The Pixel Farm and SGI Announce 4K DI Review and Approval with PFPlay on Silicon Graphics Prism Platform

Real-time 4K disc based film playback and review solution

Windsor, U.K. 2nd August 2005—The Pixel Farm, a company focused on innovation in the field of high-end digital post-production, is pleased to announce a collaboration with Silicon Graphics (NYSE: SGI) to develop a playback and review platform built around PFPlay and the Silicon Graphics Prism™ platform. The first system will support 2K and 4K play back, but can be scaled to higher resolutions when required using the unique SGI multi-pipe architecture.

The Pixel Farm's PFPlay, the leading review and quality assurance solution for DI, is designed to take full advantage of new digital display technologies, such as the Sony® SXRD projector. For the first time it will be possible for production facilities and studios to review dailies, shots or an entire production at 4K allowing even the slightest flaws to be identified and fixed before any film is printed. The system also integrates with all current projection and display technologies at any resolution allowing maximum flexibility.

PFPlay will automatically ingest digital film images, stored throughout a facility over networks, and assemble them to an industry standard edl from the actual film edit timeline. This dramatically speeds up the review and approval process, removing the need to double hand footage, and allows anyone involved in the post production environment to review work in context. Further timeline updates can then be scheduled - or manually instigated - thus ensuring that the latest version of the project edit is always available for review.

The major advantage of this solution is it provides a flexible and fully scalable platform that can grow as production requirements increase. The modular nature of the Silicon Graphics Prism system means when more bandwidth is required it can be added to the existing system, protecting your investment.

"We are very excited about working with SGI to produce a compelling solution. With an increasing move to working at higher resolutions in film production we can now offer a system that proves both 2K and 4K playback now and higher resolutions when needed, while fully protecting a customer's investment. New display technologies now provide a real alternative to film at realistic prices," Richard Spöhrer, Managing Director, The Pixel Farm said.

"Pixel Farm has really taken full advantage of the 4K capabilities of the new Silicon Graphics Prism system," said Chris Golson, Senior Director, Market Strategy, Media Industries, SGI. "The combined capabilities of the Silicon Graphics Prism, the Pixel Farm PFPlay application, and the Sony SXRD 4K projector, provide a breakthrough solution for enhancing the workflow within the digital cinema mastering community."

The PFPlay/Prism playback solution is expected to be available in August via the SGI professional reseller channel. For additional information contact sales@thepixelfarm.co.uk

SILICON GRAPHICS | The Source of Innovation and Discovery™
SGI, also known as Silicon Graphics, Inc. is a leader in high-performance computing, visualization and storage. SGI's vision is to provide technology that enables the most significant scientific and creative breakthroughs of the 21st century. Whether it's sharing images to aid in brain surgery, finding oil more efficiently, studying global climate, providing technologies for homeland security and defence, or enabling the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting, SGI is dedicated to addressing the next class of challenges for scientific, engineering and creative users. With offices worldwide, the company is headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., and can be found on the Web at www.sgi.com.

About The Pixel Farm
The Pixel Farm was formed in 2002 to provide innovative solutions for digital compositing. Based in the UK, with a very strong focus on research and development, The Pixel Farm works with customers on key projects to ensure PF products match the needs of the production environment.

By utilising its industry experience and working with some of the best researchers and developers in the world, The Pixel Farm ensures it is always one step ahead of the competition. The Pixel Farm looks to integrate best of breed technologies into a focused collaborative environment.

For more information on The Pixel Farm and its products contact: info@thepixelfarm.co.uk

Silicon Graphics and SGI are registered trademarks and Silicon Graphics Prism and The Source of Innovation and Discovery are trademarks of Silicon Graphics, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries worldwide. All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.