New line delivers software-only configuration, flexible hardware options, broad Mac HD support,

Avid Technology today unveiled the new Media Composer family, extending the world’s most renowned nonlinear editing toolset to virtually any content-creation professional. The product family offers a new software-only application for Mac and PC laptops or desktops, and a range of flexible configurations for professionals who require hardware acceleration. In addition, all Media Composer systems in the line deliver a revolutionary breakthrough for collaborative media production environments by offering workflow-intelligent tools that connect directly to Avid ® Interplay™, the world’s first nonlinear workflow engine
Leveraging the Avid Interplay engine, Media Composer users can now perform many time-consuming production tasks in the background, and monitor changes to all project assets made by team members as the creative process evolves. In addition, users have a window into all shared workgroup content, allowing them to easily browse through every asset used on a project ‘ including media and non-media files. The new product family includes version 2.5 of Media Composer software, with robust HD capabilities on Mac OS X (Tiger), and unmatched price-performance starting at $4,995 USMRSP.
“Back in 1989, Avid pioneered the world of nonlinear editing with Media Composer. This breakthrough innovation evolved over time to become a natural extension of the creative storytelling process for film and video professionals around the world,” said Dana Ruzicka, vice president of Post Solutions at Avid. “Our customers continue to offer feedback about how we can make Media Composer even better ‘ with more options that can support whatever workflow they build. From the editing suite to a laptop, from Macs to PCs, our customers want greater flexibility. They want better collaborative tools for automating routine production tasks ‘ and they want an easy way to access and manage the thousands of assets they use on any given project. With the new Media Composer family, we’ve delivered on these requests ‘ scalable, cost-effective tools for professionals at every level, and breakthrough workflow functionality for collaborative production teams using Avid Interplay.”
The New Media Composer Family
With the industry’s leading postproduction solutions for advanced film and video professionals, the new Media Composer family offers Mac and PC customers real-time HD, SD, and DV performance, superior image quality, and unmatched media management capabilities in a range of high-value entry points. Professionals can choose from the following Media Composer solutions, including:
  • Media Composer software ‘ offering professionals the power of the Media Composer creative toolset without additional hardware. Available for both desktops and laptops, Media Composer software delivers comprehensive HD support for both the PC and Mac, leveraging the latest in Multi-Core CPU and GPU power available to both platforms. The software also supports full-screen DVI output of SD and HD material, ideal for any software-only client in a distributed workflow;
  • Media Composer software with Avid Mojo SDI Digital Nonlinear Accelerator ‘ adding a new Serial Digital Interface (SDI) I/O device for uncompressed SD capture and output for real-time monitoring and FireWire connectivity for DV, HDV, and DVCPRO HD projects
  • Media Composer Adrenaline ‘ delivering the most capable and refined DV, SD, HD, and film editing tools in a high-performance, facility-class configuration designed for professionals who demand robust analog and digital I/O and hardware acceleration for guaranteed performance; and
  • Media Composer Adrenaline with Avid DNxcel ‘ adding the ability to encode HD material to 10-bit or 8-bit Avid DNxHD™, Avid’s mastering-quality format, providing editors the image quality of 10-bit uncompressed HD at SD bandwidths for real-time HD collaboration.
Mac Media Composer Goes High-Def
Creative professionals who prefer the Mac platform will have particular interest in the release of Media Composer 2.5 with the debut of HD on Mac OS X (Tiger). The Mac version of Media Composer now includes format support for DVCPRO HD, HDV, and Avid DNxHD resolutions of 145 Mb, 220 Mb, and 10-bit 220 Mb data rates, enabling the image quality of uncompressed HD at standard-definition data rates. Media Composer on Mac also adds real-time HD multicam, allowing simultaneous playback of all multicam views for on-the-fly editing in real-time. With these new capabilities, Mac professionals now have the flexibility to transfer HD projects seamlessly between Windows systems and Mac systems, on desktops or laptops, and will enjoy the same editing experience and functionality regardless of platform.
New Functionality for Version 2.5
Version 2.5 of Media Composer software adds a range of robust content creation and collaboration capabilities, including:
  • • Support for Avid Interplay, the world’s first nonlinear workflow engine ‘ empowering creative professionals using Media Composer to engage in complete collaboration and a team-based approach to editing. With the Avid Interplay system, editors have immediate access to powerful tools for background media transcoding and sharing remote bins that contain video and audio assets as well as other production-critical files, such as graphics files as well as scripting and scheduling documents. As users modify any shared asset, the Avid Interplay system gives every individual immediate visibility into the file modifications, allowing editing teams of all sizes to collaborate on any aspect of a project simultaneously while monitoring the progress of the team as a whole;
  • • Direct ingest of XDCAM HD over FireWire ‘ allowing Media Composer editors to capitalize on the opportunities of HD file-based production with the new Sony XDCAM HD format;
  • • Motion tracking and stabilization tools (featuring SteadyGlide™) ‘ steadying footage that may have been unusable due to shaky camera work, and aiding in creating complex composites of live and computer generated elements, ultimately saving time and money in reshoots or tedious compositing work;
  • • Long GOP splicing for superior HDV performance ‘ enabling faster completion of HDV projects by requiring less rendering for final output; and
  • • Full-screen SD and HD monitoring using the host graphics card for both Mac and PC ‘ allowing users to monitor SD and HD projects without the need for expensive I/O and broadcast monitors by using the on-board Mac or PC graphics card and LCD or Plasma displays. Users can either monitor over the UI on a single-monitor solution such as a laptop, or use a two head display for dedicated output.
Pricing and Availability
The Media Composer family starts at $4,995 USMRSP for the software-only product, with an affordable upgrade path for all other configurations in the product family ‘ all the way up to Media Composer Adrenaline HD.
All products in the Media Composer family are expected to ship in Q2 2006. All systems will be available through Avid’s worldwide reseller channel. For more information, please visit www.avid.com/mediacomposer