Reprinted from a Bella Corporation press release:
Bella Corporation, a leading supplier of video solutions today announced the immediate availability of its new series of keyboards with integrated editing technology for the growing consumer market and professional editors. The keyboards are priced from $99.95 to $169.95 (US), and will be sold through Bella’s current dealer network, major computer retailers and directly on Bella’s Web site, www.Bella-USA.com.
“The response to our first-of-a-kind keyboards has been overwhelming,” stated Gard B. Cookson, President and CEO of Bella Corporation. “By integrating the jog/shuttle controller in the keyboard, we have answered a definite need of the professional editor as well as making editing faster and easier for the home video enthusiast.”
Two levels of keyboards are offered with Bella’s integrated editing technology: The DV Keyboard Series for the consumer, and the Professional Series EZ Keyboard for the power user.
The DV Keyboard
With the advent of the consumer market for video editing, Bella introduced the DV Keyboard. Based on the same technology that professional editors use, the DV Keyboard has a built-in jog/shuttle controller and programmable Specialty Keys. Now home users can have the same control that the pros have over their timelines and video clips.
A sticker set is included to help the user navigate popular editing applications more quickly and efficiently: the Macintosh DV Keyboard includes a sticker set for Apple Computer’s recently introduced Final Cut Express, while the Windows DV Keyboard includes a sticker set for Pinnacle’s Studio and Sonic Foundry’s VideoFactory. Additional sticker sets will be available for purchase for other popular applications. The keyboard also comes with easily installed software that includes presets for the most popular applications, with additional presets available for download. For added convenience there are Web, email and multimedia keys.
Addressing the concerns of home users, the DV Keyboards can also be used as standard keyboards to work with applications such as Microsoft, Word, Excel, and Internet Explorer and is priced at $99.95.
Professional Series EZ Keyboard
The Professional Series is designed for the professional editor and delivers exceptional features, speed and flexibility. Color and icon-coded keycaps are standard and, for the first time, a jog/shuttle controller has been built into the keyboard. With the integrated jog/shuttle wheel, the user can have precise frame-by-frame control over timelines, video and audio clips. The easily installed software includes presets for most popular applications, with additional presets that can be downloaded for free from Bella’s Web site. Just above the jog/shuttle controller are two Specialty Keys, which can be programmed with either direct or combination keystrokes, with editors expected to use the keys for Mark In and Mark Out or similar functions. The convenience of Web, email, and multimedia keys are also included.
The Professional Series keyboard is available for both Macintosh and Windows versions of leading video editing applications including Apple Final Cut Pro, Avid Xpress DV and Adobe Premiere and is priced at $169.95.
Winner of the Pick Hit Award
Bella’s keyboards recently won the prestigious Pick Hit Award given by Broadcast Engineering at NAB 2003 (National Association of Broadcasters). The Pick Hit Award sets the trend for excellence in broadcasting and the winner is chosen each year by a panel of industry experts from products on exhibit at NAB, the world’s largest electronic media show.
