formats and resolutions in real-time. New capabilities offered in version 7 of the Avid Liquid Chrome HD family include:

--Additional format flexibility - offers native support for WM9, DivX and MPEG-4 to edit and repurpose for the Web, allowing editors to make edits to existing media content (without timely transcodes), and mix this footage with other sources;

--XDCAM HD support - delivers the ability to capture and edit XDCAM HD material, including proxy-based workflows, and real-time mix and match with other formats;

--Increased FX power - introduces RT Timewarp, stabilize and more than 50 Commotion and Magic Bullet Movie Looks effects, allowing editors to now have more creative choices to enhance the style and quality of their work;

--Enhanced integration - provides custom music creation with SmartSound, empowering editors to quickly create soundtracks from a library of musical styles and tempos. Soundtracks are now added directly to the timeline and update automatically as the length of the soundtrack is trimmed; and

--Expanded output to new formats - delivers custom templates for output to next-gen formats and devices such as Flash video, Sony PlayStation Portable, and Apple iPod.

Pricing and Availability

The Avid Liquid Chrome HD family includes three scalable offerings designed to meet a range of professional needs. These systems include:

--Avid Liquid Chrome HD Plus - a package priced at $4,995 USMSRP for independent videographers who are looking for an integrated application with SD SDI I/O and four channels of AES/EBU audio;

--Avid Liquid Chrome HD Deluxe - a more comprehensive solution priced at $7,995 USMSRP that offers all of the functionality of Liquid Chrome HD Plus and adds HD SDI I/O; and

--Avid Liquid Chrome HD Elite - the most advanced system in the line priced at $11,995 USMSRP, including comprehensive SD and HD I/O in a rack-mountable broadcast chassis.

The Avid Liquid and Avid Liquid Chrome HD systems are available now through Avid's worldwide reseller channel and are qualified to run on CPUs from HP - Avid's preferred platform provider for Windows-based systems.

For more information about the Avid Liquid family of products, please visit: www.avid.com/products/liquidchrome.

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(R), Grammy(R), and Emmy(R) award-winning products and services, please visit: www.avid.com.

(C) 2006 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, Film Composer, Digidesign, Pro Tools and Avid Liquid are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. or its subsidiaries 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(R) 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(R) digital audio workstation. Academy Award and Oscar are trademarks and service marks 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.