Equator Technologies' BSP MAP-CA Digital Signal Processor Accelerates Digital Media Encoding for Media 100; MAP-CA Enables Better Image Quality and Faster Encoding

Business Wire, April 23, 2001

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 23, 2001

NAB, Las Vegas Convention Center, Booth No. L559--Equator Technologies, Inc., the leading provider of comprehensive broadband digital communications and media processing infrastructure for the consumer technology market, announced today that Media 100, a leading provider of digital media design and delivery solutions, has selected Equator's (BSP(TM)) MAP-CA(TM) digital signal processor. Media 100 is known for its newly announced Cleaner XL. In using Equator's MAP-CA digital signal processor, Cleaner XL will support multiple processes -- enabling faster encoding and filtering of data for Internet and broadcast professionals.

Equator's highly integrated, system-on-a-chip solution that delivers core functions through software rather than dedicated hardware is designed for high-performance, video-intense broadband applications. By using four MAP-CA digital signal processors, Media 100's accelerated video and audio encoding system for digital media will allow the state of the art digital media processing engine to complete encoding tasks more efficiently, improving overall system performance and providing superior image quality. Targeted for the high volume production environment, Cleaner XL uniquely allows the creative professional to encode streaming media for all the major streaming formats, including: Real, Windows Media(TM), QuickTime(R), MPEG-1, MPEG-2 and PP3. The rapid processing speed of Equator's BSP digital signal processor, will further strengthen Cleaner's encoding results and will save time when integrating with all major video editing, effects and Web design tools.

"Cleaner XL is an important new product for Media 100 -- it provides our customers with a very valuable benefit -- high speed streaming media processing," said Joe Klingler, vice president of engineering for Media 100. "The Equator BSP MAP-CA digital signal processor provided us with the power and flexibility we needed, without sacrificing image quality, in a very sophisticated, well-engineered package."

"We are very pleased to be working closely with a company as respected in the industry as Media 100," said Dr. Avi Katz, Equator Technologies' president and CEO. "Their selection of our MAP-CA BSP digital signal processor validates all that we have been working toward -- to provide the industry with a very powerful, flexible and cost-efficient media processor that will set new standards for broadband communications. By working with companies like Media 100, we hope to accelerate the realization of all that broadband communications has to offer."

About Equator's MAP-CA Digital Signal Processor

The BSP MAP-CA digital signal processor delivers 30 GOPs (Billion Operations per Second) of processing power, offering more than ten times the performance of other available solutions. The highly integrated, single chip solution delivers core functions through software rather than dedicated hardware and is designed for high-performance, video-intense broadband applications. By using software downloads to update the functionality of products, even after they are launched and in the field, the life cycle of the equipment can be greatly extended, enabling companies to decrease their time-to-market and their time-to-revenue with new broadband services and devices. The programmable chip allows service providers to offer more services and more functionality, such as time shifting, video conferencing, broadcast media security, video security, VOD, DVD playback, and per viewer advertising.

About the Companies

Media 100, Inc.

Media 100 is the leading supplier of software, systems and services for streaming media on the Internet. Media 100 develops software and systems that simplify the creation and delivery of video on the Internet, DVD and CD-ROM. Media 100 also provides the most comprehensive suite of streaming media services to its customers by offering encoding (audio and video compression) and hosting (delivery) services for Internet broadcasters, web designers and digital media content creators.

Equator Technologies, Inc.

Equator Technologies is the leading provider of comprehensive broadband digital communications and media processing infrastructure for the consumer technology market. The company's family of MAP-CA Broadband Signal Processor digital signal processors, which is built on a smart silicon platform, couples a uniquely fully functional system-on-a-chip solution with software tools. Equator's unmatched compiler technology delivers 100% C programming -- enabling the rapid introduction and field upgradeability of high-performance, video-intense systems. With over 100 customers, Equator has gained traction in the consumer technology industry, having secured major market share in video conferencing and the digital head-end sector by offering rapid time-to-market and time-to-revenue solutions. Headquartered in Campbell, Calif., with additional international offices, Equator is a privately held company. For more information, visit www.equator.com.