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Four-Time Emmy® Award Winner Launches AmberFin to Maximize the Value of Video Content

AmberFin Enriches Entire Lifecycle of Digital Media -- From Content Capture to Distribution

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London, April 7, 2008

Today sees the launch of AmberFin, a new company created as part of the Snell & Wilcox Group that is a dedicated home for its award-winning iCR software. Building upon 30 years of Snell & Wilcox experience, AmberFin will enable the digital media industries to optimize the quality of video content while addressing incompatibility barriers throughout the value chain.

iCR boasts a portfolio of big-name customers including Warner Bros, Channel 4, Sony Pictures, Technicolor, RTM, Ascent Media Group and BT.  Targeting the entire digital media community, including film and broadcast, telecoms, Internet and broadband, AmberFin already serves movie studios, sports franchises, broadcasters, TV producers, facility houses, archives and libraries globally.

Simon Derry, chief executive of AmberFin, commented on the launch: "Film and video content owners have seen an explosion in the number of outputs and distribution channels available to them in recent years, a growth which has had a dramatic impact on workflow.  They are attempting to meet the seemingly insatiable hunger the consumer has for content -- whether it is on their mobile phone, handheld gaming device, PC or the latest must-have flat-screen TV -- and must turn content around quickly and cost-effectively.  For the industry to reap the benefits of this appetite, it is crucial that the whole production process, from content capture through to distribution, is made significantly more efficient.  AmberFin has been conceived to achieve exactly this." 

Tom Morrod, analyst at media analyst firm Screen Digest, commented: "There are only a few players in today’s broadcast asset management industry, and although the need to digitize workflows has been recognized, the practicalities have yet to be defined. With a few exceptions, broadcasters have not seriously considered how they’re going to address the digital challenge, but over the next few years, Screen Digest expects this to grow into one of the industry's biggest drivers. As broadcasters increase their focus on expanding the reach of their content assets, there is an enormous opportunity for those who can deliver the same content in high-quality segments for different platforms, whether it's Internet streaming, download, mobile or personal handheld device."

Simon Derry continued: "Snell & Wilcox is recognized for its innovative and highly reliable image processing hardware.  This unrivalled reputation will underpin AmberFin and our iCR software as we take that expertise to the wider digital media community.  AmberFin iCR incorporates all of Snell & Wilcox’s Emmy® Award-winning technologies, enabling efficient file-based digital workflows and delivering both time and cost reductions."
 
AmberFin iCR creates a high-quality file-based master, delivers quality-control review, provides unique file conversion to multiple formats and simultaneously prepares multi-platform versions of video content, all within a single software environment.  The modular approach of iCR also means that customers only need to add the applications that are important to their business needs.

About AmberFin
AmberFin was launched in 2008 to enrich the entire lifecycle of digital media -- from content capture to distribution.  The company builds upon 30 years of Snell & Wilcox experience and an unrivalled reputation for highly reliable image processing technology, enabling the digital media community to optimize the quality of video content while addressing incompatibility barriers throughout the value chain.

AmberFin iCR is an end-to-end software platform incorporating all of Snell & Wilcox’s Emmy® Award-winning technology to create a high quality file-based master, deliver quality-control review, convert files to multiple formats and simultaneously prepare multi-platform versions of video content.

AmberFin already serves a portfolio of big-name customers including movie studios, sports franchises, broadcasters, TV producers, facility houses, archives and libraries.  

Privately held by Advent Venture Partners, AmberFin is part of the Snell & Wilcox Group, headquartered in Basingstoke, UK.  More information is available at: www.amberfin.com.

About AmberFin iCR
AmberFin iCR is an end-to-end software platform which incorporates all of Snell & Wilcox’s Emmy® Award-winning technology.  AmberFin iCR enables efficient file-based digital workflows, delivering both time and cost reductions through the following application modules:
- Review: iCR automates the quality-control review process, automatically detecting faults invisible to the human eye.
- Virtual VTR: iCR bridges the gap between IT and broadcast infrastructures and fluently converts between SD and HD file and video formats.
- Production encoding:  iCR bridges the gap between incompatible acquisition and production systems, replacing tape with files in the SD/HD world.
- Mastering: iCR offers the highest quality masters and sub masters, providing industry-leading image and audio quality, facilitating the move from video to IT-centric workflow.
- Repurposing: iCR creates smaller files and better-quality video with automated conversion of programs for multiple distribution channels including broadcast, Internet, VOD, IPTV, mobile phones and portable media players.

Editorial contacts
Bettina Winters
Hotwire for AmberFin
amberfin@hotwirepr.com
+44 (0) 207 608 2500

Scott Allen
Vice President, Marketing, AmberFin
scott.allen@snellwilcox.com
+44 (0)1256 317 537