Videoguys' NAB2004 Report

The big buzz at this year’s NAB was High Definition TV (HDTV), in all its glorious flavors. Many folks don’t realize that not all HD signals are created equal, and not all televisions that claim to be HD have the same quality images. There are two key variables in understanding HD image quality. The first is the lines of resolution. This is pretty straightforward; the more lines of resolution, the more detailed the image. The next variable is the type of scanning used. Interlaced scan is what we see today with a standard television display. This method of displaying video divides the image into two fields, the 1st field is composed of the odd numbered horizontal lines and drawn first, the 2nd field is composed of the even horizontal lines and is then drawn second. Your eye and brain combine these two fields into a single moving image. With progressive scan, all horizontal lines are displayed in a single pass, at rates of 24, 30 or 60 frames per second. The result is a crisper image with a more film like quality.

Here are the various television formats we saw at NAB:

    * 480i = 640x480 scan lines interlaced. This is what broadcast TV is today, or as it was called around the show floor - Standard Def – Standard Definition. (Note: For digital video editing we measure DV resolution as 720 x 480 pixels) .
    * 720i =1280x720 interlaced. (The lowest level of HDTV)
    * 720p = 1280x720 progressive. The smaller HD scan line count with the higher resolution progressive scan. This is one of the more popular HDTV standards you see listed when shopping for an HD television. HDV supports 720p.
    * 1080i = 1920x1080 interlaced. The higher level of HD line count but with the lower resolution interlaced scan. This is the other HDTV standard you see listed when shopping for an HD television. HDV supports 1080i.
    * 1080p = 1920x1080 progressive. The best level of HD you can get. Maximum line count combined with progressive scan. 1080p at 24 frames is the closest HD format to film.

As you can see, it’s easy to get confused. Even more confusing is how we are going to edit these various formats, what compressions (if any) we will use, and finally, what media we will use to output our finished productions. For this there is no clear answer yet. One new format did emerge that we feel will eventually replace DV as the format of choice for prosumer videographers. That format is HDV, but it is still not “here”. (Note: What a diference a year makes. As we roll into 2005 HDV is the BUZZ in digital videography. We expect it to become bigger than DV! We expect many major announcements at NAB2005 with more HDV camcorders, DVD players that support HD and even more HDV based NLE solutions!!

HDVideoguys - You can count on us!
HDV is a new format introduced by JVC at last years NAB show. This year Sony had on display a new HDV camcorder with a target price tag of $5k and a planned delivery date of early 2005. HDV cams record at 720p and they use FireWire to pass the signal into your camcorder. Although we use FireWire to transport the video stream, we do not use DV compression. HDV uses MPEG2 based compression to pack in 720p video down into a 25 Mb stream. I realize this is getting complicated to understand. That is why we have launched an all new website HDVideoguys.com. This website is where we will be able to give you much more in depth information about all of the emerging HD technologies and what you will need in order to edit and produce video when using them.

While we were hoping to see more HDV camcorder introductions at this year’s NAB show, our NLE vendors did not disappoint us. All our NLE companies - Adobe, Avid, Pinnacle, Matrox, Canopus, Ulead, and Sony Media - announced planned support for HDV in future versions. So you can rest assured that, when the time comes for you to invest in a new HDV camcorder, we will be ready with a wide range of editing solutions from which you can choose.

Just as we did in the early pioneering days of DV, the Videoguys will be there every step of the way, advising you on the latest HDV technology, news and products. Even more important we will be testing and evaluating these new HD editing solutions on a wide range of computers. This will give us the knowledge and expertise to make sure that you have the right computer systems and equipment to run them properly. We understand that when the time comes for you to invest in HD, you are going to demand that everything works properly. The Videoguys, as always, are up to this challenge. Our 30 day satisfaction guarantee and FREE tech support are the best in the industry. We will be there for you when you migrate to HDV. You can count on it. Check out the HDVideoguys.com website
Now for our NAB2004 report (part II) - Big news from Adobe, Matrox & ADS
Adobe
Adobe introduced Dot5 revisions to all of the products in the Video Collection. The most significant features in each title are their improved inter-operability and linking with each other. With each new release Adobe is merging the workflow and the performance of these titles together.

Anyone buying any of the Adobe Video Collection products, either individually, as a collection or bundled with a capture card after March 20th, 2004 will be eligible for a FREE upgrade ( directly from Adobe) to the new releases for each Adobe title purchased. The upgrade price for existing Video Collection 1.0 Std. owners who purchased prior to March 20th, 2004 will be $249.95. Owners of capture cards bundled with Adobe products can purchase this same upgrade. Video Collection Pro owners will be able to upgrade for $249.95 as well. Premiere Pro owners who wish to upgrade to Premeire Pro 1.5 will be able to for $99.95. Videoguys' will be selling the full range of Adobe Dot5 upgrades when they become available.
New features in the Adobe Dot5 releases:
Adobe Premiere 1.5

    * Project management tools
      Quickly remove unused material from your project and consolidate the project's media into one location for easy archiving with the Project Manager.
    * Panasonic 24P/24PA support
      Capture the look of film with support for new Panasonic 24P/24PA format cameras.
    * Bézier keyframe controls
      Create more natural, elegant-looking effects using sophisticated, spline-based Bézier keyframe controls.
    * Effects favorites
      Set your effect parameters for a keyframe, and then save them as presets you can apply anytime to ensure consistency from one project to another.
    * Support for HD content
      Meet the highest production standards with support for importing, editing, and delivering HD content.
    * Auto-color adjustment
      Automatically improve image quality using Adobe Photoshop® style filters, including Auto Levels, Auto Color, Auto Contrast, and Shadows/Highlights.
    * Project-ready Photoshop files
      Quickly create a new image in Photoshop with the resolution and pixel aspect ratio of your current Adobe Premiere Pro project (some features require Photoshop CS).
    * After Effects plug-in compatibility
      Access the plug-ins from your installed version of After Effects directly within Adobe Premiere Pro for even more visual effects.
    * After Effects clipboard support
      Simply copy and paste between Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects.
    * AAF and EDL support
      Easily import and export project data with support for Advanced Authoring Format (AAF) and Edit Decision List (EDL) format.

 
Encore DVD 1.5

    * Adobe Photoshop CS integration
      Edit menus in Photoshop CS and see your changes immediately in Adobe Encore. Experience full support for Photoshop CS, including nested layer sets and non-square pixels.
    * Enhanced Library palette
      Organize individual text layers, vector shapes, background layers, and layer sets — in addition to buttons, images, and menu templates — in the enhanced Library palette. Even create your own custom library sets.
    * Styles palette
      Easily apply styles to your DVD project menus using the new Styles palette. Use the supplied styles or create your own by simply dragging them from the Menu Editor.
    * Check Project
      Verify your project at any time during production. Adobe Encore checks navigation, bit rates, and subtitles for problems and presents the results in a sortable list.
    * Custom workspaces
      Configure window arrangements for specific tasks and then save them for future use. Use preset window arrangements to quickly reset windows for specific jobs such as timeline editing or menu creation.
    * QuickTime file support
      Take advantage of a broader choice of import options with new support for QuickTime.
    * Background transcoding
      Carry on working without interruption while source files are transcode in the background.
    * Menu Editor enhancements
      Take advantage of full support for Photoshop CS guides to ensure precise layout and alignment of items in the Menu Editor.
    * Enhanced marker support
      Experience a stronger integrated workflow — Adobe Encore now creates chapter points from markers in AVI and MPEG-2 files created in Adobe Premiere® Pro 1.5 and After Effects® 6.5 software.
    * User operations control
      Disable or enable the viewer's remote control operations in specific sections of a DVD — for example, to ensure display of mandatory content such as copyright notices.

Adobe After Effects 6.5

    * Advanced Clone tool
      Remove unwanted elements from multiple frames more accurately using the advanced Clone tool, which offers five presets and the ability to simultaneously view the source frame as an overlay while you paint.
    * Disk caching
      Take advantage of disk caching to speed up your interactive work.
    * Animation Presets
      Save any combination of animation parameters — including transformations, masks, Expressions, effects, and text — as Animation Presets to quickly reuse without setting keyframes.
    * Tighter Adobe integration
      Import Adobe Photoshop® CS and Illustrator® CS files with layers and other attributes preserved. In Windows®, copy and paste selected Adobe Premiere® Pro clips into After Effects, and create motion menus and buttons for use in Adobe Encore™ DVD and much more.
    * Color correction and grain management effects
      Adjust the color of footage and other elements with powerful color correction tools, such as Color Finesse™. Use grain management tools to add grain to make video look more like film, or remove grain to give film the look of video (Professional edition only).
    * New special effects plug-ins
      Add dramatic effects to your compositions with more than 60 new plug-ins, including Particle World, Light Burst, Light Sweep, and Toner.
    * New text animation features
      Set blend modes between characters, randomize text, write scripts to automate text changes within animations (Professional edition only), and more. Enjoy over 250 professionally designed text Animation Presets.
    * FireWire video output
      Preview your compositions on NTSC and PAL video monitors whether you're using a Windows or a Mac OS X system.
    * More flexible Motion Tracker
      Zero in on any element with the enhanced Motion Tracker, which lets you use as many points as you like or standard one-, two-, and four-point settings; track change in scale or just horizontal or vertical movement; and edit the motion path (Professional edition only).
    * Enhanced scripting
      Use scripts to automate management of the Render Queue as well as production tasks including changes to text and layers, creation of custom palettes, and more (Professional edition only).

 
Adobe Audition 1.5

    * Integrated CD burning
      Create quick reference masters of your compositions by burning gapless audio CDs directly from Adobe Audition.
    * ReWire support
      Stream full-resolution audio data in real time between Adobe Audition and other audio software such as Propellerhead Reason and Ableton Live.
    * VST plug-in support
      Expand your options with integrated support for third-party VST effects, which can also be used in Adobe Premiere® Pro software.
    * Frequency space editing
      Visually isolate and select sounds in frequency and time using a marquee selection tool in the spectral editing view, and then clean up, modify, or apply effects to the selected sound.
    * Pitch correction
      Correct off-pitch performances and create pitch-based effects using the new pitch correction effects. Use the automatic mode for quick results or the manual mode for precise control.
    * Enhanced support for video
      Edit video soundtracks more easily with the ability to view video frames in the Timeline and import a wide range of file formats, including AVI, native DV, MPEG, and WMV.
    * Clip time stretching
      Visually drag the edge of any audio clip in a multitrack mix to fit a specific length of time with or without affecting the clip's pitch; this is ideal for making sound effects and dialog fit a given video clip.
    * Automatic click/pop elimination
      Quickly and easily restore digital recordings of vinyl source material, wireless mikes, DV cameras, and other production audio.
    * New sample sessions
      Get up to speed quickly by using any of the 20 sample sessions included with Adobe Audition, or modify the sample sessions to create your own music.
    * Vocal/instrumental extraction
      Reduce the vocal or instrumental portions of a track and create a cappella and karaoke-ready tracks while preserving the stereo image with the new Center Channel Extractor tool.
    * New royalty-free loops
      Create your own music using more than 500 new production music loops — for a total of more than 5,000 — in a variety of styles including '70s disco, rumba, and loops for weddings and events.
    * Save custom keyboard shortcuts
      Create customized keyboard shortcut sets to suit your working style.
    * Flexible envelope scaling
      Rescale points on pan, volume, and effect envelopes to make changes to a clip in a multi-track mix. Scale all points while maintaining relative or absolute relationships between points.

Click here for more info or to order any of the new Adobe Dot5 releases or upgrades
Matrox
One thing that was crystal clear at the NAB2004 show was how tightly Matrox & Adobe engineering are working together. Both companies were very excited about the new X-Tools 6 that will be released by Matrox for RT.X100 & RT.X10 owners when Premiere Pro 1.5 & Encore DVD 1.5 become available.
Here are just a few of our favorite new features coming in X-Tools 6:

   1. Real-time color matching. Very cool! In the example Matrox used during the demo, a kid is playing in a playground. Shot 1 has great lighting. Shot 2 has poor lighting because clouds rolled in. With a few clicks you could correct the bad image to match the first. I can't believe how simple and easy it is to do, with such extremely powerful results.
   2. Real-Time color pass & color replace - take any color from a picture manipulate or replace it, and turn everything else monochrome.
   3. Matrox single pass scan and capture utility from within Premiere Pro.
   4. Hot new filters - lens warp and time code overlay
   5. Adobe Encore DVD WYSIWYG support - video output on a PAL or NTSC monitor when using Adobe Encore DVD

X-tools 6 is scheduled to release in conjunction with Adobe's Dot5 release for the Video Collection. All registered owners of Matrox RT.X100 and Matrox RT.X10 Series products will be able to download the Matrox drivers for the new versions of the Adobe software free of charge from the Matrox website. Customers who purchase Matrox RT.X100 Xtreme Pro Suite, Matrox RT.X100 Xtreme Pro Collection, or Matrox RT.X10 Suite on or after March 20, 2004 are also eligible for free upgrade copies of the Adobe software that was included in their Matrox product. Purchasers of RT.X100 trade-up bundles are also eligible for free upgrades.
New Matrox RT.X100 Upgrades
Matrox announced at the NAB show the availability of an RT.X100 hardware only for $699.95! This special version is only available to owners of anAdobe Video Collection. You will be required to provide proof of ownership before your order can be processed. Adobe & Matrox also announced the new “Go Pro” promotion. For $2,195 you can get the Adobe Video Collection Pro and the RT.X100 hardware. Now serious DVD and video graphic producers can take advantage of the RT.X100 with PhotoShop CS and After Effects Pro. We are happy to report that the Videoguys have purchased the remaining Matrox RT.X100 trade-up inventory. As a result the trade-up program is now extended until supplies run out. You can download the upgrade form here for more details on all of these programs.
Click here for more info or to order an RT.X100 or RT.X100 Trade-Up or Upgrade
ADS
ADS was showing a couple of cool new bundles and products. The first one that got our attention is the RedRover for Adobe Audition. RedRover is an inexpensive USB device that provides both foot pedal control as well as pushbutton control of the Adobe Audition audio software at up to 10 feet away from the computer. Now musicians don't have to worry about picking up interference from the computer monitor or noisy keyboard clicks while they record with Audition. RedRover will be available alone for $199.95 or bundles with Audition for $399.95

ADS will also have a new Pyro Professional bundle that will support HDV editing. They will be utilizing MainConcepts HDV CODEC. This new bundle is scheduled for summer release. Pricing and complete details are not yet available.
Click here for more info or to order ADS products
Now for our NAB2004 report (part III)
Avid puts it all together!
At last year's NAB show Avid stunned the industry with the introduction of their DNA line of Digital Non-linear Editing Accelerators. These external devices unlocked additional real-time features and performance beyond those achievable with software alone. We've had tremendous success with Xpress Pro & Mojo and now we're going to leverage that success with the full force of Avid's software offerings. The new products are called Xpress Studio and they ROCK!

Avid Studio = Xpress Pro 4.5 video editing + Digidesign ProTools audio editing + SoftImage 3D animation + Boris Red FX + Sonic DVD Authoring
You may not realize it, but Avid isn't just the standard for video editing, they also dominate in the world of Audio production and 3D animation. ProTools is the king of the Digital Audio Workstation market. With ProTools you can turn your computer into a digital audio recording studio with the same power. Performance and features used by today's most popular and successful recording artists. SoftImage is Avid's Academy & Emmy award winning 3D animation software. Avid has not only bundled these powerful software titles together to create the world's most valuable digital content creation package, they've optimized them for interoperability.

What does that mean? How about being able to preview your audio and video in perfect sync on a television monitor via Mojo. While we're at it, lets get real-time previews of our Avid FX, 3D animations, video editing and DVD creation via Mojo as well. Are you getting the picture yet? Avid also worked with Boris FX and Sonic to create special versions of their software just for Avid. Avid DVD producer integrates with Xpress Pro to allow you to export chapter points, thumbnails and other metadata directly from the timeline. Avid FX is a special version of Boris Red that taps into Xpress Pro's real-time OpenGL engine and Mojo for unprecedented 3D filters and FX performance.

Avid Xpress Studio comes in two flavors; Essentials and Complete:

Avid Xpress Studio Essentials $3,995
End-to-end functionality in a single integrated package

    * Avid Xpress Pro 4.5
    * Avid Pro Tools LE
    * Digidesign Mbox dual-channel micro-studio
    * Avid 3D from SoftImage
    * Avid FX by Boris FX
    * Avid DVD by Sonic

 Avid Xpress Studio Complete $6,995
Take your creativity to the next level. Five integrated applications plus the Digi 002 automated control surface and the Avid Mojo Digital Nonlinear Accelerator for added real-time power.

    * Avid Xpress Pro 4.5
    * Avid Mojo Digital Nonlinear Accelerator
    * Avid Pro Tools LE
    * Digi 002 automated control surface
    * Avid 3D from SoftImage
    * Avid FX by Boris FX
    * Avid DVD by Sonic

We will be offering a wide range of upgrade paths for Xpress Pro owners (with and without Mojo) as well as owners of older versions of Xpress DV. If you already own ProTools le, Digi002 or Mbox give us a call, we're going to have special upgradeopportunities for you as well!
Avid doesn't just go HD, they re-invent it!
As we noted earlier HD was the big buzz at NAB2004. Avid understands that all of their customers, from prosumer to broadcast professional, have HD in their future. Avid also knows that editing and moving around HUGE uncompressed HD video files just isn't practical. What is needed is a top quality compression that will make editing and working with HD footage more efficient. At NAB2004 Avid introduced a new HD compression they call DNxHD. I could, and probably will, write an entire article just explaining this breakthrough technology. Instead I'm going to leave it at this: DNxHD makes working with HD better, and it allows for sharing HD files and data across a wide range of platforms, NLEs and even locations. Let the DNxHD revolution begin!

As part of their complete HD strategy, Avid announced that the Xpress Pro 5.0 upgrade, scheduled for year-end release, will include support for capturing and editing native HDV footage. The coolest part of all – it will be a $50 upgrade for Xpress Pro 4.5 owners!!
Click here for more info or to order an Avid Xpress Pro, Avid Mojo, Xpress Studio, or Upgrade
NAB2004 Report (Part IV) – More new and exciting products are coming soon!
Sony
On the show floor Sony announced that Vegas 5 was shipping! We'd been hearing lots of rumors about the next version of Vegas and DVD Architect, but we had no idea that they would be shipping the day after it was officially announced. Now that's an exciting product launch!

What's new in Vegas 5?
First, the interface got a bit of a face lift. I like the new look and I think it will make learning and using Vegas even easier for new users. Advanced users can now customize the layout of the interface. This is really nice, especially when editing with dual monitors. I like to go a bit crazy with 3D FX and flying PIPs all over the screen. The new 3D track motion and compositing tool is perfect for this. I also like the new "Transition Progress Envelopes" which allow you to go in and keyframe each transition. This means you can change the speed and other parameters of each transition along its duration. Vegas 5 now allows you to create sub-clips and add them to the media pool. Sony has also added a couple of nice 3rd party software products to the Vegas 5 bundle. You get Boris Graffiti LTD for 3D animated titling and Magic Bullet Movie Looks filters. Vegas 5 can now support network rendering, making the final output to tape even faster.

DVD Architect has also seen some nice improvements. The biggest one is End Actions – now you can have a clip point back to a specific menu, another video clip or even back to itself to create a loop. This allows you to add some very advanced navigation to your DVDs. DVD Architect now supports up to 8 audio and 32 subtitle tracks.

As part of our Vegas 5 launch promotion we're offering a fantastic bundle. Vegas5 +DVD software with Screenblast Acid & Vision Series Vol. 1, Class on Demand Vegas Workshop DVDs ($99.95 value) & WorldTech Specialist Vegas Keyboard ($99.95 value) all for $699.95! That's almost $200 worth of training and productivity for FREE!!

New Sony HDV Cam
Sony was also showing their new $5,000 HDV camcorder. Unfortunately it was not a working demonstration model. The camcorder was in a revolving glass case, so you couldn't actually play with it. In brief talks with one of the Sony guys he bragged about how "Sony was going to do HDV right!" Without getting into specifics he said the optics, low light capabilities, focus and editing functionality would be superior to existing HDV cams. With a 2005 release date it looks like the HDV revolution isn't going to kick into before then.
Click here for more info or to order one of our fantastic Vegas 5 bundles
Serious Magic
Serious Magic was one of the most exciting new partners we saw at last year's NAB2003 show. Their UltraKey product (now called Ultra) really blew me away. Since it began shipping last summer, it has been getting rave reviews from magazines, web sites and end users. At this year's NAB they were showing of the new Master Set Library 2 with 12 additional virtual sets for use with Ultra. These sets are incredible. Not only are they exquisitely detailed, but you can control things like camera position, lighting and more! We're now offering a $150 mail in coupon when you order Ultra and the Master Set 2 together. That brings the final cost down below $1,000!!

At NAB2004 the gang at Serious Magic blew me away again with a really cool new software utility for Digital Videographers. The new software is called DV Rack and it's like having over $10,000 worth of production gear on the road with you when you shoot. Install this new software on your laptop, plug in your DV cam via FireWire and you can monitor your video and audio quality. I'm not talking about a few simple meters and a preview screen; I'm talking about full broadcast level monitoring gear. You get a DV Waveform Monitor and Vectorscope, Audio Spectrum Analyzer, Shot Clock Timer, Video Analyzer and Professional Field Monitor. Even cooler, it turns your laptop into a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) so you can actually be recording the video to your hard drive while you shoot! DV Rack is expected to ship this summer with a target price of under $500.
Click here for more info or to order Serious Magic Products
Pinnacle
Their broadcast division dominated Pinnacle's booth, but in a little pod, off in the corner, I got a glimpse at the next version of Liquid Edition and I was very impressed. Taking advantage of the new PCI-X graphics bus standard, Liquid Edition will offer even more real-time performance and effects. What was most impressive was their HDV demonstration. They had multiple streams of native HDV footage with all kinds of graphics, 3D FX and filters applied, all playing in real-time on a dual processor HP workstation.

Back in 1999 Pinnacle launched a product called the DC1000 that was years ahead of it's time. It allowed you to edit MPEG2 files using Pinnacle's Smart GOPs technology. Unfortunately for Pinnacle, back then a DVD burner cost $5,000. As a result not too many folks were interested in MPEG2 editing. My how things have changed. DVD production dominates our industry and the new HDV format is MPEG2 based. The next version of Liquid Edition (targeted for year end) will be able to edit DV, MPEG2 and native HDV footage. The export to DVD function will be substantially faster with even better quality. You'll also get improved audio and of course, more new filters and FX.

Studio and Premiere users - Now is the perfect time to get into Liquid Edition! Pinnacle has extended the upgrade and trade-up programs through June! You can continue to upgrade to the Liquid Edition software for $399.95. Owners of old video capture cards can still trade them in towards the purchase of Liquid Edition Pro at $499.95!

Pinnacle has also brought back their popular Hollywood FX Pro and TitleDeko Pro promotion. Buy the full verison of Liquid Edition 5.5 $649.95 or Liquid Edition Pro 5.5 and get free upgrades to the full versions of both titles. As an added bonus, we are still including the Adita Training CD tutorial. All together that's over $250 worth of FREE software and training!
Click here for more info or to order Liquid Edition
Canopus
The big focus at the Canopus booth was Edius HD. Canopus was showing multiple layers of HD footage with all kinds of filters and FX in real-time. Very exciting - but also very expensive. This was a broadcast level product demo and a fully configured Edius HD system will cost around $50,000. But this was still very important, because today's $50K technology eventually drops down to our users.

While Canopus was not showing any HDV technology at their booth, they were showing a version of Edius in the JVC booth that was editing HDV footage. When we asked them about a potential new DV Storm card that would support multiple layers of HDV footage in real-time all we got were big smiles from the Canopus guys.

The Canopus DV Codec is regarded as the best in the industry. It is what sets their line of real-time NLE solutions and ADVC converter boxes above the competition. At the show they introduced a pair of new HD Codecs that were given very high marks. Looks like they'll be setting the standard for HD as well.

I also spied an interesting little box over in the corner, attached to one of the machines running Edius HD. It looked like an ADVC1000, only with more new inputs and outputs. I think it was converting HD SDI to HD Component, but it also had a FireWire port. My guess is it's an HD/HDV/SDI/SD/Analog converter box – just what we are going to need while we transition our studios to HD!

Click here for more info or to order Canopus products
Medea
For the past few years Medea has been concentrating on the higher end of the video storage business with products like VideoRAID RT3, RTR and Fibre Channel based products. These massive Raids have tremendous throughputs that support real-time uncompressed video and networked editing environments. At this year's NAB they are getting back to their roots with a new line of affordable external storage for the DV editor.

The new G-RAIDs are small external FireWire Raids available in 160GB, 320GB and 500GB sizes. G-RAID features two high-performance FireWire 800 ports and one FireWire 400 port. You'll be able to attach them to your laptop or workstation and edit multiple DV streams using Adobe Premiere Pro, Sony Vegas, Avid Xpress DV/Pro, Pinnacle Liquid Edition or Apple Final Cut Pro. At $399.95, we think the 320GB unit is going to be very popular with DV editors.
Click here for more info or to order a Medea G-RAID
Black Magic Design
Are you looking to edit uncompressed SD or HD footage with either Adobe Premiere Pro or Vegas 5? With a Black Magic I/O card you'll soon be able to do it. DeckLink cards start at $295 for the 10 bit uncompressed SDI only version. The new DeckLink Extreme ($895) connects to any deck in broadcast video, because it combines both 10 bit SDI and analog component video into a single compact low cost PCI card that only uses a single PCI slot.

The drivers for Premiere Pro and Vegas 5 are still being worked on, but as soon as they are certified we'll let you know. We hope to be offering exciting bundles that will include both a DeckLink card and NLE software at a great price!
More info on DeckLink coming soon!
Ulead
Ulead was showing off their HDV plug-in for MediaStudio Pro and DVD Workshop. I've always been a big fan of Ulead's higher end software titles. I don't think Ulead gets the recognition they deserve. MediaStudio Pro was one of the first full-featured NLEs to offer OHCI FireWire support, software based real-time previews, FireWire previews, MPEG2 editing and now HDV support. MS Pro 7 is a surprisingly powerful NLE given its very affordable $299.95 cost.

With the HDV plug-in ($299 cost) JYHD10 users can use the MediaStudio Pro 7 HD Plug-in to natively capture, edit, and output high-resolution HDV content within MediaStudio Pro 7, without requiring additional tools or interfaces. The MediaStudio Pro 7 HD Plug-in automatically detects the JY-HD10U, loads the proper device settings and converts the 'Transport Stream' video coming from the camcorder to 'Program Stream' specification for editing. The plug-in gives users access to the advanced features in MediaStudio Pro 7, including device control and capture, professional multi-track editing, and output to tape or disc.
Click here for more info or to order Ulead products
New Pioneer DVR-A07XLA/XLB bundles!
We've just received another price reduction from Pioneer and we're combining it with Verbatim media and the Pioneer $30 mail in rebate to create some really spectacular bundles!

    * Pioneer DVR-A07XLA w/ 3-pack of DVD-R 4x DigitalMovie disks $159.95 ($129.95 after mail-in rebate)
    * Pioneer DVR-A07XLA w/ 20 Verbatim DVD+R 8x & 3-pack of DVD-R 4x DigitalMovie disks $179.95 ($149.95 after mail-in rebate)
    * Pioneer DVR-A07XLA w/ 50 Verbatim DVD+R 8x spindle & 3-pack of DVD-R 4x DigitalMovie disks $229.95 ($199.95 after mail-in rebate)

These same bundles are also available with the DVR-A07XLB model with black face plate.