Data Translation Introduces Revolutionary Digital Video Engine -- Vincent; First Single-Board System to Support Real-Time Digital Video; Will Power Media 100, Third-Party Software and OEM Systems.

MARLBORO, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 7, 1995--The benchmark for digital video power, quality and simplicity was raised today with the unveiling of a new single-card digital video engine for Apple Computer, Inc.'s Power Macintosh(tm) systems with the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus. Vincent(tm) is the new digital video engine driving Media 100(R), the award-winning, real-time digital video system from Data Translation(R)'s Multimedia Group. Vincent will begin shipping this month.

The Vincent engine is a single board that augments and improves on the two-card NuBus design used in prior releases of Media 100 to give users significantly higher performance on Apple Computer, Inc.'s new Power Macintosh models running the industry-standard PCI bus. In addition, the Vincent architecture is backwards compatible, thus providing Media 100 users with two essential benefits: the ability to run programs created with NuBus versions of Media 100 and easy, undisruptive access to dramatic increases in performance.

"The integration of Vincent's capabilities onto a single PCI card is a major technological achievement," said John Molinari, general manager of Data Translation's Multimedia Group. "By building the most advanced digital video engine and shipping it first, we have consolidated our position as technology leader in the market. Vincent does more, more simply and at a lower cost than anything else available."

Dave Limp, Power Macintosh product line manager at Apple Computer, Inc. said: "We are pleased to have a noted developer such as Data Translation on board developing for our new Power Macintosh line. With its new Vincent engine, Media 100 brings a new level of performance to graphics and media authoring professionals. Its unique combination of broadcast-caliber image and audio quality, coupled with the simplicity of a standard Macintosh user interface, make it possible for large numbers of Macintosh users to create quality video and multimedia programs more easily than ever before."

What is Vincent?

Vincent is an elegant double-sided, 14-layer surface-mount card, incorporating state-of-the-art components and a high degree of miniaturization to maximize board real estate. Vincent conforms to all PCI-compatibility specifications and is ISO 9001 certified.

Vincent wholly fits on a single PCI card (one slot) without resorting to daughtercards or other adapters to support any of its audio/visual functionality. It is a product designed and built by one company: Data Translation, Inc..

Vincent's Impact on the Market

Vincent's architecture enables users to easily access the next generation of high-performance features that will be incorporated into upcoming versions of Media 100 software, such as virtually loss-less compression for higher output picture quality, real-time effects processing, and real-time processing and output of uncompressed, broadcast-quality graphics.

In addition, Vincent will be the platform for future, lower-cost models of Media 100 directly operating with third-party software like Adobe Premiere; and it will be available to potential OEMs and partners, like Grass Valley Group, that may choose to use the Vincent platform to advance their systems.

Vincent's Technical Specifications

-- Like its NuBus predecessor, Vincent is a "computer within a computer" with a dual-processor design comprising a 32-bit, 40 MFLOPS, Texas Instruments(R) TMS320C31 digital signal processor and 32-bit, 40 MHz MC68030 that supply the horsepower to sustain real-time, multi-track audio mixing and real-time video editing.

-- Unlike its predecessor, Vincent incorporates new, highly-integrated field-programmable gate arrays to process video effects in real-time. These VLSI circuits support accelerated audio processing and allow for the incorporation of Betacam SP (Y, R-Y, B-Y) component inputs and outputs onto the single physical card.

-- Vincent's physical integration, especially its incorporation of component inputs and outputs onto the single card, lowers degrading signal noise and minimizes the risk of thermal and mechanical failure that are common with daughtercard or multi-board configurations used in less-advanced designs.

-- Vincent's unique implementation of M-JPEG improves on Media 100's excellent video image quality using the LSI-Logic chip allowing digital video compression at ratios lower than 4:1 to deliver video picture quality as pristine as its source.

Customers Protected

Vincent specifically uses field-programmable circuits to allow Media 100 customers to easily upgrade their hardware from software, adding new features and performance enhancements over time. This gives Media 100 owners the flexibility to adapt to new Macintoshes and new Macintosh clones as they become available, all with the same Vincent hardware-circumventing the common problem of obsolescence of video equipment.

Data Translation is extending its Platinum Support Agreement, a service, support and upgrade program, to allow Platinum subscribers to upgrade their systems from NuBus to PCI at reasonable cost, if they so choose.

Media 100 2.5 on Vincent

Media 100 version 2.5 is the first release of Media 100 software to support the Vincent card. Announced today, Media 100 version 2.5 is a digital video system that couples the power of broadcast-caliber image and sound quality with the simplicity of a complete set of program authoring tools for video and multimedia, all in an open systems architecture.

Company Background

Founded in 1973, Data Translation is the world leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of hardware and software products for video and multimedia program creation, data and imaging processing. The unique and superior design of the Multimedia Group's flagship product, Media 100, allows users to easily create finished broadcast-caliber videos and multimedia programs directly from a Macintosh, setting new industry standards for digital video power, quality and simplicity. Headquartered in Marlboro, Mass., Data Translation's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ market under the symbol "DATX." -0-

NOTE TO EDITORS: Data Translation, Media 100 and the Media 100 logo are registered trademarks of Data Translation, Inc. Vincent is a trademark of Data Translation, Inc. Apple, the Apple logo and Macintosh are registered trademarks; Power Macintosh is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. All other brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and are hereby acknowledged.

CONTACT: Data Translation

Patrick Rafter, 508/460-1600 Ext. 877

or fax [phone]