News a Safe Harbor blog

AJA KONA Product Line Goes Cross-Platform

Posted by Marc Leitner
March 16, 2010

AJA Video Systems, a leading manufacturer of professional video interface and conversion solutions, announced that it is now offering its KONA line of capture cards with software for both Mac and Windows-based systems.

The company is folding its XENA line of capture cards, designed for the Windows platform, into the KONA product line, giving customers twice the software and flexibility to use KONA cards on all platforms, at no additional cost.

The KONA family is AJA’s line of 10-bit uncompressed capture and playback cards for video and audio input and output. Initially designed solely for the Mac platform, KONA now supports SD, HD, Dual Link 4:4:4 HD and 2K formats, and all of the functionality of the former XENA products within the single, cross-platform KONA line.

Effective immediately, every new KONA package shipped will include both Mac and Windows software and documentation. Current customers will experience no change in functionality or service, and Windows-based customers can find support on the AJA website under ‘KONA for PC’. Updated drivers for either Mac or PC platforms are always available online (http://www.aja.com/support/). AJA recommends users check the AJA website to ensure they have the latest drivers and software.

"Our goal is to simplify our customers’ experience and give them greater value," said Nick Rashby, AJA Video Systems President. "The post-production world is not homogeneous, and offering a single product line with identical functionality that customers can use on either — or both platforms, for the same cost, recognizes their need for ease of use and flexibility."

KONA for PC software is available for Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP, with the same system specifications that have been previously published for XENA. All KONA cards now operate on both Mac and PC platforms. Those customers using Apple Mac Pro towers are able to install the KONA for Mac software to work under OS X and the KONA for PC Windows software under Apple Boot Camp to work cross-platform on the same machine.

The KONA cross-platform family is currently available from AJA’s worldwide network of channel partners. MSRP pricing begins at $990. AJA reserves all rights in its XENA trademarks.

Wacom Introduces New Cintiq 21UX Interactive Pen Display

Posted by Marc Leitner
March 2, 2010

Wacom® has introduced the much anticipated Cintiq®21UX, its newly-redesigned interactive pen display delivering state-of-the-art pen performance and innovative ergonomics in a color-accurate LCD display. Designed specifically to meet the demanding needs of professional photographers, designers, artists and animators, the new Cintiq 21UX offers unparalleled creative control, comfort and productivity.

The Cintiq 21UX experience starts with its amazing new pen performance, capable of capturing the slightest nuance of pen pressure against the LCD surface, as well as offering 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity. Other innovative enhancements include rear-mounted Touch Strips that are ideally placed for fingertip access while working. Each Touch Strip has an accompanying thumb-controlled Touch Strip Toggle button that controls up to four different user-assigned functions per application such as zoom, scroll, brush size adjustment and canvas rotation. In addition, the overall design has been refined and updated in an all-black color scheme, providing a sophisticated and handsome look.

2048 Reasons to Work Directly On Screen
The Cintiq 21UX Grip Pen features Wacom’s new proprietary Tip Sensor technology, offering users near-zero (one gram) starting pressure for the most sensitive interactive pen display performance to date. "Now, pressure-sensitive support can start with an incredibly light touch, emulating the same organic feel, response and result derived from working with traditional brushes, markers and pens," said Don Varga, Senior Product Manager for Wacom Technology Corp. Additionally, the Cintiq pen delivers 2048 levels of pressure, doubling the resolution of the pen’s pressure curve and greatly improving the accuracy of pressure-sensitive effects such as controlling line weights or opacity adjustments. The Grip Pen also features a pressure-sensitive eraser and two customizable side switches that can be customized for commands such as double-click and right-click.

New Design Elements Improve Workflow
With a new ergonomic design and productivity features, the Cintiq 21UX is the ultimate tool for creative professionals. The customizable, application-specific ExpressKeys™, eight located on each side of the display’s bezel, are instrumental in helping improve workflow and boost productivity by placing commonly used commands at the fingertips. Pressing the top ExpressKey brings up an on-screen display showing the settings of all the ExpressKeys and Touch Strips. The close proximity of these tools to the actual work area is efficient and comfortable and helps save valuable time by minimizing dependence on the keyboard without taking focus away from the pen hand.

Also new to the Cintiq 21UX is the introduction of two user-defined, four-function Touch Strip Toggle buttons which control the function of their associated Touch Strip, located on the back of the bezel. The position of an illuminated LED located along the perimeter of the Toggle button indicates the current function of the Touch Strip. Fully application-specific, the Touch Strips can be used for up to four functions such as zoom, scroll, brush size adjustment and canvas rotation per application. This new ergonomic treatment is also extremely practical, allowing users to "toggle" with their thumbs while using their forefinger or middle finger to control Touch Strip speed and variation. "The four-function Toggle combined with the new location of the Touch Strips provides increased comfort and measurable increases in speed," says Varga. "Additionally, locating the Touch Strips on the back of the pen display rather the front helps prevent accidental contact with the pen hand when, for example, flowing brush strokes are employed and extend beyond the screen’s border."

Stand and Deliver
The Cintiq 21UX’s patented stand allows users to recline the pen display at any angle between 10 degrees and 65 degrees to match the users ideal working posture. In addition to reclining, the Cintiq 21UX can be rotated up to 180 degrees in either direction to take advantage of natural drawing movements or offer a different viewing angle. If desired, users can easily remove the Cintiq from the stand for use on a table top or to attach it to an articulating arm (not included) using the standard VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association) mounts located on the back of the display.

A new weighted pen stand is not only a convenient pen holder, but doubles as a handy twist-off storage compartment for pen nibs and handy nib removal tool. Standard, felt and stroke nibs are provided, allowing users to simulate the feel of working with a variety of traditional art and design materials.

Included Software
To help users get started right out of the box, the Cintiq 21UX ships with valuable creative software from several of our software partners:

Corel® Painter™ Sketch Pad for recreating the natural feeling of sketching and painting by hand
Nik® Color Efex Pro™ 3.0 WE6 for selectively applying lighting and photo enhancements with the pen
Wacom Brushes 3.0 for 81 customized brushes for use with Adobe® Photoshop® CS + and Photoshop Elements 4 +

Additionally, Cintiq 21UX users will also benefit from Wacom’s powerful driver software, including radial menus for quick "pen-point" access to additional customized shortcuts.

Creative Accessories
Wacom has a line of accessories to complement the Cintiq 21UX that address the specific needs of individual users. The Art Pen, for example, supports the barrel rotation feature within such applications as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator® and Corel Painter 11, allowing users to create natural brush effects by rotating the pen, much like a calligraphy pen. The Art Pen is newly designed and features a round barrel with two nib options, standard and chisel-tip. The Airbrush pen offers users a digital airbrush that has a similar form and wheel-based control as a traditional airbrush. It provides creative, fun effects when combined with select applications. Cintiq 21UX accessories can be conveniently purchased at the direct.wacom.com Internet site.

About Wacom
Founded in 1983, Wacom’s vision to bring people and technology closer together through natural interface technologies has made it the world’s leading manufacturer of pen tablets, interactive pen displays and digital interface solutions. The advanced technology of Wacom’s intuitive input devices has been used to create some of the most exciting digital art, films, special effects, fashions and designs around the world and provides business and home users with the ability to explore digital content creation in a comfortable, natural way. Today, millions of customers use Wacom’s cordless, battery-free, pressure-sensitive pen technology to express their creativity.

New Collections Available from Electric Crayon Studio

Posted by Jeff Pulera
February 16, 2010

Waukesha, WI - February 16, 2010 – Safe Harbor Computers today announced the availability of two new collections from Electric Crayon Studio. Designed for users of the popular LightWave ® animation software, these sets include realistic planetary objects as well as ready-to-use scene files which can easily be modified to suit the user’s needs.

The single most requested graphical production element in either film or print is the planet earth. Whether an antique globe, a high-tech sphere, a moving map on the wall, or a hyper-realistic earth from space, representations of the earth are constantly part of the composition.

The GEM Collection (Globes - Earth and Moons) is designed to allow the creation of a stunning graphic quickly in LightWave ®. The globes include many styles such as paper, metal and wood, and some combinations as well. There are several earths depicting a surprising amount of variations, depending on cloud cover, atmospheric envelope, and nighttime cities. Also included are flat wall maps with built-in animations that loop, and the earth's moon as reconstructed from lunar satellites.

Scene files that cover many of the typical set ups that clients ask for, as well as scenes reminiscent of iconic movies, are included. Tutorial information on how to modify the scenes for specific needs and how to include other objects is also part of this package.

The Solar System Construction Set is used with LightWave ® to create quality animations and graphics of any planet in the solar system. All the planets, most of the major moons, and the sun are included in low, medium, and high-resolution objects and image maps.

The planets are textured starting with up-to-date NASA images with just a touch of artistic license. Cinematically constructed outer space depictions are waiting to be rendered. Training is included on how to change the timing and resolution of scenes, as well as adding additional objects to the scene. The Solar System Construction Set is the easiest way to add fantastic production value to any project, from web graphics to theatrical presentation.

Pricing and availability

Globes – Earth and Moons Set and Solar System Construction Set are available exclusively from Safe Harbor Computers, a leading reseller of editing and animation solutions for over 22 years. Priced at $49.99 each, or $89.98 as a bundle, the sets are delivered via electronic download. Available online at www.sharbor.com or by phone at (800) 544-6599

About the Creator

Electric Crayon Studio is an award-winning animation production facility, lead by its original founder Patrik Beck. Established in 1991, it is one of the longest standing computer animation companies in the world. Electric Crayon Studio produces animation and digital services for corporate and broadcast projects, as well as multimedia and direct to video productions.

NewTek SpeedEDIT 2 Now Shipping

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!

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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Safe Harbor's video and post production news blog offers you the latest announcements and updates from the industry.