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NewTek SpeedEDIT 2 Now Shipping


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Posted by Marc Leitner
January 28, 2010

Upgrade to the popular resolution-independent video editor includes enhanced Sub-Project capabilities and broader high definition (HD) support

NewTek Inc., manufacturer of industry-leading video and 3D animation products, has announced that it is now shipping SpeedEDIT™ 2. This upgrade to SpeedEDIT offers numerous advancements, including support for additional file formats and enhanced Sub-Project capabilities for more flexible real-time layering.

"Workflow – it is not like other editors," said Kristopher DeBolt, owner/chief pixel pusher, Digital Matters Productions. "It is fluid – not rigid and makes it easy to move things around and get things done fast."

"The pace of production is faster than ever, and editors appreciate a workflow that is intuitive, flexible and easy-to-use," said John Perkins, lead software engineer, SpeedEDIT, NewTek Inc. "SpeedEDIT 2 avoids the unnecessary steps required in other editing solutions, and now offers more versatility with cutting and layering for editors andanimators."

SpeedEDIT 2 works natively for real-time editing with XDCAM HD, XDCAM EX, QuickTime® and AC3 Audio. This update also transcodes additional formats, including selected types of AVCHD. Sub-Projects now access all of the Control Tree settings for real-time sizing, rotation and overlay functions on groups of clips as if they were a single video clip. SpeedEDIT 2 also offers improved slow motion, with options for interpolated smoothing or enhanced sharpness. For animators, image sequences are displayed as clips in real-time, with support extended to PNG, BMP, Targa, TIFF and JPEG files. SpeedEDIT 2 extends real-time preview and playback with output support for Blackmagic Design™ and other compatible external video devices.

NewTek SpeedEDIT is a resolution-independent video editor designed to work quickly and efficiently on any video project, from high definition (HD) to standard definition (SD) to Web. SpeedEDIT works with almost any video format.

Pricing and Availability
SpeedEDIT 2 is available for US$995, with an upgrade price of US$249 for SpeedEDIT and VT[5] owners. For more information, please visit www.newtek.com or call NewTek Sales at 800-368-5441, international callers dial +1-210-370-8000.


Media Studio Graz Releases VoluMedic Version 2.0!


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Posted by Marc Leitner
January 14, 2010

Studio Graz, a leading developer of custom LightWave plugins and 3D graphics software, today announced the release of VoluMedic, version 2.0. This is the first "dot zero" update to the world's first medical imaging software based on a commercial 3D application.

"This update marks a significant milestone in the ongoing development of VoluMedic", said Elmar Moelzer, the product developer of VoluMedic, Media Studio Graz, software division. "We are very proud to introduce a set of much sought after features in VoluMedic 2.0: measurement tools. It means the expansion of the product from the pure visualization to the evaluation of volume data. In addition to measurement tools, users will find our new "Selection Masks" for easier segmentation and the new Filters most helpful with their daily tasks. Another demonstration of our commitment to the wishes of our user base is the VoluMedic Wizard. It will allow new users as well as advanced users to achieve stunning results in even less time."

New Features in VoluMedic 2.0 Include:
Measurement Tools:
Measure volumes, distances and angles. Store the results in a Sqlite database and export them into a customizable CSV- table- file. CSV files are widely supported by applications such as Microsoft Office and the Open Office suite.

New Segmentation Tools, Selection Masks:


In addition to our patented Volume Painting tools, VoluMedic now also supports segmentation via a 3d "Magic Wand" like tool. Click on any voxel and select surrounding voxels of the same or similar Density. The resulting "Masks" can be used as 3d- Alpha Maps or Clip Maps for volume rendering as well as VoluMedics Surface Mesh Creation tools. They can also be used for measurement. Like any other data set, Masks can be edited with all the other editing tools available in VoluMedic. Masks can be painted and filtered. Like VoluMedic's Volume Painting tools, the selection tools have a non linear Undo History.

Filters:
VoluMedic 2.0 includes a couple of powerful, new preprocessing filters. The new Gaussian and Median Filters help cleaning up noisy data sets. They also help with softening the transitions in the new Selection Masks. The filters are also tied into VoluMedic's non linear Undo History.

VoluMedic Wizard:
The new VoluMedic Wizard makes creation of VoluMedic projects easier than ever before. Let the Wizard take you from a DICOM file to a finished Animation in a just a few easy steps.

Hounsfield Support:
VoluMedic now supports Hounsfield Units. Support for Hounsfield Units allowed the VoluMedic team to implement presets that are valid for most DICOM- CT data. You will find the new Presets in the Wizard and the Slice Editor.

Improved Import:
The Importer has, once again, been improved. Besides the new support for Hounsfield Units, data sets can now be imported in a much more memory efficient fashion. Particularly multi channel datasets can benefit from this. Users can also manually reduce the precision of the imported data, to further conserve system memory. The DICOM importer also has seen another update, providing better compatibility with certain vendors.

Improvements in Scalar Panel:
The Scalar Panel has seen some fine tuning and cleanups. A new popup has been added to house a Selection Mask for rendering.Shading Softness can now be controlled via a percentage slider instead of a simple two value popup. "Inverted" Opacity Ramps no longer require the use of "Use Opacity for Normals". This not only makes renderings look much better, it also allowed for the now obsolete option to be removed. New renderer optimizations made the "Preprocessing" optimization obsolete and this control has been removed as well.

Other Improvements:
DICOM information can optionally be "anonymized" when it is saved into a VoluMedic file. Painting information is no longer lost when the Slice Editor is closed. The Histogram is now in a Panel of its own. This improved the refresh rates in the Slice Editor. There are new scripts for the creation of Bounding Boxes and the Bounding Box Panel to the main UI. Another new script quickly creates a simple gradient backdrop.

About VoluMedic:
VoluMedic™ is an add-on for LightWave 3D™, the award-winning 3D software from NewTek, Inc. VoluMedic is so powerful and so well integrated into LightWave3D that it becomes a whole new piece of software for use in medical visualization, material science, forensic animation and even astronomy. VoluMedic is also a great tool for creating stunning visual effects. VoluMedic has been used in the production of the Emmy award winning documentary "Inside the Living Body" (Emmy for best visual effects in a documentary) by National Geographic Channel and in TV series such as "CSI:Crime Scene Investigators".

Pricing and Availability:
VoluMedic Plugin
This version of VoluMedic is meant for existing users of LightWave3D 9.6 who want to enhance LightWave’s toolset with the functionality of VoluMedic. The package includes VoluMedic installation CD, menu config files and printed manual. The suggested retail- price of VoluMedic: Plugin is $ 3,499 - USD excl. VAT.

VoluMedic Complete
VoluMedic: Complete includes one seat of VoluMedic: Plugin and one seat of LightWave3D in a single package. It is meant for users that do not own LightWave3D yet.

The Package includes VoluMedic installation CD, menu config files, manual and the full package of LightWave3D (installation CDs, content CDs, manual, dongle). The suggested retail- price of VoluMedic: Plugin is $ 4,189 - USD excl. VAT.

VoluMedic System
A complete turnkey system. The Package includes VoluMedic installation CD, menu config files, manual and the full package of LightWave3D (Installation CDs, content CDs, manual, dongle) all ready to go on a high end workstation.
Please contact our sales department for detailed hardware specs and pricing information.

For more information or to purchase, visit: www.volumedic.com.
North American customers, please visit Safe Harbor Computers at www.sharbor.com.
Customers from Japan please contact D- Storm, Inc. for more information http://www.dstorm.co.jp

VoluMedic 2.0 Upgrade
VoluMedic 2.0 Upgrade updates any previous version of VoluMedic (v. 1 or v. 1.5) to the VoluMedic 2.0. The suggested retail- price of VoluMedic: Plugin is $ 1,699 - USD excl. VAT.

About Media Studio Graz

Since the company's establishment in 2000, Media Studio Graz has been delivering high quality visualizations and custom software to clients around the globe. In these years the company expanded its business towards developing 3D- animation software. After working with NewTek on delivering updates to LightWave3D, Media Studio Graz focused on developing add ons for LightWave3D to bring this software- package to markets previously not covered by commercial 3D- software. Media Studio Graz's clients include companies like AVL- List GmbH, Pioneer Productions, Xvivo, Zizala Lichtsysteme GmbH and Zoic Studios and Pioneer Productions.
Website: http://www.volumedic.com

About NewTek

With headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, NewTek is a leading provider of full-featured video editing, live production, presentation and visual effects tools including TriCaster™, VT[5]™, SpeedEDIT™, 3D Arsenal™ and LightWave 3D™.
Website: http://www.newtek.com/


Safe Harbor Now Offers PC-over-IP Remoting Technology for Video Professionals


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Posted by Marc Leitner
January 7, 2010

Innovative technology enhances data security, manageability and work environment – Webinar on January 13, 2010

Safe Harbor Computers, a leading equipment and software retailer with over 20 years experience supplying video and post-production professionals, is pleased to announce that it now offers remote computing products featuring Teradici Corporation’s PC-over-IP® (PCoIP®) technology.

Remote computing improves data security, simplifies IT management and offers a quieter, cooler environment by maintaining all data and hardware in a secure, central location. PCoIP technology enables remote computing without compromising performance or productivity even with demanding graphical 3D applications, making it ideal for video, post-production, media and engineering professionals.

Designed specifically for demanding graphics applications, PCoIP technology supports dual-display configurations up to 1920x1200, full frame-rate HD video, bidirectional stereo audio and (virtually) all USB devices including isochronous audio and video devices.

Safe Harbor offers complete PCoIP solutions consisting of both a server-side component and a desktop client. The PCoIP Host Card is a PCIe card that installs in a PC or workstation and performs all remote processing without placing any additional load on the host CPU, leaving the host machine to run its applications as fast as ever. On the desk, the PCoIP "zero-client" virtually eliminates desktop management because they have no operating system or device drivers so they never require OS patches, driver updates, anti-virus software or signatures. Safe Harbor’s zero-client options include both a standalone PCoIP desktop portal that connects to existing monitors and integrated monitors with built-in PCoIP hardware – simply plug your keyboard, mouse and network cable directly into the monitor.

To learn more about PCoIP technology, join Safe Harbor and Teradici for a webinar at 11:00am CT on Wednesday, January 13 – see Safe Harbor website for details (www.sharbor.com).

About Safe Harbor
Celebrating 22 years of business, Safe Harbor has become one of the most trusted resellers in the multimedia industry. Founded in 1987 as a Commodore Amiga reseller, Safe Harbor helped to advance the video production industry by providing quality products and outstanding customer service to a wide range of creative artists. With a clean, intuitive, and easy to navigate website, Safe Harbor has built a reliable reputation as an industry leader. Look to Safe Harbor for quality editing and animation software and hardware, as well as for a professional and personable experience. More information is available at www.sharbor.com.

About Teradici
Teradici Corporation has developed PCoIP® (PC-over-IP®) technology, a unique remote display protocol which makes network delivered computing a viable corporate computing reality. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Burnaby, BC, Canada, Teradici for the first time enables an exceptional end user experience for datacenter-based computing. Through a combination of unique graphics algorithms, flexible software solutions, high-performance silicon processing, and workstation/server add-in cards, the company is changing how personal computers are used, deployed and managed. More information is available at www.teradici.com.


Free eMagazine for K-12 TV/Video Production Teachers


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Posted by Marc Leitner
December 18, 2009

School Video News offers free subscriptions to K-12 teachers and administrators of TV/Video production. You can view the current issue at www.school-video-news.com and click on the SUBSCRIBE button.

Started as a quarterly, regional newsletter, School Video News has grown in popularity and content since its inception in 2007, and is now a monthly ePublication. Originally published as a four page product oriented newsletter featuring recommendations and a single case study, SVN has expanded coverage to include articles on all aspects of K-12 video production: lighting and audio, set construction/design tips, editing, increasing production values, case studies, projects and profiles of other schools. In addition to technical articles by industry professionals, there are product reviews, student projects, event coverage, and industry/academic news as they relate to TV/Video production. School Video News has become the definitive authority in its market.

"Over time, we have seen many teachers who with little or no TV production experience or training suddenly being put in the role of creating not just a curriculum, but in some cases an entire production facility," says John Churchman, publisher of School Video News. "One of our primary goals is to help teachers expose, train and nurture an ongoing technical competence and understanding in those students that demonstrate an aptitude and interest in TV production as a possible career after graduation."

School Video News, a free publication of School Video Systems, Inc., is published on-line 12 times a year.

Visit www.school-video-news.com for more information.


PC-over-IP Remote Desktop Add-In Solution


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Posted by Marc Leitner
December 17, 2009

The Benefits of Remoting… Finally Realized
Enhanced security. Reduced management costs. Effective collaboration. Remote access. A quieter, less cluttered workspace. Space, electricity and cooling savings.

Every company has its own reasons for deploying remote desktops, but until now all have suffered the same drawbacks: a frustrating user experience; long response times; poor graphics; desktop management headaches. Until now…

The PC-over-IP (PCoIP®) Remote Desktop Add-In Solution delivers a user’s desktop from a centralized host PC with an uncompromised end-user experience over standard IP networks. With full-frame-rate dual-DVI video, full-duplex high-definition audio and transparent USB support, even the most demanding user won’t be able to tell that the computer isn’t under the desk regardless of the application or graphics.

Two components deliver this flawless experience. In the host PC, a PCoIP Host Card encodes the entire user experience and transmits it "pixels-only" over the IP network. On the desktop, the PCoIP Portal presents the experience and provides full peripheral connectivity through two DVI-I video outputs, four USB ports and headphone, speaker and microphone jacks.

Together, they provide graphics performance, responsiveness, security and peripheral support previously impossible with remote solutions.

Enhanced Security, Minimal Management
PCoIP eliminates the management complexities and overhead of traditional thin clients. The Desktop Portal has no CPU, operating system, drivers, fan or any other elements that make traditional thin clients difficult to manage. You never have to worry about OS patches, driver updates, viruses, spyware, hacking or fan failures on the desktops.

PCoIP’s USB security enables IT staff to control exactly which peripherals users can connect, thereby preventing unauthorized devices and data copying. Unauthorized devices are suppressed by the portal right at the desktop; the host PC never even knows they were plugged in. All USB connection attempts, whether authorized or suppressed, are logged.

On the host PC, all remote processing is performed entirely by the PCoIP card with no additional load on the host CPU – so your host PC can devote all of its power to running applications. This means your applications continue running as quickly as ever and you won’t have to upgrade your machines to accommodate the remoting itself.

The PCoIP Remote Desktop Solution delivers the efficiency, security and cost savings of centralized computing without compromising your users’ desktop experience.


Fits Virtually Any Server, Any Application, Any Environment
The PCoIP Remote Desktop System can be added to any server equipped with a DVI video card and an open PCI-Express slot. The Desktop Portal can be used with any standard monitors (DVI or VGA with an adapter) and USB keyboard, mouse and peripherals. Both host card and portal connect to a standard 10/100/1000 Mbit IP network via RJ45 Ethernet connector.

Benefits at a glance

  • All the manageability, security and cost savings of centralized computing
  • Enhanced collaboration and sharing
  • Uncompromised user experience
  • Support for dual 1920x1200 DVI displays
  • Full high-definition audio
  • Transparent USB connectivity with complete control for unprecedented data security
  • Low-power, stateless, driver-less, fan-less Desktop Portal virtually eliminates management
  • Supports any application, any graphics, any user
  • Remote any computer with an open PCI-Express slot
  • Integrates easily into existing user environments

System Overview

  • Host Card Type:
    • PCI-Express x1
    • Compatible with any xPCIe x1, x4, x8, x16
  • System Requirements:
    • Graphics card with DVI output
    • PCI Express compliant motherboard with 1 slot
    • Ethernet LAN switch or router 10/100/1000 Mbps
  • Host Card Dimensions:
    • 2.7 x 6.6 x .54 inches
    • 6.9 x 16.8 x 1.4 cm
  • Host Card Power:
    • Typical: 12W
    • Maximum: 17W
  • Host Card Connectors:
    • DMS-59 (dual-DVI)
    • Ethernet RJ-45
    • Remote power control
  • Portal Dimensions (approx):
    • 8.3 x 5.3 x 1.8 inches
    • 21 x 13.5 x 4.6 cm
  • Portal Power Consumption:
    • 15.36 W maximum
  • Bandwidth:
    • Approx. 1 Mbps minimum
    • Actual bandwidth used may be lower
  • PCoIP solutions are also available as rack and blade servers and integrated PCoIP monitors


Boris Continuum Complete 6 AVX for Avid DS Now Supports AVX 2.0


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Posted by Dennis Hoffman
December 7, 2009

Boris Continuum Complete 6 AVX for Avid DS (BCC 6 AVX for DS) is now available for Avid's AVX 2.0 plug-in architecture. BCC 6 AVX for DS brings nearly 200 filters to Avid DS Version 10.2.1 and higher. BCC AVX is bundled with all Avid Media Composer and Symphony systems. With a BCC AVX for DS license, Avid facilities are now able to conform sequences with AVX 2.0-based BCC effects for finishing in Avid DS.

In addition to AVX 2.0 support, BCC 6 AVX for DS introduces all-new Lens Blur, Lens Transition, and Lens Shape filters that emulate lens blur or rack defocus effects as well as a suite of time-based effects such as Optical Flow, Optical Stabilizer, and Motion Key.

New Feature Highlights

  • Conform Offline and Online BCC Effects. BCC AVX is bundled with all Avid Media Composer and Symphony systems. With a BCC 6 AVX for DS license, Avid facilities are now able to conform sequences with AVX 2.0-based BCC effects for finishing in Avid DS.
  • Lens Blur Filter. BCC Lens Blur emulates a lens blur or rack defocus effect where out-of-focus highlights of an image clip take on the shape of the lens.
  • Lens Shape Filter. Like BCC Lens Blur, BCC Lens Shape emulates a lens blur or rack defocus effect where out of focus highlights of an image clip take on the shape of the lens. However, the Lens Shape filter uses an image input for the highlight shape.
  • Lens Transition Filter. The BCC Lens Transition wipe filter applies a lens blur or rack defocus effect to the specular highlights of outgoing and incoming image clips.
  • Motion Key Filter. BCC Motion Key is a "magical" effect that removes moving cars or other objects from a scene by automatically painting them out with Optical Flow technology.
  • Optical Stabilizer Filter. Remove camera shake from a hand-held shot, lock a shot as if it was taken from a tripod, or smooth the motion of a panning or rolling shot. Image resizing and cropping is automatically calculated and rendered with high-quality up-scale methods.
  • Optical Flow Filter. BCC Optical Flow facilitates high-quality speed-up or slow-down of footage in forward or reverse direction, accurately constructing synthetic frames of video that would correspond to an over-cranked film camera shot. Missing frames of video are reconstructed based on "motion vector" fields.
  • DeInterlace Filter. BCC DeInterlace is a high-quality de-interlacing filter that blends high-motion parts of an image while keeping low-motion areas sharp.
  • Motion Blur Filter. Based on Optical Flow motion vectors, BCC Motion Blur creates an in-camera motion blur effect from video shot with normal shutter speed.
  • Other New Time-based Effects include Jitter, Jitter Basic, Looper, Posterize Time, Sequencer, Temporal Blur, Time Displacement, Trails, Trails Basic, and Velocity Remap.
  • 32-bit Float Image Format. BCC 6 AVX's OpenGL filters now render images in 32-bit float.[\list]Pricing and Availability

    BCC 6 AVX for DS is immediately available for an MSRP of $2,495 USD. BCC 6 AVX for DS users can download a free upgrade to the new AVX 2.0-based version. Owners of previous versions of BCC AVX for DS can upgrade for an MSRP of $599 USD. The AVX 2.0 version of BCC 6 AVX for DS supports Avid DS Version 10.2.1 and higher under Windows XP Professional v64 Edition. A full-functioning 14-day trial version is available as a free download.


The entire Matrox MXO2 product line is cross platform - PC and Mac.


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Posted by Dennis Hoffman
December 2, 2009

The MXO2 product line provides interoperability with Matrox RT.X2 and Axio. Matrox MXO2 products include the Matrox color correction plug-in for advanced primary and secondary color control from within Adobe Premiere Pro CS4. Color corrected sequences created in the field using Matrox MXO2 products will playback in realtime when edited on Matrox RT.X2 and Axio systems. In addition, Matrox MXO2 products also support the Matrox 1440 x 1080 MPEG I-frame format so that footage captured with MXO2 products from various SDI, analog, and HDMI sources including AVCHD can be transferred to RT.X2 and Axio systems for realtime editing.

Key features of Matrox MXO2 LE, MXO2, and MXO2 Rack on the PC

  • Works with Windows 7 (64-bit), Windows Vista (32- and 64-bit), Windows XP (32-bit) laptops and desktops
  • HD/SD SDI, HDMI, HD/SD analog component, Y/C, and composite inputs and outputs
  • Genlock - SD analog black burst (bi-level) or HD tri-level sync
  • Unique Matrox calibration controls for 10-bit HDMI monitoring including blue-only
  • 10-bit realtime hardware downscaling on output
  • Professional audio inputs and outputs
  • Works with all the codecs supported by Adobe Premiere Pro including AVCHD, HDV, DVCPRO HD, DVCPRO50, DVCPRO, and DV
  • Captures to HD and SD codecs - 8- and 10-bit uncompressed and highly efficient Matrox MPEG-2 I-frame
  • Includes Matrox A/V Tools, an easy-to-use application for fast capture/playback of audio, video, and still frames
  • File-based workflow support - XDCAM, XDCAM HD, XDCAM EX, P2, P2HD
  • RED workflow support
  • Works with Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 4.2 and provides WYSIWYG support for popular motion graphics, animation, and compositing applications
  • Also available with Matrox MAX technology for accelerated H.264 encoding with Adobe Media Encoder CS4 4.2
  • Three-year hardware warranty and complimentary telephone support


Matrox MXO2 LE, MXO2 and MXO2 Rack now available for the PC


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Posted by Dennis Hoffman
November 17, 2009

Key features of Matrox MXO2 LE, MXO2, and MXO2 Rack on the PC

  • Works with Windows 7 (64-bit), Windows Vista (32- and 64-bit), Windows XP (32-bit) laptops and desktops
  • HD/SD SDI, HDMI, HD/SD analog component, Y/C, and composite inputs and outputs
  • Genlock - SD analog black burst (bi-level) or HD tri-level sync
  • Unique Matrox calibration controls for 10-bit HDMI monitoring including blue-only
  • 10-bit realtime hardware downscaling on output
  • Professional audio inputs and outputs
  • Works with all the codecs supported by Adobe Premiere Pro including AVCHD, HDV, DVCPRO HD, DVCPRO50, DVCPRO, and DV
  • Captures to HD and SD codecs - 8- and 10-bit uncompressed and highly efficient Matrox MPEG-2 I-frame
  • Includes Matrox A/V Tools, an easy-to-use application for fast capture/playback of audio, video, and still frames
  • File-based workflow support - XDCAM, XDCAM HD, XDCAM EX, P2, P2HD
  • RED workflow support
  • Works with Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 4.2 and provides WYSIWYG support for popular motion graphics, animation, and compositing applications
  • Also available with Matrox MAX technology for accelerated H.264 encoding with Adobe Media Encoder CS4 4.2
  • Three-year hardware warranty and complimentary telephone support

Matrox Mtx.utils 2.0 is now available for you to download.

Matrox Mtx.utils 2.0 provides the following new features for Matrox MXO2 products:

  • Support for Matrox MXO2, MXO2 Rack, and MXO2 LE, with or without Matrox MAX technology. These products can also be used with the Matrox CompressHD card.
  • Support for Microsoft Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate (64-bit).
  • Support for Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 4.2 and Adobe Media Encoder CS4 4.2 (earlier versions of Premiere Pro and Media Encoder are not supported).
  • Support for using Adobe Premiere Pro’s serial device control to export your Matrox sequences to tape.

Matrox Mtx.utils 2.0 provides the following new features for Matrox CompressHD:

  • Support for Microsoft Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate (64-bit).
  • Support for Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 4.2 and Adobe Media Encoder CS4 4.2 (earlier versions of Premiere Pro and Media Encoder are not supported).


Boris FX Unveils New XML Transfer Plug-In for Adobe After Effects


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Posted by Safe Harbor Staff
November 4, 2009

Boris FX, the leading developer of integrated effects technology for video and film, today announced Boris XML Transfer, a new Adobe After Effects plug-in designed for seamless transfer of Apple Final Cut Pro program sequences to Adobe After Effects. Boris XML Transfer preserves all aspects of a Final Cut Pro project including effects, audio, media clips, transitions, and geometric transformations.

"Improved integration between Adobe, Apple, and Avid applications is a recurring request among digital media workgroups," commented Boris Yamnitsky, president and founder, Boris FX. "Boris Continuum Complete and Final Effects Complete effects presets have always been compatible across Adobe, Apple, and Avid host applications. With the release of Boris XML Transfer, we bring integration to a new level, giving editors the ability to transfer entire Final Cut Pro sequences to After Effects. - including multi-clip edits, effects, and audio."

Boris XML Transfer Feature Highlights

  • Clips Remain Fully Editable. All trimmed Final Cut Pro clips remain fully-editable in Adobe After Effects as stepped-up or stepped-down layers. Audio levels, pans, and cross-fades are accurately preserved and effects settings and keyframe animations are fully translated.
  • MultiCam Editing. Boris XML Transfer takes special care to preserve multi-clip edits.
  • Boris Continuum Complete and Final Effects Complete Compatibility. BCC and FEC effects provide the same look and keyframe values for every parameter.
  • Native Final Cut Pro Effects Translation. Many native Final Cut Pro effects are translated into corresponding After Effects features that match the effects' look and behavior.
  • Familiar Look and Feel. Translated After Effects projects will look very familiar to Final Cut Pro editors. User marks, comments and labels for clips and sequences, and all user-defined names are carried across from Final Cut Pro to After Effects.
  • No Transcoding or File Duplication Required. QuickTime-based media files are immediately available in After Effects without the need for transcoding or file duplication.

Pricing and Availability
Boris XML Transfer for Macintosh OS X is immediately available through the Boris FX worldwide reseller channel and direct from the Boris FX web site at www.borisfx.com for an MSRP of $299 USD. A full-functioning 14-day trial version is available for free download.


Sorenson Media Launches Sorenson Squeeze 6


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Posted by Safe Harbor Staff
November 4, 2009

Sorenson Media today announced the immediate availability of Sorenson Squeeze 6, a significant update to the gold-standard video encoding software application. Sorenson Squeeze 6 provides the first total workflow solution for video professionals, enabling customers to employ innovative tools - such as email and text notifications and a secure review and approval process - that simplify the overall workflow and allow them to more easily encode and publish their video files on the Internet. Optimized video codecs and new filters have also been added, significantly improving video quality and encoding speed.

Video Management Made Easy
Working in tandem with the Sorenson 360 Video Delivery Network (Sorenson Media’s re-imagined online video publishing platform), Sorenson Squeeze 6 includes a variety of new unique features that make encoding and publishing videos online easier:

  • E-mail and Text Notifications. Sorenson Squeeze 6 can now send automatic notifications to clients, colleagues, supervisors, friends or the users themselves via e-mail and text message (SMS) when encoding jobs are completed. With this new feature, users can start an encoding job and walk away, knowing they will be notified immediately when the process is done.
  • Review and Approval Workflow. Video professionals can now add their clients’ and supervisors’contact information to Sorenson Squeeze, which will automatically send them secure, password protected videos for review and approval after encoding jobs are completed. This automated workflow is accessible from desktop computer Web browsers as well as the iPhone, enabling busy professionals to review and approve content on the go. After viewing a video, reviewer feedback and comments are immediately sent back to the Squeeze user, thereby streamlining the workflow of today’s video professionals.
  • Direct Publishing and Syndication. In addition to seamless publishing to the Sorenson 360 Video Delivery Network, Sorenson Squeeze 6 users can upload high-quality encoded files directly to popular social media sites, such as YouTube and Twitter, as well as to content delivery networks, including Akamai and Limelight.
  • Enhanced User Interface. The Sorenson Squeeze 6 interface has been re-designed to simplify the video compression workflow and provide easy access to the software’s powerful features, including encoding presets; high-quality audio and video filters; DVD burning tools; and the new review, approval and notification functions.
  • Complimentary Sorenson 360 Review & Approval Account. Every purchase of Squeeze 6 includes a complimentary one-year Review & Approval account to the Sorenson 360 Video Delivery Network, making Squeeze the first end-to-end encoding and publishing solution.

Higher Quality, Faster Encoding, Expanded Compatibility
Sorenson Squeeze 6 surpasses previous versions of the software in both speed and quality by incorporating and optimizing the latest On2 VP6 and MainConcept H.264 codecs. Internal benchmark tests have shown Sorenson Squeeze 6 is up to 500 percent faster than Sorenson Squeeze 5 when encoding in the H.264 and VP6 formats, both of which are standard formats included with every copy of Squeeze 6. New video filters, including blur, RGB, tint, white balance and timecode, have also been added to improve the quality of any encoded video. New input and output formats have also been added to Sorenson Squeeze 6, including:

  • New Input Formats: AVC-Intra and WMV with VC-1 for use in Blu-ray and Microsoft Silverlight
  • New Output Formats: AVI, AIFF, DV Stream, Image Sequence, Wave, and WMV with VC-1

To coincide with the release of Squeeze 6, Sorenson Media has also launched an innovative new Preset Exchange, an online repository of professional "video encoding recipes" or presets. The presets in the Exchange have been created by top industry compression experts, thereby providing Squeeze 6 users with direct access to the same encoding tools used by seasoned encoding professionals to get the best quality out of their encoding processes. Because the Preset Exchange is seamlessly integrated with Squeeze 6, users can instantly import new presets into Squeeze by clicking "Install" on the Preset Exchange Web site. Along with previous integration with Avid’s suite of editing applications, Sorenson Squeeze 6 also now works seamlessly with Apple’s Final Cut Pro and iMovie. This process significantly improves workflow times by eliminating the need for cumbersome exporting and importing between applications and enables users to tap into the powerful Squeeze feature set directly from their favorite editing software.

Pricing and Availability
Sorenson Squeeze 6 and Sorenson Squeeze 6 for Flash are available for electronic download or for shipping in CD form. Sorenson Squeeze 6 is $799 and Sorenson Squeeze 6 for Flash is $499. Upgrades from previous versions of Sorenson Squeeze begin at $199. The complimentary one-year Sorenson 360 Review & Approval account includes 5 gigabytes (GB) of storage, 100 streams per month and a maximum video length of 30 minutes.

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