Thursday, February 14, 2008

Panasonic plans 64GB P2 card for fall

Jim Feeley | 02/14- 10:08 AM

Card will hold over one hour of DVCPRO HD or AVC-Intra 100 conent

[Press release]

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.

About Panasonic Broadcast

Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Co. is a leading supplier of broadcast and professional video products and systems.  Panasonic Broadcast is a unit company of Panasonic Corporation of North America. The company is the North American headquarters of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (NYSE: MC) of Japan, and the hub of its U.S. marketing, sales, service and R&D operations.  For more information on Panasonic Broadcast products, access the company’s web site.

(0) Comments • • Permalink

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Matrox Releases MXO update

Frank Capria | 02/14- 07:15 AM

Matrox MXO™ release 2.1.1 is now available as a free download from the Matrox website to all registered users. MXO v2.1.1 offers support for the latest generation of the MacBook Pro with NVIDIA graphics. Registered users can get the download here, but unless you own one of the affected MacBook’s there no need to upgrade. 

(0) Comments • • Permalink

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Writers Strike Officially Over

Scott Gentry | 02/12- 06:51 PM

In a bitter 100 day battle, the strike finally reaches it’s conclusion.  In the end, 3,775 writers cast ballots, of which 92.5% were votes favoring the end of the strike.

The vote still needs to be ratified, and the final economic damage to the producers has yet to be determined.

General News • (0) Comments • • Permalink

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Autodesk Launches 3ds Max 2009 Entertainment Software and 3ds Max Design 2009

Scott Gentry | 02/12- 09:03 AM

3ds Max Design Meets New Requirements for Advanced Visual Communication

At its annual World Press Days event, Autodesk, Inc. today announced two new versions of its Autodesk 3ds Max modeling, animation and rendering software - the leading asset creation tool for game development. The company launched Autodesk 3ds Max 2009 software for entertainment professionals, and debuted 3ds Max Design 2009 software, a tailored 3D application for architects, designers and visualization specialists. Both versions of the software offer new rendering capabilities, improved interoperability with industry-standard products including Revit software, as well as additional time-saving animation and mapping workflow tools. 3ds Max Design 2009 further provides lighting simulation and analysis technology.

General News • (0) Comments • • Permalink

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Apple Updates Aperture (2)

Scott Gentry | 02/12- 06:31 AM

Major Upgrade Features Improved Interface, Faster Browsing and Enhanced Image Processing

CUPERTINO, Calif., Feb. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/—Apple(R) today introduced Aperture(TM) 2, the next major release of its groundbreaking photo editing and management software with over 100 new features that make it faster, easier to use and more powerful. With a streamlined user interface and entirely new image processing engine, Aperture 2 also introduces new imaging tools for highlight recovery, color vibrancy, local contrast definition, soft-edged retouching, vignetting and RAW fine-tuning, and lets users directly post their portfolios on the .Mac Web Gallery* for viewing on the web, iPhone(TM), iPod(R) touch and Apple TV(R). At a new low price of $199, anyone 
can easily organize, edit and publish photos like a pro.
"Many of the most respected photographers on assignment all over the world trust Aperture to organize, edit and deliver their images,” said Rob Schoeben, Apple’s vice president of Applications Product Marketing. “With its simpler interface and lower price, anyone can take full advantage of Aperture’s power."
"At the end of the day, it’s all about the quality of the image,” said Sports Illustrated contributing photographer David Bergman. “Even before I begin making adjustments, Aperture’s new RAW processing gives me better images with more visible detail and better color rendering than any other program 
I’ve tested."
"I used to have so much stress about post-production on a shoot, having to juggle multiple applications to make sure they all worked,” said Bob Davis, PDN Top Knots Wedding Photographer 2007. “With Aperture that’s no longer a factor. I can do everything all in one application."
Featuring a new, easier user interface designed to be more intuitive and accessible, Aperture 2 now lets users navigate between Viewer and Browser modes with a single key command. Screen real estate is maximized for images with an all-in-one heads up display that allows users to toggle between
library, metadata and adjustment controls in a single tabbed inspector. The All Projects view, modeled after iPhoto’s Events view, provides a poster photo for every project and the ability to quickly skim through the photos inside, and the integrated iPhoto(R) Browser offers direct access to all the events 
and images in the iPhoto library.
Performance has been enhanced in Aperture 2 so it’s faster to import, browse and search large volumes of images. Embedded previews let photographers caption, keyword and rate images as they are being imported, and with the 
ability to export images in the background, photographers can continue working while images are processed to JPEG, TIFF, PNG and PSD file formats. Quick Preview allows users to browse RAW images in rapid succession without having to wait for files to load, and the Aperture library database has been
re-architected to provide fast project switching and near instantaneous search results, even when working with extremely large libraries of 500,000 images or more.
Aperture 2 delivers powerful new imaging tools for getting the most out of each photograph. Apple’s next-generation RAW image processing is at the core of Aperture 2 offering uncompromising image quality and precision controls that let users fine-tune the image profile for each of their cameras. New 
tools for improving and enhancing images include Recovery for pulling back “blown” highlights, Vibrancy for selectively boosting saturation without adversely affecting skin tones, Definition, which offers local contrast for adding clarity to images, Vignette & Devignette filters for providing professional visual effects and a true soft-edged Repair and Retouch brush for quickly and easily removing blemishes, cleaning up sensor dust and cloning away problem areas.
Aperture 2 works seamlessly with Mac OS(R) X, iLife(R), iWork(TM), .Mac and Apple print products, so any image in the Aperture library can be accessed directly from within other applications, such as iMovie(R), Keynote(R) and Pages(R), and even from within Leopard(TM) Mail. Now with .Mac Web Gallery 
support, Aperture users can publish their photos once to view them on the web, iPhone, iPod touch and Apple TV. Books in Aperture 2 feature new theme designs, layout tools, customized dust jackets (including full-bleed) and foil stamped covers.

Pricing & Availability
Aperture 2 is available immediately for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) through the Apple Store(R) (http://www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. Owners of previous versions of Aperture can upgrade to Aperture 2 for just $99 (US). Full system requirements and more information on Aperture 2 can be found at http://www.apple.com/aperture.

(0) Comments • • Permalink

Monday, February 11, 2008

Avid Technology Appoints EVP and GM of Professional Video Unit

Scott Gentry | 02/11- 07:54 PM

Kirk Arnold to Lead Company’s Efforts in Broadcast and Post-Production Markets

TEWKSBURY, Mass., February 11, 2008 – Avid Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: AVID) announced that Kirk Arnold has joined the company as executive vice president and general manager of Avid’s Professional Video business unit, reporting directly to Avid Chief Executive Officer Gary Greenfield. In this role, Arnold will be responsible for all of Avid’s products and services for the professional video market – broadcast television, post-production and media enterprises.

“Kirk is a proven leader, with a successful track record in helping customers to transform their businesses,” said Greenfield. “As a former CEO of a $900 million dollar consulting company and president of a similarly-sized division of CSC, Kirk’s experience in running complex businesses and her customer-centric approach will serve her well as she takes Avid’s professional video business to the next level of success.”

Arnold comes to Avid with more than 25 years of management experience, leading both multi-national corporations and ground-floor start-ups. Prior to joining Avid, she served as vice-chairman and CEO of Keane, a leading provider of business transformation and outsourcing services. Before that, she was executive vice president of product development and management for Fidelity Investments, where she was responsible for marketing and consulting services in addition to product management and development. Prior to joining Fidelity, Arnold was president and CEO of NerveWire, Inc., a venture-backed services business which she helped to launch in 2000, and grew to $40 million in revenues and 300 employees. Before launching NerveWire, Kirk spent 6 years at Computer Sciences Corporation, where she was president of CSC Consulting, a $1 billion business with over 5000 professionals servicing companies across the globe.
Arnold started her career at IBM where she served in a variety of sales and sales management positions. 

General News • (0) Comments • • Permalink

Monday, February 11, 2008

WGA Strike Vote Scheduled for Tuesday

Scott Gentry | 02/11- 04:57 AM

The WGA East Council and the WGA West Board both voted Sunday to recommend ratification of the proposed contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. If you’re a WGA member, It’s your chance to be heard Feb. 12.  Should you vote “yes”, you’re effectively ending the strike that has shut down production in Hollywood and the TV communities since Nov. 5.

Full details on the WGA site.

General News • (0) Comments • • Permalink

Friday, February 08, 2008

dvMatte Studio 3 and The Conduit Suite

Chris Meyer | 02/08- 11:34 AM

Major updates to a pair of innovative plug-ins.

dvGarage has made major updates to their innovative dvMatte keying plug-in and Conduit nodal compositing plug-in and stand-alone application. dvGarage claims the new version of dvMatte is 20-30 times faster than before and includes a new Screen Correction feature, while Conduit has sprouted Adobe After Effects and Photoshop versions (in addition to GPU-accelerated versions for Apple FCP and Motion), scopes, and other features. Conduit also comes with a 3-month subscription to the training guild, the Pixel Corps. Oh - and they’re both on sale through February 20. An email from dvGarage’s Alex Lindsay follows with more details:

Post Production •
Production • (0) Comments • • Permalink

Page 2 of 4 pages  <  1 2 3 4 >