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Looking to Future-Proof HD Transition, TWI Signs On for Third Alchemist Platinum Ph.C Standards Converter

Alchemist Platinum Ph.C enables conversion from 625/50 to 60-Hz HD standards in a single-step process, preserving resolution and quality

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HAMPSHIRE, U.K. - Aug. 3, 2005 - Seeking to future-proof its investment in standards conversion gear, sports TV producer and distributor TWI has purchased its third Snell & Wilcox Alchemist Ph.C standards converter, selecting an HD-capable Platinum model that the sports TV giant is using in broadcasts of such events as Premier League soccer, Wimbledon, and The Open Championship at St. Andrews.

The new Alchemist Platinum was supplied to TWI, the world's largest independent producer and distributor of televised sports, by Broadcast & Production Services UK Ltd (BPS), the Surrey-based distributor. Installed in the VTR department at mediahouse, TWI's London production facility, the Alchemist Platinum Ph.C will be used to convert European productions shot in PAL to NTSC and 60-Hz HDTV formats for broadcast to U.S. and Japanese audiences.

Not only does Alchemist Platinum provide the highest-quality motion compensated standards conversion available, it also delivers upconversion to HDTV standards as an integral part of the conversion process. Typically two steps are needed to convert 625-line SD PAL sources to a 1080/60 or 720/60 HD NTSC output. First the video is converted from 625 lines to 525 lines, then it is upconverted to HDTV - and 100 lines of vertical resolution get lost in the process. With the HD-capable Alchemist Platinum Ph.C, however, both the standard and format conversions are done in a single step. Alchemist Platinum Ph.C thereby preserves an extra 100 lines of vertical resolution that would otherwise be lost, resulting in clearer, sharper HDTV pictures for broadcast.

"High-quality conversion is critical for footage with a lot of fast-moving action, and that's why we've expanded our facilities with another Alchemist system from Snell & Wilcox," said David Shield, senior vice president and head of engineering and operations at TWI. "In sports such as tennis or golf, poor conversion can lead to multiple instances of the ball, or no ball at all. This is even more critical for HDTV where the viewer has higher expectations of quality. We've been using Snell & Wilcox standards converters since 1997, and with the quality they provide, we wouldn't think of changing."

In a typical application, TWI brings a PAL signal from a production site such as the Wimbledon tennis championships to its post production department at mediahouse in London. There the company converts the signal with Alchemist Platinum Ph.C to NTSC and sends the converted product back to the BT Tower and on to a satellite uplink for distribution in the United States and Japan.

"Our experience with Snell & Wilcox has given us great confidence in the company's technology, and we've also found their products extremely user-friendly," said John O'Reilly, managing director of BPS. "It's very hard to find any other standards converter with anything near the power and capabilities of the Alchemist Platinum Ph.C. For TWI in particular, it was also important to have a future-proof, HD-capable solution, for which the Alchemist Platinum uniquely fit the bill."

Alchemist Ph.C products are the only such converters with Phase Correlation, the most powerful and accurate motion compensation technology in existence and only available from Snell & Wilcox. Delivering exceptional quality and producing clear and crisp outputs from the widest range of video input material, the Alchemist Platinum Ph.C accepts and outputs 525/625-line serial digital video with embedded audio, as well as composite analog video standards, which are processed by an advanced 12-bit video decoder featuring patented Snell & Wilcox "Golden Gate" technology. Transparent conversion is achieved using a 3-stage, 46-point temporal spatial filter. Internal processing is performed at 4:4:4 resolution and at a minimum of 12-bit precision.

More information about Snell & Wilcox products is available online at www.snellwilcox.com.

TWI is the television division of IMG, the world's premier sports and lifestyle management and marketing firm. TWI has 40 offices worldwide, with its own production facilities in London, New York, Sydney, Seoul, New Delhi, and Stockholm. It is the world's largest independent producer and distributor of televised sports, producing more than 6,000 hours and distributing more than 9,000 hours of original programming to more than 200 countries covering over 240 sports each year. TWI also manages a library of more than 200,000 hours of footage. TWI represents some of the world's most prestigious brands, including the International Olympic Committee, the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club (Wimbledon), the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (The Open), the IRB (Rugby World Cup), and the FA Premier League. TWI is also host broadcaster to the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006, and the Melbourne Commonwealth Games 2006. More information about TWI is available online at www.imgworld.com.

Press Contact: Madeleine Pallas, TWI/ IMG, Phone: +44 (0) 208 233 7425. Email: mpallas@imgworld.com.

Snell & Wilcox, the leader in its field, delivers technologies and products that enable television and satellite broadcasters, post-production facilities, filmmakers, and communications professionals to move content seamlessly between analog, digital, high definition and file-based systems and to bridge the world's multiplicity of line/field and color standards. The company provides switchers and keyers, standards conversion systems, networked infrastructure components, and products for noise reduction, image enhancement, and restoration. In business since 1973, Snell & Wilcox maintains its U.S. headquarters in Burbank, Calif., and European headquarters in Hampshire, U.K. Additional offices are located in New York, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Lebanon, Malaysia, and Russia. Visit www.snellwilcox.com for more information.

Americas Press Contact: Laura Schoeggl, Wall Street Communications, Phone: +1 253 404 0020. Email: laura@wallstreetcom.tv.

EMEA Press Contact:Karen David, Wall Street Communications Europe, Phone: +44 (0) 1865 310422. Email: karen@wallstreetcom.tv.

Snell & Wilcox, Engineering with Vision, Alchemist, Ph.C, Kudos, Magic Dave, IQ Modular, RollCall, RollTrack, Mosalina, Niagra, and Kahuna are all trademarks of the Snell & Wilcox Group.