Press Release

NewTek, Inc., manufacturer of industry-leading video and 3D animation products, today announced the release of a free update for VT[4] owners, version 4.6. The new version of the award-winning VT[4] Integrated Production Suite includes improved 3D animation and motion graphics tools, enhanced support for multiple monitors, improvements to the NewTek codec, and all computer sources, including attached DV cameras, can be used as a downstream key (DSK). The feature and maintenance update is a free download for registered VT[4] users.
A centerpiece of the update is LightWave ® [8] version 8.5 and FX Monkey(TM), the icon-driven motion graphics and animation wizard which allows any video producer to create complex logo animations with no prior 3D experience. With FX Monkey, the user selects the objects to work with and easily applies motions and effects to create a complete animation, such as a flying logo or an animated bumper graphic. Another plus for animation production for VT[4] users who have LightWave ® [8], the LightWave 3D ® version 8.5 update brings users up to latest features and enhancements offered to date in the LightWave line, including new text creation tools as well as rendering and workflow improvements.
"It's becoming harder for independent video producers to distinguish themselves from the competition," said Philip Nelson, Vice-President of Sales and Video Marketing. "Computer animated logos are a key competitive advantage and can help any video producer keep their clients and gain new ones. The complexity of creating 3D Logos and animations have kept the power in the hands of the trained few. FX Monkey allows logos to be animated with the touch of a button and makes a novice animator look like a motion graphics pro."
The enhanced multiple monitor support of v4.6 enables VT[4] users to utilize more than two monitors on the host system. The NewTek video codec now supports "YUY2" FourCC video format, which allows digital video files written with the codec to be directly read by Windows Media Encoder, for more efficient streaming capability.
Other new features of the update include additional skins for a variety of audio mixer sizes, and title templates now support lower resolution background images. NewTek's iVGA(TM), which allows the user to import the display of external computers as video sources on the VT[4] Switcher, now has an "overscan" setting for SD output. Unicode support has also been improved.
VT[4] Version 4.6 Features include:
  • FX Monkey(TM) motion graphics and animation wizard
  • NewTek Codec now supports "YUY2" FourCC, allowing files written with it to be read directly into Windows Media Encoder.
  • All computer sources (including DV) can be used on DSK.
  • Expanded multiple monitor support for systems with 3 or more monitors.
  • iVGA(TM) has an "overscan" setting for SD output.
  • Gamma control in Control Tree for clip color.
  • New audio mixer skins.
  • Title templates now support lower resolution background images.
  • De-fielding of DDRs in pause mode (etc…) when selected in the preferences.
  • For VT[4](TM) LightWave [8] users, LightWave v8.5 included.
  • MXF files can be used in VT-Edit(TM), with the proper codecs installed.
  • A .WMV file renamed as .AVI will now be read by VT-Edit.
  • Improved Unicode support
www.newtek.com