Tarari Accelerates WMV-9 and SMPTE VC-1 Video Encoding; Tarari Encoder Accelerator Boosts Performance for Both Standard- and High-Definition Video.

LAS VEGAS -- Tarari and its partners are helping drive the adoption of high-quality video by bringing to market a new hardware video encoder accelerator that greatly speeds the process of creating Windows Media and SMPTE VC-1 video content for consumer electronics devices that play high-quality high-definition (HD) video: over the internet, via video-on-demand (VOD) systems, via video-over-Internet Protocol (IPTV) systems, on set-top boxes, on HDTVs, and on next-generation DVDs.

The Tarari Encoder Accelerator for Windows Media, a second-generation hardware acceleration processor, is available immediately. With expanded support for SMPTE VC-1 encoding, as well as for Microsoft WMV-9, the next-generation Tarari accelerator further reduces the time to encode both standard-definition and high-definition video content. Tarari's Encoder Accelerator is the only product on the market that is integrated with Microsoft's encoding software stack available through the Windows Media Format SDK and GUI encoder application. By directly offloading functions within the Microsoft encoder, the Encoder Accelerator provides up to a 10X boost in encoding speeds. Microsoft's codec automatically detects if the Tarari hardware is present and offloads the most complex encoding tasks, which means that existing workflows remain completely unchanged. OEMS and resellers need only install the plug-n-play Tarari board into a server or workstation-class machine to automatically gain the additional encoding performance.

"Tarari's new Encoder Accelerator makes a significant contribution toward enabling quick output of high-quality video content for network distribution through the new media channels now emerging in business, education, and entertainment," said Randy Smerik, Tarari CEO. "Tarari's partnership with Microsoft has produced an acceleration processor that is capable of seamlessly working with practically any application that can encode Windows Media and SMPTE VC-1 video."

Tarari's Encoder Accelerator for Windows Media is integrated into encoding solutions from industry media and entertainment leaders including Digital Rapids, ROOT6 and Telestream.

"Digital video is now targeted at more than 500 consumer devices, and the number of platforms, formats, and configurations is proliferating at a rapid rate," said Brick Eksten, president of Digital Rapids. "Tarari acceleration allows our customers to create high-volume, high-quality video in the most efficient way."

"Tarari's acceleration technology adds far greater speed and efficiency to our solutions, enabling our customers to improve margins on deliverables and deliver materials faster," said Marcus Hume-Humphreys, managing director of ROOT6 Technology.

"With the increasing adoption of high definition, Tarari's Encoder Accelerator helps FlipFactory HD solve the challenges of converting multiformat source media into HD formats," said David Heppe, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Telestream. "This is essential for broadcasters who regularly receive commercials in mixed SD and HD formats and need to convert them to HD on-air signals."

Availability

The second-generation Tarari Encoder Accelerator for Windows Media is available for immediate delivery from Tarari OEM and reseller partners. A free software and firmware upgrade is available to all first-generation purchasers of the Tarari Encoder Accelerator board.

Special SMPTE VC-1 Test Program

SMPTE members who are working on VC-1 decoder software or silicon and who need to generate reference VC-1 video content for testing should join the Tarari VC-1 Testers program. Please email our Digital Media Product Director Ron Franklin at [e-mail] for further information.

About Tarari, Inc.

Tarari, Inc., the award-winning acceleration company headquartered in San Diego, Calif., USA, designs and produces Tarari Content Processors that accelerate and offload compute-intensive, complex algorithms used in XML/Web Services, Network Security and Digital Media environments. Tarari's product line includes boards, ASICs and software acceleration components designed for network equipment, appliance and server vendors as well as independent software vendors and enterprises. Tarari is a privately held company with venture backing from Crosspoint Venture Partners, Intel Capital, Miramar Venture Partners, Morgan Stanley Venture Partners and XMLFund. For more information, visit: www.tarari.com, e-mail: [e-mail], or call [phone].

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