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

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

Adobe Story Now Available on Adobe Labs

Posted by Safe Harbor Staff
September 14, 2009

At the 2009 IBC tradeshow, Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) announced that the public preview of Adobe® Story software, a new online and offline collaborative script development tool, is now available on Adobe Labs at http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/story. Adobe Story begins the planning and preproduction phase of video workflows and will be integrated with other Adobe products, including future versions of the Adobe Creative Suite® product family. Developed to create more efficient video production workflows while reducing production costs, Adobe Story automatically turns content in scripts into relevant metadata that can be used throughout the Adobe digital video workflow. Adobe will demonstrate Story during the IBC 2009 Exhibition at its stand (Hall 7, Stand H.23) in the RAI Convention Center, Sept. 11-15.

"Today, broadcast and media companies are looking for next-generation video workflows that transform how content is created and consumed," said Jim Guerard, vice president and general manager of Dynamic Media at Adobe. "By capturing valuable script information in the preproduction phase, Adobe Story provides these companies with a groundbreaking new tool that can radically streamline production workflows, reduce overall costs and make entertainment more interactive and engaging."

From Script to Screen
Adobe Story offers many ways to simplify the production process, reduce costs and bring new efficiencies to camera operators, editors, directors and others involved in the project development. Once information, such as script location and character biographies, are captured or entered into Adobe Story the valuable metadata will automatically flow into other products in the Creative Suite Production Premium toolkit, improving the efficiency for capturing clips and editing footage. When the video production is ready for online distribution, the metadata can also help viewers discover and search through content online to find their favorite characters, episodes or scenes, making the entire viewing experience more interactive and engaging.

Collaborative Scriptwriting
Scriptwriting typically goes through several phases: initial outline, several drafts, final draft, shooting script and creation of a production shot list that accompanies the final script. Adobe Story is designed to help simplify and accelerate this process for virtually any creative endeavor.

With Adobe Story, project participants have a visually rich environment where they can share their ideas at any time. Users can create a script from scratch using Adobe Story, leveraging its industry-standard formatting. They also can import scripts into Adobe Story from a variety of applications, including Microsoft Word, Final Draft or export into Adobe PDF, text, XML, Movie Magic and CSV. Project participants can use Adobe Story to work online and offline and automatically synchronize input and comments once they connect to the Internet. During this phase, the software captures metadata such as scene locations and other pertinent information automatically, creating a more efficient end-to-end workflow.

Pricing and availability
The preview version of Adobe Story is currently available at no charge on Adobe Labs at http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/story.

Adobe Advances Content Creation, Delivery and Playback Technologies at NAB

Posted by Safe Harbor Staff
April 20, 2009

At the 2009 NAB Show, Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) is highlighting advances in video and dynamic media software technologies that improve the creation and delivery of content across personal computers, televisions and mobile devices. The show sees the company debut Adobe® Flash® Platform for the Digital Home, an optimized implementation of Flash technology that brings HD video, interactive applications and services, new user interfaces and online content to Internet-connected televisions, set-top boxes, Blu-ray players and other devices (see separate press release). Adobe also unveiled a software framework, code-named Strobe, that will help establish an open industry standard for media players and accelerate the creation and delivery of high-quality video and interactive experiences for Web audiences (see separate press release).

In addition, NAB 2009 sees the company preview Adobe Story, a new online and offline software application for collaborative scriptwriting, aimed at the film and broadcast markets. Currently in the early stages of development, Adobe Story ties into the pre-production phase of video workflows and will be integrated with other Adobe products, as part of the Creative Suite® product family.

"Adobe’s customers and partners continue to stretch and reinvent the boundaries of storytelling and are looking for technologies that expand audiences, help build businesses and showcase content in new and compelling ways," said Jim Guerard, vice president and general manager of Dynamic Media at Adobe. "Adobe continues to shape the future of media by providing creative tools that streamline rich media workflows so broadcasters and media companies can create and deliver consistent and engaging experiences on screen, online, and on device."

Adobe’s presence at the NAB Show includes two prominent executive speaking engagements focused on the benefits of new digital technologies for broadcasters and media companies. Today at 10:30 a.m., in room number S222/223 in the South Hall, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen will co-present a Super Session address with Disney Interactive Media Group CTO A.D. "Bud" Albers. "Reinventing Storytelling In the Digital Age" will explore the impact of digital technology as it expands its reach into all areas of content production and delivery.

On Tuesday, April 21 at 9 a.m., Simon Hayhurst, senior director of product management for Digital Video and Audio at Adobe, will deliver the keynote address at the Post Production World Conference organized by Future Media Concepts at NAB. Entitled "The Post-Production Broadcast & Film Revolution: Streamlining Today, Preparing for Tomorrow," the presentation will describe how post-production professionals can benefit from new technologies such as searchable video and native, tapeless workflows.

Adobe also announced Adobe Premiere® Pro CS4 version 4.1, a free update for existing customers of Adobe Premiere Pro CS4. The update improves compatibility with RED cameras, offering more control over RAW settings when used in conjunction with an updated RED plug-in, available in May from RED.com. In addition, Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 4.1 provides interoperability with Avid Media Composer software through a number of software fixes, enabling Adobe Premiere Pro to import Avid projects without recapturing media files. Finally, the update includes software fixes to enable full HD workflows on leading post-production hardware—including AJA, Blackmagic, and Matrox video cards—and many other important fixes. Adobe Premiere Pro 4.1 is expected to be available in late May via the Adobe updater and from www.adobe.com.

Major broadcasters and media companies, attending NAB from around the world, continue to select Adobe’s video solutions to create and deliver high-quality dynamic media experiences. For post-production, Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium offers a complete solution for creative professionals who craft world-class video, audio, and interactive media. For delivery of online content, the Adobe Flash Platform is the No. 1 technology for video on the Web. According to comScore Media Metrix, approximately 80 percent of online videos viewed worldwide are delivered using Adobe Flash technology. Adobe Flash Player—already installed on 98 percent of Internet-connected desktops—gives viewers access to rich content without having to download additional software.

Adobe Unveils New Framework for Media Player Development

Posted by Safe Harbor Staff
April 20, 2009

At the 2009 NAB Show, Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) announced a new software framework for building media players that extends the capabilities of the Adobe® Flash® Platform. Code-named "Strobe," the framework will help establish an open industry standard for media players and offer production-ready software components to streamline the development of custom media players, reducing the time content publishers spend creating their own playback technologies. The framework will enable developers using Flash technologies to quickly and easily add rich functionality—such as advertising, user measurement and tracking, and social network integration—into new custom players that can be branded for individual content owners.

"With Strobe, we’re delivering an open framework that enables media companies to focus on their core competency, creating great content that people want to see, instead of developing their own video players from scratch," said Jim Guerard, vice president and general manager of Dynamic Media at Adobe. "Adobe is committed to driving Web innovation and now with Strobe, we are helping to create an open framework for media players, enabling developers and media companies to focus on developing, delivering, and monetizing content so they can extend their online media efforts."

Defining Media Player Standards
Strobe extends Adobe’s continued support for open access to Flash Platform technologies and will accelerate the creation of media players by enabling developers to assemble plug-and-play software components from Adobe and third-party developers. The open, extensible framework, which will be incorporated into Adobe’s standard set of development tools, allows developers in the Adobe Flash Platform ecosystem to use components in media players that add rich functionality such as advertising, user measurement and tracking, and social network integration. Because Strobe takes advantage of the Flash Platform, content owners can be sure that programming will reach the largest possible online audience, as they bring their Strobe-based video players to market. The new Strobe framework builds on the vision of the Open Screen Project, a broad industry initiative to deliver a consistent runtime environment across desktops, televisions, mobile phones, and consumer electronics.

"Akamai has always believed in the need for open standards around the video player application to make it easier for content owners to quickly and seamlessly develop, distribute and monetize online video," said Tim Napoleon, chief strategist for Akamai. "Since bringing the Open Video Player initiative to the community last year, we have seen enormous adoption of the player. Adobe’s Strobe compliments these efforts and will strengthen the industry shift toward open standards. The combined initiatives of Akamai and Adobe will only support the scale and growth of the Open Video Player community."

"Omniture continues to see growth in our customers’ use of rich media. Along with that growth has come the desire to better understand how rich media affects return on investment. Our customers are asking us about how to optimize the use of rich media, and our relationship with Adobe helps us answer those questions," said John Mellor, executive vice president of Corporate Strategy and Business Development at Omniture. "Adobe’s Strobe allows Omniture to enable key functionalities, such as in-depth analytics, indicating how consumers interact with content. With this understanding, we can help our customers create relevant and personalized experiences on this exciting new platform."

Strobe further broadens the reach and capabilities of the Adobe Flash Platform, the No. 1 technology for video on the Web. According to comScore Media Metrix, approximately 80 percent of online videos viewed worldwide are delivered using Adobe Flash technology. Adobe Flash Player—already installed on 98 percent of Internet-connected desktops—gives viewers access to rich content without having to download additional software.

Pricing and Availability
Strobe is expected to be available, at no charge, in the second half of 2009. For more information, please visit www.adobe.com/go/strobe .

Adobe Announced Premiere Pro CS4 v.4.0.1

Posted by Safe Harbor Staff
December 1, 2008

Adobe Systems Incorporated has introduced Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 version 4.0.1 software, a major update to the leading start-to-finish professional video production solution.

A pivotal component of Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium, Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 version 4.0.1 leads the way in delivering open, flexible post-production workflows by providing virtually seamless project exchange with Final Cut Pro, Digidesign Pro Tools, and Avid workflows. Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 version 4.0.1 enables users to import Final Cut Pro projects via XML interchange, export to Open Media Framework (OMF) format, and import and export projects in Advanced Authoring Format (AAF). Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 version 4.0.1 also offers significant performance and stability enhancements, including full support for 64-bit computing platforms to accelerate compute-intensive post-production tasks.

Top new features in Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 version 4.0.1 include:

More flexible, open workflows: Editors who are using Final Cut Pro, Digidesign Pro Tools, and Avid solutions can now more easily tap the high level of integration and unique features offered in Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium. Final Cut Pro users can transfer projects directly to Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 version 4.0.1 without conversions or re-rendering, preserving commonly used effects and transitions. Once files are in Adobe Premiere Pro CS4, features such as Adobe Dynamic Link provide tighter-than-ever integration when moving assets among Adobe After Effects CS4, Adobe Premiere Pro CS4, and Soundbooth CS4, saving invaluable time that would otherwise be spent in intermediate rendering. To help users manage footage, Speech Search in Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 turns spoken dialog into text-based metadata that makes video searchable. Project output can be delivered virtually anywhere, including exporting through Adobe Encore CS4 to Blu-ray, DVD, and the Web. Customers can also streamline audio editing by exporting audio in OMF for interchange with audio workstations, and then importing the final mix back into Adobe Premiere Pro CS4. Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 version 4.0.1 also includes enhanced AAF project interchange for improved integration with high-end workflows and tools.
Native RED R3D support: Both Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 version 4.0.1 and Adobe After Effects CS4 version 9.0.1 provide a true file-based workflow for RED R3D files, without transcoding or rewrapping, via RED’s beta plug-in available at www.red.com/support. Native handling of RED R3D augments Adobe’s existing support of Sony XDCAM EX, Panasonic P2, and AVCHD tapeless formats, providing users with software-only HD workflows from capture to output. In addition to downloading the RED plug-in, customer must update their software to Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 version 4.0.1 and Adobe After Effects CS4 version 9.0.1, accessible for free throughout the Adobe update manager in the Help menu of the applications. Click here to learn more about RED workflows with Adobe video solutions.
Faster performance and responsiveness, with full support for 64-bit computing platforms to accelerate compute-intensive post-production tasks. Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 version 4.0.1 is architected to take advantage of the additional memory available in 64-bit systems. In addition, version 4.0.1 includes numerous performance enhancements in all areas of the workflow.

Adobe and RED Collaborate to Create Next-Generation Raw Workflows

Posted by Safe Harbor Staff
November 17, 2008

RED and Adobe share the goal of developing a native raw workflow that keeps filmmakers close to the lens, so that you’re always working with the sensor data the camera captured. By always working close to the lens, without proxies or other restrictions, editors can adjust the look and feel of their work all the way through the production process, knowing that their changes are completely accurate.

The first step of this long-term partnership is the importer plug-in bringing native support for RED R3D files to Adobe Premiere Pro CS4, Adobe Encore CS4 and Adobe After Effects CS4, allowing 4K resolution native R3D files to be dropped straight onto the timeline without transcoding or rewrapping. It is now in beta and available for download at www.red.com/support.RED is making the beta plug-in available as early as possible to provide customers a more flexible workflow immediately, and in order to obtain feedback from the community on how best to develop this workflow. Over the coming months, you can expect to see new developments that move both companies closer towards our shared vision for advanced raw workflows.

Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium software is an indispensable part of a film and video professional’s toolkit and leads the way in tapeless and raw workflows. The alliance with RED underscores Adobe’s commitment to integrate tapeless camera formats into its line of professional video products, and will enable advanced post-production workflows to be faster and more flexible.

Hollywood-caliber digital cinematography made more affordable: RED cameras have taken the digital filmmaking world by storm, making high-resolution digital cinematography accessible to many more productions. RED cameras capture extremely high resolution raw files, opening up the possibility of a digital production workflow that allows filmmakers to make image processing decisions throughout the post production process because raw files keep the image sensor data directly. Until now, a truly native, nondestructive workflow has not been possible in desktop video tools.
A native, raw workflow today: Importing R3D files directly into Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Encore and Adobe After Effects without conversion delivers a faster, color-rich workflow that gives users control of the look when they edit. Filmmakers can dynamically change the resolution; applying color correction to the footage in full resolution for example, and then lowering the resolution on the fly to gain better performance from their hardware as they scrub through edits.
A more powerful, streamlined workflow tomorrow: Because Adobe Premiere Pro works directly with the sensor data, editors can work with footage as close to what the lens saw as possible, opening up much richer, more powerful ways of working non-destructively on the color and look of their work.

Customers who want to get started with the RED and Adobe workflow today can download the free Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 and After Effects CS4 trials for Mac OS X or Windows at www.adobe.com/downloads and the RED importer plug-in at www.red.com/support.

NVIDIA Introduces NVIDIA Quadro CX

Posted by Safe Harbor Staff
October 17, 2008

NVIDIA has introduced its new accelerator for Adobe® Creative Suite® 4 software, the NVIDIA® Quadro® CX. This new GPU provides creative professionals with a faster, better, more reliable way to maximize their creativity. Quadro CX was architected to deliver the best performance for the new GPU-optimized features of Adobe Creative Suite 4.

"Adobe is at the forefront of the Visual Computing Revolution," said Dan Vivoli, executive vice president of marketing at NVDIA. "CS4’s GPU features are sending shockwaves through the creative industry."

"Photoshop users are always looking for maximum performance, and we recognized that tapping into the power of the GPU is one way to give it to them," said Kevin Connor, vice president of product management for Professional Digital Imaging at Adobe. "Thanks to NVIDIA’s efforts to optimize the Quadro CX product for CS4, users can be assured of a dramatically fast and fluid experience on tasks such as panning, zooming, and rotating large images as well as manipulating 3D content."

NVIDIA specifically designed and optimized the Quadro CX to enhance the performance of Adobe Creative Suite 4 product line and meet the unique needs of the Creative Suite 4 professional. Adding NVIDIA Quadro CX to the pipeline gives creative professionals a faster, better, and more reliable experience. With NVIDIA Quadro CX users can encode H.264 videos at lightning-fast speeds with the NVIDIA CUDA™-enabled plug-in for Adobe Premiere® Pro CS4, RapiHD™ from Elemental Technologies; accelerate rendering time for advanced effects; and accurately preview what deliverables will look like with 30-bit color or uncompressed 10-bit/12-bit SDI before final output.

Adobe Creative Suite 4 software now has added optimization to take advantage of GPU technology, including the parallel processing capability in the Quadro CX GPU. These enhancements accelerate a number of visually intensive operations, including:

Adobe® Photoshop® CS4 uses the NVIDIA Quadro CX GPU to bring unprecedented fluidity to image navigation. The GPU enables real-time image rotation, zooming, and panning, and makes changes to the view instantaneous and smooth. Adobe Photoshop CS4 also taps the GPU for on-screen compositing of both 2D and 3D content, ensuring smoothly anti-aliased results regardless of zoom level. Brush resizing and brushstroke preview, 3D movement, high-dynamic-range tone mapping, and color conversion are also accelerated by the GPU.
Adobe After Effects® CS4 now has added optimization features to accelerate a variety of creative effects, making it easier than ever to add graphics and visual effects to video, which allows the artist to quickly move from concept to final product and speeds up the workflow. Effects accelerated include depth of field, bilateral blur effects, turbulent noise such as flowing water or waving flags, and cartoon effects. NVIDIA Quadro CX takes advantages of these workflow enhancements.
Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 can take advantage of Quadro CX to accelerate high-quality video effects such as motion, opacity, color, and image distortion. Quadro CX also enables faster editing of multiple high-definition video streams and graphic overlays and provides a variety of video output choices for high-quality preview, including DisplayPort, component TV, or uncompressed 10-bit or 12-bit SDI.

NVIDIA Quadro CX is available starting today, from leading resellers, e-tailers, and retailers, for $1,999 USD. For more information on NVIDIA Quadro and the new Quadro CX, please visit: www.nvidia.com/quadrocx.

Adobe Introduces Creative Suite 4 Product Family

Posted by Safe Harbor Staff
September 23, 2008

Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the Adobe® Creative Suite® 4 product family, a milestone release of the industry-leading design and development software for virtually every creative workflow. Delivering radical workflow breakthroughs that bring down the walls between designers and developers — and packed with hundreds of feature innovations—the new Creative Suite 4 product line advances the creative process across print, Web, mobile, interactive, film and video production. With new levels of integration and expressiveness for Flash technology across the entire product line, Adobe’s biggest software release to date includes Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design editions, Creative Suite 4 Web editions, Creative Suite 4 Production Premium, Creative Suite 4 Master Collection, as well as 13 point products, 14 integrated technologies and seven services.

Adobe Creative Suite Master Collection CS4 combines virtually all of Adobe's new design and development applications, technologies and services in a single box — the most comprehensive creative environment ever delivered.

"Designers and developers are shaping the way that people consume information, share ideas, sell products, tell stories and create memorable experiences — in print, online and via mobile handsets," said Shantanu Narayen, president and chief executive officer at Adobe. "Whether you’re creating a rich Internet application, a video or a best-selling magazine, Adobe Creative Suite 4 delivers powerful cross-media technologies that have the ability to elevate products, brands and ideas above the clutter."

Adobe Creative Suite 4 offers unprecedented choice among editions and stand-alone products, with comprehensive support for the most cutting-edge workflows for virtually any design discipline. Customers can choose from six suites or full version upgrades of 13 stand-alone applications, including Photoshop® CS4, Photoshop CS4 Extended, InDesign® CS4 (see separate releases), Illustrator® CS4, Flash® CS4 Professional, Dreamweaver® CS4, After Effects® CS4, and Adobe Premiere® Pro CS4.

A simplified workflow in Adobe Creative Suite 4 enables users to design across media more efficiently by making it easier to complete common tasks and switch between mediums without leaving a project. InDesign CS4 includes a new Live Preflight tool that allows designers to catch production errors and a newly customizable Links panel to place files more efficiently. The revolutionary new Content-Aware Scaling tool in Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop CS4 Extended automatically recomposes an image as it is resized, preserving vital areas as it adapts to new dimensions. An expanded version of Dynamic Link in CS4 Production Premium enables users to move content between After Effects CS4, Adobe Premiere Pro CS4, Soundbooth® CS4, and Encore® CS4, so updates can be seen instantly without rendering.

Designers using the Adobe Creative Suite 4 product family will be able to gain unprecedented creative control using the new expressive features and visual performance improvements in Adobe Flash Player 10 to deliver breakthrough Web experiences across multiple browsers and operating systems.

Adobe Creative Suite 4 brings 3D center-stage providing the ability to paint, composite, and animate 3D models using familiar tools. Flash CS4 Professional now offers the ability to apply tweens to objects instead of keyframes, providing greater control over animation attributes. Also in Flash, the new Bones tool helps create more realistic animations between linked objects. With a searchable library of more than 450 dynamically updated device profiles from leading manufacturers, Adobe Device Central CS4 (see separate release) enables users to easily test mobile content designed using many of the Creative Suite 4 products.

Adobe Creative Suite 4 significantly expands access to services* available to creative professionals and developers who want to collaborate online. Adobe ConnectNow, a service of Acrobat.com, can be accessed from InDesign CS4, Illustrator CS4, Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop Extended CS4, Flash CS4 Professional, Dreamweaver CS4, Fireworks® CS4, and Acrobat® 9 Pro, allowing real-time collaboration with two colleagues or clients. Designers can also share color harmonies with Adobe Kuler™, which is now accessible from within InDesign CS4, Illustrator CS4, Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop Extended CS4, Flash CS4 and Fireworks CS4. Other online resources include: Adobe Community Help for technical questions; Resource Central for accessing video and audio product-related news and tutorials, as well as Soundbooth scores, sound effects, and other stock media; and Adobe Bridge Home, a customizable resource for tips, tutorials, news and inspirational content.

Adobe Creative Suite 4 and its associated point products are scheduled to ship in October 2008 with availability through Adobe Authorized Resellers and the Adobe Store at www.adobe.com/go/gn_store . Estimated street price for the Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium will be US$1799, US$1699 for Adobe Creative Suite 4 Web Premium, US$1699 for Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium, and US$2499 for Adobe Creative Suite 4 Master Collection. Adobe plans to offer tiered upgrade pricing from previous versions. For a limited time, validly licensed customers of eligible versions of Adobe Creative Suite, Adobe Production Studio and Macromedia Studio will be able to upgrade to Creative Suite 4 for the CS3 upgrade price. For more detailed information about features, upgrade policies, pricing, and international versions please visit: www.adobe.com/creativesuite.

Adobe Flash Player 10 is currently available in beta as a free download from Adobe Labs at www.adobe.com/go/astro with general availability expected by the end of the year. Adoption of the previous update to Adobe Flash Player 9 set all-time records by achieving over 80 percent reach on Internet enabled desktops in less than six months and Flash Player 10 is expected to achieve a similar adoption rate.

Adobe revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and information - anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information, visit www.adobe.com.

Adobe Releases Creative Suite 4 Production Premium

Posted by Safe Harbor Staff
September 23, 2008

Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced Adobe® Creative Suite® 4 Production Premium, a complete solution for creative professionals who craft world-class video, audio, and interactive media — for delivery on-air, online, and on device. Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium offers unprecedented levels of integration across major new releases of its video, audio, design, and Web tools, including Adobe After Effects® CS4 Professional, Adobe Premiere® Pro CS4, Adobe Encore® CS4, Adobe Photoshop® CS4 Extended (see separate release), Adobe Illustrator® CS4, Adobe Flash® CS4 Professional, Adobe® Soundbooth® CS4 and Adobe OnLocation™ CS4 — now redesigned to natively support Intel-based Macs.

"With new tools for creating searchable video content in Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium, we’re opening up incredible opportunities for media professionals of all kinds," said John Loiacono, senior vice president of Creative Solutions at Adobe. "Imagine being able to create world-class content, distribute it online, and precisely target rich-media advertising based on the embedded metadata. These capabilities forge a new interactive media paradigm for distributing, differentiating, and monetizing content in ways that were not possible until now."

Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium offers unique features for professional production. Powerful new Speech Search in Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 and Adobe Soundbooth CS4 uses spoken dialogue to make video searchable, significantly reducing the time spent searching for clips and creating rough cuts, and makes content searchable when delivered online. With deep XMP metadata support, the production workflow is simplified, resulting in online content that gives viewers new ways to interact with and search for video, while giving content owners new opportunities to track and monetize content. In addition, After Effects CS4 has enhanced support for Adobe Flash CS4 workflows providing new, powerful paths for creating compelling interactive content.

With Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium, Adobe strengthens its support for film and broadcast production, as well as extending its industry leadership in supporting efficient, tapeless, cross-platform workflows. Editors can work natively with RED, P2, XDCAM, and AVCHD without transcoding or rewrapping, giving them one of the fastest possible workflows to see what the camera captured without loss of fidelity. Adobe OnLocation CS4 enables the capture of DV, HDV and DVCPROHD footage directly to disk and offers powerful on-set clip annotation and metadata editing, then couples with Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 for a streamlined editorial workflow. For final output, Adobe Creative Suite 4 has powerful workflows for large and small screens, efficiently exporting to film, DVD, Web DVD, Blu-ray disc, the web and mobile devices.

"At Disney Online we marry our world-class content with cutting-edge technology to create top-quality, high-impact guest experiences," said Eric Freeman, vice president of Technology, Disney Online. "We rely heavily on Adobe solutions to support the creation and distribution of our content and the new features of Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium will further enhance our ability to deliver innovative offerings to our guests."

The Adobe Creative Suite 4 product line, which includes Adobe Creative Suite Design editions, Adobe Creative Suite Web editions, Adobe Creative Suite Production Premium and Adobe Creative Suite 4 Master Collection (see separate releases), offers access to online services* to creative professionals and developers who work and collaborate online. Adobe ConnectNow, a service of Acrobat.com, can be accessed from InDesign® CS4, Illustrator CS4, Photoshop CS4 Extended, Flash CS4 Professional, Dreamweaver® CS4, Fireworks® CS4, and Acrobat® 9 Pro, allowing real-time collaboration with two colleagues or clients. Designers can also share color harmonies with Adobe Kuler™, which is now accessible from within InDesign CS4, Illustrator CS4, Photoshop CS4, Flash CS4 and Fireworks CS4. Other online resources include: Adobe Community Help for technical questions; Resource Central for accessing video and audio product-related news and tutorials, as well as Soundbooth scores, sound effects, and other stock media; and Adobe Bridge Home, a customizable resource for tips, tutorials, news and inspirational content. With a searchable library of more than 450 dynamically updated device profiles from leading manufacturers, Adobe Device Central CS4 (see separate release) enables users to easily test mobile content designed using many of the Creative Suite 4 products.

Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium for Mac OS X on Intel® based systems and for Microsoft® Windows® XP and Windows Vista® platforms is scheduled to ship in October 2008 with availability through Adobe Authorized Resellers and the Adobe Store at www.adobe.com/go/gn_store . Estimated street price for the Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium edition is US$1699. Prices for upgrading to Creative Suite 4 Production Premium from CS3 will be US$599 and from previous versions will be US$799. For a limited time, licensed customers of any version of Adobe Production Studio are eligible for the US$599 upgrade price. For more detailed information about features, upgrade policies, pricing, and international versions please visit: www.adobe.com/creativesuite .

Safe Harbor Announces New Tutorial for Matrox RT.X2 Users

Posted by Safe Harbor Staff
August 4, 2008

Safe Harbor Computers, a leading supplier to professional videographers, today announced the release of "HDV & Blu-ray for the RT.X2," hosted by Jeff Pulera.

This DVD, aimed at all levels of RT.X2 users, provides over 90 minutes of unique instruction on the steps, tips, and tricks necessary to maximize an HDV-to-Blu-ray workflow in the RT.X2.

Highlights include:

The technical details of HDV and Blu-ray
Supported HD formats and ingest procedures
The proper workflow for using HD with your RT.X2
Monitoring options including downconversion
Mixed-format editing and aspect ratio conversions
Encoding options and settings for Blu-ray
Blu-ray menu creation using Encore and Photoshop

About the Instructor
Jeff Pulera is a professional videographer with 15 years experience. He also works for Safe Harbor Computers, sharing his knowledge and real-life editing experiences with their customers. His company, Digital Vision Productions, specializes in corporate, event and wedding videography. The author of many tech reviews and articles, Jeff is widely known throughout the industry as the "Matrox guru."

Pricing and Availability
"HDV and Blu-ray for the RT.X2" is available exclusively from Safe Harbor Computers. Suggested retail is $49.99 For more information or to order, please visit www.sharbor.com.

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