Avid Technology today started shipping its new family of Media Composer products. Introduced in April at NAB 2006, the new Media Composer family is now available to editors in a range of flexible configurations,
including a software-only application, which offers portability and the option to add hardware acceleration as required.
All products in the Media Composer family feature version 2.5 software, which delivers improved dual-platform functionality, with the addition of broad HD capabilities and real-time multi-cam support on Mac OS X (Tiger). In addition, the new Media Composer family is designed to offer workflow-intelligent features that support team-based collaboration through the Avid Interplay system, which is expected to ship in Q3 2006.
The latest version of Media Composer software builds on the application's comprehensive toolset and adds new features, including:
HD format support on the Mac—allows editors to work with popular HD formats such as DVCPRO HD, HDV, and Avid DNxHD. Using the optional Avid DNxcel board, editors can also encode HD material into Avid DNxHD resolutions of 145Mb, 220Mb, and 10-bit 220Mb data rates;
Enhanced real-time multi-cam—delivers improved real-time multi-cam functionality for the Mac and PC with support for HD resolutions and the ability to preview grouped clips before adding selections to the timeline;
XDCAM HD support—allows editors to work with Sony's new file-based HD format;
Motion tracking and stabilization with SteadyGlide—enables editors to smooth shaky camera footage while maintaining desirable camera motion, such as pans and tilts;
Full-screen playback over DVI—enables users to monitor SD or HD projects on LCD or plasma displays through on-board graphics cards without the need for expensive I/O or HD monitors; and
Workflow-intelligence with Avid Interplay—allows editors to use remote bins, monitor project changes, and access the transcode, low-res encode, and integrated asset management tools of Avid Interplay.
Systems are available in the following configurations:
Media Composer—Avid's creative toolset available in a software-only version for both Mac and PC, desktops and laptops, featuring comprehensive HD support and leveraging the latest in Multi-Core CPU and GPU power available to both platforms, US$4,995 MSRP;
Media Composer with Avid Mojo SDI Digital Nonlinear Accelerator—software application with Avid's new Mojo Serial Digital Interface (SDI) I/O device for uncompressed SD capture and output for real-time monitoring and FireWire connectivity for DV, HDV, and DVCPRO HD projects (also available, starting today), US$7,495 MSRP;
Media Composer Adrenaline—facility-class configuration designed for professionals who require full analog and digital I/O and hardware acceleration, US$19,995 MSRP; and
Media Composer Adrenaline with Avid Dnxcel—fully expanded software and hardware system for encoding HD material to 10-bit or 8-bit Avid DNxHD, Avid's format that provides the image quality of 10-bit uncompressed HD at SD bandwidths, US$22,995 MSRP.
Avid also offers special academic pricing for all Media Composer configurations for educational institutions. For more information about Avid's academic programs, visit www.avid.com/mcacademic.
For more information about Media Composer, please visit www.avid.com/mediacomposer.