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Snell & Wilcox Alchemist Ph.C - HD Gives GLS Studios a Clear Edge in Blu-ray and HD DVD Mastering

GLS Studios Becomes First Company in Germany to Integrate Advanced Alchemist Ph.C - HD Motion Compensated Standards Conversion Into Workflow

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HAMPSHIRE, U.K. -- Feb. 12, 2008 -- Snell & Wilcox today announced that GLS Studios GmbH has become the first company in Germany to deploy the Alchemist Ph.C - HD, which is being used at the company's Munich facility to enable motion compensated standards conversion of HD and SD material within a Blu-ray and HD DVD mastering workflow. With the integration of the Alchemist Ph.C - HD standards converter into its facilities, GLS Studios can create high-end deliverables from multiple HD standards and formats without compromising image quality.

"The most striking argument for the purchase of the Alchemist Ph.C - HD, of course, is the super picture quality that results from Snell & Wilcox's long experience in the video conversion business," said Matthias Stiehler, managing director of GLS Studios. "The Alchemist Ph.C - HD integrated very easily into the existing workflow at GLS Studios, and we feel it has successfully closed the loop for the complete HD post-production chain -- editing, dubbing, conversion, and mastering -- that we've established at our facility."

The Alchemist Ph.C - HD motion compensated standards converter was designed to meet the exacting demands of HD frame-rate conversion and to deliver converted outputs that are low in noise, high in detail and fidelity, and virtually free of artifacts. The unique system achieves transparent standards conversion using Snell & Wilcox's Emmy® Award-winning Ph.C motion estimation technology. Along with HD frame-rate conversion for 1080i and 720p standards, the Alchemist Ph.C - HD unit also performs SD standards conversion between 50-Hz and 60-Hz material.

GLS Studios, which is regularly honored with awards for the quality of its mastering work, is using the Alchemist Ph.C - HD for conversion of various HD formats. In addition to Blu-ray and HD DVD disc pre-mastering and asset preparation, the Snell & Wilcox HD standards converter also is being used for projects in the broadcast domain.

"To meet the growing demand for HD content and to guarantee greater value for their media assets, content owners are rapidly moving toward HD mastering," said Joe Zaller, vice president, corporate development at Snell & Wilcox. "The Alchemist Ph.C - HD supports this shift, allowing HD content to be delivered globally and at the highest possible quality. GLS Studios has used our Alchemist Ph.C system to provide excellent results in converting SD content, and our new Alchemist Ph.C - HD gives the company the same sophistication and technological edge in HD standards conversion for its mastering projects."

More information about the Alchemist Ph.C - HD motion compensated HD standards converter and other products from Snell & Wilcox is available online at www.snellwilcox.com.

GLS Studios was founded in 1993 and since has grown to provide comprehensive CD and DVD mastering services, as well as delivery of content for new media and broadcast markets. The Munich-based company offers cut and transfer work for HDTV, using the HD2 Direct-EncodingTM procedure to achieve maximum image quality. The company expanded its services in 2007 to include mastering to Blu-ray disc and HD DVD. GLS Studios has earned numerous awards recognizing the quality of its mastering work, and the company most recently earned the DVDA DVD Excellence Award for the HD DVD "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer." More information about GLS Studios is available at www.gls-studios.com.

Snell & Wilcox designs and builds the world's most advanced systems for video playout, mastering, repurposing, infrastructure, and live production switching. Providing solutions that deliver immediate value while enabling a controlled and cost-effective transition to HD and file-based systems, the company serves a worldwide base of customers in the broadcast, postproduction, cable, satellite, mobile TV, and IPTV markets. 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. Further information is available at www.snellwilcox.com.

Press Contact: Susan Warren, Wall Street Communications, Phone: +1 631 261 1013. E-mail: susan@wallstcom.com.

Snell & Wilcox, Putting Pictures to Work, Ph.C, and Alchemist Ph.C - HD are trademarks of the Snell & Wilcox Group. All other trademarks mentioned herein are acknowledged as property of their respective owners.