Rimage Puts the CD in KODAK
Picture CD
MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 25 /PRNewswire/
-- Rimage Corporation announced today it is providing CD
production capabilities for Kodak Picture CD, a new product from
Eastman Kodak Company and Intel Corporation .
Rimage's fast, reliable, and
automated CD recording systems help generate Picture CDs at
Kodak's nationwide network of Qualex photofinishing labs. These
labs supply photo processing for major retail chains, including
CVS, Eckerd Drug, Kmart, Target and Walgreen's, as well as many
other smaller retailers and regional chains. When dropping off a
roll of film for development, a consumer checks the Picture CD box
on the film-processing envelope, and a Rimage Perfect Image®
Producer Autostar System transfers a consumer's pictures to an
easy-to-store, virtually indestructible CD-Recordable (CD-R) disc.
The Autostar's automated
production reduces the risk of human error at the labs, and the
in-line thermal printer custom prints customer-identification
information on the surface of the CD, ensuring that customers
receive their own pictures. Picture CD also uses Kodak's CD-PROM
technology (for Compact Disc-Programmable ROM), which combines the
technologies of two CDs in one new type of media. The innovative
technology contains mass-replicated information, like the software
titles, music and projects published on Picture CD, but the
CD-PROM technology adds a new feature -- a recordable area that,
in this case, allows Kodak and Autostar to customize each Picture
CD with consumers' pictures.
Autostar is part of an entirely
new system operating in Qualex labs, which is powered by Intel
Architecture-based equipment, enabling Qualex labs to produce a
series of digitization products, including Picture CD and Kodak
Picture Disk, as well as to support Internet uploads to Kodak
PhotoNet(TM) Online and to the AOL "You've Got Pictures"
service. The equipment is based on dual Intel® Pentium® II
processor-based servers, which manage all transactions, a series
of high-performance workstations and high-powered film scanners.
Featuring 400 MHz Intel® Pentium® II processors, the
workstations manage all image processing and image compression of
digitization products.
"The Rimage Producer Autostar
System offers the speed and reliability needed to turn out CDs in
our highest volume Qualex labs," said James Leonard, director of
advanced imaging systems at Kodak. "Rimage's innovative software
and enhanced robotics provide excellent throughput and their
innovation and long-standing leadership in manufacturing CD-R
systems is consistent with Kodak standards."
Picture CD provides customers with
an easy way to bring their traditional film into the digital
world. By doing so, they can take advantage of things like
enhancing and emailing pictures.
"With Picture CD, Kodak and Intel
show consumers how easy and fun digital photography can be, while
preserving the great image quality and familiarity of traditional
film photography and paper prints," said Ken Klinck, vice
president sales and marketing at Rimage. "We're proud that Rimage
systems are generating CDs that families will treasure alongside
their traditional family photo albums."
Picture CD gives consumers the
benefit of storing their photos in digital form, and exchanging
them through email, without worrying about scanners or digital
cameras. Each disc contains image-editing software from Adobe
Systems, Incorporated, that lets users trim images, correct for
"red eye", or enhance their pictures.
Picture CD is just one of the ways
Rimage systems are being used to distribute digital information on
CDs. Providers of digital music use Rimage systems to build
compilation discs that customers can order online or at retail
kiosks. Many game and software suppliers also employ Rimage
systems for on-demand, customized CD production, and Rimage
systems are used in a wide variety of high-volume or just-in-time
data distribution applications.
Minnesota-based Rimage Corporation
has been in business since 1978 and has operations in the United
States, Europe and Asia. The company's major products include
digital publishing and duplication systems for CD-R media serving
many diverse markets, including government, finance, health care,
software manufacturing and entertainment.
Additional information about
Picture CD is available on the Internet at http://www.kodak.com/go/pictureCD
SOURCE: Rimage Corporation |
