LAS VEGAS—April 23, 2006—Avid Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq:AVID)
today announced version 5.5 of Avid(R) Studio Toolkit, which delivers
significant enhancements to a set of tightly integrated,
industry-leading software applications, including Avid 3D, Avid FX,
and Avid DVD by Sonic(TM). Ideal for any content creator using Avid
Xpress(R) Pro software — as well as any system in the new Media
Composer(R) family (announced today in a separate release:
www.avid.com/company/releases/2006/060423_mediacomposer_avid.html) —
Avid Studio Toolkit delivers new creative toolsets and user interfaces
for Avid FX and Avid 3D, as well as enhanced authoring options,
including support for the revolutionary Blu-ray(TM) Disc format. With
Avid Studio Toolkit, film and video professionals can create more
compelling graphics, composites, titles, and effects; distribute
completed projects to tape, DVD, or the Web; and ultimately expand the
creative services they offer to their customers.
"Avid Studio Toolkit empowers professionals to be even more
creative by transforming the world's most popular editing tools —
Avid Xpress Pro and Media Composer — into state-of-the-art production
suites," said Patrick McLean, senior product marketing manager for
Avid. "It's the most robust and affordable way for independent
professionals to create stunning graphics, composites, titles, and
effects for their DV, SD, HD, and film projects before distributing
the final versions to HD tape, DVD, and the Web. Blu-ray is one of the
hottest new delivery formats to hit the market, and by supporting it
in our latest version of Avid Studio Toolkit, we're ensuring that our
customers have access to the latest and greatest distribution
technologies."
New enhancements to Avid Studio Toolkit v 5.5 include:
Updated UI, new paint engine, and more for Avid FX — providing
content creators with a complete titling, FX, and compositing
solution. With Avid FX version 5.5, editors can benefit from:
AVX(TM) 2 support for 16-bit color;
streamlined UI for improved integration and ease-of-use;
a new paint engine for touch up and rotoscoping;
Raster-to-Vector conversion tool for easily bringing corporate
logos and other graphics into a vector-animation environment,
including 3D extrusion;
new motion key feature, to remove unwanted objects from the
frame; and
new subtitling workflow for adding subtitles to their work.
Updated UI, new title features and more for Avid 3D — delivering
more powerful "3D for the Video Guy," via an updated UI that
allows any editor to import, animate, and light 3D models and
create compelling text animations with greater ease. It includes
directly accessible controls for animation keyframing,
task-oriented workflow, and new title animation features and
camera animation. This makes it easier to create text animations,
import and light models, create unique 3D looks, and export back
to the Avid editor.
Integrated Blu-ray support in Avid DVD by Sonic(TM) — allowing
Avid Xpress Pro and Media Composer users to output HDV projects to
Blu-ray discs. Avid DVD by Sonic offers new HD and 16:9 menu
support as well as HDMV output, enabling customers to make the
most of the next generation of DVDs.
Expanded I/O with Avid Mojo(R) SDI — providing digital and analog
SDI I/O to expand interoperability with mastering quality SD
cameras and decks (announced today in a separate release:
www.avid.com/company/releases/2006/060423_xpresspro_avid.html).
Pricing and Availability
Version 5.5 of the Avid Studio Toolkit v5.5 is priced at $1,995
USMSRP and is expected to begin shipping in mid-2006.