Philip Nelson

PR: NewTek TriCaster™ TCXD300 and 3PLAY™ to Replace Live TV Trucks at ESPN Winter X Games® 14

HD portable live production and instant replay systems to provide live venue video and replays to event audience

The ESPN Crew preps for the Winter X Games. TriCaster XD 300, LiveText and 3Play

SAN ANTONIO – January 28, 2010 – NewTek Inc., manufacturer of industry-leading video and 3D animation products, today announced that its TriCaster™ TCXD300 high definition/standard definition (HD/SD) portable live production systems and 3PLAY™ HD/SD slow motion replay systems will provide live venue video and instant replay at the ESPN Winter X Games® 14 in Aspen, Colo., January 28 to 31. Two TriCaster/3PLAY live production teams will replace and expand the capabilities that were previously provided by an expensive TV truck.

“Winter X Games is the world’s premier action sports event and our fans expect us to push the limit not only in sports but in the fan experience,” said Kate Nelligan, live event programming producer, ESPN X Games. “NewTek TriCaster and 3PLAY allow us to produce more live exclusive content for each venue, bringing the fans even closer to the action.”

“NewTek TriCaster TCXD300 and 3PLAY give venue and event management the ability to provide audiences with HD live venue video and instant replay coverage of the highest quality, without incurring the expense and resources of traditional live TV trucks,” said Philip Nelson, senior vice president, strategic development, NewTek. “At the same time, this maintains the network-quality that audiences have come to expect from large broadcasters, such as ESPN.”

With TriCaster, anyone can simultaneously produce, live stream, broadcast and project HD and SD network-style productions. A single operator or small team can create sophisticated productions while switching between multiple cameras, virtual inputs and live virtual sets, while automatically inserting clips, titles and motion graphics with multi-channel effects. In addition to being used by ESPN X Games, TriCaster is used by sports organizations, broadcasters, schools, houses of worship, government agencies and others to provide a new level of extended programming and content to their audiences.

NewTek 3PLAY’s price makes multi-channel, HD/SD slow motion replay available to a much broader base of sports broadcasters, teams, leagues, schools, organizations and live remote producers. 3PLAY delivers synchronized, continuous recording and display of up to three video streams. The system connects to any switcher and supports the output of either a single stream or all three streams to the switcher for complete flexibility in live production. Replays are easily organized in separate lists using color coding to distinguish teams, players, game periods, event types and highlights. 3PLAY supports 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratios.

Pricing and Availability
TriCaster TCXD300 is available in North America for US$14,995 and in multi-standard internationally for US$17,995. The TriCaster family of products in NTSC is available in North America starting at US$3,995. The TriCaster family of products is available in multi-standard internationally beginning at US$5,995. Educational pricing is also available. For more information, please visit www.newtek.com or call NewTek Sales at 800-368-5441, international callers dial +1-210-370-8000.

3PLAY is a native HD device that also supports NTSC SD and is available in North America at US$21,995. 3PLAY is also available in a multi-standard version internationally at US$24,995. Educational pricing is also available. For more information, please visit www.newtek.com or call NewTek Sales at 800-368-5441, international callers dial +1-210-370-8000.

About NewTek
Benefiting producers and artists with its cost-effective and groundbreaking technologies, NewTek Inc. is a leader in portable live production, video editing, 3D animation and special effects tools, including the TriCaster™ product line, 3PLAY™ and LightWave 3D®. NewTek has won numerous industry accolades, including two Emmy® Awards.

Clients include: Fox News, BBC, NHL, NBA Development League, MTV, Nickelodeon, the Steve Harvey Radio Show, CBS Radio, ESPN Radio, ESPN X Games, Fox Sports, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). NewTek products have been used in blockbuster films and television shows, including “Avatar,” “Angels and Demons,” “Battle for Terra,” “The Dark Knight,” “Iron Man,” “Tropic Thunder,” “V,” “FlashForward,” “Lost,” “Fringe” and more.