Avid Technology is shipping version 2.7 of its Media Composer family of products and version 5.7 of Avid Xpress Pro software. The new Media Composer and Xpress Pro systems now include support for Intel-based Mac notebooks and workstations, new workflow capabilities and an updated bundle of third-party content creation software.
Both Avid products also offer expanded format support, including write-back capabilities for the Sony XDCAM and Panasonic P2 file-based media formats, as well as support for the emerging 720p50 HD broadcast standard in Europe.
In addition, version 2.7 of the Media Composer system introduces ScriptSync, a script-based editing tool that uses phonetic speech recognition technology to automatically sync text with media. The system also introduces DNxHD 36, an HD codec for offline editing. The codec runs at a data rate of 36Mb/s, which is only slightly greater than the data rate of DV25 media, but at full-raster HD resolution.
Version 2.7 of Media Composer can be augmented with Avid DNA hardware such as Mojo SDI and Adrenaline. All customers with current Avid support contracts receive the software updates at no additional charge. For customers who do not have support, the company offers a range of upgrade options.
For more information, visit www.avid.com.
