STOCK OPTIONS
During NAB2004, Artbeats will debut more than 40 new high-definition and standard-definition collections of stock footage. Artbeats' royalty-free offerings are well suited to broadcast, film, commercial, desktop video, game development, and multimedia applications. New titles include:
ReelFire 3,
Sports Metaphors,
New York City Aerials,
Big Island (Hawaii) Aerials, and
Worship. Of particular interest are the new
Ultra Fire,
Ultra Water, and
Ultra Motion collections. Using an experimental, high-speed digital camera, Artbeats captured footage for these three titles at an impressive 1000 and 2000 frames per second. Artbeats offers footage in D1 NTSC (720 x 486) or D1 PAL (720 x 576) resolutions. Several releases also are available in HD (1920 x 1080) format.
Artbeats; www.artbeats.com
CONTENT MANAGEMENT
Linux During the show, Proximity will introduce Artbox, its content management system for creative departments in broadcast television, postproduction, and corporate facilities. The new product, designed to increase efficiency and accuracy, enables graphic artists to manage their work and content production work flow from a single interface. Artbox incorporates work flow management as well as format conversion, search and retrieval, and storage of art files, including video, graphics, script, and audio. With support for multiple devices and formats, Artbox is capable of interfacing with hardware and software solutions from such makers as Adobe, Avid, Chyron, Discreet, Leitch, Pinnacle, and Quantel.
Proximity; www.proximitygroup.com
VIDEO
Win Canopus will unveil a new HD nonlinear editing system and upgraded versions of its MediaEdge and Imaginate software solutions. Canopus's real-time NLE, a combination of an HD-SDI card and Edius Professional video editing software, enables mixed SD and HD editing on the timeline and exceptional video quality thanks to advanced HD codec technology. Its MediaEdge2 video distribution system gains support for MPEG-4, whereas its Imaginate 2.0 still-image animation tool now offers multiple image support, advanced soundtrack capabilities, and a Wizard for streamlining production.
Canopus; www.canopus.com
WinMac Bauhaus Software will present Mirage 1.2, the latest edition of its real-time video paint, animation, and effects software during NAB. Mirage 1.2 can be used with projects of virtually any resolution, whether Web video, film, or HDTV. It assists broadcasters in the creation, animation, and compositing of motion graphics, whereas 2D animators benefit from its paint and effects tools, as well as the ability to progress from digital pencil tests to editing in a single offering. Mirage 1.2 is priced at $895 for the full version and $395 as an upgrade.
Bauhaus Software; www.bauhaussoftware.com
VIDEO
Leitch Technology will demonstrate an Integrated Content Environment, defined by the company as a streamlined work flow for the production, processing, transmission, management, and storage of content. Among Leitch's high-definition products on display is the new VelocityHD nonlinear editing system, complete with the latest version of VelocityQ. Also on hand, the company's NXMTS Nexio transmission server supports multiple compression formats in SD and HD resolution, an ASI interface, and the recording, processing, and playback of MPEG transport streams. Leitch has expanded its line of broadcast-quality routing switchers with the Panacea Clean Switch, capable of simultaneously handling multiple channels of SD and HD signals. Its family of multi-source display processors gains two offerings, Neo SuiteView and Neo SuiteView Solo, both capable of rendering video and computer signals in real time to high-resolution traditional, plasma, and projection displays. Whereas Neo SuiteView Solo boasts up to 12 inputs in a 1RU frame, Neo SuiteView is scalable from 4 to 44 inputs in a 3RU format.
Leitch Technology; www.leitch.com
Boxx Technologies will introduce two new workstations that meet the high-capacity storage needs of the digital content, broadcast, and video markets. For those working with such digital media as SD and HD video, the latest Boxx devices accommodate eight and 12 internal drives. The new models were designed expressly to provide both high performance and increased cooling.
Boxx Technologies; www.boxxtech.com
Book Corner
Wiley Publishers has released
Adobe Premiere Pro Bible by Adele Droblas and Seth Greenberg. Whether an expert or beginner, or outputting to the Web or DVD, readers of
Adobe Premiere Pro Bible benefit from tutorials, tips, and tricks for quickly and easily producing and editing digital video productions. Priced at $49.99, the roughly 700-page text is accompanied by a bonus DVD with tryout versions of not only Adobe's Premiere Pro, Encore DVD, After Effects, Photoshop, and GoLive, but also Macromedia Flash MX 2004 and Director MX.
Wiley Publishers; www.wiley.com
Visual Design Fundamentals: A Digital Approach from Charles River Media is authored by Alan Hashimoto, an associate professor in the graphic design and computer art field. Comprising more than 300 pages with color photos, diagrams, and illustrations,
Visual Design Fundamentals teaches the principles behind creating brilliant, entertaining, and effective computer-generated designs and images. Hashimoto also walks readers through projects in the areas of modular design, letterforms and shapes, figure abstraction, color theory, typeface design, and more.
Visual Design Fundamentals ships complete with a cross-platform CD-ROM at a cost of $49.99.
Charles River Media; www.charlesriver.com