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 Editing
Systems
Roundup
APPLE showcased the fourth iteration of its Final Cut Pro
video and film editing software. With support for film, HD, SD and
DV, Final Cut Pro 4 comes with more than 300 new features, including
RT Extreme for real-time compositing and effects, new interface
customisation tools, high-quality 8- and 10-bit uncompressed formats
and full 32-bit floating point per channel video processing. Final
Cut Pro 4 also includes three new integrated applications - LiveType
for advanced titling, Soundtrack for music creation and Compressor
for full-featured batch transcoding.
Apple says Final Cut Pro 4 provides increased developer extensibility
through a new XML interchange format and FireWire-based I/O framework.
This new standards-based composition and metadata interchange format,
combined with a new import/export plug-in API, allows developers
to create tools that integrate Final Cut Pro 4 into a wide range
of production workflows. In addition, the new FireWire-based I/O
Framework allows third-party developers to build FireWire-based
I/O devices for fully uncompressed 8- and 10-bit 4:2:2 broadcast
video. And the third-party developers are getting on board. Apple's
Final Cut Pro 4 has native 24-frame support for Panasonic's AG-DVX100
VTR and Apple and Panasonic have worked to deliver 50 Mbps 4:2:2
quality video over FireWire. US board developer AJA Video Systems
and Apple announced they have worked together to deliver SD Video
over 400MB FireWire. Taking up the metadata cause, Automatic Duck
has developed the first XML plug-in for Final Cut Pro 4, allowing
Final Cut Pro 4 project data to be accessed by high-end finishing
systems. Quantel has also worked with Automatic Duck and Apple to
ensure the plug-in will take essential project data from Final Cut
Pro 4 directly into an online session using Quantel's hardware-based
finishing systems. Pinnacle Systems also announced support for the
new software in the form of its CinéWave 4 software and TARGA CinéEngine
video board.
AVID TECHNOLOGY announced a new family of digital non-linear
"accelerators". These purpose-built "break-out boxes" go under the
name of DNA and are designed to augment the processing power of
an editor's computer platform. According to Avid, whether you're
working in DV or HD, the accelerators will virtually eliminate the
need for rendering. The Digital Nonlinear Accelerators include Nitris
for Avid|DS, Adrenaline for Media Composer and NewsCutter, and Avid
Mojo for notebook computers running Avid Xpress Pro or Avid NewsCutter
XP, allowing these systems to deliver real-time effects and simultaneous
DV and analog output. Representing three years of development, the
accelerators are designed to increase the processing power of personal
computers anywhere from the equivalent of two to over 30 Pentium
4 processors. The entire line is programmable and scalable, and
will grow as CPU power grows.
DISCREET consolidated its purchase of the former 5D Colossus
technology from Hungarian company Colorfront. Packaged under the
name 'lustre', the real-time visualisation and colour manipulation
system. Lustre is based on a resolution independent environment
capable of processing images of any resolution (2K, 4K and above)
and features colour grading with real-time primary colour correction
and playback of up to 2K 10-bit RGB data. Other features include
advanced tracking, keying, dust busting and rotoscoping tools. The
system provides logarithmic and linear colour manipulation and management,
accurate monitor calibration and can simultaneously drive a calibrated
DLP projector. It also offers SD and HD video I/O capabilities,
including pan and scan, and will support standard film scans (Cineon
and DPX). Discreet also showcased new character studio 4 software
capabilities for non-linear animation, a 3ds max technology demonstration
of new particle flow tools, and new 2D/3D workflow capabilities
with the the FBX file format.
MEDIA 100 demonstrated 844/X Version 2.0 at NAB2003, including
support for XBLUR, the Company’s new 844/X option for real-time
four-stream 50-pixel Gaussian Blur effects, and HDX Technology (“HDX”),
the Company’s new 844/X technology for capturing, processing, and
displaying in real time HD and SD formats on a single 844/X system.
Version 2.0 and XBLUR are both anticipated to ship in May 2003.
HDX Technology is planned to ship in the second half of 2003.
Version 2.0 Version 2.0 for 844/X — The Finishing Release — is the
most expansive software advancement of 844/X since first shipments
began in April 2002. The Finishing Release expands 844/X on several
fronts with new toolsets for color correction, unlimited-layer compositing,
editing, and audio. Version 2.0 Color Correction — The Finishing
Release features a newly-engineered colour correction toolset that
includes full control over master, shadows, mid-tones and highlights,
including hue, saturation, contrast, gain, gamma, pedestal, and
levels. A user-adjustable split-screen in the Viewer Window simplifies
referencing and comparing two clips simultaneously to verify color
matches and optimize settings.
Version 2.0 Matte Design And Rotoscoping — The Finishing Release
features a powerful new spline tool that lets users rotoscope and
create sophisticated spline-based mattes. Other new matte design
features include a “ruby” matte overlay, a circular gradient tool,
and the ability to save and re-edit mattes.
Version 2.0 Motion Effects — New keyframable variable speed motion
effects include support for slow motion, fast motion, strobe motion,
and trail effects. Version 2.0 Expanded Audio — Audio-for-video
support has been enhanced in The Finishing Release to include support
for stereo pairs, audio waveform display on the timeline, in-track
breakpoint controls that enable rubber-band control over pan and
gain, and support for digital audio scrub.
Supported by Version 2.0 and available as a separately-priced option
for 844/X, XBLUR comprises real-time embedded software and a new,
high-density BFX PCI card that add Gaussian Blurs to the compendium
of concurrent real-time effects already supported by the system.
Mathematically equivalent to a 50-pixel-diameter blur of Adobe After
Effects, XBLUR enables 844/X users to design Gaussian Blurs on up
to four 10-bit uncompressed video streams at once.
HDX Technology provides affordable support for both HD and SD applications
in a single 844/X system. HDX comprises new software and a high-density
HDX PCI card that add 10-bit format conversion to the GenesisEngine.
HDX supports 10-bit uncompressed input and output of all the HD
and SD digital television formats defined by SMPTE 292M and SMPTE
259M.
The format conversion features of HDX include 10-bit quantization,
Motion-Adaptive De-Interlacing with Edge Detection, 3:2 Pulldown,
input and output support of the 23.976 and 24 frames-per-second
formats, 3:2 insertion when converting a 24P HD image to the 60
frames-per-second progressive native format of the GenesisEngine,
and 3:2-removal upon mastering out to 24P HD. HDX also lets 844/X
users convert between images of 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratios.
QUANTEL released V1.5 software for its generationQ range
and announce details of Version 2, expected later this year. The
Version 1.5 software includes new editing features such as matchframe,
extend, keyboard shortcuts, edit to timeline, audio sync and lock,
library clip and edit references. Audio, too, gets a boost with
PPMs, 3-band graphical equalisation, and MP3 and 44.1kHz import.
On the effects side, selective colour correction is now available
on every layer, with multiple keys on every layer, and collapsible
"undos". There is also LTO, LTO2 and SAIT data tape support for
archiving, and AAF compatibility for audio interchange. Version
1.5 is a free upgrade to all iQ, eQ and QEdit Pro owners. The company
will likely showcase Version 2 software at the IBC show in Amsterdam.
Also a free upgrade to existing owners, proposed features include:
Unlimited layer compositing; In-context plug-ins (i.e., integrated
within effects and layering operations); Process tree compositing
views; a 3D compositing environment with camera view. Quantel also
introduced a new model in its iQ range. Dubbed iQ for HD-RGB, and
previewed new compositing hardware that will allow handling of 4k
material in iQ DI systems. The company says 4k development enables
the import and compositing of 4k material - for example, 4k backplanes
in effects shots. The option is slated for release at the end of
this year. Quantel is positioning iQ for HD-RGB as an entry level
product to the iQ digital intermediate world, intending it as a
complement to the new generation of 10-bit RGB HD cameras. The system
offers interactive, full resolution editing and effects capability,
while a QColor in-context grading option is also available. The
system ships with just over two hours of 10-bit HD-RGB capability.
Complementing the high-end finishing capabilities of the iQ range,
Quantel also announced that a collaboration with da Vinci will see
that company's 'revival' available for generationQ systems. Revival
is da Vinci's automated restoration system designed to identify
defects such as scratches, blemishes, sparkle and dust, and to remove
them. The revival workstation picks up its material directly from
the iQ/eQ workspace, performs the processing-intensive analysis
and restoration, and replaces the original frames with the newly
restored ones directly into the Quantel workspace. All the network
transfers are controlled by revival, so the process is transparent
to the eQ/iQ operator, who can continue uninterrupted with manual
restoration work. Quantel also collaborated with Imagineer Systems,
the developer of mokey, to launch a set of three grain management
tools for Quantel's generationQ range. Called Grain Surgery for
Quantel, the Add Grain, Remove Grain and Match Grain plug-ins make
use of the latest version of the Grain Surgery libraries from Visual
Infinity.
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