Ice Announces Super Fast Compression Products For Internet Video Broadcasting, Web And CD-ROM Repurposing

Ice Announces Super-Fast Compression Products For Internet Video Broadcasting, Web And CD-ROM Repurposing

Accelerates acclaimed Sorenson Video Codec software for 6x greater performance than fastest desktop systems; features "ICE’d" version of Terran’s Media Cleaner Pro for superior image quality, performance with today’s hottest content distribution schemes

WALTHAM, MA - ICE, the leader in desktop finishing solutions, announced two new super-fast products for video compression based on ICE’d Sorenson Video 2.0, an accelerated version of the widely-used Sorenson Vision QuickTime-compatible codec (compression/decompression software) and also leveraging ICE’d Media Cleaner Pro, an accelerated version of the industry’s leading audio and video compression software from Terran Interactive. Developed in concert with Sorenson Vision, Inc., the new ICE’d Sorenson Video 2.0-based products deliver six-times greater performance than the fastest desktop systems today for high-quality video compression in CD-ROM and Web delivery. They extend the blazing speed of ICE to video distribution, the final and pivotal step in the digital content creation process at post-production studios and independent motion graphics boutiques worldwide.

ICE will provide ICE’d Sorenson Video 2.0 within two separately packaged products: ICE’d Sorenson Video 2.0™ bundled with the Sorenson Broadcaster™, for live streaming video applications; and ICE’d Sorenson Video 2.0 bundled with the ICE’d Media Cleaner Pro 4.0™, from Terran., for re-purposing content to the Web or CD-ROM. ICE’d Sorenson Video 2.0™ bundled with the Sorenson Broadcaster is priced at $6,995 and ICE’d Sorenson Video 2.0™ bundled with the ICE’d Media Cleaner Pro 4.0™ is priced at $6,495.

Both products include a BlueICE card and will be available in late May1999. ICE demonstrated the ICE’d Sorenson Video 2.0™ products today in Las Vegas at the NAB99 trade show in ICE’s Booth #S7859, Terrain’s booth # S4635, and Apple Computer’s booth #S7222 in the Sands Convention Center.

For Live Streaming Video: Fluidity in Motion
Present technology limitations have withheld the use of Webcasting to small "postage stamp"-size images and shaky video displays. ICE’d Sorenson 2.0 used within the Sorenson Broadcaster produces stunning picture resolution (320 x 240) at up to 10 fps (frames per second) delivered over a LAN — higher visual quality, and greater frames per second, over present Webcasting solutions to give viewers the experience of fluid motion and clarity. Running in conjunction with Apple Computer’s latest QuickTime 4.0 with enhanced streaming video features, the ICE’d Sorenson 2.0 codec bundled with the Sorenson Broadcaster offers the speed to make Intranet broadcasting a feasible and economical solution for real-time messaging.

Like other ICE’d products, the ICE’d Sorenson Video 2.0 product leverages ICE’s celebrated BlueICE hardware to offload the computationally intensive steps from the desktop’s core processors — and speed the delivery of video images. Powered by new-found speed ‘On ICE’, ICE’d Sorenson 2.0 bundled with the Sorenson Broadcaster makes Webcasting a reality for such applications as remote employee conferencing and live event Webcasting. Content creators and nonlinear editors who already use ICE’s BlueICE hardware as part of their production process can expand the range of productivity they achieve ‘On ICE’ from their existing systems investment.

Deliver Media on the Web, Broadband, CD-ROM and DVD
The ICE’d Media Cleaner Pro tool provides the fastest solution available for producing high quality video and audio files for Internet streaming, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM and multimedia presentations. Millions of desktop computers already contain Sorenson Video’s decoder software, which Apple Computer provides as a standard component within its QuickTime 3 and new QuickTime 4 multi-media architecture – making Sorenson Video one of the most popular formats today for delivering compressed video files on the Internet. The recent six million downloads of the "Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace" movie trailer — all compressed with Media Cleaner Pro and Sorenson — point to the excitement surrounding rich media delivery enabled by these products.

Bundled together, ICE’d Sorenson Video 2.0 with ICE’d Media Cleaner Pro 4.0 takes Web and CD-ROM video content delivery to the next level, with six times the speed of the un-ICE’d Sorenson Video 2.0 product. Because it also includes an accelerated or "ICE’d" version of Media Cleaner Pro 4.0, the ICE’d Sorenson Video 2.0 product dramatically reduces the time it takes to do high quality to minutes, not hours. Post-production facilities and independent interactive media studios can use the same high-performance "ICE’d" desktop workstations where they create and finish the digital content to re-purpose and distribute client work faster than ever before.

"We could not be happier with the results achieved on the Blue ICE platform," said Ray Brooksby, vice president of sales and marketing at Sorenson Vision. "The ability to encode with Sorenson quality at ICE'd speed is one of the most important things we could do for developers."

"ICE'd Media Cleaner is the answer our customers have been asking for," said John Geyer, Vice President of Marketing, Terran Interactive. "The combination of these powerful products provides developers the highest quality results with the fastest encoding available."

"With a desktop ‘On ICE,’ content creators can make multi-format distribution easier, and win more business in the hottest digital formats their clients need today," said Bob Sullivan, president and CEO of ICE. "They can avoid outsourcing fees and do more work from their existing computing systems with the highest level of creative control."

About ICE
Founded in 1994 and based in Waltham, MA, Integrated Computing Engines (ICE) is a leader in special effects solutions on desktop systems used in digital post-production, compositing, visual effects, broadcast, animation and compression. The ICE architecture easily integrates into Mac®OS and Windows ® NT platforms, turning them into affordable super-fast systems for video and film finishing by up to 50 times. ICE is privately held and has strategic relationships with SCP Private Equity Partners L.P., Citicorp, and Compaq Computer Corporation.

About Sorenson Vision Inc.
Based in Logan, Utah, Sorenson Vision, Inc. was founded by James L. Sorenson, noted businessman and holder of more than 50 patents for products and processes in a variety of fields--from medicine to cosmetics. Among Sorenson's other companies are DataChem Laboratories, Sorex Medical, Sorenson Laboratories, and Sorenco Laboratories. More information about Sorenson's video technology and current line of products may be found at Sorenson Vision's Web site at http://www.s-vision.com.

About Terran Interactive Inc.
Founded in 1995, Terran is a privately held company located in Los Gatos, California. Terran's mission is to develop powerful and easy-to-use tools that optimize and compress dynamic media, enabling users to enrich their Web, broadband, CD-ROM and DVD projects. Media Cleaner Pro, Terran's flagship product, is recognized as the industry standard for compressing digital media. For more information, visit http://www.terran.com or phone (408) 356-7373.