Digital Video - November 2008 - (Page 16)

IN REVIEW AVID MEDIA COMPOSER 3.0 analog audio monitoring), while Nitris DX sports a wider range of digital and analog connections. Both include an HDMI port for monitoring, freeing SDI/HD-SDI for VTRs or digital routers. A lot of attention was paid to the J-K-L transport ballistics, and this new hardware feels as responsive as the old, reliable Meridien Avids. The FireWire latency of sequences, into Avid-compatible media. Adrenaline that drove many editors up a Avid Media Composer 3.0 sports minor wall is a thing of the past. Nitris DX also cosmetic changes to the interface and perincludes an embedded DNxHD hardware formance tweaks, along with two new codec, but on a fast machine, both DX units effects: a real-time timecode generator and will let you capture uncompressed or subtitle captioning. The most impressive DNxHD-compressed high-def video. With a change, however, is under the hood. The Mojo DX, the computer’s CPU has to carry code to process the video effects pipeline the compression load for DNxHD, while has been rewritten and is now optimized Nitris DX offloads this function to its internal for multi-core processing and the hardware. power of modern graphic display Avid is seriously slugging it out AWARD OF cards. Avid operates in four video for the hearts and minds of proquality modes identified at the fessional editors. The Avid DX EXCELLENCE equipment is a big improvement bottom of the timeline by a green and/or yellow button: full 10-bit, over DNA, but most of the power full, draft or best performance. The two is in the software. highest settings are full quality that you can You could argue that makes DX a use to master to tape, while the lower two pricey alternative to AJA, Matrox or are best when you need to preview a very Blackmagic Design hardware, but the value complex effects composite and want to see is in the total package. If you want to run maximum real-time playback. hardware with Media Composer 3.0, you The key new products are the Mojo DX have to buy Avid hardware. If you own any and Nitris DX interfaces. Both use a 4-dataviable editorial business, then the difference lane PCIe card installed into the workstain the comparative costs over a three-year tion, which connects to the external breakperiod is inconsequential. out box with a tether cable. Avid offers an So, if you prefer editing on an Avid, optional ExpressCard/34 laptop card, so then there’s no financial reason not to. DV both Mojo DX and Nitris DX can also be used in the field. Thanks to PCIe’s wider You’ll find an extended data path, Mojo DX and Nitris DX capture version of this review on and play back most SD and HD formats over our site. Visit DV online. SDI/HD-SDI. Mojo DX offers digital I/O (plus BRAIN STORM BY OLIVER PETERS “NEW THINKING” PAYS OFF AS DX NLE LINE DELIVERS ON MULTIPLE LEVELS. A vid rolled out its new DX product line in June. This was previewed before and during NAB as the tangible part of the company’s “New Thinking” campaign. It is typified by new hardware, lower prices and a simplification of their core editing product line. Avid Media Composer 3.0 hit the street at a price of under $2,500 — literally half of the previous MSRP. It’s a powerful collection that rivals competing suites. Along with Avid’s own utilities like EDL Manager and FilmScribe, you get solutions for encoding (Sorenson Squeeze), standard-def and Bluray high-def DVD authoring (Avid DVD by Sonic), music scoring (SmartSound Sonicfire Pro with two library discs) and compositing (Avid FX and Boris Continuum Complete filters). Avid FX (originally offered as part of the optional Avid Toolkit) is the AVX plug-in version of Boris Red, so you get as much compositing horsepower as After Effects or Motion. Another application included is MetaFuze, which is designed to convert filebased media, such as DPX and TIFF image DV SCORE AVID MEDIA COMPOSER 3.0 PROS: Price, advanced color-correction, features including ScriptSync, integrated 3D DVE and robust media management. Changes in Media Composer code have laid the groundwork for even more features to be added at a swifter pace. CONS: Symphony is back on the Mac, but, for the first time in Symphony’s existence, there is no hardware advantage for the product over Media Composer. It’s hard to justify the nearly $14,000 difference between turnkey versions of Media Composer Nitris DX and Symphony Nitris DX. BOTTOM LINE: Avid Media Composer remains the most feature-laden, powerful NLE on the market — at the most affordable price ever. MSRP: See company Web site. CONTACT: www.avid.com 16 dv november 2008 www.dv.com http://www.dv.com http://www.avid.com http://www.dv.com

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Digital Video - November 2008 Contents AG-HMC150 Camcorder I-Cuff Eyepiece Protector Instant Expert Avid Media Composer 3.0 DT-B9L 1DU Monitor Flolight LCD500 Dark Red Close-Up: Chop Shop Socky Prime Mover Tools & Technology: DV Expo Toolkit Click to Play DV101 Production Diary

Digital Video - November 2008

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