SYNTHETIC APERTURE'S ECHO FIRE ADDS SUPPORT FOR AJA IO

Uncompressed FireWire Video Interface Joins List of Output Options

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA -- August 20, 2003 -- Synthetic Aperture today began shipping an update to Echo Fire(tm), its video previewing toolkit for Adobe(R) After Effects(R) and Photoshop(R), which adds support for the AJA Io uncompressed audio/video FireWire capture device from AJA Video Systems, Inc.

"AJA's Io provides great performance and connectivity with Apple's Final Cut Pro(tm) 4." said Robert Currier, President, Synthetic Aperture, "Combine it with Echo Fire and you also get realtime, genuinely uncompressed, video previews in After Effects and Photoshop projects, providing the motion graphics artist with pristine views of their work."

Video Previews and More

In addition to video previews of After Effects and Photoshop, Echo Fire also provides previews of the Macintosh desktop including any graphics programs that may be running. Images copied to the OS X clipboard can also be previewed.

In addition to generating previews, Echo Fire can also overlay its previews with a waveform monitor or vectorscope display, providing low-cost monitoring of video output. A built-in color bar test pattern generator makes it easy to calibrate the video monitor, ensuring that previews are accurate and repeatable. Echo Fire also provides a simple drag-and-drop utility for movie playback.

Numerous Video Output Options

The AJA Io joins a list of video output options within Echo Fire, including Apple DV FireWire, AJA Kona, Digital Voodoo, Blackmagic Design DeckLink, Media 100, and Aurora Video Systems Igniter and Fuse.

Compatibility

Echo Fire is available for PowerPC-based Macintosh systems and is compatible with Adobe After Effects 5.0 and later and Adobe Photoshop 5.0 and later. It requires Mac OS X 10.2 or newer, or Mac OS 8.6 or newer and QuickTime 4.2 or later. A complete list of supported video outputs is available on the company's Web site.Echo Fire is compatible with NTSC and PAL video systems.

Pricing and Availability

Echo Fire version 2.1.4 is available for immediate purchase from resellers and direct from the company's Web site. List price for Echo Fire is US $275. Registered owners of previous versions of Echo Fire 2.x are eligible for a free downloadable upgrade. A demo version--good for a fully functional 72-hour evaluation period--is available on the Web site.

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 Color Finesse advanced color corrector for Adobe After Effects and Apple Final Cut Pro, Test Gear measurement tools for After Effects, the Video Finesse filters for Premiere, 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.