SYNTHETIC APERTURE SHIPS ECHO FIRE 2.0

Adds Realtime Previews with Audio in After Effects, Video-to-FireWire Routing

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA -- May 21, 2001 -- Synthetic Aperture today announced that it is shipping Echo Fire 2.0, the latest version of its digital video previewing and productivity software. Echo Fire 2.0 allows motion graphics artists and video professionals to obtain accurate realtime video previews in Adobe After Effects and Photoshop.

Building on the recently released After Effects 5.0, Echo Fire 2.0 now includes audio in realtime previews. The new LiveFire video-to-FireWire routing feature brings DV video output to any program that can display QuickTime movies, including professional audio programs like ProTools and Digital Performer, without using up a valuable PCI slot.

Echo Fire 2.0 also offers enhanced control over preview playback, still image previews, more image scaling options, enhanced Photoshop image format support, and the ability to save any video preview to disk.

Flexible Video Output Options

Echo Fire 2.0 supports a wide variety of video output devices including Apple DV FireWire, Media 100, Digital Voodoo D1 Desktop, Aurora Video Systems Igniter and Fuse, Digital Origin DV FireWire, and Pinnacle Systems CineWave and Targa 1000/2000. In addition, Echo Fire is designed to work with any device which includes a QuickTime Video Output Component.

Compatibility

Echo Fire 2.0 is available for PowerPC-based Macintosh systems and is compatible with Adobe After Effects 4.0 and later and Adobe Photoshop 5.0 and later, including After Effects 5.0 and Photoshop 6.0. It requires Mac OS 8.6 or later and QuickTime 4.1.2 or later. A complete list of supported video cards is available on the company's Web site. For use with FireWire, a DV camcorder or media converter is required. Echo Fire is compatible with NTSC and PAL video systems.

Pricing and Availability

List price for Echo Fire 2.0 is $275 (U.S.). On-line upgrades from previous versions are $49 (U.S.) and CD-ROM upgrades are $69 (U.S.). Customers who purchased Echo Fire 1.1 between March 1, 2001 and June 30, 2001 are eligible for a free upgrade to the latest version. Echo Fire is available through a network of resellers and directly from Synthetic Aperture.

About Synthetic Aperture

Founded in 1995, Synthetic Aperture is a provider of practical tools for digital video and audio. In addition to Echo Fire, Synthetic Aperture publishes the Video Finesse filters for Adobe Premiere, a line of digital video clip art collections, and the popular free utility Test Pattern Maker.

Further information on Synthetic Aperture may be obtained by calling (949) 493-3444, accessing the company's Web site at http://www.synthetic-ap.com, or by emailing sales@synthetic-ap.com.