NewTek Announces Live Production Solution for Education at Student Television Network Conference

VT[3]TM Provides Complete Professional Production Capability at Breakthrough Pricing

Los Angeles, California -- January 8, 2004 -- NewTek, Inc., manufacturer of industry-leading 3D animation and video products, today announced the VT[3]TM Live Production System for Education, a special offer including VT[3], SX-8TM Switcher, and RS-8TM Controller for $4495US, a savings of $500US off the regular educational combined price of the units, and of $1490US off the regular MSRP. VT[3] is the integrated production suite that provides real-time switching, keying and effects capabilities at uncompressed quality, ideal for live-production applications including newscasts, theatrical productions and sports events.

"We're committed to making professional production tools affordable for education," said Jim Plant, President and Chief Executive Officer of NewTek, Inc. "VT[3]'s complete, powerful and flexible production capabilities provide educational facilities and students the full range of live and post production needs at an unprecedented value."

NewTek's VT[3] includes integrated timeline and storyboard editing, paint, 3D modeling and animation, titling, keying, live-switching and much, much more. Also among the system's editing capabilities are real-time layering and effects for video and graphics in virtually any input standard or file format including DV or uncompressed D1 component video, for the highest possible output quality. NewTek's VT[3] includes a complete suite of virtual equipment created in software, including monitors, decks, switchers, waveform/vectorscopes, audio mixer and more. This virtual equipment provides a comprehensive toolset that is familiar and easy to understand and use for all professional video production needs from on-air distribution to web streaming.

"Our VT[3] system has allowed us to re-energize our in-house TV Studio, which budgetary issues had relegated to serving as a big classroom," said Robert Levine, AV-Specialist for the Media Production Program at Florida State Universities' College of Communication in Tallahassee, Florida. "Thanks to Newtek and their products we've been able to rebuild our TV studio's control room with a single VT[3] system and several tape machines. Now our students can checkout a couple of digital camcorders and do multi-camera productions in our TV studio, and with VT[3]'s innovative 'skins' technology and 'virtual equipment' the learning curve is extremely low - they're up and running in minutes."

NewTek authorized reseller DV Warehouse is showing the VT[3] Live Production System for Education in their booth at the Student Television Network Conference, January 8-10, 2004, in Los Angeles, CA, in the Sheraton Universal.

VT[3] Integrated Production Suite overview:

• Ease of use - designed for professionals who need to get work done on time and on budget
• Complete suite of virtual equipment created in software - monitors, decks, switchers, waveform/vectorscopes, audio mixer and more
• Integrated timeline and storyboard editing
• Multiple layers in real-time - as many as your system can handle - not limited by the software
• Real-time keyframeable color correction and blur
• Multi-format and multi-standard editing, with PAL/NTSC standards conversion on the fly in real-time
• Real-time playback of compressed and uncompressed clips
• Native DV support, component, Y/C, and composite I/O
• Real-time 3D transitions, slow motion and reverse, chroma and luma keying
• 2D video paint with pixel tracking, filters, more
• LightWave 3D®, Emmy®-winning world-class 3D graphics and animation
• Optional SX-8TM, up to 8-component or 24-composite input Switcher
• Optional RS-8TM Switcher Control Surface
• Optional SDI I/O
• Stream live events or finished productions to the Web in real-time

Pricing and Availability
VT[3] is priced at $2995US. From now until March 31st 2004, NewTek is offering educational facilities a "VT[3] Live Bundle" special which includes VT[3], an SX-8 24-input switcher and an RS-8 switcher control interface for $4495US, a $1490US savings. Registered VT[2], owners may purchase an upgrade to VT[3] software for $595US. For information on VT[3], see http://www.newtek.com/solutions/edlive.

About NewTek
With headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, NewTek is a leading provider of full-featured video editing, animation and special effects tools including VT[3]TM, and LightWave 3D®, winner of the 2003 Primetime Emmy® Engineering Award. NewTek launched the desktop video revolution in 1990 with the release of the legendary Video Toaster®. The company's products are used worldwide on projects ranging from home video to feature film. Recent television and film projects using NewTek software include Threat Matrix, Children of Dune, Firefly, Taken, Smallville, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek 10: Nemesis, Matrix Reloaded, Collateral Damage, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Agent Cody Banks, Daredevil, Spy Kids II, We Were Soldiers, Panic Room, Hart’s War, Driven, A.I., Oscar®-nominated Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Final Fantasy, Blackhawk Down, The Time Machine and Star Trek: The Motion Picture - Director's Edition DVD. Recent game titles include Doom III, Unreal Tournament, Serious Sam for XBox, Age of Mythology, Civilization III, Dead to Rights, Baldur's Gate II, EverQuest and Escape From Monkey Island. Website: http://www.newtek.com

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• Video Toaster, LightWave and LightWave 3D are registered trademarks of NewTek.
• VT[3], VT[2], VT-Edit, Aura Video Paint, LightWave Express, VT-CG, VT-Vision VT-Scope, VT-DRR, Tool Shed, Tool Chest, SX-8 and RS-8 are trademarks of NewTek, Inc.
• All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.