For editors working on standard workstations, Red Giant Software now offers an Adobe After Effects CS3 plug-in that facilitates easy conversion of SD footage to HD and can be used to prepare analog source footage and DV video clips for inclusion in HD projects.
Called Magic Bullet Instant HD Advanced (formerly named Instant HD Pro), the plug-in combines de-interlacing and de-noising, advanced pan-and-scan, and a specialized algorithm for resolution enhancement. A preset menu helps users choose different HD and even 2K output formats.
Instant HD Advanced uses multi-vector motion analysis to output high-quality progressive frames from interlaced material. There’s also built-in deinterlacing and noise-reduction controls to improve the quality of the material. In addition, motion vectors drive the “super-resolution” and de-noising tools to maintain high quality. Super-resolution is a technique for deriving and improving resolution from multiple frames of video. It compares each pixel over successive frames, determining true edges in order to deliver sharper details and super-crisp results.
Other scalers, including Instant HD and After Effects’ built-in scaler, process video one frame at a time. This plug-in can render in just over a second per frame on a quad-core Intel-based platform. Users that need faster scaling can get the Instant HD plug-in for After Effects and other hosts as part of the company’s Instant HD Advanced package.
Instant HD Advanced is available now for $399 and supports After Effects CS3 on Windows XP/Vista and Mac OS X on Intel processors. A $299 cross-grade to Instant HD Advanced is available for existing Red Giant Software users.
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