DELRAY BEACH, Fla. -- June 17, 2013 -- Archimedia Technology, a new company whose technology and applications bridge the gap between content producers and their archives without loss of quality, today announced its inaugural product, Archimedia Reference Player. Designed for video engineers, manufacturers, and archivists who work with video mastering formats such as JPEG 2000, Archimedia Reference Player is the first software player to support multiple vendors' formats, allowing users to view, test, and measure archival-quality files on a standard HDTV. This revolutionary capability ultimately makes content deliverable more quickly at higher quality, as well as making it unnecessary to create and store the content in other formats.
The first media player to support mastering formats in the most popular wrappers from all major manufacturers, Archimedia Reference Player eliminates the need to work with lower-quality mezzanine and proxy copies of masters. Instead, users are able to see their masters and the internal technical metadata of the files, and stream them to their choice of third-party equipment such as encoders, projectors, multiviewers, nonlinear editors, and broadcast playout servers. At the same time, Archimedia Reference Player can deliver a built-in suite of specially created test patterns to ensure proper calibration and highest-quality playout no matter what the viewing device, a feature of particular importance to video and quality control engineers.
"It used to be that facilities and manufacturers had to buy expensive, proprietary equipment and software from multiple manufacturers in order for everyone to view and stream archive-quality files. In addition, engineers, colorists, and editors need testing tools to ensure their equipment and systems are creating the maximum quality they are capable of. Another problem is that archives -- especially those operating without extensive IT support -- often have no way to view the master files in their safekeeping," said Mark Gray, Archimedia president and CEO. "Now, for the first time, all users can do all of those things affordably, using a common-ground product and the HDMI monitors they already have. Rather than move the people to where the master files can be viewed, or create and store mezzanine and proxy files, or supply everyone with proprietary workstations just for viewing, facilities can simply install the Archimedia Reference Player and know their people can see master files wherever they work -- and be sure that what they're seeing is in the pristine quality that's intended."
Archimedia Reference Player plays uncompressed and JPEG 2000 video created on equipment from major manufacturers in the most common wrappers -- MXF, MOV, and AVI -- with the widest range of vendor interoperability available for these file formats. Supported vendors include Front Porch Digital/SAMMA(R), Amberfin(TM) iCR(TM), OpenCube, Digital Rapids Stream(R), and DVS CLIPSTER(R).
Typical video frame rates, in frames per second, are 24 (cinema), 25 (PAL), 29.97 (NTSC), and high-definition rates of up to 1080p60. Because computer desktop frame rates are higher, the graphics card and HDMI(R) monitor's circuitry introduce visual distortions that are not in the video. Archimedia Reference Player eliminates those distortions by playing video files in their native frame rate as opposed to the frame rate of the desktop setting.
When purchasing the Archimedia Reference Player, customers get a perpetual, portable license and software download including test patterns, an optional download of advanced test patterns exclusive to Archimedia, and an optional Archimedia SDI card in HD and 4K versions. A free 15-day trial is available. Archimedia is also offering an introductory bundle that includes the Reference Player, advanced test patterns, and a free upgrade to the upcoming 4K Digital Cinema version of the player for less than $4,000.
Information about the trial period, the bundle, the company, and the Archimedia Reference Player is available at www.archimediatech.com.
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About Archimedia
Archimedia Technology specializes in the processing, conversion, and playback of mastering formats, including JPEG 2000, for the professional broadcast, digital cinema, and video archival industries. Its technology and applications bridge the gap between content producers and their archives without loss of quality. Archimedia's products fulfill a critical piece of the production and archival workflows, encapsulating complex file interchange and quality control processes for mastering and archive formats into practical solutions that give end users a new level of access to their assets. More information is available at www.archimediatech.com.
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