Avid to Offer Free DV Editing Software

Avid Technology is aggressively moving down market with the announcement this week that it will be giving away free versions of its DV editing software.

Avid Free DV will be offered for Mac OS X and Windows XP platforms and is designed to tap into the growing market of low-cost DV cameras now available to consumers. A streamlined version of its award-winning software, Avid Free DV will include two video tracks, four audio tracks, basic trimming and editing functionality and up to two streams of real-time effects.

"Avid Free DV is based on the same technology used to create feature films, television shows and commercials," said Steve Chazin, manager of product marketing for Avid Technology.

The free software, expected to be available by this summer, is not a first for Avid. The Tewksbury, Mass.-based video technology company also provided free downloadable versions of its Digidesign Pro Tools audio software. The company says there were more than 1.4 million downloads of the free Pro Tools application.