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To: BillyG who wrote (39304)	3/16/1999 2:21:00 PM
From: DiViT	Respond to of 50808

Zapex Technologies, Inc., ZP-200/300 Encoders Deliver Simultaneous MPEG-2 Video/PCM and Dolby Digital (2 Ch) Audio Encoding On a Single PCI Board 03/15/99 Business Wire (Copyright (c) 1999, Business Wire) MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 15, 1999--Zapex Technologies, Inc. delivers professional quality video and audio to the corporate desktop with the release of a single PCI Board video/audio encoder. The ZP-200/300 product line streamlines encoding for MPEG-2 video and Dolby(R) Digital/PCM audio, producing high quality digital video at low bit-rates. The ZP-200/300 video/audio encoders will enable video content holders to mass deliver DVD -Video titles to the corporate world, educational institutions and publishing houses on the optical disk of the millennium. Combining Zapex's innovative development of custom compression technology and programmable architecture with Dolby's audio technology standards, the ZP-200/300 reduces production time with one-pass video and audio encoding. The ZP-200 encodes MPEG-2 video with PCM audio and the ZP-300 encodes PCM and Dolby(R) Digital (2 ch). The ZP-300 has been officially certified by Dolby Laboratories and both encoder products feature simultaneous audio and video encoding on a single PCI board. The ZP-200/300 transitions from the original rack-mounted box to a single PCI board that delivers the same high quality video as the product's predecessor for DVD -Video creation. Zapex's patented compression technology utilizes an adaptive field/frame full search for each picture block to produce superior video quality. Full motion estimation search guarantees every possible point is examined for the closest match possible. "Zapex's design team has ten years of expertise and experience in developing premium quality MPEG encoders," said Shun Masuda, Vice President of Research and Development. "The ZP-200/300 audio/video encoders, feature unique MPEG-2 encoding VLSI designed exclusively for the Zapex product line. Zapex's core technology embodies the excellence of MPEG encoder design. The ZP-200/300 offers optimum video/audio encoder solutions for high quality MPEG-2 encoding." Zapex has worked together with Dolby Laboratories since 1996 during the joint development of Zapex's first Dolby(R)-certified audio encoder. The ZP-300 video/audio encoder has been certified by Dolby Laboratories giving system integrators the ability to offer a Dolby(R) Digital audio encoder product. "We recognize Zapex Technologies, Inc. as one of the leading companies capable of delivering superior audio and video quality. Zapex understands Dolby's audio technology and has the proven ability and resources to integrate their video compression technology with our audio encoding technology," said Rashmin Desai, Licensing Manger, Digital Technologies at Dolby Laboratories. Easily integrated into new or existing DVD turnkey systems, the ZP-200/300 encoders also feature "off-line" encoding. Using Adobe Premiere(R), a non-linear video editing tool, it is possible to edit video clips and add transitions, overlays, effects and audio tracks without having to record the edited video source back to tape. The finished video can be directly exported to the ZP-200/300 to encode MPEG-2 video streams, PCM, or Dolby(R) Digital (2 ch) audio streams or a VOB ( DVD Video Object). The encoded streams can be imported into a DVD authoring tool or a PC presentation tool. "This amazing 'Off-line' encoding feature allows you to send your edited files to our ZP-200/300 for encoding in ES or VOB format. Any file format that is accepted by Adobe Premiere(R) can be converted to MPEG-2 format," said Taka Urano, Marketing Manager at Zapex. "The ZP-200/300 product line brings quality MPEG-2 video and PCM/ Dolby(R) Digital (2 ch) audio directly to the corporate desktop and delivers all of these features in a single PCI board for the PC market." The integration of video and audio capturing on one PCI board appealed to Digi-ROM. Owned and operated by Harry Hirsch, Digi-ROM is an electronic media service bureau located in New York. As one of the first beta test sites for Zapex products, Digi-ROM wanted to add DVD -Video title creation to their existing services and tested the new ZP-200/300 encoder. "After viewing a sneak preview of the ZP-200/300 video quality at DVD Pro last year, I knew that the Zapex encoder would deliver the video quality that I needed for my customers," said Brian Brodeur, Director of Multimedia at Digi-ROM. "I was absolutely amazed at how easily the pre-production ZP-200 board integrated into my existing production environment. After one tech support call, I was encoding like a pro and was able to deliver a few projects on DVD the first week. Every customer that comes in inquiring about DVD projects leaves wide-eyed from the show-stopping video quality." In addition to professional use, the ZP-200/300 encoders enhance video excellence for PowerPoint and multimedia presentations, corporate training sessions, multimedia catalogs and company brochures as well as digital video archive/database and other applications in the non-professional arena. Zapex Technologies will begin shipping the ZP-200/300 audio/video encoders at the end of the month. Zapex Technologies, a leading world-wide supplier of standards-based video and audio encoding solutions, is located in Mountain View, California. With a continued commitment to developing exceptional quality digital video and audio technology, Zapex is dedicated to delivering cutting-edge innovation. For additional product information visit www.zapex.com. Note to Editors: Dolby, Dolby Digital, and AC-3 are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. All brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Contact: CONTACT: Zapex Technologies, Inc. David R. McCombe, 650/930-1300 davemc@zapex.com Gracey A. Wood, 650/930-1300 gracey@zapex.com or Jean Newton Public Relations Jean Newton, 650/941-8800 jnewton@jnpr.com 18:13 EST MARCH 15, 1999