Monthly Archives: October 2011

ARTICLES

Media Composer 6 Delivers Major New Features

Avid Media Composer version 6 is one of the most significant major releases we’ve seen in the Media Composer family in years. This is the 6th software release in the last three years and shows that Avid is aggressively asserting Symphony, Media Composer and NewsCutter as the top choices for professional editors in the changing media market.

The Media Composer family has been completely rewritten to take advantage of 64 bit OSX Lion and Windows 7 operating systems. What this means to the end user is better RAM management which in turn delivers greater speed and stability in memory demanding high definition and stereoscopic projects.

The software is available for download on November 15 from Avid Store and turnkey systems are shipping on November 17, 2011. The pricing structure is flexible in the number of available options.

Pricing and Third Party Hardware Support

Avid has indefinitely extended the Final Cut Pro to Media Composer crossgrade for $1,499 (all prices quoted in USD). Standalone Media Composer 6 software only is priced at $2,499. Add in Mojo DX I/O box for $4,499 total or hardware accelerated Nitris DX box for the total of $6,999.

The top of the line turnkey Symphony system includes the optional stereoscopic 3D I/O card, Nitris DX and Avid Artist color surface for $21,999. Contact your local Avid dealer for the full list of options and prices.

Although the legacy Mojo SDI and Nitris hardware are no longer supported, Media Composer v6 is not exclusively tied to Avid brand hardware.

In version 5 we’ve seen support for Matrox display hardware. The lineup of third party supported I/O products now also include AJA, BlackMagic, BlueFish 4:4:4 and Motu. This is a valuable option to companies with existing I/O hardware from workstations that are being converted from Final Cut Pro over to Media Composer. It’s important to note that unlike Nitris DX the third party hardware does not offer any acceleration and only facilitates video input and output.

New Features

Revamped User Interface

Media Composer 6 had a significant UI makeover. Editors with years of experience on Avid don’t need to worry though. While the new UI takes cues from similar products like Premiere Pro, the dark gray layout and the style closely resemble the traditional, clean Avid look.

Avid Artist Color Control Surface

After initially being compatible with non-Avid applications only, the optional Artist color surface turns Symphony into a formidable color corrector. The color correctors within Media Composer and Symphony are the same as in the previous version, but the tactile surface now allows colorists to work faster than before.

DNxHD 4:4:4

The version 5 enabled Media Composer family to work in 4:4:4 sampling but only at the expense of full uncompressed storage bandwidth. The DNxHD codec can now encode 4:4:4 video and achieve high color precision at much lower bitrate which translates in lower storage costs.

ProRes Encoding

AMA has been able to play back ProRes video in real time on previous versions of Media Composer. It is now possible to encode the popular ProRes codec, but only on OSX Lion based platforms.

Stereoscopic 3D Enhancements

The optional stereoscopic I/O board for Nitris DX enables full resolution tape capture and output of simultaneous L and R eyes. The new stereoscopic tools don’t stop there. Even without any hardware, the version 6 has an all new set of tools for fixing of stereoscopic asymmetries, and a brand new way of working in stereoscopic projects.

Avid Marketplace

This module allows editors to browse for content, plugins and other tools from within Media Composer. This type of tool is not new. Other products include simple web browsers, but Avid takes the concept one step further. Editors can search stock shot libraries (currently only Thought Equity) and use AMA to seamlessly link to lores stock shots without ever leaving Media Composer. This is a small but significant step towards cloud based editorial.

AMA Plugin Additions

AVCHD codec and RED Epic are both supported via AMA in Media Composer 6 for real time playback without transcoding.

Things to Watch For

Better safe than sorry. Before you upgrade there are several things to consider:

  • Boris Continuum Complete plugins are no longer included with Media Composer, but they are part of the Symphony package.
  • Some older models of Intel Macs don’t boot into 64 bit kernel and are not supported.
  • Full resolution stereoscopic editing requires 12GB of RAM.
  • Nitris and Mojo SDI are no longer supported.
Industry Press Releases

MPAA Chairman C. Dodd on Film Piracy

White Plains, NY, 26 September 2011 – The Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers (SMPTE), the worldwide leader in motion?imaging standards and  education for the communications, media and entertainment industries, today announced that Chris Dodd, the Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America Inc. (MPAA) and former United States Senator, will address attendees at the 2011 SMPTE Annual Technical Conference & Exposition to be held 25 – 27 October 2011 in Hollywood.

Dodd will address a SMPTE conference luncheon at 12:45 p.m. on 26 October at the Hollywood Renaissance Hotel & Spa and will focus on the devastating impact of digital content theft on the workers and businesses in the entertainment industry.
“The movie and the TV industries aren’t just about big studios and stars. More than 2.2 million hardworking, middle?class people in all 50 states depend on the entertainment industry for their jobs. They work behind the scenes in production, and in small businesses like equipment rental, transportation, construction and food service,” Dodd said. “Millions more people work in theaters, video stores, retail, restaurants and other businesses that depend on entertainment. For all of these workers and their families, content theft means declining incomes, lost jobs and reduced health and retirement benefits.”
The 2011 SMPTE Annual Technical Conference & Exposition is the pre?eminent gathering of motion imaging scientists, researchers, engineers, and business decision makers and is emblematic of the leadership role that the Society is taking to drive standards that will accelerate industry expansion and business success. Conference Features Exceptionally Strong Class of Presentations SMPTE officials have cited an exceptionally strong class of presentation for this year’s conference, including those on new multi?platform distribution schemes, including next?generation watermarking; The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again.
cloud?computing production solutions; new approaches to 3D acquisition, production, distribution, and display; and new and more efficient ways of managing file?based workflows and locating digital media.

A pre?conference SMPTE Symposium, produced in cooperation with the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), will focus on large?sensor imaging revolution that is remaking creative production workflows.
“We are thrilled to have Senator Dodd address the 2011 SMPTE Annual Technical Conference,” said SMPTE President Pete Ludé. “Our attendees are on the front lines of creating the technologies that help protect the creative product of the MPAA’s members, let consumers experience in new ways, and form the basis for entirely new business models that will help the industry thrive.”

“Attendees at the 2011 SMPTE Annual Technical Conference have delivered some of the most incredible technologies for creating entertainment programming and I am honored to address this gathering to discuss how we must protect it,” Dodd said. Dodd served in the U.S. Congress representing Connecticut for 36 years – six years in the House of Representatives and thirty years in the U.S. Senate. He was one of the most widely respected legislators during his years in Congress, earning the trust and admiration of both Democrats and Republicans.