SGI Delivers More Compact, Digital Media-Ready System for Film Industry and Broadcasters

Silicon Graphics Prism Visualization Systems Optimized For High-Performance Film Mastering, Effects and Broadcast Graphics

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., IBC Stand 7.204 (September 8, 2005)—Since its award-winning debut at NAB in April as an IT platform for media, the Silicon Graphics Prism® visualization system has been expanded to include a deskside model starting at under $US8,500. Further enhancing the platform for media, Silicon Graphics (NYSE: SGI) today announced the SGI® DMediaPro™ DM12 digital media option-bringing standard-definition (SD), high-definition (HD) and 2K film input and output (I/O) to the Silicon Graphics Prism visualization family. DMediaPro DM12 enables broadcast, post-production, film industry and government customers to optimize Silicon Graphics Prism and Prism Deskside systems for broadcast graphics, editing, compositing, film mastering or image analysis.

Supporting the 64-bit Linux® operating system, the DMediaPro DM12 video board is a professional digital media interface providing up to 2K (8-bit or 10-bit) input and output, with single and dual link HD-SDI capabilities including dual-link output for RGBA (4:4:4:4) or YUVA (4:2:2:4). DM12 includes support of eight channels of digital audio, for embedded audio or configured with AES/EBU interfaces. The DM12 board integrated with the Prism processing speeds, offers application developers of digital video solutions significantly more overall performance for their products on the Silicon Graphics Prism system.

"Whether customers are doing video editing, compositing, broadcast graphics or visual effects for feature films, Silicon Graphics Prism systems enhanced with DMediaPro DM12 will be supported by industry-leading applications," said Chris Golson, senior director, Media Industries, SGI. "The SGI platform offers unparalleled performance and scalability in the Media industry and DM12 makes an advanced 64-bit open standards professional video and audio I/O solution accessible to application developers."

Silicon Graphics Prism and Prism Deskside systems with DMediaPro DM12 support:

  • Uncompressed SD and HD digital video, 2K input and output
  • 4:2:2:4 YCrCb and 4:4:4:4 RGBA video sampling with 8 or 10 bits per component
  • Real-time colorspace conversion
  • All video formats from SD, PAL and NTSC, through HD to full 2K film resolution
  • 8 channels of both AES/EBU and embedded audio
  • Dual link SD-/HD-SDI input and output for RGB, 8/10 bit added by optional mezzanine card
  • 128MB of on-board RAM
  • Break-out-Box for video and balanced digital audio signals
  • OpenML® Open Source Media Library

Based on the Linux® OS and offering double the memory of HP and IBM systems, the Silicon Graphics Prism Deskside packs up to 24GB of memory, two Intel® Itanium® 2 processors and two ATI® FireGL graphics processors into a compact system that provides the ability to simultaneously serve four full bandwidth channels.

The Pixel Farm recently announced PFPlay for the Silicon Graphics Prism platform providing those needing to review image sequences at high resolution the ability to playback uncompressed 2K and 4K images from disk in real-time. The Prism Deskside is optimized for 2K playback and the Prism Power series supports 2K and 4K playback from disk.

"PFPlay running on the Silicon Graphics Prism Deskside system is an ideal and cost-effective tool for the production of digital dailies for review and approval in feature film production as well as providing a quality assurance tool prior to running out to film," said Richard Spöhrer, managing director, The Pixel Farm. "With Silicon Graphics Prism visualization systems, directors and producers can now screen up to the minute versions of their productions at a resolution that allows any problems to be quickly identified using display technology such as the new Sony® SXRD 4K projector. The unique architecture of the Silicon Graphics Prism platform will allow even greater resolutions to be achieved when required."

Availability and Pricing
DMediaPro DM12 for the Silicon Graphics Prism and Prism Deskside systems will be available in September for $US19,500.

SILICON GRAPHICS | The Source of Innovation and Discovery™
SGI, also known as Silicon Graphics, Inc. (NYSE: SGI), 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 defense or enabling the transition from analog 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.

Silicon Graphics, SGI, DMediaPro, OpenML, the SGI cube and the SGI logo 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. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in several countries. Intel, the Intel Inside logo and Itanium are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding SGI technologies and third-party technologies that are subject to risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in such statements. The reader is cautioned not to rely unduly on these forward-looking statements, which are not a guarantee of future or current performance. Such risks and uncertainties include long-term program commitments, the performance of third parties, the sustained performance of current and future products, financing risks, the ability to integrate and support a complex technology solution involving multiple providers and users, and other risks detailed from time to time in the company's most recent SEC reports, including its reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q.