Avid Upgrades News Production Products

Avid AirSpeed
Avid has released a number of new upgrades to its news production systems to help users reduce costs and increase productivity.

The new upgrades include Version 3.0 of Avid’s iNEWS newsroom computer system; Version 2.5 of its iNEWS Command device automation system; Version 2.1 of Avid ISIS real-time media network, and Version 1.3 of Avid AirSpeed Multi Stream.

New features for Version 3.0 of iNEWS include the iNEWS Web Services API, which simplifies news production workflows by giving broadcasters the ability to integrate third party systems such as groupware or automation with the iNEWS system to access and modify news content.

The iNEWS User Interface has been enhanced to simplify navigation within the iNEWS system. Users can preview a video associated with an Interplay production asset management sequence directly in the iNEWS workstation, create hyperlinks within iNEWS stories and standardize the entry of story data using drop down lists and checkbox fields.

Avid iNews 3.0 Version 2.5 of iNEWS Command now gives users more choice and flexibility for graphics control with support for select third party graphics systems like Chyron, in addition to Avid Deko graphics systems. Additionally, a graphics SDK/API allows any vendor of CGs, logo inserters, tickers and branding applications to build plug-ins that leverage their devices capabilities.

Version 2.1 of Avid Unity ISIS now comes with RAID 6 media protection, providing users with a lower-cost storage option to support broadcast production. Avid Unity ISIS with RAID 6 provides highly-reliable media protection with 50 percent more capacity than mirroring technology. Another new feature is Unity ISIS File Gateway, which allows any contributor to store and access content such as graphics, still imagery, text or lower resolution video in Avid Unity ISIS. Customers may do this from any Windows, MAC or Linux workstation, via standard network attached protocols. Unity ISIS now also offers support for Mac OX X Snow Leopard.

AirSpeed Multi Stream Version 1.3 now supports ingest and playback of Avid DNxHD 185 and 220 10-bit HD video and twice the number of DNxHD 120 and 145 8-bit HD video streams compared to earlier generations of Multi Stream. The new version also includes IsoSync, which saves users production time and effort in live, multi-camera television by enabling frame-accurate, simultaneous video capture from multiple cameras directly into Avid Unity storage systems through AirSpeed and AirSpeed Multi Stream servers for immediate editing. The record, start and stop of any AirSpeed server can now be synchronized—optimizing multi-camera workflows by ensuring all feeds are on the same frame at the same time.