Alteon.io, an all-in-one hub for professional creatives, announced this month it can automatically transcode Blackmagic RAW (.braw) files natively in the cloud. The new option means that content creators can now save hundreds of hours every year, as it is possible to natively transcode Blackmagic RAW media files in the cloud with Alteon.io. This move dramatically speeds up production cycles, unlocking the power to get footage from camera to editor—and ultimately audiences—in record times.
Blackmagic cameras and devices, capable of capturing video in resolutions up to 12K, have been go-to staples for production professionals for the better part of a decade, thanks to their ultra-competitive prices and remarkable image quality. Blackmagic has democratized broadcast-grade hardware by making it affordable for mainstream and independent creators—a mission Alteon has undertaken for digital workflows and remote collaboration, says the company.
“We want to meet our users where they already are,” says Matt Cimaglia, co-founder of Alteon. “The overlap between Blackmagic users and Alteon users is significant: this is a group of diverse professionals, including independent creators and members of bigger teams, who want to save money without sacrificing quality. At the same time, Alteon shares Blackmagic’s drive to create new opportunities for storytellers of all backgrounds by fostering accessibility and inclusivity within our creative community.”
Alteon is a content-management system built on principles of flexible cloud storage, world-class security and Web3 integrations. When content creators upload media to Alteon, the proprietary, high-speed Alteon Transcoder automatically transcodes workable proxy versions for easier handling, sharing, online viewing and real-time commenting. Blackmagic’s .braw is the first professional file format Alteon Transcoder can handle, on top of numerous other video file types, including .mxf, .avi., .mov and .mp4. Alteon users can then access both the transcoded proxies and original full-resolution files, which are never altered in any way.
For creatives shooting on Blackmagic cameras, this new advancement will save hundreds of hours in transcoding, which is a process that usually renders computers sluggish—if usable at all. Downtime will be cut down even more drastically when creatives install the free Alteon Accelerator desktop application, which leverages IBM Aspera for maximum upload speeds to the cloud.
As Blackmagic Design continually releases new high-resolution cameras, including the recently unveiled Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2, post-production professionals will benefit significantly from time saved while uploading and transcoding 6K footage, or even higher resolutions from the Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12K. In fact, .braw files, including 12K-resolution footage, can now be transcoded once the original footage is uploaded to the cloud.
Alteon Transcoder won’t stop with just .braw files. In the coming months, Alteon says the platform will also offer support for .R3D and .ARI file formats, paving the way for future updates to continue to improve production workflows for creators across the industry.
Alteon co-founder Matt Cimaglia will be on a satellite media tour on Thursday, just ahead of IBC, including a webinar hosted by IBM, discussing cloud-based workflows for content creators. Follow the links if you want to know more about the subject.