RE:Vision Effects, Inc. releases SmoothKit 2

Chris Meyer | 02/15- 02:16 PM

SmoothKit is a set of 9 special purpose filters that complements the basic blurs provided by host applications. SmoothKit’s emphasis is precise control on the filtering process, with no compromise on image quality. SmoothKit allows you to blur without blurring over edges, sharpen with much less ringing, intelligently reduce small image defects, reduce jaggies, blur with per-pixel direction control, and z-blur using greyscale depth images. Many plugins have per-pixel controls, allowing you to vary the amount of blur or the direction of the blur, and many other controls, at each pixel.

Panasonic announces BT-LH1760 17-inch production LCD

Jim Feeley | 02/14- 01:34 PM

[press release]

Company claims BT-LH1760 provides “CRT Performance,” adds built-in waveform monitor and vectorscope

PANASONIC ANNOUNCES CRT PERFORMANCE IN A NEW 17” LCD PRODUCTION MONITOR *120 Hz. BT-LH1760 Features Stunning Picture Quality * SECAUCUS, NJ (February 13, 2008) – Panasonic announced a revolutionary enhancement in the performance of high-quality production LCD monitors – the 120Hz 17” BT-LH1760. The new monitor offers wide off-axis viewing and color reproduction, and provides the motion handling and latency advantages formerly provided only in CRT monitors. The LH1760 is a widescreen high definition display that delivers impressive color reproduction and now offers a vectorscope function in addition to Panasonic’s standard built-in waveform monitoring function. Utilizing a new In-Plane Switching (IPS) panel with 1280 x 768-pixel native resolution, the LH1760 produces faithful color reproduction with twice the response speed of other currently available professional LCD monitors, so images appear crystal clear, precise and true-to-life, even when displaying fast motion content.  The LH1760 features a 120Hz refresh rate*, double that of standard 60Hz LCD monitors. This enables the monitor to handle fast motion content exceptionally well, minimizing image blur to a level never before seen in a professional LCD display. In addition, this high performance production monitor is equipped with a built-in waveform monitor and vectorscope that display all picture lines for signal level monitoring. For critical HD focusing and comparison, the LH1760 comes with valuable functions such as Pixel-to-Pixel matching, which allows the user to see an input signal pixel by pixel without any resizing, and Split Screen/Freeze Frame (live input vs. freeze frame). The LH1760 features an array of input/outputs to support virtually any production task including DVI-D input, two auto-switching HD-SDI/SDI inputs, component video (Y/Pb/Pr), RGB, PC RGB, external sync, speaker and headphone outputs. Additional standard features include embedded audio, time code, closed caption, and an eight-channel audio level meter (via SDI). Inheriting the rugged design of Panasonic’s line of production-tough monitors, the rack-mountable LH1760 is thin, lightweight and durable, with a die-cast aluminum build. The compact monitor has low energy consumption and, because there is no need for a fan, offers quiet operation. The LH1760 will be available in April 2008 at a suggested list price under $5,000. The high-performance LH1760 joins Panasonic’s BT family of production LCD monitors, which includes the 7.9” BT-LH80W, 8.4” BT-LH900A, 17” BT-LH1700W and 26” BT-LH2600W models. 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.

Panasonic announces two AVCHD camcorders

Jim Feeley | 02/14- 01:10 PM

[press releases for both cameras follow]

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.

==============

PANASONIC AG-HMC70, INDUSTRY’S FIRST PROFESSIONAL
AVCHD SHOULDER-MOUNT CAMCORDER, SHIPS IN APRIL

** An Affordable, Second Generation Professional HD Camcorder **

SECAUCUS, NJ (February 13, 2008) – Panasonic announced today that the AG-HMC70, the industry’s first AVCHD shoulder-mount camcorder, will be available in April at a suggested list price of $2,495.  Joining the AG-HSC1U handheld in Panasonic’s professional AVCHD line-up, the HMC70 provides institutional customers, event videographers, and web content producers full high definition quality, professional audio and video connectivity, and the fast production workflow offered by tapeless SD card recording.  Used to capture important events or send live widescreen video to a projector or flat screen display, the HMC70 is as easy to use as a digital still camera.

“The HMC70 is the latest product in our professional AVCHD camcorder line,” said Robert Harris, Vice President of Marketing, Panasonic Broadcast. ”AVCHD is a new industry-standard camera recording format, introduced by Panasonic and Sony, and now supported by over 30 different manufacturers.”

“This second generation HD format utilizes MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 compression and offers significant improvements in bandwidth efficiency and image quality over older MPEG-2 based systems such as HDV,” Harris said. “Implemented by Panasonic in professional camcorders using standard consumer SD cards, the Panasonic Professional AVCHD camcorder line offers a highly affordable HD video recording solution with tremendous advantages over older tape based products. Unlike HDV, AVCHD content can be captured on a standard SD card and played immediately in a growing number of inexpensive consumer products such as Blu-ray players, game machines, computers, and plasma displays. Now supported by most of the leading NLE products, AVCHD content can also be edited and rendered to almost any format or media. It is a fast and easy way for schools, churches, and businesses to enjoy the advantages of high definition video recording.”

The HMC70 utilizes the AVCHD High Profile video codec, which offers similar image quality to HDV 1080i but uses about half the bandwidth. This means longer recording times and half the storage requirement. Since the HMC70 uses standard SD cards, unlike tape, recording capacity will increase with higher capacity reusable cards, offers random access without fast forward or rewinding, and content is immediately available to editing systems without the ingest delay and additional cost of a playback deck.

The HMC70’s 3-CCD ¼” progressive image system captures 1080i HD, 16:9 images with excellent sensitivity, superb color reproduction and resolution. The camera is equipped with a 12X 38.5mm to 462mm (35mm equivalent) Leica Dicomar™ wide-angle zoom lens, one-push Auto Focus, and integrated Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.) that ensures stable images, critical to high definition video display. Professionals can also capture 2.1 Megapixel still images with the camcorder, even during video recording.

With the release of higher-capacity SD cards, professionals have the ability to continuously record for hours. Users can record in one of the camera’s three recording modes – 6Mbps, 9Mbps or 13Mbps. The HMC70 can record over 2.6 hours at 13Mbps, the HMC70’s highest quality mode, or up to 6 hours at 6Mbps, the camera’s extended recording mode—all on just one 16GB SDHC memory card. In addition, solid-state SD card recording eliminates mechanical wear associated with tape, optical disc, or hard drive based systems. 

The HMC70 has a professional, yet lightweight, shoulder mount design that enables exceptionally stable shooting during long recording sessions. The HMC70 is equipped with Y/Pb/Pr BNC connections for playback or live feeds to video projectors or large displays for presenter magnification use in auditoriums and other large venues. It also has high quality audio features such as two locking XLR inputs with switches for mic/line, +48V Phantom Power, Auto/Manual level, mic attenuation, and front/rear assignment. It also features a headphone volume control to match the camera’s output to the shooters’ stereo headphones.

AVCHD editing is currently supported by numerous leading NLE companies on both PC and Mac platforms. In addition, AVCHD can be easily converted to P2 DVCPRO HD for editing on existing systems using a free AVCHD transcoder available on the Panasonic Broadcast web site, or transferred as uncompressed HD video utilizing a simple HDMI to HD-SDI converter.

The HMC70 comes standard with HD Writer software and a 2GB SD card. Optional accessories include a VW-VBG260 battery pack (7.2V 2,640mAh), VW-VBG6 battery pack (7.2V 5,800mAh), VW-AD20 AC adaptor, VW-LDC102 Light, VW-LF43N Filter Kit, VW-W4307H Wide Conversion Lens and a VW-T4314H Tele Conversion Lens.

About AVCHD

Panasonic’s AVCHD camera line brings the benefits of solid-state recording to budget-conscious professionals. Based on MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 technology, AVCHD delivers twice the recording efficiency of older MPEG-2 codec technologies like HDV, ensuring crisp and clear HD images with exceptional color and motion performance. Like digital still photography, recording onto an SD/SDHC card offers a fast and simple IT-compatible workflow, with ultra-reliable performance due to 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 new ones as advanced technology is introduced in the future.

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 at http://www.panasonic.com/broadcast.

Panasonic plans 64GB P2 card for fall

Jim Feeley | 02/14- 12:08 PM

[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.

Matrox Releases MXO update

Janet Lafleur | 02/14- 09:15 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.

Writers Strike Officially Over

Scott Gentry | 02/12- 08:51 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.

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

Scott Gentry | 02/12- 11:03 AM

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.

Apple Updates Aperture (2)

Scott Gentry | 02/12- 08:31 AM

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.

Avid Technology Appoints EVP and GM of Professional Video Unit

Scott Gentry | 02/11- 09:54 PM

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. 

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