Reprinted from an Avid press release:
New versions of Media Composer, Symphony, NewsCutter and Interplay enable customers to lower production costs, increase productivity and shatter collaboration barriers.
Avid today introduced new versions of its Media Composer (4.0), Symphony (4.0), NewsCutter (8.0) professional editing software and Interplay (2.0) production asset management system. Reinforcing Avids commitment to providing open and flexible solutions, these new offerings enable broadcast and post production professionals to lower production costs and enhance their productivity by:
Eliminating timely transcode processes with the capability to mix and match different frame rates and resolutions in an open timeline within the same project.
Expanding native support for file-based media with the addition of industry-leading formats such as Panasonic AVC-I and Ikegami GFCAM. GFCAM support is a result of Avid Media Access (AMA).
Empowering production teams to become more efficient by extending workgroup capabilities to the Wide Area Network (WAN) allowing journalists, producers and assistants to work with media at any time, from any location.
Industry Standard Editing Tools Fast, Reliable, More Native Formats
Media Composer, Symphony and NewsCutter software now offer customers a wide array of new features designed to streamline the production process including:
Improved Stereoscopic 3D editing: Enables customers to view 3D material side by side in addition to over/under ensuring greater accuracy of editing decisions and a wider choice of cost-effective monitors for stereoscopic viewing.
Monitoring HD and SD cross-and-down converted formats from 1080p24 masters: Enables customers using Mojo DX or Nitris DX hardware to view HD material on an SD monitor, eliminating the need to incur additional hardware costs.
Panasonic AVC-I encoding support: Allows customers to deliver final masters in Panasonics AVC-I format while working natively in the Avid editing system from acquisition to final delivery.
Mac support for Pro Tools Video Satellite: Offers customers the ability to work with Mac or PC when using Media Composer as a video satellite with Pro Tools systems to deliver frame-accurate, synchronized and full resolution monitoring of video.
Mix and Match capabilities: Provides customers with the flexibility to use media sources of different frame rates and resolutions (SD and HD) in the same timeline eliminating external transcoding and time-consuming frame-rate conversions.
Avid Media Access (AMA) enhancements: Delivers native support for the popular Ikegami GFCAM 100 mb/s format. Customers can now directly access GFCAM media, including full metadata, and begin their work immediately without transcoding, copying or re-wrapping the material.
New Production Suite updates: Include new versions of Boris Continuum Complete, Sorenson Squeeze and SmartSound SonicFire Pro to provide customers with more creative possibilities and media delivery options.
Pricing and Availability
Media Composer, Symphony and NewsCutter systems will be available on September 30. Interplay 2.0 will be available on September 16. Media Composer 4.0 is just $295 USMSRP for educational institutions and students. Beginning September 30, 2009, students with academic versions of Media Composer software (versions 3.5 through 4.0 purchased on or after March 1, 2009) will qualify for complementary upgrades for four years from the date of software activation. For more information on qualifications and availability, please visit www.avid.com.