Video A Hot Topic at WinHEC 2000

MGI Software To Present Pioneering Efforts in Video Technology at Windows Powwow

NEW ORLEANS, LA and TORONTO, April 24 /CNW-PRN/ - Streaming media and digital video editing will be one of the hot topics discussed at WinHEC 2000, the premiere hardware engineering conference and industry gathering for Microsoft Windows platform developments. MGI Software (TSE:MGI - news), a technical and market leader in digital video, announced today it has been invited to speak on the subject: Video, The New Frontier as part of the Technical Session on Digital Entertainment at WinHEC 2000, being held at the Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, April 25-27, 2000.

``The consumer interest in creating and editing personalized video content on the Windows platform has steadily fueled innovation in video hardware and software development,'' said Ihor Petelycky, General Manager, Digital Video Business Unit, MGI Software. ``MGI has been at the forefront in both core development and integrating video technologies for delivery in applications accessible to the average consumer. This year, we will see an explosion in video editing and streaming media. These are among the hot topics being showcased as the industry forges ahead with applications for the next generation of Windows computing.'' At WinHEC 2000, MGI will discuss the benefits and areas of endeavor for developing video applications on the Windows platform.

Through its Software Development Kits, Microsoft has made it easier for Windows developers to build video applications and add streaming media capabilities. As a long time partner and a leader in consumer video, MGI Software has had much experience and input in Microsoft's platform development efforts for video. ``We are pleased that Microsoft has invited us to share our experience with an eager community of the leading hardware vendors and software engineers that are advancing the Windows platform and connecting the world,'' commented Petelycky.

More information about the technical session on Video, The New Frontier is available on the Internet at http://www.microsoft.com/winhec/sessions/video.htm.

Since its initial development of VideoWave, MGI has broken new ground to lead the market in by integrating video technology for the consumer. For example, VideoWave the first non-gaming application to utilize the kind of video streaming technologies used in games to be able to provide a real-time rendering capability, so users could experiment with video effects without having to produce their video (i.e. wait) to see what the effect would look like. VideoWave was also one of the first applications to harness Intel MMX technology as part of the real-time rendering process. In VideoWave II, MGI worked with Microsoft, Texas Instruments (NYSE:TI - news) and Lucent Technologies' Microelectronics Group (NYSE:LU - news) to become the first consumer video application to support IEEE1394/FireWire, bringing the ease of use and high quality of DV (Digital Video) to the Windows desktop. Most recently, MGI has worked with Microsoft to add Windows Media technologies in a VideoWave III update, fulfilling the consumer desire to embrace the Internet as both a source and destination for their video works. MGI has increasingly been recognized as a leader for core video technologies such as its software-based DVD playback solutions, and the software-based real-time TV time-shifting capabilities in Pure DIVA.