KODAK Offers New Photo CD Disc to Pro Market KODAK Pro Photo CD Master Disc Meets Needs of Professional Photographers New York, Aug. 25 - Professional photographers using large-format films will soon be able to have all their images transferred to a Photo CD disc. KODAK's new professional Photo CD format makes available to professional photographers all the benefits of the standard KODAK Photo CD Master disc. It also provides additional features to meet specialized needs. Like the standard KODAK Photo CD Master format, the KODAK Pro Photo CD Master format allows 35mm negatives or slides to be scanned onto compact discs at full photographic resolution. The images can then be viewed on TV (using a Photo CD or CD-I player) or input to a desktop computer (using a Photo CD-compatible CD-ROM XA drive). In addition, the KODAK Pro Photo CD Master format: - Accomodates 35mm, 120, and 4 x 5-inch images, as well as larger formats - Supports higher-resolution film scans for the larger sizes, yielding images that have the fine detail required by professional photographers - Enables professionals to store versions of their images that have been electronically edited - Helps control how a professional's images are used by offering one copyright and two security features - a special identifier to indicate image ownership and copyright, the ability to place a watermark over an image, and the ability to encrypt high-resolution images to impede unauthorized use "Since the Photo CD system was first announced, KODAK's professional customers have consistently asked for several important capabilities that would allow them to take maximum advantage of this new imaging technology," said KODAK's David P. Biehn, vice president and general manager, Professional Imaging. "These include the ability to scan multiple film formats, greater flexibility in what photographers can write to Photo CD discs, and assistance in controlling the use of images stored on Photo CD discs. "The KODAK Pro Photo CD Master format we're announcing today was created as a specific response to those needs," Biehn said. "As a result, we're providing professional photographers with a 'digital negative' designed to meet their requirements. We believe it will open the door to new business opportunities." About the KODAK Pro Photo CD Master Format KODAK Pro Photo CD Master discs are compatible with the Photo CD players that began appearing in consumer electronics stores in early August. They represent one of four new disc formats KODAK described today, all of which are compatible with current consumer Phot CD players. The new formats extend benefits of Photo CD technology to new users and markets. Carrying distinctive trade dress. KODAK Pro Photo CD Master discs can store film-based images at higher resolutions than can any of the other formats. They are the only Photo CD discs that allow images to be digitally enhanced and returned to the disc containing the original film scan. Each KODAK Pro Photo CD Master disc can store from 25 to 100 images, which depends on scanning resolution and film size. The format will support 8 x 10-inch film image files, and KODAK is considering future products to take advantage of this capability. Images will be scanned onto KODAK Pro Photo CD Master discs using the KODAK Professional Photo CD film scanner 4045, which handles professional film formats up to 4 x 5-inches, and offers 24-bit color scanning resolutions up to 4K x 6K. The scanner will be sold as part of the KODAK Professional PIW 4200 and the KODAK Pro Photo CD Master discs will be available in Spring 1993. KODAK will offer a more advanced KODAK Professional PIW in the fall of 1993, with an upgrade available for customers who purchase the initial offering. Additional features will include the ability to employ different "film terms" for retaining the subtle differences in professional film brands, the ability to adjust each scan to achieve desired results, watermarking and encryption software and the ability to edit images. Each image on a KODAK Pro Photo CD Master disc is marked with a special identifier that can contain the photographer's name and copyright, as well as other information. For security, images can be watermarked (with a word like "PROOF"), and image files can be encrypted to discourage access by unauthorized users. The encryption is designed to enable photographers to provide a code number to their customers once the rights to use a particular image have been agreed on. Entering the code number into a desktop computer where the disc is accessed through a CD-ROM XA drive will free the image for use. Many professionals may choose to protect their images, however, simply by retaining their high-resolution digital originals on KODAK Pro Photo CD Master discs and distributing lower-resolution versions of the images for review on KODAK Pro Phoo CD Catalog discs. "KODAK Pro Photo CD Master products give professional photographers the best of two worlds," Biehn said. "Professionals can continue to shoot pictures as they always have, taking full advantage of the image quality that only film can provide. And now they have the flexibility and convenience of digital technology." Additional information about the KODAK Pro Photo CD MAster format is available through the KODAK Information Center at 1-800-242-2424, ext. 77.