Review: Boris FX's Continuum Complete 9

Boris Continuum has had a unique relationship with Avid and Media Composer since 2005, when BCC was first bundled with Media Composer, giving it an advantage over other filter sets, and allowing it to become the de facto third-party effects package for Avid editors for many years. Since then, a number of competitors have followed, creating a cat & mouse game with features, effects and usability constantly evolving. While the argument of who gives the best bang for the buck is debatable, in my opinion, this release of BCC9 represents a light-speed jump for the BCC line and a boon for editors and compositors alike, including some features ahead of the curve from other products. It's also important to note that BCC isn't just an effects package – it also has a powerful suite of other tools from titling to keying… There's a lot under the hood.

(I should note that since BCC is no longer bundled with Media Composer, the question of which filters package gives you the best bang for the buck becomes even more important. BCC9 has a ton going for it.)

With BCC9 newly retooled for both speed and operability, I'll go through improvements and new features in depth, but a cursory glance shows a new emphasis towards greater use of realtime (aka: Green Dot) effects — a growing trend with most filter effects companies; a welcome new (and slightly overdue) dynamic effects browser with a multitude of options; a slew of new transition effects (all with presets and newer effects); new image restoration capabilities, including a great new lens corrector for use with the newer wide angle GoPro style cameras; an improved vignetting filter that will add a certain amount of in-vogue peripheral distortion; and major new improvements throughout.