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ARRI Alexa In-Camera Recording Using Avid’s DnxHD MXF File Format

ARRI announces a major new recording feature for its ALEXA camera range, offering in-camera support for Avid®’s open standard and widely adopted Avid DNxHD® codec.

The ability to record native Avid DNxHD, as MXF files in-camera, creates a unique proposition for the 35 mm digital capture industry and is another first for the ALEXA camera system. The combination of ARRI ALEXA quality and mission-critical reliability with Avid’s respected codec and editing technology delivers a powerful, uncomplicated workflow into the film and broadcast TV market, building on ALEXA’s position as the first choice digital camera for capture and post production.

As a benefit to cinematic productions, ALEXA cameras record ARRIRAW uncompressed 3K images that preserve the true 35 mm ‘digital negative’ for mastering and feature archival. Expanding ALEXA’s parallel recording capability to include native support for Avid DNxHD eliminates a transcoding step for the dailies generated by the Avid editing system and creates a more streamlined editorial workflow with seamless final conformance back to the archived ARRIRAW digital negative.

Neil Fanthom, ARRI’s head of digital camera strategy, comments, “The Avid editorial environment is an important cornerstone of the broadcast and motion picture postproduction industry, and ARRI is very pleased to be able to provide Avid DNxHD MFX file-based recording within the ALEXA camera for Avid-centric productions. This further confirms our commitment to add significant ongoing value to the ALEXA camera family, in this case by allowing customers to choose which workflow suits their own capture and postproduction requirements. No other camera in this industry fulfils such diverse workflow needs.”

Angus Mackay, pro video segment marketing manager at Avid, says, “The Avid Media Composer family of non-linear editing systems, featuring the high quality, low bandwidth SMPTE standard Avid DNxHD codec, are the industry’s first choice for professional editorial. By providing native Avid DNxHD recording with the ALEXA camera, ARRI isallowing producers to use high quality ALEXA cameras and quickly and easily view dailies, and begin editorial, without the need to transcode or re-wrap footage. Media Composer version 6 now offers the Avid DNxHD444 codec, which will permit customers to preserve the high color information in ALEXA footage while still having a low bit rate codec suitable for editorial. This is great news for ARRI and Avid customers, who will benefit from the advantages in quality, speed and streamlined workflows.”

The Avid DNxHD recording function for ALEXA will be distributed as a cost-effective, downloadable software upgrade during January 2012 and is now entering Beta phase testing with selected broadcast productions. Avid DNxHD codec data rates of up to 145Mbit/s (bit depth 8 bit) and 220MBit/s (bit depth 10 bit) will be supported in the initial release. Avid’s highest quality version of the codec, Avid DNxHD 444, will record at 440Mbit/s at 10 bit depth and will be provided as an upgrade for all adopting customers later on during the first quarter of 2012.

About ARRI:

With headquarters located in Munich, Germany, Arnold and Richter Cine Technik (A&R) was founded in 1917 and is the world’s largest manufacturer and distributor of motion picture camera, digital intermediate (DI) and lighting equipment. The ARRI Group comprises a global network of subsidiaries, agents and representatives that covers all aspects of the film industry: design, engineering, production, equipment rental, turnkey lighting solutions, postproduction, film and sound laboratory services, and visual effects. Manufactured products include the groundbreaking ALEXA digital camera system, film cameras, professional camera accessories, cutting-edge LED lighting and DI solutions such as the ARRISCAN and archive tools. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has recognized ARRI technologies and continual innovation with 16 Scientific and Engineering Awards.

For locations and more information please visit http://www.arri.com

About Avid:

Avid creates the digital audio and video technology used to make the most listened to, most watched and most loved media in the world – from the most prestigious and award-winning feature films, music recordings, television shows, live concert tours and news broadcasts, to music and movies made at home. Some of Avid’s most influential and pioneering solutions include Media Composer, Pro Tools, Interplay®, ISIS®, VENUE, Sibelius®, System 5, and Avid Studio. For more information about Avid solutions and services, visit http://www.avid.com, del.icio.us, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube; connect with Avid on Facebook; or subscribe to Avid Industry Buzz.

Avid, Avid DNxHD, Avid Studio, Interplay, ISIS, Media Composer, Pro Tools and Sibelius are trademarks or registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. The Interplay name is used with the permission of the Interplay Entertainment Corp. which bears no responsibility for Avid products.

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