LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 7, 2003-- Powerful New Non-Linear Technology for Real-Time Visualization and Color Manipulation of Digital Intermediates and Media

NAB (BOOTH #SL 1500)--Discreet, a division of Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADSK), today unveiled its real-time system for digital grading and color correction--named and branded lustre(TM).

This new system is a powerful digital color correction technology operating on non-proprietary computer hardware. With this introduction, Discreet makes a strategic entry into the market for digital color grading, driving future opportunities in the emerging multi-billion dollar digital cinema marketplace. lustre is expected to be available in summer 2003.

Developed in conjunction with Colorfront (Hungary), the Discreet lustre system offers colorists and color timers an intuitive environment for highly interactive color correction sessions, enabling them to collaborate directly with directors of photography, cinematographers and filmmakers to adjust the colors and look of a film--from the most subtle of adjustments to extravagant color and lighting effects.

Creative focus

The lustre product will feature a wide range of advanced creative tools that facilitate the complex color manipulation and image enhancement tasks becoming inherent to today's digital film productions. Designed to work in both linear and logarithmic colorspaces, lustre will provide familiar tools to color timers who have been trained in film laboratories and colorists more familiar with video processes. The lustre system will also feature a high-quality tactile surface designed to provide a more intuitive color correction interface than is generally afforded by a stylus and mouse.

Core lustre software research and development is provided by Colorfront, a company with extensive experience and leadership in both photochemical and digital film production technologies. Colorfront has been developing high-end software for several years--and its technology is used by leading film studios and digital film laboratories worldwide.

"By focusing exclusively on software development, we can solve new production challenges faster and deliver new features sooner. We can additionally provide a depth of creative control not possible in hardware designs," explains Mark Jaszberenyi, CEO of Colorfront.

"Discreet's lustre system is a lot more than just a simple color correction system," says Eclair Laboratoires' Philippe Reinaudo. "It is more of a 'look-design' system that allows filmmakers to creatively control the entire look, mood, and color detail of their work--from a single scene to the full length feature."

Ultra High Performance

The lustre solution features a highly-tuned software architecture capable of delivering real-time primary color correction on 2K film scans with 16-bit/component color processing. As with Discreet's fire(TM) and inferno(TM) online systems, the Discreet lustre system will deliver its real-time capabilities through rigorous software optimization.

"Discreet's unique ability to deliver industry-leading performance on a diverse complement of hardware, means clients can immediately benefit from improvements in computer processing which have historically advanced according to 'Moore's Law'," said Marc Petit, Discreet Systems' vice president of engineering.

A key benefit of this approach is the elimination of the resolution and feature constraints generally inherent in most custom hardware designs. As a result, the lustre system will process images at any resolution--including 2K, 4K and higher.

Improved workflow

The lustre system will provide a unique parallel grading pipeline where multiple tasks can be accomplished simultaneously on centralized data--offering clients better flexibility, productivity and speed. lustre has been designed to deploy efficiently into film production pipelines and be modular (master and assistant stations) and non-linear--so it can be used at any point in the process--not just when scanning and printing.

    Key lustre features

    --  A turnkey solution that will feature Discreet's intuitive user
        interface and an interactive hardware control surface for
        enhanced ergonomic use

    --  Offers a resolution independent environment capable of
        processing images of any resolution (2K, 4K and above) and a
        high-performance color grading environment with real-time
        primary color correction and playback of up to 2K 10-bit RGB
        data

    --  Delivers powerful secondary color correction tools and
        advanced proxy management for real-time preview of complex
        effects

    --  Includes features: advanced tracking, keying, dust busting and
        rotoscoping tools

    --  Provides logarithmic and linear color manipulation and
        management, accurate monitor calibration and can
        simultaneously drive a calibrated DLP projector

    --  Offers SD and HD video I/O capabilities including pan & scan.
        Ideal for data-to-video and video-to-film workflows

    --  Includes a new plug in architecture for application of image
        processing tools

    --  Designed to integrate with visual effects and digital editing
        solutions and will offer support for standard film scans
        (Cineon and DPX)

    Pricing and availability

Discreet plans to release the lustre system in the summer of 2003. For pricing and configuration details, please contact Discreet Sales at 1 (800) 869-3504 or +1 (514) 393-1616, or visit www.discreet.com.

About Discreet

Discreet empowers media professionals to realize the visual experience and transform their most evocative and ambitious visions into reality. Discreet's award-winning solutions are designed for digital media creation, management and delivery--across all disciplines from film and television visual effects, color grading and editing to animation, game development, web/interactive, and design visualization. Discreet is based in Montreal, Quebec and is a division of Autodesk, Inc, the world's leading design and digital media creation, management, and distribution company. Product and corporate information: www.discreet.com.

Discreet is a division of Autodesk, Inc. Autodesk, Discreet, fire, inferno, sparks, stone and torch are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc./ Autodesk Canada Inc. in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

(C)Copyright 2003, Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

    CONTACT: Discreet Public Relations
             Kevin G Clark, 415/547-2457
             Mobile at NAB: 415/609-3338
             kevin.g.clark@autodesk.com
             or
             Access Communications
             Lindsay Stewart, 415/844-6217
             Mobile at NAB: 415/254-4348
             lstewart@accesspr.com

    SOURCE: Discreet