Avid Media Composer 7 Extends Real-time Production Everywhere

Avid unveiled Media Composer® 7, featuring accelerated and simplified file-based workflows including optimized HD delivery from high-res source material and automated media operations. In addition, as a key component of the Avid Everywhere vision, the new release offers Interplay® Spherefor Mac support, extending real-time production everywhere. Used to edit more top-tier content than any other nonlinear editing (NLE) solution, Media Composer software is now available starting at $999 USD—bringing unprecedented value to post production editors.

Sony announced new version of Anycast

Sony today announced at NAB 2013 Anycast Touch, an ultra-portable and easy to use all-in-one live production solution. With no previous live production experience required, Anycast Touch is an affordable broadcasting/webcasting solution suitable for a wide range of educational and government institutions, corporate organisations and event management companies.

LiveU Introduces LU² – The First Modular Next-Generation Live Video Solution

LiveU is introducing LU², the first modular solution that pushes the edge of innovation, enabling optimal use of available cellular networks by combining two LiveU field units for scenarios where additional resiliency is needed.

Livestream Aims to Democratize Live Production

Following the success of the ultra portable Livestream Studio HD500 and Livestream Studio™ Software, Livestream (livestream.com) today unveils its full suite of live production switchers: Livestream Studio™ HD50, HD900 and HD1700, available today for pre-order. To further its mission to democratize live video, Livestream is extending its line of all-in-one broadcast quality switching hardware to enable HD live production at any size.

Telestream Unveils New Video Transcoder for IPTV and Cable VOD Distribution

Telestream today announced a major new enterprise-class video transcoding software product. Vantage® Transcode IPTV VOD is a highly-focused transcoding solution that was developed specifically for broadband and cable service providers to automate content preparation and delivery for IPTV and cable VOD workflows.

Wacom releases Cintiq 13HD 13-inch compact pen display

Wacom today boosts its lineup of Cintiq interactive pen displays with the addition of the Cintiq 13HD. Aimed at creative professionals working in areas such as design, art and image editing, it combines a 13” HD screen, slim and compact design, simple setup, an adjustable stand and an improved pen for creating directly on the screen. Easily integrated into any environment, the Cintiq 13HD is the ideal tool to support creativity and enhance productivity, offering a natural and immersive experience.

MAXON Announces Strategic Alliance with Adobe

MAXON, the developer of CINEMA 4D, a leading 3D animation software for film, broadcast and motion graphics professionals, today announced it has entered into a strategic alliance with Adobe Systems Incorporated to further

 

Grass Valley Director Integrated Nonlinear Live Production Center

Grass Valley® introduced the GV Director™ Integrated Nonlinear Live Production Center. Much more than a switcher, it brings a dynamic new paradigm to live production workflows of all genres, with its simplified way of producing and delivering live content across multiple distribution platforms. GV Director is suitable for all production environments, such as houses of worship, image magnification (IMAG) applications, educational institutes, as well as fixed venues, production studios, and trucks.

Adobe Brings the Power of Photoshop to Mobile Phones

Adobe Systems Incorporated announced the immediate availability of a new version of Adobe® Photoshop® Touch, optimized for iPhone, iPod touch, and Android smart phones. Inspired by the highly successful Photoshop Touch for tablets, the phone app brings core features of Photoshop desktop software to mobile devices and offers similar intuitive, touch-based gestures and features.

Watch a New York Minute Filmed Entirely in HDR on the RED Epic

Colby Moore presents a montage of New York scenes all shot in high-dynamic range on the RED Epic. He explains on his Vimeo page, "A short and creepy montage of scenes shot around the ever-photogenic island of Manhattan -- filmed entirely in high-dynamic range and comprised of some HDR Timelapse footage I shot, along with a collection of slow-motion and normal 24fps footage processed from Red Epic-X RAW video that I recently captured and then exported as -2,0+2 TIFF stacks to be tone mapped in Photomatix using a batch processing workflow. Please note that none of this was shot using HDRx -- only normal exposures from the camera post-converted into HDR using the traditional faux-HDR method of pushing and pulling the RAW file to create bracketed images...the idea here is to give you an idea of what can be captured with a workflow similar to this, as well as to hint at what might be possible once in-camera HDR technology improves to the point of capturing at least three exposures simultaneously without the added detriment of having to push and pull in post, which as stated before, adds quite a bit of grain."

Watch below.

See the Best Visual Clips from This Year's Best Cinematography Oscar Nominees

Fandor Keyframe has compiled an interesting 8-minute video: two scenes from each of the five films nominated for Best Cinematography at this Sunday's Oscars. Each film gets no more than 90 seconds of screen time and the whole thing is presented without sound to put full emphasis on the visuals.

So, based on this, who do you think should win: Anna Karenina, Django Unchained, Life of Pi, Lincoln or Skyfall? Watch below.

Boris FX Rolls Out New Boris Continuum Units Product Family

Boris FX announced that each category of Boris Continuum Complete filters is now available as a separate Boris Continuum Unit, allowing artists to choose toolsets that are geared towards their specific needs.

Boris Continuum Complete delivers the most comprehensive VFX plug-in suite ever created. Over 200 comprehensive filters across 16 categories of effects include 3D particles, image restoration tools such as Noise Reduction and Flicker Fixer, lens flares and lights, chroma keys and mattes, color correction tools, blurs, glows, and film effects. Each of these 16 categories of filters is now available as a Boris Continuum Unit that may be purchased separately for Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro, Apple Motion, and Sony Vegas Pro.

Matrox Video Over IP and Video Wall Products at DSE

Matrox Graphics will feature Matrox Maevex video distribution over IP devices and Matrox Mura MPX video wall controller boards working individually and in tandem at DSE 2013 (Las Vegas Convention Center, Feb. 27 - 28, Booth #133).

Visitors will see the Full-HD encoding performance of Maevex and an array of Maevex hardware and third-party software decoding options. Using the Maevex PowerStream remote control software, parameters like frame rate capture and bit rate targets can be adjusted to create a balance between network bandwidth consumption and image quality, while maintaining a cost-effective solution.

		The Matrox Maevex Series delivers one-to-one unicast or one-to-many multicast of Full-HD quality video extension over standard TCP/IP networks.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to use the Matrox MuraControl for Windows or MuraControl for iPad apps to test drive the latest presentation effects on the Matrox Mura-powered video wall. A combination of streaming network sources, local media players and Blu-ray content can be captured, scaled, switched, rotated, cropped, framed, tagged and repositioned with high visual quality.

The Matrox Maevex video distribution over IP solution delivers one-to-one unicast or one-to-many multicast of Full-HD quality video extension and playback over standard TCP/IP networks. Maevex Encoders and Decoders capture, stream, and decode video from a variety of sources, and allow for software-based decoding on non-Maevex devices. Matrox PowerStream software offers several user-defined management features enabling administrators to control the Maevex network, streams, and devices.

			Matrox Mura MPX video wall controller boards are designed for use in collaborative video walls and wall matrix management.

The Matrox Mura MPX Series output/input boards feature flexible, universal input channel support for both digital and analog (DVI, RGB/VGA, Component, S-Video & Composite) video signals. Mura MPX’s ability to capture and display uncompressed data ensures high-quality text, video, and graphics. Mura MPX high-density analog video capture cards provide additional NTSC/PAL/SECAM input channel support, while the Mura MPX-SDI board includes support for two 3G SDI video inputs and two DVI outputs.

RØDE VideoMic Updated with New Mount and Rycote Suspension

RØDE has updated its popular VideoMic, which now uses the Lyre suspension system from Rycote. The new orientation has lowered the microphone profile, and the plastic shoe mount has been replaced with a billet all-metal shoe for extra reliability.

The RØDE VideoMic features a high-pass filter at 80Hz and is designed for use with HDSLRs and other video cameras that offer a 3.5mm mic input. the VideoMic is powered by a 9-volt battery, which RØDE estimates will provide 100 hours of runtime.

High Speed, Low Drag: WD MyBook VelociRaptor Duo Thunderbolt Drive Review

by Eric Reagan 

The Western Digital VelociRaptor Duo Thunderbolt drive is a power-user’s dream external drive kitted out with two 10,000RPM VelociRaptor drives. Inside the box, WD includes a Thunderbolt cable (a $50 accessory), which was missing from the original WD My Book Thunderbolt Duo.

The drive has two Thunderbolt ports, which allows you to

New software release for the GV STRATUS

Grass Valley® announces a new software release for the GV STRATUS® nonlinear production solution. With more than 1,500 seats sold worldwide, GV STRATUS non-linear production solution delivers greater workflow efficiency by enabling users to work collaboratively and accomplish tasks in parallel.

The new release includes powerful new tools to

LightWave 11.5 Now Available

The LightWave 3D® Group, announced LightWave 11.5, the newest version of its award-winning 3D modeling, animation and rendering software for artists and designers, is now available for purchase. A no-charge upgrade to LightWave 11.5 is available to all registered LightWave 11 customers via the LightWave 3D website.

LightWave 11.5 includes new features and functionality that enhance creativity and streamline productivity for everyone—from individual artists and designers to large animation or visual effects studios. Some of the many new features in LightWave 11.5 include the Genoma character rigging system with modular presets, predator and prey Flocking capabilities, per-object Instancing control, and soft-body Bullet Dynamics with support for FiberFX. Also included are Interchange Tools supporting Adobe After Effects cameras and Pixologic’s Zbrush, stereoscopic and depth-of-field motion blur in the Viewport Preview Renderer (VPR), major workflow enhancements, and more.
“Leveraging the rich collection of new tools in LightWave 11.5 allows us to continue to deliver movies on time and on budget,” said Scott Wheeler, visual effects supervisor at Rogue State and LightWave beta team member. “No other software gives us the scalability to do small team projects while still being capable of handling major studio effects movies quite like LightWave. It’s a must have in our CG arsenal.”

Some of the new features and enhancements in LightWave 11.5 include:

BBC freelance cameraman tests Super 35mm 1080p on the Canon 1D C

Cinematographer Johnnie Behiri tests out Super 35mm at 1080p on the Canon 1DC in the video found below. Observes EOSHD, "It is a very good Super 35mm 1080p camera, but only 8 bit. It also lacks the built in ND and other handling niceties of the much cheaper C100. If you’re happy to use an external recorder there are better options for Super 35mm out there for less money."

Read their full take here.

Boris Continuum Complete 8 FxPlug Now Available for Apple Final Cut Pro X

Some news I missed back during the CES 2013 onslaught was the release of Boris Continuum Complete 8 FxPlug for Final Cut Pro X. Boris Continuum Complete 8 FxPlug offers the popular Boris effects, graphics, templates and transitions to FCP X.

BCC 8 FxPlug is available for $995 direct from Boris. Owners of prior versions of BCC FxPlug can upgrade for $295.

Autodesk Smoke 2013 Video Editing Software Now Shipping

By AV Network
Autodesk’s new Smoke 2013 professional video editing software is now shipping.

“Autodesk is committed to making high-end effects and 3D increasingly available to a new generation, and the new Smoke is case in point. The Smoke team has fielded thousands of inquiries and product recommendations in the process of developing Smoke 2013. I’m so excited to announce it’s here,” said Mark Strassman, Autodesk Media & Entertainment vice president strategy and marketing.
Smoke 2013 is designed to meet the needs of professional editors working in

JVC ProHD MOBILE NEWS CAMERA GY-HM650U

Mobile Newsgathering is now faster and better then ever with the introduction of JVC's GY-HM650. Small and light enough to be used anywhere, this advanced camera surpasses the performance of many traditional ENG style units and offers capabilities never before available on any model. Dual codecs make it possible to record for 2 screens simultaneously: full HD on one memory card and a smaller web-friendly file on another card. Transfer the footage back to the station with the GY-HM650's built-in FTP and WiFi connectivity.

 

The GY-HM650's long (23x) wide angle lens is perfect for fast paced ENG. The camera offers superb low light performance with F11 sensitivity at

Roland Systems Group Introduces V-4EX Video Mixer

By AV Network Staff On January 28, 2013
Roland Systems Group has debuted the next-generation product in the V-4 and V-8 lineup of Roland live performance video mixers.

The Roland V-4EX advances the Roland V-4 four channel video mixer by incorporating HDMI inputs/outputs, USB streaming, HDCP support, built-in touch multi-viewer, and audio embedding. These features are added to the

Watch the Short Film Oscar-Winner Janusz Kaminski Shot on a Nikon D800

Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski just earned his sixth Oscar nomination this morning for his work on Lincoln. Now see what a DP of his caliber can do shooting on a $3000 DSLR. Short film "Broken Night" was shot on the Nikon D800 and written and directed by Guillermo Arriaga. Watch it

Nikon D5200 Hands-On

The Nikon D5200 finally made its way to the US at CES 2013. I spent a few minutes checking out the new camera at a press event and wanted to pass along some images and initial thoughts on this entry-level DSLR.

Matrox MXO2 Dock Now Available Worldwide

Matrox announced the worldwide availability of Matrox® MXO2 Dock™, an accessory that allows users of Matrox MXO2 I/O devices and MacBook Pro or MacBook Air to easily create an ideal ergonomic workspace for video editing and content creation. From a single Thunderbolt™ cable, users can connect an MXO2 I/O device plus add multiple peripherals including a large HDMI display, a full-size keyboard, and a mouse. A gigabit Ethernet port provides connectivity to a wired network, enabling data transfers 18 times faster than Wi-Fi. One SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port and two USB 2.0 ports are also provided.

“Many Matrox MXO2 users enjoy the portability of MacBook Pro and MacBook Air for field work, but would prefer a more comfortable work environment when they are spending the day in the edit suite,” said Wayne Andrews, product manager at Matrox. “The new Matrox MXO2 Dock increases productivity by adding screen real estate and brings much-needed expandability for USB 3.0 storage, control surfaces, optical drives, and other peripherals.” Price and availability Priced at $349 US (€299, £229) not including local taxes and delivery, Matrox MXO2 Dock is available through a worldwide network of authorized dealers. MXO2 owners can replace their host adapter (PCI Express, ExpressCard/34 or Thunderbolt) with Matrox MXO2 Dock for use with Thunderbolt-enabled MacBooks, iMacs, or Mac minis. http://www.matrox.com/video

Topaz Detail 3 Unveiled

by Eric Reagan on December 5, 2012

in Photoshop

Topaz Detail 3 is the latest version of the popular Photoshop plug-in. Detail 3 offers a wider range of flexibility and control over detail manipulation and enhancement.
It includes over 50 new presets that are organized into collections, separate adjustment controls for shadow and highlight details and improved toning contro. Additionally, the built-in masking with edge aware technology improves selective detail choices.
Topaz Detail 3 is available now and is 30% off as an introductory price through December 16. Use the coupon code “MoreDetail” at checkout on Topaz’s website.

Watch a Fish-Eye Time-Lapse of the Leonid Meteor Shower

Photographer Stephane Vetter caught the Leonid meteor shower with his Nikon D3 and Sigma 8mm fisheye lens. Watch the incredible time-lapse of the night sky below. (via Huffington Post)

DSLR and Raw Files for Testing Purposes

Cinematographer Tom Guilmette has graciously provided 10-second downloadable files in a variety of formats that you can ingest into the NLE of your choice for testing purposes. They include several formats from a RED One MX, Sony PDW-F800 , PMW-F3, Canon 5D Mark II , Mark III, GoPro Hero2 and Fastec TS3.

Matrox Releases Support for Avid Media Composer 6.5

Matrox® Video Products Group announced the immediate availability of a unified driver on the PC that provides support for the latest software releases for the Avid Media Composer family of products and Adobe CS6 Production Premium on the Matrox MXO2™ and Matrox MXO2 MAX families of I/O devices, and the Matrox Mojito™ MAX I/O card. Key features of the release include support for audio punch-in using Avid editing applications as well as

The Visual Effects of 'Cloud Atlas'

This behind-the-scenes video of Cloud Atlas shows how Method Studios created some of the visual effects of the epic film. Visual effects supervisor Dan Glass talks through creating a complex futuristic city. He says, "It still needed to feel kinda real. So not completely fantastical, it had to feel real, it had to feel like it was part of one of the threads in this complex, interconnected movie." Watch below.