Vizrt

Reality Check revs up Viz Engine™ to fuel NASCAR HOTPASS™ on DIRECTV

NASCAR fans have unprecedented access to the race experience through an exclusive service for DIRECTV customers called NASCAR HOTPASS™, which combines the traditional national network coverage with four dedicated driver channels, offering viewers multiple camera angles, real-time statistics and dedicated announcer teams in addition to live communications between the drivers and their pit crews. This television breakthrough is made possible by a combination of proprietary software developed by Reality Check Studios, based in Hollywood, and Vizrt’s powerful rendering engine, Viz Engine.

NASCAR HOTPASS capitalizes on the nature of NASCAR fan loyalty, enabling fans to follow individual drivers throughout the race. If a popular driver like Dale Earnhardt Jr. happens to be racing below a certain position, viewers won’t see him or hear about him during a typical broadcast. With NASCAR HOTPASS, viewers can follow him through every lap, every pit-stop and hear conversations with his crew chief. This past season, NASCAR HOTPASS took the checkered flag with NASCAR fans through some 720 hours of NASCAR HOTPASS programming. For the 2008 season, NASCAR HOTPASS is in high-definition for the first time and delivering 13 additional live audio feeds of driver/pit crew communications.

Vizrt’s Viz Engine is at the core of this revolutionary broadcast effort to give fans the ultimate driving experience. Reality Check Studios Senior Producer Kevin Dresser said that while the specialized software written by Reality Check orchestrates the production, the Viz Engine renderer is a key component: “In car racing, wrecks happen. If a wreck is bad enough to take a driver out of the competition, we need to be able to adjust accordingly. Viz Engine lets us change one variable, in this case the driver’s number. With one stroke, all the associated graphics change instantaneously, the backgrounds, sponsor wipes, transitions, and lower thirds. It’s crucial to the broadcast.”

Not only do the sudden changes of a dynamic, high-speed sporting event make the unique telecast a demanding one, challenges also arise from the production scenario. Each NASCAR HOTPASS channel has four cameras covering a specific car and driver. Each channel must have a unique look corresponding to car colors, team sponsors and driver head shots. A two-box format is in effect at all times during NASCAR HOTPASS to include the host broadcaster’s feed of the race. Viz Engine provides the background and the layouts for that two or three-box configuration. Viz Engine also processes scoring tickers, telemetry or remote data collection to show a specific car’s MPH and RPM, track maps, wipes and transitions.

According to Dresser, the power of Viz Engine simplifies the process in spite of the number of graphics requests it handles: “Normally there would be three or more graphics devices handling that much graphic content. We’re using only one Viz Engine, making it cheaper and using less hardware. The combination of our software and Viz Engine means we require fewer crew members. In a traditional production environment you would find ten people carrying out the jobs that take three from our crew.”

About Reality Check:

Reality Check Studios is a creative studio known for its diverse skill set and ability to leverage technology to develop innovative graphics, games, VFX and animation. With a unique blend of technical and design talent, our Emmy award-winning artists create compelling solutions to meet clients’ graphic needs for both broadcast and film. As pioneers in 3D animation with over ten years of combined experience, Reality Check Studios has earned a proven reputation as the industry leader in producing motion graphics. Contact Reality Check Studios at (323) 465-3900, info@realityx.com or on the web at www.realityx.com.

About Vizrt:

Vizrt offers a new vision for content creation and delivery with an end-to-end solution from ingest to visualization. Our solution combines Vizrt’s true 2D/3D graphics tools with Curious Software’s World Maps and Ardendo’s asset management. Running on non-proprietary hardware, the combination of these unique cutting-edge products ensures a seamless workflow from conception to multi-format distribution. The latest addition to the Vizrt product suite is Viz|MPS for handheld devices.

Vizrt’s product suite is used by the world’s leading broadcasters including: CNN, CBS, Fox, BBC, Sky, ITN, ZDF, Star TV, TV Today, CCTV and NHK. Also, many world class production houses and corporate institutions, including both the New York and London Stock Exchanges, utilize Vizrt solutions.

Vizrt is a public company traded on the Frankfurt Prime Standard and on the Oslo Main List: VIZ, ISIN: IL0010838154. For further information, please refer to www.vizrt.com.

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This press release contains forward-looking statements with respect to the business, financial condition and results of operations of Vizrt and its affiliates. These statements are based on the current expectations or beliefs of Vizrt's management and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or performance of the Company to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties relate to changes in technology and market requirements, the company’s concentration on one industry, decline in demand for the company’s products and those of its affiliates, inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications, and loss of market share and pressure on pricing resulting from competition, which could cause the actual results or performance of the company to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements. Vizrt undertakes no obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.