IRVINE, Calif - DV Studio Technologies LLC announced two new DVD applications that incorporate its new Apollo Expert MPEG-2 hardware encoder and software.

Apollo Expert Author is a complete DVD authoring solution, and Apollo Expert Archiver can be used for archiving VHS and other video standards onto DVD disks. Apollo Expert Author includes Apollo Expert MPEG-2 encoding hardware and software, INTEC's DVD authoring software, a DVD-RAM drive and a Windows NT driver. It carries an MSRP of $3,995.

According to Dr. Ash Pahwa, DV Studio's chief executive officer: "This is truly a complete DVD authoring solution. With the June release of Pioneer's more affordable DVD Writer Drive (model DVR-S102) at an approximate MSRP of $5,000, desktop DVD creation is now at hand. Our products are compatible with the Pioneer DVD Writer drives, and we expect to see even more competitively priced units from Pioneer and other manufacturers available within a year. Competitive authoring solutions could cost from $20,000 to $250,000."

Apollo Expert Archiver includes Apollo Expert MPEG-2 encoding hardware and software, and a DVD-RAM drive with Windows NT drivers. It is priced at $2,495 MSRP.

John Houston, vice president of technology, stated: "Apollo Expert MPEG-2 encoding and playback features open a vast array of market opportunities that include DVD authoring, Super VCD authoring, multimedia companies, production studios, corporate MIS and marketing professionals, medical and legal professions, and school multimedia departments, to name a few. Even home hobbyists can now afford the digital video and audio quality that was formerly available only to the major studios.

"DVD will replace the VHS videocassette as the dominant movie format in the same way that CDs replaced the audio cassette as the dominant music format," Houston added. "With Apollo Expert, people can make their own DVDs in the same way they make video tapes."

One of the key features of Apollo Expert is its ease of use. Apollo Expert is a half-size PCI card that can be easily installed in any Pentium-based computer. Even a novice can become a pro in a matter of a few experiments. The video quality is the main strength of the encoder.

"We can safely say that our `next-generation' solutions are revolutionary," said Pahwa. "None of DV Studio's competitors currently offer digital video encoders with the same features and benefits at comparable prices."

DV Studio has received positive feedback from a variety of firms indicating that Apollo Expert is a big step toward the convergence of digital media products for professional and consumer applications. Pioneer has already confirmed the compatibility of its upcoming DVD-R/RW with Apollo Expert MPEG-2.

Apollo Expert comes complete with hardware, software and everything needed to immediately begin to encode and play back. The only additional equipment that the user needs is a Pentium-based computer and an audio/video source. The hardware is PCI-based running under the Windows NT 4.0 environment. The application programs are included on the CD-ROM, and installation typically takes only a few minutes. Once installed, running of the program is easy.

For those already familiar with video and audio, the entire Apollo Expert MPEG-2 encoding and decoding processes can be learned within minutes. For those who are novices, becoming an expert can be accomplished in a matter of hours.

System Requirements:
233 MHz MMX or higher CPU, 64 MB RAM or higher, hard drive with 600 MB free space, 4X Speed CD-ROM or higher, 1 PCI slot free and Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 operating system.

DV Studio Technologies produces state-of-the-art digital encoders at affordable prices. The products enable users to produce digital video content for DVD, Super VCD, DVD-ROM, broadcast, video conferencing and Internet applications. The main sales channels are OEMs and resellers.

DV Studio Technologies LLC is located at 15375 Barranca Parkway, J-103, Irvine, Calif. 92618. Phone: 949/453-1702, Fax: 949/453-1311.