New Intel WebOutfitter Service to Feature Metacreations' Next-Generation Streaming 3-D File Format

Business Wire, March 26, 1999

CARPINTERIA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 26, 1999--

MetaStream(TM) Included in Intel's Package of Best-of-Breed Content,

Tools and Tips to Enhance Internet Experience of Pentium(R) III

Processor-Based PC Owners

MetaCreations Corp. (Nasdaq:MCRE), the "Creative Web" company, Friday announced the inclusion of the MetaStream(TM) viewer for its open 3-D file format for scaling and streaming 3-D content on the Web, in the Intel(R) WebOutfitter(SM) Service.

Intel's WebOutfitter service is a new, free Internet service aimed at providing Pentium(R) III processor owners with a convenient starting point for experiencing cutting-edge content, Web sites, tools and tips designed to maximize the Internet experience. MetaStream is the first streaming 3-D technology included in the Intel WebOutfitter service.

The MetaStream open 3-D file format was jointly developed with Intel and addresses the need for 3-D files that stream efficiently over the Internet and scale to the user's display and processing power. MetaStream files are small, compressed and scalable.

This means that the MetaStream viewer plug-in can adjust the objects' resolution without sacrificing visual quality, allowing greater control over viewing and download times. This, in turn, permits Web content developers to generate sites of the highest possible quality for enjoyment by power users, while still assuring the satisfaction of users with limited bandwidth and/or computing power.

Web Sites that have begun utilizing the MetaStream technology are also included in the Intel WebOutfitters service and include autobytel.com, Warner Bros. and Modacad.

"MetaCreations recognizes the need to provide standards and transform the Web experience for the better, and believes that MetaStream will be a key factor in that transformation to 3-D on the Web," said John Dearborn, senior vice president of marketing at MetaCreations.

"MetaStream, like the Pentium III processor, heralds the beginning of a new era for the Internet, the transition from 2-D to 3-D. It's all starting now, and we're pleased to be working with Intel to offer a cutting-edge technology that is fast becoming a standard that will enhance the Web experience for all users," Dearborn added.

In addition to the Intel WebOutfitter service, MetaStream is also being distributed by Microsoft as a component of Windows 98 and Windows 2000. Additionally, the Intel WebOutfitters service is the perfect distribution vehicle for updates and advances of the MetaStream technology.

Web Developer/User Benefits

By authoring content utilizing the MetaStream 3-D open file format, Web developers are guaranteed that visitors to their site have the ability to consistently view high-quality, 3-D content with the MetaStream viewer.

One of the key MetaStream features, scalability, allows the content to automatically maximize performance and resolution according to available processing power and bandwidth of each individual's computer.

In addition to scaling for the performance of the user's particular system, MetaStream also provides progressive streaming, which allows users to experience 3-D content from the moment downloading commences, similar to streamed audio or video files.

Web designers have the ability to set the detail (frame rate) of these 3-D objects relative to the speed of the viewer's computer, ensuring consistent, high-quality viewing. The MetaStream 3-D open file format carries the additional benefit of giving the viewer control over the resolution of 3-D objects if manual resolution control is desired.

As a natural progression, the MetaStream 3-D file format is beneficial to e-commerce. It enables online shoppers to inspect and interact with products offered for sale, making the Web commerce experience more true to life.

No longer will potential buyers online be limited to 2-D images of such products as cars, toys, furniture, homes and buildings, as MetaStream enables zoom-in interactivity for more robust online shopping.

For more information on the Intel WebOutfitter Service, visit Intel Corp. at http://www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/releases/cn032699.htm.> About MetaCreations

MetaCreations, the "Creative Web" company, is focused on developing and marketing 2-D and 3-D visualization software for graphic artists and the World Wide Web.

MetaCreations' "Creative Web" strategy is centered on the company's new MetaStream(TM) and MetaFlash(TM) technologies, and employs an array of MetaCreations' software development tools to accelerate the creation of 2-D and 3-D graphics for online applications, and to make fast, interactive use of photorealistic 3-D on the Web practical and pervasive.

MetaCreations offers a complete product line of award-winning graphics desktop software for both professional users and consumers, and its products are available in more than 50 countries. The company has headquarters in Santa Barbara County, Calif., and has development centers in Scotts Valley, Calif., and Princeton, N.J., as well as an international operations center in Dublin, Ireland.