• Blogs
• Forums
• Tradeshows
• Partners
• White Papers
• Events

Capture Magic HD Records Multiple HD/HDV Cameras Simultaneously

Jul 23, 2007 6:33 PM

Big Mug Software Capture Magic HD provides a live preview with guides and zebras plus scopes such as waveform monitors, vectorscopes, RGB parades, and histograms—all so you can ensure that the video you record from your cameras looks good and is of perfect quality and broadcast-legal. You can preview what your video will look like in aspect ratios ranging from anamorphic cinema style widescreen to television format 16:9 or even 4:3. You can even mirror the image if you are using 35mm lenses, and areas of the screen that are not broadcast-legal can be highlighted with custom colored zebras.

With Capture Magic HD, you can record the same event from different angles, and then back at your editing studio, you can cut between the different viewpoints. Capture Magic HD is the perfect companion for recording interviews, church events, and even sports events. It works well in a studio or out in the field.

The ability to record from different cameras on the same computer is a huge time and cost saving. Now you only need one computer. And the direct to disk capabilities mean you no longer have to wait for your footage to download because it is already stored on your computer. Add to this the cost savings you get from not having to purchase expensive monitors and scopes and you are potentially saving yourself thousands of dollars.

Capture Magic HD also features a number of other innovative features to help you. For example, it supports the Apple Remote Control so that you don't need to be sat with the computer to start recording. This means you can be on the floor directing your talent instead of being obscured behind a monitor or laptop screen.

Also, Capture Magic HD can record frames at different rates, meaning that you can record true time lapse without having to post-process the effect later on. This can save you a massive amount of disk space when doing a 24-hour-cycle time lapse compressed into a single minute of footage.

Capture Magic HD costs $299. You can also upgrade from Capture Magic SD or Monitor Magic for the difference in cost between the products (currently $140 if upgrading from Capture Magic SD and $210 if upgrading from Monitor Magic). Capture Magic HD supports these features:

• HDV and DVCProHD
• Standard-definition consumer DV and pro formats DVCPro25 and DVCPro50
• Record from multiple DV and HDV cameras at the same time
• Record directly from camera straight to disk—no need to use tape
• No generational loss caused because of a decompression/compression cycle
• Time-lapse recording
• Stop animation
• Preview monitor with helpful guides
• Scale and flip the preview to support 35mm lenses and anamorphic lenses
• Weighted waveform monitor
• Colored waveform monitor, which makes it easier for a novice to understand
• RGB parade
• Weighted vectorscope
• Colored vectorscope, which is easier for a novice to understand
• Luminance histogram
• RGB histogram
• Pause live input for accurate analysis
• Use Apple Remote to start/stop recording.

And the system requirements are:

• Mac OS X 10.4 or later
• A PowerPC G5 or Intel-based Mac with at least one Firewire port
• Your video cameras must connect via Firewire (iLink) and output DV, DVCPro25 or DVCPro50, DVCProHD, or HDV.

© 2008 Penton Media, Inc.