Video News

reprinted from a Noise Industries press release:

NOISE INDUSTRIES PARTNER SUGARFX RELEASES NEW FXPACK THEMES FOR APPLE PRO VIDEO APPLICATIONS New release provides 3d templates; team also updates popular Drop In product

Boston MA – February 27, 2008 – Noise Industries, developer of visual effects tools for the postproduction and broadcast markets, today announced that partner sugarFX (www.sugarqc.com) has released a brand new Noise Industries FxPack titled “sugarFX Folding Cards LC”. The new FxPack is designed to run on Apple Final Cut Studio 2 (FCS 2) and Final Cut Express 4.0 (FCE 4); providing users customizable 3D theme effects. “sugarFX founder Ricardo Silva is one of the world’s top broadcast designers and we are honored to have his design influence as part of our partner-product line,” comments Niclas Bahn, director of business development, Noise Industries.

The new sugarFX Folding Cards LC release offers 8 animated sequence graphics that can be applied in a number of broadcast and event video scenarios. Straight forward controls allow users to adjust text positioning, size and font. Users can also modify or omit video content as well as adjust color. Folding Cards LC runs on the latest Apple OS (X Leopard) plugging into the Apple FxPlug architecture.

Apple FCS 2 and FCE 4 users can get more information by viewing the Folding Cards LC demo movie at:
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?ZazilMediaGroup/ebe5f9a79a/bbd7d1ee43/b8a9097044

New update for the sugarFX Drop In Package In addition to releasing Folding Cards LC, the sugarFX team has updated their widely popular 3D Drop In package. The update adds support for Apple OS X Leopard and Final Cut Studio 2 applications.
Themes have been completely redesigned offering two flavors; Drop In
1.6 which is a free update and Drop In 2.0 Studio, a more advanced version with more theme elements and parameters.

Apple FCS 2 and FCE 4 users can get more information by viewing the Drop In demo movie at:
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?ZazilMediaGroup/ebe5f9a79a/bbd7d1ee43/bcbd5a9fed

About Noise Industries Partners and FxPacks FxPacks are developed by Noise Industries and its partners using the Noise Industries FxFactory Pro plug-in manager. The FxFactory Pro plug-in manager provides broadcast designers, such as Ricardo Silver of sugarFX, a user-friendly development tool to create additional effects for the Apple Final Cut Studio and Final Cut Express products.

Users must install the Noise Industries FxFactory engine to operate FxPacks. FxFactory is free and can be downloaded from http://cts.vresp.com/c/?ZazilMediaGroup/ebe5f9a79a/bbd7d1ee43/4fae8467bd.

Pricing and Availability
sugarFX Folding Cards LC FxPacks is available today via the Noise Industries web site (www.noiseindustries.com) for an MSRP of $69.00 USD.

About sugarFX Broadcast Designer Ricardo Silva sugarFX designer and founder Ricardo Silva’s impressive resume includes broadcast design for the National Geographic IMAX open, Norm, Ripley’s Believe or Not, Noticias Telemundo, Univision News graphics, Top 10 A&E, TLC Investigators, DirecTV International Marketing, TNBC graphics, TechTV, and Fox Sports International. For more information about sugarFX packages, please visit: www.sugarqc.com.

Reprinted from an Apple press release:

Apple® today updated its popular MacBook® and MacBook Pro notebook lines with the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors, larger hard drives and 2GB of memory standard in most models. In addition, MacBook Pro includes the latest NVIDIA graphics processors, now with up to 512MB of video memory, and Apple’s innovative Multi-Touch™ trackpad, first introduced in MacBook Air™. All Mac® notebooks include a built-in iSight® video camera for video conferencing on-the-go*, Apple’s MagSafe® Power Adapter that safely disconnects when under strain and built-in 802.11n wireless networking for up to five times the performance and twice the range of 802.11g.**

The new MacBook Pro features the latest Intel Core 2 Duo technology with up to a 2.6 GHz processor with 6MB of shared L2 cache; up to 4GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory and up to a 300GB hard drive, plus NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics with up to 512MB of video memory. Every MacBook Pro now includes a trackpad with Multi-Touch gesture support for pinch, rotate and swipe, making it more intuitive than ever to zoom and rotate photos in iPhoto® or Aperture™ 2 or browse web pages in Safari™; an illuminated keyboard that makes it ideal for dimly lit environments such as airplanes, studios or conference halls and a built-in ambient light sensor, which automatically adjusts the brightness of the keys as well as the brightness of the display for optimal visibility.

Featuring a gorgeous 13-inch glossy widescreen display, and with prices still starting at just $1,099, the new MacBook lineup comes in three models and includes faster processors and larger hard drives across the line; sleek white 2.1 GHz and 2.4 GHz models with 120GB or 160GB 5400 rpm hard drives and a stunning black 2.4 GHz model with a massive 250GB 5400 rpm hard drive, previously only available as an option. The 2.4 GHz MacBook models ship with 2GB of memory standard, expandable up to 4GB across the line.

Every MacBook and MacBook Pro includes a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing on-the-go; Apple’s MagSafe Power Adapter that magnetically connects the power cord and safely disconnects when under strain; the latest generation of 802.11n wireless networking for up to five times the performance and twice the range of 802.11g; built-in 10/100/1000 BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet for high-speed networking; Bluetooth; analog and digital audio inputs and outputs; USB 2.0; FireWire® and a built-in SuperDrive®.

Every Mac in the Apple lineup comes with iLife® ‘08, the most significant update ever to Apple’s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications, featuring a major new version of iPhoto and a completely reinvented iMovie®, both seamlessly integrated with the new .Mac Web Gallery for online photo and video sharing***. Every Mac also includes Leopard®, the sixth major release of the world’s most advanced operating system which introduces Time Machine™, an effortless way to automatically back up everything on a Mac; a redesigned Finder™ that lets users quickly browse and share files between multiple Macs; Quick Look, a new way to instantly see files without opening an application; Spaces, an intuitive new feature used to create groups of applications and instantly switch between them; a brand new desktop with Stacks, a new way to easily access files from the Dock and major enhancements to Mail and iChat®. .Mac members can use the new Back to My Mac feature to browse and access files on their home computer from a Mac over the Internet while out on the road.

Pricing & Availability
The new MacBook and MacBook Pro models are now shipping and will be available through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

The 2.1 GHz, 13-inch white MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,099 (US), includes:

* 13.3-inch glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display;
* 2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB shared L2 cache;
* 800 MHz front-side bus;
* 1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
* 120GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
* a slot-load Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive;
* Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100;
* Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
* built-in iSight video camera;
* Gigabit Ethernet port;
* built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
* two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port;
* one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
* Scrolling trackpad; and
* 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

The 2.4 GHz, 13-inch white MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,299 (US), includes:

* 13.3-inch glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display;
* 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB shared L2 cache;
* 800 MHz front-side bus;
* 2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
* 160GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
* a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
* Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100;
* Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
* built-in iSight video camera;
* Gigabit Ethernet port;
* built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
* two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port;
* one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
* Scrolling trackpad; and
* 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

The 2.4 GHz, 13-inch black MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,499 (US), includes:

* 13.3-inch glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display;
* 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB shared L2 cache;
* 800 MHz front-side bus;
* 2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
* 250GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
* a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
* Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100;
* Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
* built-in iSight video camera;
* Gigabit Ethernet port;
* built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
* two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port;
* one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
* Scrolling trackpad; and
* 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

Build-to-order options for the MacBook include the ability to upgrade to up to 4GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, a 160GB or 250GB hard drive, Apple USB Modem, Apple Mini-DVI to DVI adapter, Apple Mini-DVI to VGA adapter, Apple Remote, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare® Protection Plan.

The 2.4 GHz, 15-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $1,999 (US), includes:

* 15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440 x 900 LCD display;
* 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB shared L2 cache;
* 800 MHz front-side bus;
* 2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
* 200GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
* a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
* NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 256MB GDDR3 memory;
* DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included, Composite/S-Video adapter sold separately);
* built-in Dual Link support for driving Apple 30-inch Cinema HD Display;
* built-in iSight video camera;
* Gigabit Ethernet port;
* built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
* ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
* two USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port and one FireWire 400 port;
* one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
* Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
* 85 Watt Apple MagSafe Power Adapter.

The 2.5 GHz, 15-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $2,499 (US), includes:

* 15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440 x 900 LCD display;
* 2.5 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 6MB shared L2 cache;
* 800 MHz front-side bus;
* 2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
* 250GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
* a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
* NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 512MB GDDR3 memory;
* DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included, Composite/S-Video out adapter sold separately);
* built-in Dual Link support for driving Apple 30-inch Cinema HD Display;
* built-in iSight video camera;
* Gigabit Ethernet port;
* built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
* ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
* two USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port and one FireWire 400 port;
* one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
* Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
* 85 Watt Apple MagSafe Power Adapter.

The 2.5 GHz, 17-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $2,799 (US), includes:

* 17-inch widescreen 1680 x 1050 LCD display;
* 2.5 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 6MB shared L2 cache;
* 800 MHz front-side bus;
* 2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
* 250GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
* a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
* NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 512MB GDDR3 memory;
* DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included, Composite/S-Video out adapter sold separately);
* built-in Dual Link support for driving Apple 30-inch Cinema HD Display;
* built-in iSight video camera;
* Gigabit Ethernet port;
* built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
* ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
* three USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port and one FireWire 400 port;
* one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
* Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
* 85 Watt Apple MagSafe Power Adapter.

Build-to-order options for the MacBook Pro include the ability to upgrade to up to 4GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, a 2.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 200GB (7200 rpm), 250GB (5400 rpm) or a 300GB (4200 rpm) hard drive, Apple Remote, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter, Apple USB Modem, glossy widescreen display, 17-inch LED-backlit 1920 x 1200 high-resolution display and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

Additional build-to-order options for both MacBook and MacBook Pro include pre-installed copies of iWork™ ‘08, Logic® Express 8, Final Cut® Express 4 and Aperture 2.

*iChat video conferencing requires broadband internet connection; fees may apply. ** Actual performance will vary based on range, connection rate, site conditions, size of network and other factors ***The .Mac service is available to persons aged 13 or older. Annual membership fee and internet access required. Terms and conditions apply.

Reprinted from a Fujitsu press release:

Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Inc., a leading supplier of innovative computer products including hard disk drives, peripherals and biometric security solutions, today announced the release of its 2.5” 500GB¹ 4200RPM SATA hard disk drive (HDD), the fourth-generation high capacity 4200RPM SATA drive. The MHZ2 BT series was designed in response to the growing need for HDDs in the 2.5” form factor that can support high volume storage for products such as desktop PCs, notebooks, digital video recorders (DVR), and external hard drives.

The MHZ2 BT series requires only 1.8W of power for read and write operations, ranking it among the most power-efficient drives in its class. The series is one of many new products announced as a part of Fujitsu’s Green Policy Innovation Program, unveiled in December 2007, to promote energy-efficient products and services as a way to help customers lower their ecological footprint.

“With the expansion of HD digital broadcasts and Internet-based video distribution, there is an increasing need for high-capacity hard disk drives that can handle large volume data storage in portable devices,” said Lorne Wilson, senior vice president, sales and marketing, Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Inc. “Fujitsu will continue to focus on developing high-capacity and reliable 2.5” HDDs that will further enhance its product offerings in the IT and consumer electronics markets.”

Capitalizing on the vast experience and reputation for reliability that Fujitsu has accumulated over 40 years of HDD development, the MHZ2 BT series supports the Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s interface for high-speed data transfers. Notebook PCs have the potential to contain up to one terabyte capacity by installing two Fujitsu MHZ2 BT 500GB hard drives. In addition, this latest hard drive can be used in DVRs, tape replacement systems, and external hard drives. When coupled with an external USB enclosure, the MHZ2 BT series can provide the highest possible portable backup or additional storage for both home and office use.

¹One gigabyte (GB) = one billion bytes; accessible capacity will be less and actual capacity depends on the operating environment and formatting.

Availability and Hard Disk Drive Specifications:

The Fujitsu MHZ2 BT hard disk drive series will start shipping in May 2008, and provides specifications that are vital for mobile computing and CE applications, including:
Hard Disk Drive Specifications

Fujitsu designed the MHZ2 BH hard disk drive series to provide specifications that are vital for today’s computing applications, including:

* Capacity: 400GB/500GB
* Rotational Speed: 4200RPM
* Interface: SATA 3.0 Gb/sec and 1.5Gb/sec
* Read/Write Seek Time: 12/14 msec typ.
* Track to Track Seek Time: 1.5msec typ.
* R/W Power Consumption (Best-in-Class): 1.8W typ.
* Idle Power Consumption (Best-in-Class): 0.5W typ.
* Standby/Sleep Power Consumption (Best-in-Class): 0.13W typ.
* Acoustic (Idle): 2.1 bels typ.
* Operating Shock: 325G (2ms)

Recently, we dug up old episodes of the Videomaker TV show that aired on Channel America in the early 90s. If you’re missing the 90’s this will be a good shot in the arm. Otherwise, turn back now–bad haircuts and pegged Levi’s are on the loose. Most notable was this clip where Matt and Ron exercise a Mac and PC on the nearly impossible task of video editing (some linear, some nonlinear). My question is who’s Mac and who’s PC. Leave your comments.

View more 90’s and the turn of the digital video editing age on our YouTube Channel.

reprinted from a VideoJug press release:

Los Angeles – February 21, 2008– Concerned about the recent spate of high profile celebrities who’ve found themselves on the wrong side of the law and drawing less than flattering attention, the helpful life experts at VideoJug have produced a series of short films to help even the wobbliest of celebrities handle and deal with the rigors of fame during the most stressful time of the year – Oscar season.

Confused on how to act on the red carpet?

Not sure what to say when accepting the big award?

Having a hard time finding happiness as the idol of millions?

VideoJug, the site that has answers for just about any situation, has the answers once again.

For those who haven’t yet made it to superstardom, VideoJug has step-by-step instructions on how to freeload at a swag-filled, celebrity bash and how to act when getting a photo taken alongside one of the beautiful people.

And while waiting for the proverbial “big break,” aspiring red carpet ramblers can check out the more than 35,000 professionally made, short “How To” and expert advice films about practically everything at VideoJug.

VideoJug’s instructional films feature television quality production values and step-by-step instructions to make sure anyone’s moment in the spotlight goes perfectly.

Panasonic announced today the forthcoming 64GB P2 card. It allows over an hour of DVCPRO HD video, for P2 camcorders like the HVX-200. Availability in the fall, price unannounced. Read the press release below:

From A Panasonic Press Release
PANASONIC ANNOUNCES 64GB SOLID-STATE P2 MEMORY CARD,
DOUBLING CURRENT RECORDING CAPACITY
* Permits Over an Hour of DVCPRO HD or AVC-Intra 100 on a Single P2 Card *

SECAUCUS, NJ (February 13, 2008) – Panasonic has announced a 64GB P2 solid-state memory card for its popular line of P2 HD and P2 solid-state camcorders and decks. With the arrival of the 64GB card in the fall, Panasonic will again have doubled the storage capacity of its P2 card from the current 32GB capacity, providing HD recording time dramatically greater than any tape or disc-based system.

The 64GB P2 card, model AJ-P2C064, is scheduled for initial deliveries in fall of 2008 at a price to be announced. The new 64GB P2 card will be offered in addition to the current 32GB and 16GB P2 card.

A 64GB P2 card is capable of storing over four hours of DVCPRO footage (64 GB X 4 minutes per GB), or more than two hour of DVCPRO50, AVC-Intra 50 (64 GB X 2 minutes per GB) or 64 minutes of AVC-Intra 100 or DVCPRO HD. With five 64GB P2 cards installed, an AJ-HPX3000 P2 HD camcorder can record for 320 minutes in AVC-Intra 100 or DVCPRO HD (400 minutes in 1080/24pN) and 640 minutes (800 minutes in 24pN) in AVC-Intra 50 or DVCPRO 50.

“With these incredible recording times, the 64GB P2 card will minimize or eliminate the need for video professionals to switch out media on-set while working on long-form projects,” said Robert Harris, Vice President of Marketing, Panasonic Broadcast. “The P2 strategy, first introduced in 2004, called for P2 cards to double in capacity every year. With the introduction of a 64GB P2 card later this year, Panasonic is on track to fulfill this promise.”

P2 cards are designed for professional users to offer fast, easy IT-based operations and ultra high reliability. They are reusable so that P2 acquisition requires no media consumption, resulting in tremendous savings in media costs.

A P2 card is comprised of its own processor, firmware, a RAID controller, and gigabytes of the highest-quality nonvolatile solid-state memory chips. They manage data intelligently including a write-verification step for every byte of memory that is written to the card for fault-free operation. The P2 card can be connected instantly with laptop PCs and major non-linear editing systems. Packaged in a rugged, die-cast frame, the P2 card is resistant to impact, vibration, shock, dust and environmental extremes including temperature changes.

The 64GB P2 card will work immediately with all P2 HD camcorders purchased from May 2007 forward. P2 and P2 HD products purchased prior to that date will need a free, downloadable software upgrade available on the Panasonic website. Customers wanting to connect the card to an ExpressCard slot of a laptop can utilize a low cost PC card-to-ExpressCard adapter.

Panasonic has announced a successor model to it’s extremely popular DVX-100. The new model called the AG-HMC150, is a 3 CCD, HD camcorder that records in the AVCHD format to SD cards. It has several 1080 and 720 frame rates, XLR inputs, a Leica Dicomar zoom lens, and a handheld form factor. No pricing information was available, and unfortunately the camcorder won’t be available till Fall of 2008. Read the press release below:

From a Panasonic Press Release:
PANASONIC ANNOUNCES ADVANCED PROFESSIONAL AVCHD
AG-HMC150 HANDHELD HD CAMCORDER

SECAUCUS, NJ (February 13, 2008) – Panasonic announces a new addition to its growing professional AVCHD product line that capitalizes on the phenomenal success of its popular DV-based AG-DVX100. The new, affordable AG-HMC150 handheld is scheduled for shipment later this year.

The HMC150 is designed to provide enhanced HD production capabilities for video enthusiasts who desire professional features, extended recording capability and the fast, simple and highly reliable workflow offered by tapeless, solid-state recording. The HMC150 features three native 16:9 progressive 1/3” CCD imagers with an optical image stabilization (O.I.S.) function to ensure stable shooting and a 28mm Leica Dicomar wide-angle zoom lens (35MM equivalent). The HMC150 handheld offers 1080i and 720p recording at 13Mbps, comparable to current HDV compression formats with bit rates of 25Mbps. In addition, an enhanced mode with a higher bit rate is planned to be incorporated into the HMC150 for higher-level use. It supports a full range of HD formats including 1080/60i, 1080/50i, 1080/30p, 1080/25p, 1080/24p native; 720/60p, 720/50p, 720/30p, 720/25p, 720/24p native; and it is 50Hz/59.94Hz switchable.

The advanced handheld utilizes the second-generation long GOP HD standard called AVCHD. Based on MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 high profile encoding, AVCHD provides a near doubling of bandwidth efficiency and considerably improved video performance over the older MPEG-2 compression used in HDV formats. Announced by Panasonic and Sony, this industry standard format is now supported by over 30 companies and implemented in numerous camcorders, NLE systems and consumer HD playback devices.

The HMC150 offers professional HD performance with the simplicity of a digital still camera. Since the solid-state handheld records onto SD and SDHC memory cards, professionals can benefit from the reliability and random access of tapeless recording and capitalize on the cost advantages, widespread availability, and growing capacity of standard SD consumer cards. Using the newly announced 32GB SDHC memory card and the camcorder’s 6Mbps recording mode, users can acquire up to 12 hours of HD video and audio on a single SD card.

Additional features of the HMC150 include professional XLR audio input connections and a wide range of data and signal interfaces including HDMI out, USB2.0, component out (D terminal), composite out and RCA audio out jacks, a 3.5-inch LCD monitor to display thumbnail images for quick viewing and playback, and a Time Code/User Bits menu. The camera also has remote jacks for focus iris and start/stop functions, a pre-record feature that allows the camera to capture footage occurring immediately before real-time recording begins, and a time/date stamp menu option for documentation purposes.

Panasonic’s AVCHD camera line brings the benefits of solid-state recording to budget-conscious professionals. Like digital still photography, recording onto SD/SDHC card offers a fast and simple IT-compatible workflow with ultra-reliable performance and resistance to shock, vibration and extreme temperatures and weather. SD and SDHC memory cards are inexpensive and widely available and can be reused repeatedly. Since AVCHD records video as digital data files, content can be transferred and stored on affordable, high-capacity hard disk drives (HDD) and optical storage media and transferred to future storage media as technology advances.

The HMC150 will be available this fall at a price to be announced.

reprinted from a Grass Valley/Canopus press release:

February 13, 2008 – With the latest release of software for its Thomson Grass Valley™ EDIUS® Broadcast editing platform, Thomson (Euronext Paris: 18453; NYSE: TMS) now offers comprehensive support for all leading tapeless acquisition formats through simple and intuitive workflows.

Version 4.6 of the EDIUS Broadcast software includes powerful new functionality based on the JPEG 2000 codec used in the Thomson Grass Valley Infinity™ Digital Media Camcorder (DMC), allowing multi-layer editing of EFP-quality high definition content, even on a laptop computer. The workflow for Sony’s XDCAM has also been enhanced to support their new EX range of camcorders. EDIUS Broadcast is the first NLE to take advantage of Sony’s Simple Access Mode (SAM), whereby low-resolution video can be used in conjunction with high-resolution audio.

EDIUS Broadcast pioneered tapeless workflows with its handling of Panasonic’s P2 format, and this latest revision is a logical progression for an NLE that has built its reputation on fast, effective, multi-format editing in SD, HD, DV25, and MPEG, with the freedom to mix video standards and formats on a single timeline, all in real-time.

“Craft editing with a comprehensive toolset using material shot with today’s tapeless acquisition formats is naturally a major requirement in production,” said Jeff Rosica, Senior Vice President of Thomson’s Broadcast & Professional Solutions business unit. “The release of EDIUS Broadcast v4.6 provides an open, standards-based platform with seamless workflows whatever the acquisition format. And it provides unrivalled flexibility and editing power when using the high quality JPEG 2000 codec implemented in our Infinity Digital Media Camcorder.”

The Infinity DMC offers a variety of codecs to suit a user’s workflow. For HD capture, it uses JPEG 2000, a wavelet compression standard that provides very high quality imaging. An inherent benefit of JPEG 2000 coding algorithms is that it provides multiple quality layers — only one high resolution master file is needed to derive lower resolution versions. EDIUS Broadcast v4.6 takes advantage of JPEG 2000’s bit layering which provides not only the full 100 Mb/s encoded stream, but can provide an intermediate level (30 Mb/s) or a high-quality browse level (6 Mb/s) so that today’s laptops users can edit JPEG 2000 in the field. If a laptop’s CPU is not powerful enough to decode the full resolution stream, EDIUS automatically switches to lower resolutions for viewing and display of effects in real-time during editing. The full quality version is, of course, retained for the final output.

The Infinity DMC records onto IT industry-standard recording media including REV PRO removable disks and professional grade CompactFlash solid state memory cards. EDIUS Broadcast v4.6 editing software allows REV PRO disks and CompactFlash cards to be used as both media sources and destinations, as well as offering seamless ingest from both into the edit workstation (REV PRO is mounted as a hard drive and is capable of real-time data transfer — ingest is optional). This allows the editor to quickly browse through all the content available and start work immediately.

The new release also delivers integration — via MXF — with the Thomson Grass Valley K2™ Media Server platform to provide a seamless workflow across networked editing and production workstations. EDIUS can also output a GXF wrapped-streams format (SMPTE standard 360M) making its transfer and sharing transparent with Profile XP, K2, and other GXF compliant systems.

Pricing and availability
EDIUS Broadcast version 4.6 will be released in February 2008. The full version is priced at $999 (839 euros), although it will be a free-of-charge update for all current EDIUS Broadcast 4.x owners. Existing EDIUS Pro 4.x customers can upgrade to the Broadcast version for $409 (299 euros).

We got word from Music 2 Hues that their Flagship Series music library has a new addition: Drums and Percussion. They market it as “an editor’s dream if you are looking to cut to the beat.” Tracks include “Jungle Hunt Fast”, “Machine Room”, “Bongo Mongo”, “Electro Tabla”, “Voodoo Island” and “Tribal”, among others. The disc includes both a full version (each a little longer than 2 minutes) and a :60 version of each each track.

Apparently, as reported by a number of news outlets, some of Microsoft’s own executives got burned by the very nebulous “Vista Capable” logo requirements that were in place a couple of years ago, before the launch of the famously bloated operating system. The logo was granted to any system that was capable of running Vista Home Basic, which doesn’t include all of the graphics features included in the other versions of Vista. Vista Home Basic also requires less memory and hard disk space than any of the other editions as well.
Microsoft is currently in court facing angry computer purchasers, and the judge in the case is currently considering a request to give the case class-action status.