SYPHAnews - 28th November 2003

Welcome to SYPHAnews - a free newsletter designed to keep you up-to-date with nonlinear audio and video, and digital video camera news, as well as developments at http://SYPHAonline.com.

We will deliver this service to you every month - unless there is some major news we think you should know about sooner. To unsubscribe, please follow the instructions below.

New at SYPHAonline.com

STOP PRESS!! We aim to grow the audience for this newsletter and our online buyers guides at http://SYPHAonline.com and would appreciate your help. If you find our resources useful, please recommend us to your colleagues. If you are members of forums and mailing lists please post messages that spread the word about SYPHA and what we offer.

We are in the process of renewing the Pro Camera Guide so if you have an opinion on our search criteria please let us know. Thank you to all those who have already sent us their feedback.

We would also like to welcome Discreet, with its smoke and fire editing and finishing systems, as a Silver sponsor of the NLE Buyers Guide.

Camera news

Panasonic Announces Advanced 24p/30p/60i Mini-DV Camcorder
Panasonic has announced the AG-DVX100A 24p/30p/60i mini-DV camcorder, an enhanced version of its AG-DVX100. The new AG-DVX100A includes a 11x Lecia lens, with three 1/3-inch CCDs, and adds better picture control, auto focus in progressive shooting modes, increased gain, better zoom and focus ring control, slower zoom speeds, and a compressed 16:9 mode. See http://www.panasonic.com

Panasonic Announces New Mini-DV Camcorder with IR Capabilities
Panasonic has announced the AG-DVC30, a 410,000-pixel three-CCD mini-DV camcorder. Weighing 2.2 pounds, this multi-function camcorder includes an infrared night time recording mode and 30fps frame recording. See http://www.panasonic.com

Thomson Receives Two Emmy Awards
Thomson has received two Technology and Engineering Emmy awards. The first Emmy award recognises the HD Dynamic Pixel Management (DPM) FT-17 technology used in the Grass Valley LDK camera line. The technology oversamples information coming into a camera's sensor, or CCD, to create more realistic and lifelike images. DPM technology was first used on the LDK 10 and LDK 10P cameras. Today, it is used across the entire LDK camera line, from the recently-introduced LDK 300 standard-definition camera and multi-format LDK 6000 mk II WorldCam high-definition camera, to the Grass Valley Viper FilmStream camera system for digital cinematography. The second award honours the development of software technology that speeds the work of broadcast news editors. At a basic level, the software lets broadcasters automatically capture two copies of the same video feed: a full-bandwidth, high-resolution file and a compressed proxy copy of the same file. Using unique identifiers, the software ensures that the two files are inextricably linked so that an editor can create a rough edit of a story offline, at a desktop PC, then finish the edit in a high-resolution edit suite. The result is faster story creation, more efficient use of editing rooms, and greater time to create stories. This method for fast editing and file retrieval is used across the Grass Valley Profile XP Media Platform server line, as well as in the Grass Valley NewsBrowse Web-based browser/editor, which is the centrepiece of the Grass Valley Digital News Production Solution. See http://www.thomsongrassvalley.com

NLE news

Avid Announces Avid Xpress DV Software at Breakthrough Price
Avid Technology has announced a new version of its Avid Xpress DV software with an MSRP of US$695. This supports the DV format only, and offers the Avid editing interface and more than 100 realtime effects, including moving titles, picture-in-picture, and automatic expert colour correction. Every Avid Xpress DV box includes software for both the Mac OS X and Windows XP platforms, plus Boris Graffiti LTD for 2D title creation and animation, Sorenson Squeeze 3 Lite for high-quality encoding to Windows Media 9, QuickTime, Flash, MPEG-2, and other formats, and Sonic Solutions DVDit! SE for DVD authoring. Other professional features include keyframable colour effects, JKL trim, rolling and crawling titles, realtime motion effects, AAF and planned MXF support, 24-bit audio support, and realtime audio dissolves. Registered owners of Avid Xpress DV version 3.5 and earlier, not including educational users, can upgrade to Avid Xpress Pro software for US$295. See http://www.avid.com

Panasonic and Quantel Collaborate over DVCPRO Professional Plug-in Series
Panasonic has announced that it will work closely with Quantel to offer compatibility between its DVCPRO Professional Plug-in (P2) solid-state memory-based professional video products and Quantel's generationQ editing and server systems. Interoperability between these products will allow customers to benefit from the more efficient and less expensive workflow of tapeless acquisition and editing. The P2 card will mount immediately, as a removable hard drive would, on the news editing system. See http://www.panasonic.co.jp/global/top.html or http://www.quantel.com

Thomson and Panasonic Announce Manufacturing and Mutual Distribution Agreements
Thomson and Panasonic have announced original equipment manufacturing (OEM) and mutual distribution agreements. Panasonic will integrate the Grass Valley line of Profile family servers and M-Series iVDR products into its systems solutions worldwide. Thomson will continue its sales and support of Panasonic DVCPRO products, and will purchase and distribute additional Thomson-brand products from Panasonic, including its line of LCD professional monitors. Thomson and Panasonic are also working together over the Panasonic Professional Plug-in (P2) technology. See http://www.panasonic.co.jp/global/top.html or http://www.thomson.net

Quantel Re-invigorates Training Programme
Quantel has announced the details of its new training programme. Traditionally, Quantel has handled all training either in-house or through established third parties. However, the launch of generationQ has seen demand for training outstrip supply. Quantel's solution is to establish a network of freelance Training Associates (TAs), who are recruited for their training skills as much as their industry experience, and are trained by Quantel up to Super User level. These TAs will work in conjunction with the established in-house trainers to provide training on a worldwide basis. Quantel is committed to supplying regular update training for TAs, as well as support materials, review sessions and other essentials. Quantel will verify the quality of training and take full responsibility for course modules. In addition to the TAs programme, Quantel is offering third parties the opportunity to become a Quantel Training Partner. Training Partners offer their own complementary training courses, but are additionally fully supported and verified by Quantel. The scheme will begin in the UK, Europe and the US, with other territories, such as the Asian market, to follow in 2004. See http://www.quantel.com

Pinnacle Systems Receives Emmy For Pioneering Development
Pinnacle Systems has announced that the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) has awarded it an Emmy for technical achievement. This award is for developing advanced technology that uses low-resolution proxies to facilitate editing and broadcast of news and other programmes. Pinnacle's Vortex technology enables a broadcaster to simultaneously encode a high-resolution, broadcast-ready copy and a lower-resolution copy of their video. This lower-resolution copy requires less bandwidth and storage, making it easy to distribute over ubiquitous, low-cost networks. Standard desktop computers can replace traditional specialised video workstations, enabling a greater number of users to edit video from PCs located anywhere in the building or around the globe. The system automatically synchronises those edit decisions with the high-resolution video, which is then played back out to air. See http://www.pinnaclesys.com

Pinnacle Systems Gives Free Training for All Liquid Edition Customers in the UK
Pinnacle Systems is to give free training for everybody who buys Liquid Edition, either as an upgrade or full version. These sessions, which last approximately two hours, will be held at various venues across the UK and are designed to give users a good start in editing with the new Liquid Edition. Pinnacle is also offering customers a full day's hands-on training for GB£100. See http://www.pinnaclesys.com

AJA Video Systems Announces Two New Additions to Io Family
AJA Video Systems has announced two new products in the Io family, Io LD and Io LA. These smaller and lower-cost versions of Io are application specific: Io LD is designed to work with SDI digital systems, and Io LA is for analogue component or composite systems. Both Io LD and Io LA support the 10-bit uncompressed video on both the digital and analogue inputs and outputs, both work with Final Cut Pro 4 and connect to the Apple Power Mac with a single FireWire cable. The small size, of Io LD and Io LA mean they can be used in either a desktop configuration or mounted in an optional 1U mounting bracket. Io LD and Io LA will begin shipping in January 2004 with a list price of US$1190. See http://www.aja.com

Blackmagic Design Announces Upgrade Plan and New Prices
Blackmagic Design has announced an upgrade programme for all Kona HD and Kona SD users to DeckLink HD for only US$995. These upgrades will require the exchange of the original Kona board and are available direct from Blackmagic offices in the US, Europe or Australia. Blackmagic Design has also announced new prices for DeckLink, DeckLink Pro and DeckLink SP. All DeckLink models are compatible with both Apple Mac and Microsoft Windows platforms, and feature full 10-bit SDI video and 16-bit RGB rendering in applications such as Adobe After Effects. DeckLink, the uncompressed 10-bit SDI card with new RT Extreme support in Final Cut Pro, is now US$695. DeckLink Pro offers SDI capture and playback with RT Extreme support, full analogue component (YUV) monitoring, genlock input and 8 channels of SPDIF/unbalanced AES audio monitoring, and is now US$995. DeckLink SP offers analogue component (YUV) capture and playback with 2 channels of XLR balanced audio, genlock input, 10-bit uncompressed SDI output with 8 channels of audio, a separate SPDIF/unbalanced AES output, and is now US$895. See http://www.decklink.com

Matrox Announces RT.X10 Suite with New Adobe Software
Matrox Video Products Group has announced RT.X10 Suite, a new bundle of its RT.X10 professional realtime editing and DVD authoring platform with Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Encore DVD, and Adobe Audition. Key features are faster capture tools, realtime editing, versatile delivery tools including TurboDV export engine for export to DV tape, professional DVD authoring with Adobe Encore DVD and hardware-accelerated simultaneous batch encoding of DVD, SVCD, VCD, and web formats, plus free web video hosting at www.matrox.tv. Priced at US$699 / GB£449 excluding VAT, RT.X10 Suite is available from authorised resellers worldwide. See http://www.matrox.com/video

Media 100 Announces New Version 8.2.1 Software for Media 100 i
Media 100 has announced Version 8.2.1 software for Media 100 i. This supports the new Apple Power Mac G5 platform, as well as the new Panther release of Mac OS X, also known as Mac OS X version 10.3. Media 100 recently began shipments of the OS X-native Media 100 i Version 8.2 software, expanding the Media 100 i toolsets for editing, effects design, audio design, and media management. In addition, version 8.2 gives Media 100 i editors tighter integration with the Media 100 844/X realtime, online vertical editing system. All current customers that own version 8.2 software will be able to download version 8.2.1 from the Media 100 website for free. See http://www.media100.com

Ulead Announces Support for High Definition Video Format
Ulead Systems has announced that its professional video editing and DVD authoring software will support the High Definition Video (HDV) format. The HDV format was established by Canon, Sharp, Sony, and JVC, to enable record and playback of high-definition video on standard DV and mini DV cassette tapes. The Ulead MediaStudio Pro 7 video editing software is expected to work with the HDV format by the end of 2003. See http://www.ulead.com

MacroSystem Announces SmartEdit 3.0 for Casablanca Digital Editors
MacroSystem US has announced SmartEdit 3.0, a new operating system for its Avio, Avio DVD, Kron, Kron PLUS and Prestige digital video editors. SmartEdit 3.0 features Instant Scene capability, and Audio Envelope with a visual display of the waveform that represents the changes in realtime. It also supports adding transitions between inserts, playing from any point in the storyboard, and adjusting audio levels on the fly while recording footage, even with DV. See http://www.casablanca.tv

BOXX Ships New HD Editing Solution for Windows
BOXX Technologies has announced that HDBOXX [pro] is shipping. This nonlinear editing system features uncompressed 10-bit 4:2:2 HD and is offered with Adobe Premiere Pro editing software. It supports 1080i, 1080 PsF and 1080p video input and output and eight channels of AES/EBU digital audio. The system comes fully-configured with up to 2TB of RAID 3 storage and 14 hot-swap drive bays housed in a 5U rackmountable or desk-side chassis. HDBOXX [pro] includes Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Encore DVD, Adobe Audition and a fully-compatible Adobe After Effects plug-in to export content to Adobe Premiere Pro. Other features include FireWire input/output, an HD down-converter for SD-SDI output, video genlock sync input and V210 QuickTime file capture. System pricing starts at US$18,995. See http://www.boxxtech.com

Edifis Reports New Developments
Edifis has reported a number of new developments including the Edifis HD Brick, an HD variant of its core product, that provides up to 8 hours of uncompressed HD video and audio for sports, live-studio or telecine applications. Controllable via workstations, colour correctors or a dedicated hardware panel, HD Brick can be upgraded to HD Scratchbox film restoration. Multi Standard is a new upgrade for the Brick SD, Sting, Scratchbox, Graduate, Gearbox, Brick HD and Scratchbox HD range of disk-based video and film post-production equipment. Multi Standard allows 24fps and 23.976fps playback and record, as well as regular 25-frame operation. Recordings can be made at one standard and played out at another, interfacing directly with PAL, NTSC and HD VTRs. Slow-PAL is a new option for the Edifis Sting dual-channel disk recorder. This allows standard 625-line 50-field source material to be output in 525-line 60-field SDI for NTSC markets. Sting with the Slow-PAL option can record and replay at 25fps and 23.976fps, including electronic pitch correction and full adherence to the 270Mb/s SDI data rate. See http://www.edifis.com

DAW news

Steinberg Announces DTS Encoder Plug-in
Steinberg, the Audio Group of Pinnacle Systems, has announced support of the DTS (Digital Theater Systems) encoder for the Nuendo media production system. The DTS encoding process has been specifically licensed to Steinberg to offer Nuendo users access to the next stage in the Surround Sound production process. The encoding is integrated as DTS file format in Nuendo's export dialogue. The necessary routines are all automated so that the user can export the full mix directly as a DTS file, without any previous down-mixing - ready for use in the authoring stage. The DTS-encoded audio can be saved as a .WAV file to directly burn a 5.1 mix to CD or to upload the file for client previews. The Nuendo DTS Encoder is available from select Steinberg dealers worldwide with an MSRP of US$1499.99. See http://www.steinbergusa.net

SADiE Releases Version 5.2 Software for the Series 5 Workstation Range
SADiE has announced the release of Version 5.2 software for the SADiE Series 5 range of digital audio workstations. The main features of V5.2 are AAF (Advanced Authoring Format) file support for cross-platform project interchange, playback and recording of video files in the DV-AVI format, reintroduction of the Speech Edit function for simple automatic silence removal, a Normalize function for the automatic setting of peak levels, and playlist edit enhancements. SADiE software version 5.2 will be supplied on all new SADiE Series 5 workstations and will also be available for download by existing Series 5 owners. See http://www.sadie.com

SADiE And VCS Announce Joint Collaboration
SADiE and VCS Engineering have entered into a joint agreement to develop integrated solutions for radio automation and production editing. The joint development is expected to result in close integration of the VCS dira! radio planning, production and playout system, with the SADiE editing workstation for seamless network exchange of projects, including all the relevant metadata and geneology associated with a project. See http://www.vcs.de and http://www.sadie.com

NAGRA Launches Three New Recording Models
NAGRA has launched new models of its ARES and NAGRA V recorders. The ARES-P II is a handheld recorder with built-in microphone that supports linear or compressed recording to a flashcard using the FAT 16 file system. It weighs less than 500g including card, microphone and batteries. Recordings up to 48kHz stereo are saved in BWF format (.wav), there is a built-in loudspeaker, a new low-cut filter, and separate line and headphone outputs. The ARES-BB offers the same capabilities packaged in a compact 'over-the-shoulder' design with XLR connectors and a pivoting control panel. Aimed at broadcast, film and other in-house recordings, the NAGRA V-PP is a rackmount version of the NAGRA V that records two channels up to 24-bit/48kHz, or optionally up to 96kHz. It supports timecode, a removable 2.5-inch 20GB or larger hard disk, a range of adapters including USB and FireWire, and XLR connectors for analogue I/O. The ARES-P II is shipping now with a retail price of around GB£1200 excluding options. The ARES-BB and NAGRA V-PP are expected to ship at the end of March 2004 with a retail price of around GB£1200 and GB£4500, excluding options, respectively. See http://www.nagra.com

Tascam Debuts SX-1LE Digital Production Environment
Tascam has announced the SX-1LE, a new professional digital audio workstation. Based on the SX-1, it provides 16-track 24-bit/48kHz recording, 40-input surround mixing, touch-sensitive moving faders, a VGA output and 128-track MIDI sequencing. The estimated street price is under US$3000. See http://www.tascam.com

TerraTec Producer Ships PHASE 88 Audio System
TerraTec Producer is shipping the PHASE 88 audio system, a professional audio and MIDI interface for PC or Mac platforms. Eight high-quality analogue input and output converters process audio signals with resolutions up to 24-bit/96kHz, and are housed in a 5 1/4" module that can be installed within or placed outside the computer. The optimised conversion components and circuits enable recording on up to eight tracks simultaneously and playback of high-resolution 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound. The PHASE 88 is equipped with an on-board 20-channel hardware mixer with 36-bit internal resolution and 20-into-4 routing. Channel thru monitoring generates zero latency, and latency introduced by the ASIO 2.0 driver comes to less than 3ms. Up to four PHASE 88 recording systems can be synchronised and cascaded within a single computer. PHASE 88 offers drivers for Windows 98/ME, 2000, XP (ASIO 2.0, DirectSound, MME with Multi-Client mode, and ASIO GSIF Multi-Client), Mac OS 9.1, and Mac OSX (ASIO 2.0). Available from the end of November, the PHASE 88 Audio System has an SRP of US$349. See http://www.terratec.com

Lynx Studio Technology Ships AES16 Card
Lynx Studio Technology is shipping the AES16 192kHz multichannel AES/EBU interface. This is a half-size PCI card that provides 16 channels of 24-bit AES/EBU digital audio at 192kHz sample rate, and works with both single-wire and dual-wire AES devices. It is shipped with a hardware-based 32-channel digital mixer, which is controlled by its own software application, and is compatible with Windows and Mac operating systems. It is the first product to incorporate SynchroLock, a proprietary Lynx technology that allows output of very low-jitter digital audio from severely degraded signals. The AES16 also acts as a format converter, and its on-board LStream expansion port accepts the optional Lynx LS-ADAT 16-channel ADAT LStream card, to combine ADAT Lightpipe signals with the AES/EBU I/O. Two AES16 cards may be connected for seamless routing of 32 channels of digital I/O, and up to four cards can be combined in a single computer for 64 inputs and 64 outputs. Two models are currently available, the AES16-XLR and AES16. The AES16-XLR is shipped with two six-foot cables with professional XLR and BNC connectors, and has an SRP of US$795. The AES16 is identical, but shipped without cables, and has an SRP of US$695. See http://www.lynxstudio.com

Zoom Unveils PS-04 Palmtop Recording Studio
Zoom has announced the new Zoom PS-04 Palmtop Recording Studio. This digital 4-track workstation is 5 1/4" high x 3 1/4" wide x 1 3/8" deep. It offers 4 tracks, with 10 virtual takes per track, and has digital editing capabilities, built-in guitar, bass, vocal and mastering effects, plus a programmable drum and bass machine. The drum machine and bass machine tracks are independent of the four main tracks. It has a built-in condenser mic and can record up to two tracks simultaneously. Digital editing facilities include copy, paste, erase, trim and bounce, auto/manual punch in-out, marker locating, EQ and pan for each track. It uses SmartMedia cards and has 32 minutes of recording time with the supplied 32MB SmartMedia card, or a 128MB card can be used for up to 134 minutes. The PS-04 Card Manager software supports import and export of mixes or individual tracks using WAV or AIFF file formats. The Zoom PS-04 has a list price of US$359.99 See http://www.samsontech.com/zoom

Hercules Technologies Unveils External FireWire Audio Solution
Hercules Technologies has announced the Hercules 16/12 FW, a FireWire 24-bit 96kHz audio and MIDI interface for PC and Mac. The interface is mountable in a standard 1U 19 inch rack unit. It features up to 16-in/12-out simultaneous multitrack recording, 16 independent inputs including 12 analogue in, 1 coaxial in (stereo) and 1 optical in (stereo), 12 independent outputs including 8 analogue out, 1 coaxial out (stereo) and 1 optical out (stereo), 2 mic/instrument pre-amplifiers, 2 MIDI in and 2 MIDI out, word clock I/O synchronisation, and no latency with direct hardware monitoring. It is compatible with most audio software applications, has a full driver package for Mac OS X (Core audio) and Windows (ASIO2.0, GSIF, WAV, DirectSound), and is bundled with a music software suite and more than 900MB of high-quality sound files. Hercules 16/12 FW will be available in December 2003 with an SRP of Euro 649.90 including VAT. See http://www.hercules.com

Sonic Studio Releases Session Translation Tool
Sonic Studio has announced the availability of Sonic Magic, a custom version of Dark Matter's Media Magic EDL translation utility for Mac platforms. Media Magic is a format conversion utility which can read and convert many of the disk and file formats in common use in professional audio post-production and music facilities. It allows source projects and audio files to be interchanged freely between a wide variety of different systems and interchange standards. Sonic Magic was developed specifically for Sonic Studio owners, allowing the translation of not only source sound files but also EDLs between Sonic Studio workstations and ProTools version 5.0 systems. Functionality includes the conversion of region definitions, locations of those regions on the timeline, and crossfade approximations. Sonic Magic also supports AES31 import and export of Sonic Studio projects. Sonic Magic is offered worldwide through Sonic Studio authorised resellers. See http://www.sonicstudio.com

Contact us

We welcome your feedback. Please forward your comments to sypha@syphaonline.com

To SUBSCRIBE to this free service, please complete the registration form.

To UNSUBSCRIBE, please send an email to SYPHAnews-off@lists.SYPHAonline.com. If there are any problems, please send a list of your email addresses and aliases to sypha@syphaonline.com.

To ADVERTISE or have your relevant news stories considered, please contact Yasmin Hashmi at sypha@syphaonline.com or telephone +44 (0)20 8761 1042.

SYPHAnews is sponsored by:

Apple
Professional video and audio production technologies:
Final Cut Pro,
DVD Studio Pro, Shake and Logic

Avid Technology
delivers the solutions that "Make, Manage and Move Media!"

Quantel
Next generation solutions for post, graphics, news and live production

Steinberg
Innovative and user-friendly computer-based music production for musicians, composers and producers

Digital Video Expo West
Conference:
9-12 December
Expo:
10-12 December
DV Film Festival:
10-11 December
Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, CA

Video Forum
10-12 February 2004 Halls 1-2,
Wembley Exhibition Centre, London, UK

NAB2004
Conferences:
17-22 April 2004
Exhibits:
19-22 April 2004
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA