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

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

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

LONDON, April 7/PRNewswire/ -- 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 optimise 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 digitise workflows has been recognised, 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 recognised 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
optimise 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: http://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 programmes 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@amberfin.com,
+44(0)1256-317-537.

Source: AmberFin

Editorial contacts: Bettina Winters, Hotwire for AmberFin, amberfin@hotwirepr.com, +44(0)207-608-2500; Scott Allen, Vice President, Marketing, AmberFin, Scott.allen@amberfin.com, +44(0)1256-317-537.

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