Avid Ships New Versions of On Air Graphics Systems and Begins Delivery of Thunder StationBusiness Editors/High-Tech Editors

TEWKSBURY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 2, 2006--Avid Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVID) today announced that it is shipping the latest versions of its Avid^® DekoCast^™ and Thunder^® on-air graphics systems. Version 4.0 of the DekoCast system offers powerful new configurations with enhanced high-definition (HD) and crawl capabilities; and version 7.0 of the Thunder system introduces a new HD configuration that combines the capabilities of a traditional video clip and still image store with advanced real-time DVE effects, on-board and remote database support, and powerful graphics functionality. Avid also announced the immediate availability of its new Thunder Station system - an all-in-one news and graphics production package for broadcasters operating in small and mid-sized markets.

"Graphics systems are critical tools that broadcasters rely on to establish their identity and maintain their competitive edge," said David Schleifer, vice president of Avid Broadcast and Workgroups. "Enhancing our DekoCast and Thunder on-air graphics systems with new HD options and toolsets gives broadcasters an easy way to manage their look and feel without placing additional demands on their resources. Our new Thunder Station system also ties graphics and editing together and gives smaller-market broadcasters access to an affordable, integrated solution for news and graphics production, so they don't have to cobble together a low-budget video workflow with a range of third-party systems."

On-Air Graphics and Branding with DekoCast and Thunder

Version 4.0 of DekoCast brings powerful new features to the broadcast industry's premier automated and fully integrated channel branding system, including:

    --  A new DekoCast HD model - delivering all of the key benefits
        of the standard-definition model in a system designed to meet
        the increased demands of real-time broadcast quality HD
        graphics and video processing. DekoCast HD provides the
        advantages of Avid's leading Deko(R) graphics systems in a
        package that has been fully optimized to work in highly
        automated network environments.

    --  An enhanced "Crawl Animation" feature set - enabling stations
        to reinforce their brands by easily adding animated logos,
        clips, and live video right within informational crawl
        graphics, including those typically used on sports,
        entertainment, and finance news channels. This feature adds a
        dramatic new dimension to these graphics, opening new
        opportunities for station branding, advertising and enhancing
        information delivery.

    --  A robust toolset for collecting, managing and delivering
        real-time election data - providing tight integration with
        Avid LeaderPlus software.

Version 7.0 of the Thunder system expands Avid's family of live production servers by introducing:

    --  A new Thunder HD high-definition model - delivering multiple
        channels of broadcast quality HD video with native 720p and
        1080i MXF file format. Now broadcasters can use Thunder to
        play back animated backgrounds, breaking news, over the
        shoulder stills, promo clips and news graphics at true HD
        resolution.

    --  The ability to link a video clip with a still graphic -
        creating associations between graphics and video clips so that
        both media files can be recalled efficiently as a single
        element. This capability frees system resources that were
        previously dedicated to handling the graphic and video
        elements separately, providing operators with the opportunity
        to achieve even greater graphic sophistication with each
        independent Thunder channel.

    Integrated News and Graphics Production with Thunder Station

Thunder Station is a complete news editing, production server and on-air graphics system designed to give small-market broadcasters a flexible ingest-to-playout workflow by integrating Avid NewsCutter^® XP editing tools, Deko graphics production software, and Thunder live production servers into a single, cohesive system. This unique workflow empowers broadcasters to cost-effectively create play-to-air news, promotions, and sports segments - all with supporting graphics. Specific highlights of the systems' features include:

    --  Flexible ingest capacity - with the ability to capture four
        simultaneous DV25 or MPEG-2 I-Frame (IMX) streams through the
        NewsCutter XP workstations, and up to three DV25 or MPEG-2
        I-Frame streams through the Thunder server. The system also
        supports file-based acquisition formats, including Sony XDCAM
        and Panasonic P2 files.

    --  Powerful craft news editing tools - via the award-winning
        NewsCutter XP system, which supports native editing of a broad
        range of formats including DV25 and MPEG-2 I-Frame video as
        well as MPEG2 Long-GOP, HDV, DVCPRO-HD, and Avid DNxHD(R), and
        offers the power to create highly-produced sequences and
        effects in addition to news-specific features for accelerating
        the creation and repurposing of news packages.

    --  Complete, professional graphics creation, and fulfillment
        workflow - for developing sophisticated, multi-layered Deko
        graphics and titles; creating graphics or text with keyboard
        entries, as well as adding Deko titles to any still image
        using PostDeko; and working remotely to browse for files,
        preview stills and clips, trim clips, delete and copy files,
        create sequences, and record and play back content.

    --  Advanced playout and control capabilities - that can replace
        legacy devices for video and audio playback, such as VTRs and
        "still stores."

    Availability

The Avid DekoCast version 4.0, and Avid Thunder version 7.0 product families -and the new Thunder Station systems are available immediately. For more information please visit www.avid.com.

About Avid Technology, Inc.

Avid Technology, Inc. is the world leader in digital nonlinear media creation, management, and distribution solutions, enabling film, video, audio, animation, games, and broadcast professionals to work more efficiently, productively, and creatively. For more information about the company's Oscar^®, Grammy^®, and Emmy^® award-winning products and services, please visit: www.avid.com.

^© 2006 Avid Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Product features, specifications, system requirements, and availability are subject to change without notice. Avid, Digidesign, Film Composer, Pro Tools, DekoCast, Thunder, Deko, NewsCutter and Avid DNxHD are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. Avid received an Oscar statuette representing the 1998 Scientific and Technical Award for the concept, design, and engineering of the Avid Film Composer^® system for motion picture editing. Digidesign, Avid's audio division, received an Oscar statuette representing the 2003 Scientific and Technical Award for the design, development, and implementation of its Pro Tools digital audio workstation. Oscar and Academy Award are trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Emmy is a registered trademark of ATAS/NATAS. Grammy is a trademark of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Inc. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

    CONTACT: MarComm-On-Call, Inc
             Evan Sirof, 845-255-1909
             evan@marcomm-on-call.com

    SOURCE: Avid Technology, Inc.