Reprinted from a Canopus press release:
Canopus Corporation, a recognized leader in realtime video editing technology, today announced the availability of EDIUS SP for HDV. EDIUS SP for HDV is a professional nonlinear editing solution that provides native editing and unmatched realtime processing of HDV, DV, uncompressed SD, MPEG-1, MPEG-2 formats. EDIUS SP for HDV provides an easy transition for post-production facilities to move from SD to the world of HD video. In addition, Canopus is offering EDIUS SP for HDV customers the Canopus Codec Option Pack, which includes the DVCPRO HD software codec to provide full native DVCPRO HD (SMPTE 370M) compliance.
“With the rapid adoption of HD and HDV video equipment, including the new Sony HDR-FX1 and JVC’s camcorders, we are excited to offer EDIUS SP for HDV — a powerful solution that provides superior realtime performance and video quality, and can easily assist our customers in making the transition from SD to HD video.” said Hiro Yamada, founder and chairman of the board of Canopus.
In addition to support for native editing of HDV clips in their original MPEG-2 format, EDIUS SP for HDV lets users edit by way of Canopus’s variable-bitrate HQ codec for increased quality and realtime performance. EDIUS SP for HDV can transparently capture to the Canopus HQ codec, using intra-field coding with 4:2:2 sampling, to provide better-than-HDV quality and significantly increase realtime editing performance.
EDIUS SP for HDV includes a 64-bit PCI board that provides hardware acceleration for realtime editing and video output performance, as well as sophisticated hardware line-scaling to expand the edited HDV 1440 samples per line to 1080i’s 1920 resolution for output. By having the EDIUS SP for HDV hardware accelerator handle this processor-intensive task instead of the PC’s CPU, editors gain improved realtime performance and output quality.
EDIUS SP for HDV provides high-quality video I/O, including FireWire for HDV and DV, as well as component, composite and S-Video connectors. Designed to seamlessly integrate into existing studio environments, EDIUS SP for HDV features complete support for BetaCam SP with component video and balanced audio input/output, as well as frame-accurate RS-422 VTR control and external reference sync input connections.
To help editors with the transition from SD to HD, EDIUS SP for HDV edits SD content, such as DV, in HD resolution while providing realtime output to HDTV monitors using the onboard HD component output. EDIUS SP for HDV provides high quality, realtime up-conversion from SD to HD video with all project titles, graphics and effects performed in HD resolution.
Driving EDIUS SP for HDV is EDIUS Pro 3, Canopus’s powerful nonlinear editing software. EDIUS Pro frees video editors from the limitations of conventional editing systems by providing a seamless workflow with realtime, multi-track, mixed format HD/SD editing, compositing, chroma keying, titling and timeline output capabilities. EDIUS SP for HDV is designed for maximum performance and supports realtime output of multiple video tracks, effects, and graphics and title layers.
EDIUS Pro seamlessly edits any mix of HDV, DV, uncompressed, MPEG-2 and MPEG-1 video in realtime. Conversions between 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios, as well as up-conversion and down-conversion between SD and HD, are processed in realtime, further streamlining the production workflow.
While other video editing systems are restricted to a fixed number of simultaneous video and graphics tracks for realtime output, EDIUS SP for HDV is designed with Canopus’s Scalable Technology architecture to take full advantage of the system’s CPU power, giving users more realtime performance. Scalable Technology ensures that EDIUS SP for HDV’s realtime editing capabilities expand as CPU power increases, which extends the life of the product and provides a higher return on investment.
EDIUS SP for HDV also features the much-admired Canopus ADVC functionality to provide realtime bidirectional analog/DV conversion and capture, as well as direct deck control with AV/C to RS-422 control conversion to provide analog VTR control from within any Windows-based NLE by making the analog deck appear as a DV deck to the system.
Canopus has also added support for Adobe Systems’ popular After Effects and Photoshop CS applications through a video-out plug-in that is included in EDIUS SP for HDV. A plug-in for Premiere Pro is planned for release later this year.
EDIUS SP For HDV Options
Canopus is offering EDIUS SP for HDV customers the Canopus Codec Option Pack, which includes the DVCPRO 50 and DVCPRO HD software codecs. Developed in collaboration with Panasonic, the Canopus DVCPRO HD codec provides EDIUS SP for HDV with high-quality HD video and unrivaled realtime HD nonlinear editing performance with full native DVCPRO HD (SMPTE 370M) compliance. The Canopus Codec Option Pack will also allow for the direct import of DVCPRO HD QuickTime .MOV files into EDIUS Pro. Providing direct lossless HD capture and print-to-tape functions using the Panasonic AJ-HD1200A VTR in native 1080i via EDIUS SP for HDV’s FireWire connector, EDIUS SP for HDV with the Canopus Codec Option Pack is a cost-effective editing solution for DVCPRO HD on Windows-based systems.
For customers desiring rackmount connectivity, Canopus is offering a convenient breakout box that brings all input and output connections to a 1U 19-inch rackmount space, making it easy to integrate the EDIUS SP for HDV into existing production workflows.
Another convenient option for EDIUS SP for HDV customers is the Canopus Video-out Plug-in Option that allows SD/HD analog component output for Alias Maya 6, Bauhaus Mirage 1.2, Discreet 3D Studio Max 7 and Combustion, and NewTek’s LightWave 3D 8.
Product Availability and Pricing
EDIUS SP for HDV is available now from Canopus and its authorized resellers and system integrators for a suggested retail price of $3999. The Canopus Codec Option Pack, breakout box and Canopus Video-out Plug-in Option will be available in December 2004 for $999, $599 and $499 respectively. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.canopus.com.
