LONDON, February 9 /PRNewswire/ --

- Latest Upgrades to AmberFin's iCR Software Fuels the Transition to 
HD, Enables Enhanced Interoperability and Delivers Greater Operational 
Efficiencies

- Native support for Avid DNxHD and Final Cut Pro
    - Extended MXF capabilities
    - Simultaneous ingest and transcoding
    - Motion compensate SD frame rate conversion included as standard
    - Enhanced pre-processing capabilities



In the latest upgrade to its flagship content mastering and
transcoding software solutions, AmberFin announces the immediate availability
of iCR 4.5, which further enhances file-based workflow efficiency and raises
the bar on image quality, while reducing cost per deliverable.

AmberFin's iCR delivers superior image quality for HD/SD
ingest, video conversion and transcoding through its multiple Emmy-Award
winning image processing techniques. AmberFin's leading integrated quality
control (QC), automation and asset management and tight integration with
industry standard storage also offers a unique path for content owners
looking to reduce the costs associated with managing and distributing media
for multiple revenue-generating platforms.

The latest version of iCR introduces a wide range of
enhancements, including:

- Native support for Avid DNxHD and Final Cut Pro, offering
instant interoperability with Avid and Apple editing systems, and
strengthening the link between content creation and distribution to expedite
editing and versioning

- Extended industry-leading MXF support of native Panasonic
P2, Sony XDCAM and Avid Op Atom MXF further increases interoperability with a
wide range of tapeless cameras, VTRs, editing and server systems on the
market

- Simultaneous ingest and transcoding allows conversions and
transcoding to be pipelined with ingest operations for greater throughput

- File-based standard definition motion compensated frame rate
conversion now available as a standard feature on all iCR systems

- Powerful new broadcast-quality sharpening and softening
pre-processing filters to seamlessly integrate SD and HD content and
eliminate macroblocking artifacts at low bitrates without compromising
quality

In order to help users reduce the time, costs and
interoperability issues associated with transcoding and importing files,
AmberFin iCR 4.5 now supports native Avid DNxHD and the native QuickTime
format for Apple Final Cut Pro. iCR 4.5 also provides support for full range
of P2 and XDCAM formats to enable true tapeless workflows between content
creation and distribution.

With iCR's latest architectural improvements, transcoding to multiple
platforms can now begin within seconds of the ingest process being started.
This approach allows multiple, simultaneous transcode processes, each with
automated QC, to begin as soon as the master encode process is underway. As a
result, users are able to streamline and complete operations more quickly,
thereby reducing time to market and achieving significantly enhanced workflow
throughput and efficiencies.

iCR 4.5 also provides a suite of powerful compression
pre-processing algorithms, which optimize picture quality during the
transcoding stage to filter out out-of-range frequencies and eliminate most
macroblocking artifacts, while increasing the overall image quality, even at
low bitrate. Furthermore, these techniques greatly enhance HD Up/Down
conversion performance and help content owners increasingly challenged by
mixing SD and HD content and creating HD programs from SD sources.

"AmberFin has a deep heritage in providing the best HD image
quality on the market," says Bruce Devlin, CTO of AmberFin. "As HD becomes
increasingly prevalent, we are, more than ever, committed to ensuring that
AmberFin customers are not only getting the best looking pictures on the
market, but that our tools and processes enable them to be more profitable as
distribution channels multiply and markets diversify."

AmberFin will be exhibiting on stand SU4323 at the NAB Show in Las Vegas 
from April 20-23, 2009 and will be available to demonstrate iCR 4.5 and 
illustrate how it plays a key role in the digitization and repurposing of 
content for market-leading companies including Sony, NBA, Turner 
Broadcasting, BT, Channel 4, RTM and Warner Brothers.

About AmberFin

AmberFin enables content owners to maximize the value of their
TV, film and video content, from capture through to distribution, while
increasing revenues, reducing costs, saving time and eliminating
incompatibility issues. AmberFin iCR, with four-time Emmy-award winning
technology, plays a key role in turning the content that owners have into the
content their customers want. As an open standard, future proof platform that
digitizes and transforms new and archived content, AmberFin iCR delivers the
best quality pictures at smaller file sizes across multiple delivery
platforms, including the Internet, VoD, TV, mobile and other small screen
devices. AmberFin already has 100s of iCR systems in the field, and is
trusted by some of the world's most prestigious companies including Sony,
NBA, Turner Broadcasting, BT, Channel 4, RTM and Warner Brothers, managing
the digitization and repurposing of content.

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

AmberFin and iCR are trademarks of AmberFin Limited. All other trademarks
mentioned herein are acknowledged as the property of their respective owners.

Editorial Contacts:

    Jaime Tero (U.S.)
    GBC for AmberFin
    jaimet@gbc-usa.com
    +1-415-989-9803

    Kirstyn Langford (UK)
    Hotwire for AmberFin
    amberfin@hotwirepr.com
    +44(0)207-608-2500