FFV to Develop Embedded REV PRO Solution for Analog Cameras

REV PRO-SX Delivers HD Recording with the Benefits of Grass Valley’s™ Removable REV PRO™ Digital Media Drive.

IRVINE, Calif. — April 23, 2007— FFV, a recognized innovator of digital video recorder (DVR) technology for broadcast, industrial video, presentation, and military applications, today announced the company will collaborate with Grass Valley™, a company within Thomson, to develop a cost-saving retrofit kit for Sony SX cameras. The kit is designed to replace the existing tape elements of the SD analog cameras with the digital recording capabilities of the Grass Valley REV PRO™ digital media drive. Additionally, the REV PRO-SX can record in HD or SD, transforming these tape based, SD analog cameras into current day HD cameras with the added benefit of removable digital media.

For tape-based users making the conversion to a file-based infrastructure, REV PRO-SX provides a cost-effective solution and extends the operational life of the camera. With the retrofit kit, analog users will gain all benefits of digital recording, such as capturing, storing, non-linear editing, exchanging, and archiving, all provided by the low cost, removable, and durable REV PRO media.

The retrofit kit’s built-in REV PRO drive replaces the existing tape elements of the analog camera and converts the signal directly from the sensor to deliver extraordinary image quality. The REV PRO-SX essentially converts the analog camera into a file-based digital recorder, supporting tapeless news and production workflows. The device also scales images to HD, allowing users to continue using their analog cameras with the added benefit of HD recording.

The REV PRO-SX, with HD, will list for $8,995 plus installation and will begin shipping to authorized service centers in Q3.

"We are very pleased to work with Grass Valley in bringing this innovative and cost-effective solution to our customers," said Scott Keating, vice president of sales and marketing for FFV. "The retrofit will allow customers with analog cameras to upgrade to digital and provide HD capabilities without the cost of replacing their cameras."

This collaborative development effort between FFV and Grass Valley is part of the Grass Valley Open Alliance Partner (OAP) initiative and the Grass Valley REV PRO Certification Program. The REV PRO Certification Program includes companies like FFV, which have announced support for the IT-centric removable media and more open and flexible approaches to newsgathering and field production using the Grass Valley Infinity Series products. The retrofit kit is the first of several planned DVRs by FFV supporting Grass Valley REV PRO media.

Learn more about the REV PRO-SX and the company’s complete range of digital video recording systems at www.ffv.com.

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About the OAP Initiative
The Grass Valley OAP program is a move away from the dictated approaches and proprietary recording, storage and playback formats that have caused frustrations and workflow inefficiencies for broadcasters and video professionals – and signals these leaders’ support for true openness and format flexibility to support the demand for more collaborative, efficient workflows.

Integrating full IT connectivity, compression choices, true contribution-quality high-definition format support, and the unique ability to freely use off-the-shelf removable recording media such as REV PRO™ cartridges or standard, professional grade CompactFlash memory, the Infinity Series of digital media camcorders and digital media recorders is at the core of the OAP program.

About Thomson
Thomson (Euronext Paris: 18453; NYSE: TMS) provides technology, services, and systems to help its Media & Entertainment clients – content creators, content distributors and users of its technology – realize their business goals and optimize their performance in a rapidly changing technology environment. The Group is the preferred partner to the Media & Entertainment Industries through its Technicolor, Grass Valley, RCA, and Thomson brands. For more information: http://www.thomson.net.

Thomson's Systems division develops video and film technologies, products and services sold to all major Hollywood studios, all major television, satellite, and cable broadcasters under the Grass Valley brand-name for the delivery of analog and digital entertainment. The division also includes the Thomson Premises Systems Business Unit, which provides IP, satellite, cable and terrestrial premises systems as well as consumer networks systems, and the Network Intelligence Solutions organization, which develops software solutions for network operators.

For information about Grass Valley products from Thomson please visit www.thomsongrassvalley.com.

About FFV
Fast Forward Video designs, manufactures, and markets digital video recorders, board-level solutions and time code generator/readers for professional broadcast, presentation, industrial, and military applications worldwide. Founded in 1985, the company was the first to incorporate digital computer technology, including random-access disk storage and data-compression capabilities, into professional video products. Today the company provides video technology solutions to a wide range of markets. Additional information is available at www.ffv.com.