IBC Show: New Avid Tools Stress Lower Costs, Higher Productivity

09.24.2009

At the recent IBC Show Avid introduced Media Composer 4.0 Symphony, Version 8.0 of Newscutter professional editing software, and Interplay Version 2.0 production asset management system.

The company touted the new versions as open and flexible solutions, enabling broadcasters and post production professionals to lower costs and enhance productivity by eliminating timely transcoding with the ability to mix and match different frame rates and resolution in an open timeline within the same project; expanding native support for file based media; and empowering production teams to become more efficient by extending workgroup capabilities to the Wide Area Network.

Specifically the new version of Media Composer includes:

• • Improved stereoscopic 3D editing
• • The ability to monitor HD and SD cross- and down-converted formats from 1080p24 masters
• • Support for Panasonic AVC-I encoding
• • Mac support for Pro Tools Video Satellite
• • Mix and Match capabilities
• • Avid Media Access enhancements, including support for Ikegami GFCAM

Interplay Version 2.0 includes:

• • WAN workflow with Interplay Access
• • Support for Final Cut Pro workflow
• • One-step transfer of materials such as subclips and shot lists
• • Interplay transcode with new mixdown capability

Media Composer, Symphony and NewsCutter systems will be available on Sept. 30. Interplay 2.0 became available on Sept. 16. Media Composer 4.0 is just $295 USMSRP for educational institutions and students. Beginning Sept. 30, 2009, students with academic versions of Media Composer software (versions 3.5 through 4.0 purchased on or after March 1, 2009) will qualify for complementary upgrades for four years from the date of software activation.