Issue: Week of April 11, 2003

NBC BUYS 11 AVID NITRIS|DS SYSTEMS

NEW YORK - NBC recently purchased 11 Avid DS|Nitris systems that replace linear and nonlinear systems in its internal graphics department, DesignWorks, and at MSNBC. The 10-bit online editing/compositing systems are being used to create graphics for NBC's news and entertainment programs.

DS|Nitris allows users to work in realtime, in formats ranging from compressed SD to uncompressed HD. The tool can also scale up as CPUs become more powerful. Based on the company's DNA hardware, Nitris|DS can deliver realtime effects to two streams of 10-bit high definition media or eight streams of 10-bit uncompressed standard definition media.

"When we started looking for a standalone editing and finishing solution to replace our existing linear and nonlinear systems, Avid offered a solution that met our current requirements for creating complex graphics and provided a foundation for future HD production." says Richard Westcott, NBC's VP of strategic projects, technology planning and engineering.