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Media Composer Adrenaline Sets New Standards for Real-Time Performance and HD Functionality; Revolutionary, Scalable System Now Supports 11 Real-Time Streams of Uncompressed SD Media
Upcoming version to offer Avid DNxHD high-efficiency encoding for 10-bit HD
Avid Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVID) today announced new real-time performance and HD functionality for its Media Composer® Adrenaline system. The Media Composer Adrenaline 1.5 system delivers new film, audio, and media management capabilities, as well as the ability to play up to 11 real-time streams of uncompressed SD media on Windows-based systems and up to nine real-time streams on Mac-based systems. Avid also unveiled a future version of the Media Composer Adrenaline system with broad HD support, including native HDV and Panasonic DVCPRO HD media, uncompressed HD resolutions, and Avid DNxHD - a revolutionary 10-bit HD encoding technology that enables collaborative HD postproduction via the Avid Unity MediaNetwork with the same storage bandwidth and capacity requirements as SD files. Avid will demonstrate Avid DNxHD encoding technology in the Media Composer Adrenaline system at NAB 2004.
"The processing speeds of the top Windows and Mac CPUs have increased over the past year, and we're already seeing the tremendous benefits of the scalable Avid DNA hybrid architecture of Media Composer Adrenaline. In that short time, we've been able to more than double the system's overall performance on both platforms," said Dana Ruzicka, director of Post Solutions for Avid. "Customers have told us that the biggest obstacle they face with HD production is dealing with massive HD files in an efficient workflow. With Avid DNxHD, they can now work with 10-bit HD media and share files in real time the same way they've done in the past with SD media. With twice the real-time performance and new, unprecedented HD capabilities, Media Composer Adrenaline sets a new standard for professionals who need a versatile, affordable, facility-class workhorse capable of handling a wide variety of SD and HD projects."
Powerful New Features in Version 1.5
The Avid® Media Composer Adrenaline 1.5 system is packed with new interoperability and export capabilities, including support for the Material Exchange Format (MXF), which streamlines metadata and media exchange between Avid products and third-party systems, and a Windows Media 9 direct export option that converts projects to high-quality compressed Windows Media streaming formats. This new version also offers powerful audio features, such as the ability to output record-side timecode (i.e. sequence timecode) as Linear Timecode (LTC) so that third-party devices can accurately synchronize to the playback frame. In addition, the product supports bi-directional MIDI control for Digidesign's new Command|8 control surface, allowing editors to access transport functions on the controller and record fader, mute, and solo automation data into the Media Composer sequence during playback.
Additional editing and effects features include:
- FluidFilm: Enables the creation of a film look from 30i sources using the FluidMotion engine, resulting in a true 24p progressive source with a 2:3 pulldown.
- Boris Continuum Complete AVX 3: The latest version of the acclaimed compositing and effects package includes more than 150 filters, featuring real-time compositing, integrated motion tracking, advanced masking capabilities, powerful keys, one-click application to titles, and the ability to easily stack filters for combined effects.
Future Support for Broad HD Capabilities
Future HD support for the Media Composer Adrenaline system will include:
- Revolutionary 10-bit Avid DNxHD encoding technology that delivers a 4:2:2 color space and is available in three user-selectable bandwidth configurations: 220 megabits per second (Mbps) for both 10-bit and 8-bit video, and a highly efficient 8-bit configuration requiring only 145 Mbps for 720p and 1080p/i HD resolutions.
- The ability to deliver nine streams of SD and three streams of Avid DNxHD media on the user interface for on-the-fly multicam editing.
- An optional uncompressed HD add-on PCI card that extends the functionality of the Media Composer Adrenaline system by allowing users to directly input and output uncompressed HD media - including industry-standard 1080i, 1080p, and 720p formats - directly into the system via SDI and HD-SDI connections.
- Compatibility with industry-standard HDV and DVCPRO HD media formats, as well as support for Sony HDCAM devices.
- The ability to mix HD and SD resolutions in the timeline and perform simultaneous up/down converts while retaining the same frame rate.
Integrated 3-D, Effects, and DVD Applications
Avid will also offer a new software package - Avid Studio Tools - designed exclusively for customers using Media Composer Adrenaline systems. Avid Studio Tools includes three powerful content-creation applications: Avid 3D - featuring industry-leading 3-D animation and effects technology from Avid's Softimage® product family; Avid FX - software based on the industry-leading Boris Red compositing and titling package; and Avid DVD by Sonic - DVD authoring capabilities developed expressly for Avid by Sonic Solutions, the leader in DVD creation software. A complete description of all the software applications in Avid Studio Tools can be found at www.avid.com.
Pricing & Availability
The Avid Media Composer Adrenaline 1.5 system is priced at $24,995 USMSRP and is expected to be available through Avid's worldwide reseller channel in Q2 2004. Media Composer Adrenaline customers who have purchased Avid Assurance contracts will receive free software upgrades. Avid Studio Tools is priced at $2,195 USMSRP and is expected to be available through Avid's worldwide reseller channel in Q3 2004.
The HD expansion option, including Avid DNxHD encoding technology, is expected to be available for $9,995 USMSRP through Avid's worldwide reseller channel in late 2004. The uncompressed HD add-on PCI card will be priced at $4,995 USMSRP and is expected to be available in late 2004 for customers who have purchased the HD expansion option for the Media Composer Adrenaline system. Support for HDV and DVCPRO HD formats is expected to be included in a new version of Media Composer Adrenaline in late 2004.
About Avid Technology, Inc.
Avid Technology, Inc. is the world leader in digital nonlinear media creation, management, and distribution solutions, enabling film, video, audio, animation, games, and broadcast professionals to work more efficiently, productively, and creatively. For more information about the company's Oscar®, Grammy®, and Emmy® award-winning products and services, please visit: www.avid.com.
© 2004 Avid Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Product features, specifications, system requirements, and availability are subject to change without notice. All prices are USMSRP for the U.S. and Canada only and are subject to change without notice. Contact your local Avid office or reseller for prices outside the U.S. and Canada. Avid, Film Composer, Media Composer, Adrenaline, Avid DNA, Avid DNxHD, Avid Unity, Digidesign, Pro Tools, AVX, FluidMotion, and Softimage are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Avid received an Oscar statuette representing the 1998 Scientific and Technical Award for the concept, design, and engineering of the Avid Film Composer® system for motion picture editing. Digidesign, Avid's audio division, received an Oscar statuette representing the 2003 Scientific and Technical Award for the design, development, and implementation of its Pro Tools® digital audio workstation. Oscar is a trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Emmy is a registered trademark of ATAS/NATAS. Grammy is a trademark of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Inc. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
NOTE TO EDITORS: In the name Command|8 noted in this news release, there is a pipe symbol between Command and 8. This symbol may not appear properly in some systems.
CONTACT: Avid Technology, Inc.
Alice Eubank, 978-640-3325,
alice_eubank@avid.com
or
Weber Shandwick
Laura Shea, 617-520-7015,
lshea@webershandwick.com
SOURCE: Avid Technology, Inc.