Microsoft and Sony Celebrate Joint Video Team Standards Committee Primetime Engineering Emmy

Microsoft and Sony celebrate the Joint Video Team (JVT) Committee's receipt of a 2008 Primetime Emmy Engineering Award for its work on the development of the High Profile of the H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC video compression standard. Both Microsoft and Sony, as members of the JVT, were contributors to the High Profile of H.264/MPEG-4AVC, a standard specification which enables High Definition images in the H.264/AVC video coding technology used by a variety of companies today to deliver high definition video over satellite, broadcast and cable television as well as Blu-ray Disc, mobile phones and Internet Protocol television (IPTV).

The JVT is a standardization team comprised of members from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The group was formed in 2001 by the ITU Video Coding Experts Group (VCEG) and the ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG).

Nine companies, including Microsoft and Sony, were specifically recognized as key contributors to this work within the JVT. The award was presented at a ceremony in Hollywood, California on August 23rd, and was received by Malcolm Johnson, Director of ITU's standardization bureau, and Scott Jameson, Chair of the ISO/IEC Joint Technical Committee on Information Technology (ISO/IEC JTC 1), together with representatives of the JVT management team.

"This award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences recognizes a broad and collaborative effort that has yielded significant technical achievements in entertainment technology," said Gary Sullivan, Video Architect at Microsoft, who has served as chairman of the Joint Video Team Standards Committee since its inception in 2001. "Considering the extensive historical development of the H.264/MPEG-4 AVC High Profile specification, many more than the nine named companies deserve credit for their contributions to this standard and its resulting applications. However, Sony and the other recognized companies were certainly key contributors to the development of the standard, and should be applauded for their contributions."

"The H.264/MPEG-4 AVC standard enables the delivery and storage of HDTV video signal efficiently, has been adopted by many applications, and has become a fundamental part of the infrastructure of the HDTV world. It was achieved by the diligent efforts of all the JVT members and by the leadership of the JVT chairs -- Gary Sullivan, Thomas Wiegand and Ajay Luthra," said Teruhiko Suzuki, Distinguished Engineer at Sony Corporation, who has contributed to the JVT committee as AHG chair and project editor since its inception in 2001. "The achievement of the JVT work is outstanding and well deserved of a Primetime Emmy Engineering Award. We would like to congratulate all JVT members for this notable accomplishment."

The Emmy Engineering Award goes to an individual, company, or organization for developments in engineering that are either so extensive an improvement on existing methods, or so innovative in nature, that they materially affect the transmission, recording or reception of television.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (MSFT: Microsoft Corporation) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

About Sony Corporation

Sony Corporation is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, game, communications, key device and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. With its music, pictures, computer entertainment and on-line businesses, Sony is uniquely positioned to be the leading electronics and entertainment company in the world. Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of approximately $88 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008. Sony Global Web Site: http://www.sony.net/.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

SOURCE: Microsoft; Sony Corporation

CONTACT: Elizabeth Boukis of Sony Electronics Inc., +1-408-352-4593,
elizabeth.boukis@am.sony.com; or Rapid Response Team Waggener Edstrom
Worldwide for Microsoft, +1-503-443-7070, rrt@waggeneredstrom.com

Web site: http://www.sony.net/