NAB 2002

Mar 1, 2002 12:00 PM

NAB always produces a dizzying amount of press releases, with company after company unveiling gear that they developed in the last 12 months since the previous show. While there are always many worthy products — too many to elaborate on here — there are always some that stand out, at least in advance. Here are some of the most intriguing introductions, products you definitely don't want to miss at the show.

Growth Market Watch

When a huge computer manufacturer, software producer, and IT services provider decides to target the DCC space, you'd better believe things will be getting interesting. IBM believes that it has found the golden goose, or at least what Big Blue is calling the “best growth opportunity over the next three years… the worldwide market for digital media — managing audio, video, and graphic elements.”

That came with the February announcement of IBM's Digital Media Factory. This isn't a particular product announcement, even though IBM and third-party gear will be used, and systems like the Linux Digital Studio will continue to develop. IBM is instead playing to its strengths by creating an open, standard-based technology architecture consisting of packages of hardware, software, and services that use technology from IBM and a growing array of third-party technology providers. (IBM noted — with numbers by Forrester Research — that the management and distribution of digital media alone is estimated to become a $34 billion market by 2004.)

Parts of the framework include IntelliStation workstations, Electronic Media Management System, Enterprise Content Manager, Web Sphere For Digital Media, xSeries and pSeries servers, and various storage solutions.

At press time, IBM made no new Linux product introductions, but expect plenty of that at its booth, along with partnerships and alliances to software and hardware suppliers. The company has spent $1 billion over the past year to develop Linux as a ready-for-primetime player. Why so passionate about a free and open standard? All the better to stick it to the proprietary operating systems at the core of the Microsoft and Sun businesses.
Dan Ochiva

It's Getting Competitive: HD Lenses

The big news for HD production came this past fall, when Amnon Band announced that Carl Zeiss would be entering the HD lens market with its DigiPrimes (Band Pro will distribute the Zeiss lenses upon their planned late summer release). For DPs, that was good news, as it brought the talents of a world-renowned glassmaker to the HD market. The initial Zeiss DigiPrimes, a set of six lenses, will debut as 5mm, 7mm, 10mm, 14mm, 20mm, and 40mm. The 5mm is rated at T1.9, the rest at T1.6. While there are no plans yet for a zoom, Zeiss says it will respond to the desires of 24p shooters.

But it's busy out there, with new primes from Canon, while Fujinon's primes and zooms gain popularity at rental houses such as Bexel and Plus8 Video, the latter of which includes them as part of complete camera packages for a number of sitcoms, as well as documentary productions.

Panavision, meanwhile, continues its exclusive arrangement with Sony, only renting as part of a CineAlta camera package. (Sony announced, however, that the Zeiss lenses would now also be offered on its 24p CineAlta system.) Finally, houses such as Plus8 Video continue to innovate, in their case by bringing out a line of Cinesmart HD lenses, which modify existing HD products from Fujinon.

Canon went back to the design shop to come up with its own spare-nothing-for-quality design, the HD-EC FJ Prime Lens series. The FJs use the latest in Hi-UD (High Index Ultra Low Dispersion) glass. The range consists of the FJ5, FJ9, FJ14, FJ24 and FJ35 lenses (the numbers indicate mm). Canon says that its new proprietary design techniques enable the lenses to exhibit high MTF (Modulation Transfer Function), high resolution, and high contrast from the center of the image to its extreme edges. Other features, says the company, include reduced flare, virtually no curvature of field, no apparent geometric distortion, significantly reduced color abberation, consistent “Canon Look” throughout the series, and minimized focus breathing.

Canon also introduced two new HD zooms, the HD-EC HJ21×7.5B KLL-SC (claimed to have up to 3 times less focus breathing than any other comparable lens) and the HD-EC HJ11×4.7B KLL-SC. Both are rated at T2.1.

While Fujinon doesn't plan any new introductions in its series of HDTV Cine Style lenses, it's a good idea to note what's available. The newer series include the HAF16B-10, HAF34B-10, and HAF54B-10 fixed focal length prime lenses and the HA17×7.8B-10 zoom lens. These new lenses complete the ranges, joining the prior offerings of the HAF5B-10 wide-angle lens, HAF8B-10, HAF12B-10, HAF20B-10, and HAF40B-10.

French manufacturer Angenieux will demo a new 26X High Resolution (HR) series telephoto zoom lens. Designed for broadcast HD field production, it offers an extended focal range of 7.8mm to 203mm, and 15.6mm to 406mm with a 2X extender. There are lots of features, but a few of the more important include the wide variety of zoom modes and focus servo controls, iris priority to minimize ramping, an anti-breathing mode to maintain a constant field of view when focusing, and an RS232 serial interface for digital remote control.
Dan Ochiva

Telecine Tales

Over the past few years, telecine technology has improved dramatically, such that 4k transfers are discussed as a matter of course even though the reality of regularly transferring, viewing, and manipulating that much data isn't close to being practical.

Cintel unveils DSX, a new film scanner developed specifically for high-end commercial postproduction, resolution-independent film mastering, and restoration projects. DSX is said to provide exceptional image quality at 4k, 2k, HD, and SD.

DSX includes Oscar, an innovative electro-optical system that works in realtime to remove the effect of dust and scratches on film. Described as a unique feature for a data scanner, the Oscar doesn't use chemical solutions; that gets both expensive and messy. It works, as the company puts it, to “actually recover the real image hiding behind the damaged film surface”.

DSX also includes a data port, which can transfer HSDL images at speeds of up to 18fps. Meanwhile, Cintel says that the optics are truly capable of resolutions up to 4k.

Also new from Cintel: Python 2, a sort of master control for the telecine suite. It enables users to control the scanner, transfer the film material to data, manipulate the format of the data, control the flow of the data, and interface data to storage devices, color correctors, and manipulation tools.

ITK debuts Northlight, a CCD scanner with “unparalleled” image quality, designed by FilmLight and manufactured and distributed by ITK. Northlight, which incorporates a recently designed 8k tri-linear CCD sensor, scans 4k at 4.7 seconds per frame. ITK claims that's nearly twice the speed of its closest rival.

The Northlight was actually originally developed by the London-based animation, effects, and post facility Framestore CFC (Framestore and the Computer Film Company, two of Europe's leading companies, merged in December 2001).

The ITK Northlight features include 4k 35mm scans at 4.7 seconds per frame, 2k 35mm at 2.5 seconds per frame, ultra low-noise linear motor scan action, a pin registered projector designed with fast spooling, a projector action that works with all current 35mm film formats, and full-resolution oversampling at all output resolutions.

While the product debuted under the Philips banner, Thomson Multimedia calls this NAB the launch of Shout, a standalone film restoration toolkit. Look for Scream too, a noise and grain reducer, which can be paired with Shout, yielding, of course, Scream & Shout.

Thomson's taken over the Specter Virtual Datacine, enhancing it with new Specter software, version 3.1. While it's been around for a while, Thomson officially launched the VooDoo data recorder at IBC 2001, along with the VooDoo HD RGB option, so look for it here. The GSN interface for realtime data transfers for 2k resolution makes its debut. Finally, there's a new Graphical Control Panel (GCP) and Super 8mm gate for the Spirit Datacine.
Dan Ochiva

Taking It to the Net

The Internet is coming. After all the press on making the next generations of gear Internet-friendly, both Panasonic and Sony are delivering IP-enabled VCRs that connect out of the box.

Panasonic's iDVR-100 and iDVR-200 are designed for a new and potentially huge market: commercial HD display. Plasma screens are popping up at clothes stores, aquariums, and museums. But why worry about running around to change tapes when you can do it from your Web browser?

Panasonic's Digital Video Replay servers handle 24fps and 60fps progressive images and feature a built-in DVD-RAM/DVD-R drive. Controllable over the Internet, the MPEG servers, sitting on the edge of a network, can be programmed with scheduled video playback with content verification for targeted advertising.

The iDVR-100 is designed for desktop installation; the 200 has a 4RU frame for installation in equipment rooms, allowing additional internal hard disk drive array storage. 5.1 surround sound support is optional.

Did you hear Sony Broadcast prexy Ed Grebow's commitment to put an IP address on every product at last year's NAB? Meet Sony's eVTR. It's actually a plug-in, a plug-in card, that is, enabling Sony MPEG IMX VTRs to connect to Gigabit Ethernet networks. The product opens the door on centralcasting, Sony's concept of taking in video and data of all sorts and putting them out again any way you like. Here, it's worldwide transmission of video segments as files over IP. Destination points include other MPEG IMX VTRs or servers. The device also allows remote control of VTRs anywhere in the world. Sony's DeviceMonitor software (an option) adds remote monitoring of broadcast operations over a PC.

Sorenson supplies the codec behind Apple Quicktime. But they've been busy with a lot else and may have a solid moneymaking opportunity to wave under the noses of facilities, animation houses, boutiques, and others.

But let's start with the new product, Sorenson Squeeze for Macromedia Flash MX. This latest version of the Sorenson video compression codec, Squeeze is actually part of Spark Pro, which powers Flash's new video capabilities. Squeeze offers fully adjustable advanced settings and supports two-pass variable bit rate compression. This powerful codec — it delivers 30fps video within Flash projects — fits into only 70k, a size demanded by Macromedia to keep the complete size of the Flash player in the 700k range, thought to be about the limit for those millions of users with less than stellar Web delivery. But you don't have to use Flash. You can post video on the Web using only the Sorenson Spark codec.

Here's where things start to get interesting. First, you're offered a 30-day trial of Vcast, the company's on-demand webcasting service that's tightly integrated with Squeeze. This comes free to all customers. To support this service, Sorenson resells Digital Island and Akamai hosting. But that reselling, pegged at $300/month, is for as many streams you care to deliver. No limit, according to Sorenson, on storage or bandwidth. And that's the top cost. If you don't need very much, they offer rates of around $20 to $50/month. With that pricing scheme, a post house could, for example, turn around and design and sell a client a site that lets them post as much video as they want. No need to worry about setting up expensive contracts with a local or national ISP, just that flat rate that tops out at $300/month.

Unlike the now-releasing MPEG-4 codec, you also won't be charged for using the Sorenson encoder. MPEG-4 patent holders charge $0.25 for each download of a player using their codec. While this tops out at $1,000,000 in any one year, you or your clients are still liable to pay that. But for $300 a month…
Dan Ochiva

Linux in Las Vegas

Linux continues to fascinate the post community. While render farms were the first application for the open source (and free) OS, more complex creative apps are now following.

IBM is pouring millions into the development of its Linux Digital Studio project. But it was January's joint announcement by Dreamworks and HP of a three-year, multi-million dollar technology strategic alliance that greatly boosted Linux's visibility. Engineers from HP's graphics labs developed enhancements to Linux software to help power DreamWorks' proprietary animation software, ToonShooter.

DreamWorks' next animated film, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, was created on more than 200 Linux-based HP workstations and servers (it releases nationwide May 24). Dreamworks is also laying on a 500-processor Linux render farm, 15 terabytes of storage, and a high-speed Ethernet-based infrastructure.

So keep an eye out for more Linux announcements. Here are just some of the current and debuting Linux products at the show: three workstations from Germany-based DVS (DVS HDStationPlus, DVS ClipStationPRO, and a dual-stream uncompressed NLE); HP's x1100 Linux workstation (single or dual Pentium CPUs); IT4TV ProNews BrowsingClient Storyboard (lowRes video Browsing and editing); and four products from Linux Media Arts (Cinterra SD-601 NLE, Heroine Virtual Cinelerra NLE, and Cinterra HDTV NLE, and the Broadcast Effects workstation). Mathematical Technologies introduces “supercomputer performance at PC prices” with its introduction of image rendering on Linux clusters. Silicon Grail's RAYZ 2.0 (which also runs on Windows 2000 and Irix) now incorporates Kodak's Cineon code, making it one of the strongest compositing tools available on Linux.

Rumor has it that Nothing Real, recently purchased by Apple, might continue working on a promised Linux version of its Shake compositor.
Dan Ochiva

Digital Mastering Is In

As the broadcast post world finally moves tentatively into the world of HD mastering, many of the usual manufacturing suspects are offering new, or updated, tools for color-correcting, assembling, and finishing shows into 24p masters. Naturally, many of those tools will be on display at NAB 2002.

Da Vinci, for instance, is using the show as an opportunity to build upon the success of its three-year-old 2K color enhancement system, da Vinci 2K, with an upgrade called 2K Plus. Company officials say they have enhanced the system with a variety of features, including a faster graphical user interface, and for primary color-correction work, true gamma curve adjustment capabilities and increased gamma range, and improved interaction between the gamma, white, and black levels.

“We've also improved our secondaries so that qualifiers on the 2K plus, up to 12, can now be overlapped so that multiple secondary corrections can be applied to the qualified area,” says Matthew Straeb, da Vinci marketing and product management VP. “The system also features an improved fixed-vector system, where each vector's width is now 120 degrees wide, with full softness providing quicker and cleaner secondary adjustments. And, of course, adding true gamma is a big step forward because it lets the colorist adjust gamma separate from other controls.”

Company officials say da Vinci is also offering more paint and special effects filters for 2K Plus, with an add-on called Colorist's Toolbox. They say that Toolbox offers colorists a collection of new paint and effects filters — including motion blur, emboss, texture, fog, and watercolor — that can be applied in realtime to images from any source at any resolution.

“A big focus for us at NAB will be data solutions,” says Straeb. “We'll also be showing serial server interface solutions that can push data in and out of the 2K box. Right now, with there being so many different flavors of 2K, we felt it made sense to offer a scaleable system without bells and whistles that clients can upgrade later if they desire.”

Da Vinci will hardly be alone in promoting HD solutions. At press time, Paris-based Pandora was planning to show off updates for its Pogle control system.

Pandora will unveil a non-working, prototype version of its upcoming Pogle Evolution control panel, which company official's claim emphasizes user-friendly ergonomics. According to Ralph Chaloub, Pandora sales VP, the company has been working with well-known colorists to develop the panel. Chaloub says it will include an integrated Wacom drawing tablet while at the same time minimizing the learning curve for artists used to previous versions of the Pogle system. Chaloub says Pandora expects to have a working version of the panel available later this year at the IBC.

At NAB, Pandora will also be offering a new tool for its MegaDef processor, called Fix. Chaloub calls Fix “a handy tool” that permits individual frame blemishes — dust, hair, scratches, etc — to be repaired within the Pogle controller, running on an SGI 02 workstation. “The repaired frame is automatically dropped into the output once rendered, and the Fix tool is completely resolution independent,” Chaloub adds.

Pandora will also be demonstrating the first results of its recent alliance with HS Art Digital to integrate that company's Diamant-Suite digital film restoration tool within Pandora's Platinum controller, in addition to offering it as a standalone application.

Sweden's Digital Vision, meanwhile, was also planning for an aggressive NAB, with a big push to promote its new Valhall HD color corrector. The company is promoting Valhall as a more cost-effective approach, especially for broadcasters, since it runs through a Windows 2000 GUI. The company has recently been testing versions of the Valhall technology with LaserPacific, Hollywood, which has incorporated it in recent months into its Emmy-winning HD mastering pipeline.

“Valhall will have a newer control panel system than what Laser Pacific has been using, but we hope [at press time] to upgrade them to it even before NAB,” says Eric Bergez, U.S. sales rep for Digital Vision. “The control system is very advanced, with user programmable buttons, and with the GUI operating in EDL or timeline fashion, as the user prefers. It runs with one ‘Viper Window’ [Digital Vision's name for Power Windows], and it has several HD processing options. We see this having big applications for HDTV mastering work.”

Though Digital Vision's color-correction technology has always been based upon a tape-to-tape or disc-to-disc approach, Bergez adds that the company is also working to incorporate telecine controls, starting with a new controller designed to work in conjunction with Sony's Vialta telecine. At press time, Bergez said it was undecided if that Vialta control system would be available for demonstration at NAB.

On the mastering side of the equation, Snell & Wilcox will be offering several HD approaches. Among them is the debut of Alchemist Platinum, an all-new version of Alchemist, a standards converter. Company officials claim the new version permits single-step, motion-compensated up-conversions of video with frame-rate changes, including a new HD output with accurate motion portrayal.

At NAB, Snell is also launching a new HD version of Prefix, its CPP 1000 pre-processor designed to improve transmission efficiency by removing bandwidth-sapping noise from even the cleanest HD source. Likewise, the company will also debut HD Premiere 6200, a new version of the company's HD cross-converter technology that can now be configured for any combination of up-, down-, or cross-conversion work.

The company also expects to demonstrate benefits from its recent acquisitions of PSP Digital and Post Impressions at the show. Through the PSP acquisition, Snell & Wilcox will introduce three new HD switchers to go along with two new SD switchers. The HD versions feature a new, two-channel “squeeze & tease” DVE option, according to company officials.

From the Post Impressions acquisition, Snell & Wilcox will show off its Sprint and Sprint TK disk-based, NT workstations, designed to add workflow enhancements to telecine or tape color-grading suites.

The company will also be pushing its realtime, disk-based color correction workstation at NAB — Piccaso, a tool built specifically for DTV, HDTV, and digital cinema applications. “We're excited about Piccaso because its advent has led us to seeing post facilities in Europe, and now one in California that I can't yet name [as of press-time], build new color-grading theaters for HD and digital cinema work,” says Nigel Hadley, the company's Piccaso product manager.

Meanwhile, in the category of software-based editing and finishing solutions, Discreet officials say they will be making a major push to promote their recent releases of Smoke (5.0) and Fire (5.0) as versatile tools designed to support realtime SD and HD interactivity — Smoke running on the new SGI Octane2 platform with an HD card and Fire on the new Onyx 3200.

“We're particularly interested in promoting these tools for digital cinema work, especially Fire with its new 12-bit support,” says Stefan Labris, product specialist and designer for editing products at Discreet, Montreal. “Smoke, for broadcasters, can now be a very attractive and versatile system for companies that, like most people, find themselves working on both SD and HD projects. You can now do realtime I/O for all HD formats on the new Smoke, running on the Octane2, dealing with things like 3:2 pulldown when capturing and outputting material.”

Discreet officials also emphasize that such technology possesses color-correction capabilities directly within timelines. “It's pretty easy — drag and drop,” says Labris, who points out those earlier versions of Fire have been used for episodic work in New York and Los Angeles for more than a year now. “You can drag-and-drop the color corrector right in the timeline, the same way you can with other software effects. That's great for broadcasters who need to increase workflow without hurting quality.”
Michael Goldman

What Editors Should Look for at NAB

It this year's NAB, I believe many editors will begin by going to the Apple booth to see the most recent Final Cut Pro 3.0 — especially the new color correction, OfflineRT, and transcoding features — and to speculate over what will come of the Apple purchase of Nothing Real. Then they'll probably hop on over to the Avid booth to see Xpress DV. A late-added Xpress DV feature allows for realtime plug-in effects. In fact, CTO Mike Rockwell developed the first plug-in for this architecture — a tool for keyframeable planning/tilting/zooming of a high-resolution still (a la Ken Burns) in realtime. It comes free with version 3.0. Meanwhile, when you're checking out FCP, look at the color-correction feature on a Mac platform powered with a Pinnacle Systems' CineWave RT 2.1 or Aurora IgniterRT because the corrections will happen in realtime.

While DV will be everywhere and is undoubtedly one of the most important stories of the past year, there will be a big buzz at the high end with more powerful new workstations and compositing software. Media 100 will offer the hottest new product, with its 844/X, but the competition in this space will heat up considerably. For compositing and finishing, the 5D Cyborg (now in three flavors), Adobe After Effects and Discreet Combustion 2 will become more impressive and powerful.

Nothing Real (Shake and Tremor) should have been a big player, but with its recent acquisition by Apple, it is not known if the products will be displayed. Shake has been a growing success story and one of the two potential software leaders that could bring Linux to the forefront of the film/video industry. We will have to wait and see what Apple intends for this product.

5D Cyborg, which started delivering in 2001, will have exciting new capabilities in the new v2 form shipping at NAB, including a new 3D environment with accurate camera model, an impressive interactive lighting model with up to 24 simultaneous lights, free-form deformation available on every layer within the Scene, new editing capabilities, and Distort — a brand new Morpher and Warper. Demonstrations will include a workgroup environment featuring the 5D Commander (2K dailies playback) and 5D Colossus (color grading).

Discreet's Combustion 2 is becoming more “Flame-like.” There is a new branching UI for compositing called “Schematic View.” The new Film Tools are also very similar to Flame, as are the integrated 2D particle systems, Garbage Mask tools, and the new text generator. The system now features OpenGL support.

While in the Discreet booth, check out the new Cinestream 3 editing product. One word of warning: If you check out the latest features of Discreet Edit 6.5, please be warned that further R&D (except for bug fixes) has been halted. There is a high degree of probability that future development will not resume.

Discreet will also be featuring version 5 of Smoke and Fire. Smoke 5 and Fire 5 — both introduced at IBC — are realtime HD and SD finishing systems. Smoke has been optimized for the SGI Octane 2 platform, and Fire has been optimized for the new SGI Onyx 3200 visual workstation. Discreet's new precision time-lined based Multi-Master Editing may be the hottest new feature.

Both software packages feature new film-resolution capabilities — Fire offers realtime digital cinema resolution capabilities, and Smoke features 24p 2K playback and an expanded 3D DVE module with realtime interactivity at full RGB 4:4:4 resolution. Version 7.6 of Flint and Flame will be featured in the booth as well.

Adobe After Effects' new Version 5.5 benefits from the new high-performance platforms. It is optimized for both Apple OS X and Windows XP as well as for the Pentium 4's capabilities. I found that the new Light Transmission material property for 3D layers was especially impressive — a definite must-see. I also like the multiple views option. These are just two of many new features.

The system can now import Maya files and export Real Media. AE also benefits from associated software like Automatic Duck's Automatic Composition Import for Avid and Apple NLEs — at least until there is better metadata compatibility for such third-party products. The Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator Classic 3D application for text and logos is now bundled with After Effects.

Eyeon Software offered an impressive Digital Fusion product last year. That software has whetted appetites for additional capabilities this year. Digital Fusion is the flagship package, and DF+ is a modular version.

Boris FX RED 2.1 adds support for a dozen new NL editing/compositing products and features significant performance improvements, operational enhancements, and improved workflow developments. Corner pinning is now added to the list of motion-tracking filters, and the package comes with five DigiEffects Delirium filters.

At the high-end of compositing, Sony's Socratto will be the new product to see, but Discreet and Quantel will be the prime players along with Avid|DS.

Quantel said it would be showing “new editing products aimed at all levels of the market.” I am anxious to see what that statement means. I know it will feature version 9 of Editbox and Henry, as well as the resolution-coexistent media platform iQ. Although the words “resolution coexistence” may sound like gobbledygook, if you work in high-end postproduction, especially in the digital cinema realm, you really should make the effort to understand the benefits of this feature and check out the other long-form high-resolution capabilities of this system and the possibility of other resolution-coexistent platforms.

Quantel will also demonstrate how iQ now supports the Panasonic AJ-HDC27v variable frame rate high-definition camcorder. The company will feature a new set of plug-ins developed for iQ and its graphics products. AAF-compliant Editbox and Henry are featuring improvements in editing operations, audio editing/synchronization, and media asset management, especially when compositing. And 20 years after creating the Paintbox, it is making some major new “not-to-be-missed” introductions in the graphics arena.

Avid's Avid|DS may be the hottest news found in the Avid booth, although XpressDV version 3 on both Mac and Windows may draw larger crowds. Both will feature more Media Composer-like user interfaces. For Avid|DS this is especially good news, and so is the improved media/metadata compatibility between DS and Media Composers and Xpress. Avid has been emphasizing that DS should be considered for postproduction “finishing” applications, but until the new software being demonstrated at NAB and scheduled for a June delivery, editors felt that the UI was not ideal for finishing. Media Composer or Symphony editors will soon be much more comfortable learning an Avid|DS, especially for a conform. About 85% of a Media Composer's or Symphony's metadata will now be accepted by Avid|DS, although some AVX plug-in effects might not be available on DS, and the Symphony color-correction metadata will not transfer over. Today's DS editors will like the performance with the new Compaq platform and software optimized for Pentium 4 processors. They should see a 30% to 35% performance increase and will not lose any of the excellent compositing/FX tools. If you work in HD, the 24fps Film Composer metadata will work with DS. Moreover, the text or graphics will be vectorized, so if you used an uncompressed SD resolution graphic on the Composer, DS will scale it cleanly for HD. The connectivity with Avid Unity MediaNet is also a new feature — even HD connectivity. For those high-end facilities looking for a finishing solution, especially one that offers HD capabilities, this is a must-see system with far too many improvements to list here. It, in fact, may be one of the biggest stories at the show. Also look for Avid Unity LANshare, which will be demonstrated as a flexible new lower-cost Ethernet-based shared storage system. Avid Unity Media Manager will also have so many new capabilities that you will barely recognize the product. Other new products, such as NetReview and something code-named Digital Dailies, will replace Avid's Review and Approval service.

Avid will be demonstrating Media Composer version 11, Xpress version 5, and Symphony version 4. The biggest news with these products will be the new editable MetaSync tracks. With the possible exception of XpressDV, the number of MetaSync tracks is equal to the number of video tracks. This MetaSync feature allows time-specific triggers to be created on the timeline for a large variety of uses, from HTML, HML, and JAVA links for iTV or interactive video programs, to close captioning or subtitles, to chapter marks for DVD disks to control applications for motion rides — and a great deal more.

The Windows versions of Media Composer and Xpress systems will have a new DV option. This DV option will allow these platforms to I/O and work with DVCPRO 25, and DVCAM, as well as the DV format. This option includes realtime effects with the DV format. It will also allow playback of DVCPRO 50. This means that broadcasters working with a DVCPRO 50 network can connect to a Media Composer in a promotions or production department for editing and compositing work.

All three NLE systems will sport an improved user interface including a Toolset pulldown for storing screen layouts, a new Keyframe Effects Editor with far greater keyframe control flexibility, a new Timewarp keyframeable motion effects feature with dynamic speed changes, and a new tabbed SuperBin structure. Photoshop-native .PSD files can be directly imported as a multilayer sequence. Exciting new Illusion FX filters will be included. On Windows-based Media Composers and Symphony there will be integrated Marquee titling. Release of these new versions are expected a week after the show.

For those that were excited about the USB hardware controls for the Sony XPRI but were a bit disappointed with the performance, take a look at version 4 software. It has come a long way since its introduction at last year's NAB. The realtime HDCAM Effects option is now working. The color-correction tool is improved. It is now able to work off a storage area network (SAN). There are now an optional SDTI interface and a new voiceover tool. There are many small improvements, but the important thing to check out is the incredible improvement in performance. I think XPRI will be moving up the hierarchy of editing systems with this version. Don't miss it.

And don't miss the Sony e-VTR board for IMX. This board allows the asymmetric transfer of digital video over an Ethernet connection. Sony has been giving many of its products IP addresses, and now we see that the vision is more than just for a diagnostics feature. This will be a big announcement with wide-ranging applications.

Leitch is going to be featuring some hot editing products for both news and post production. The Leitch Post Production Group was formerly DPS. I have long thought that the dual-stream DPS Velocity nonlinear edit system (now with version 8 software) has gotten far less respect than it deserves — the problem lies in what many consider its slightly non-standard user interface. Version 8 software features multicam, realtime garbage mattes, realtime alpha support, and a wide range of interface enhancements, including selectable A/B roll or single-track editing modes that can be toggled on the fly.

The new DPS VelocityQ multi-stream nonlinear editing system is a definite must-see. Powered by the new DPS Quattrus video engine, the NLE features four realtime video streams — compressed or uncompressed plus six dynamic graphics streams. The four realtime 3D DVEs work with either the video or graphics tracks. When visiting the booth, you should also check out Digital Fusion and ask about a MaxPac Velocity luggable, a very hot product.

Pinnacle Systems will have its own NLE products in abundance, from the Vortex news system to the Targa 3000-based products and from its Hollywood FX and Commotion Pro software to the CineWave Macintosh-based solution. And it will be showing off its new postproduction division (formerly FAST Multimedia) with the NAB introduction of the delivering Edition Blue, the everything-in/everything-out native digital nonlinear edit system. Pinnacle Systems claims this is the “only native MPEG IMX and DVCPRO 50 editor.” The other former FAST products, the MPEG-based Edition Silver, and the DV-base Edition purple, and Edition purple. field should be featured in the booth as well.

I also suggest looking at one of the more underrated manufacturers that offer strong products, AIST. Visit the AIST booth and check out MoviePack Extreme 4.0, a much-improved low-cost product featuring a host of exciting technology, such as a new concept in timelines, multiple file format support (e.g. Quicktime, AVI, MPEG), Intelli-Rendering, Queued Processor Management, and Adaptive Line Mesh Technology. This NLE product is also one of the first to feature AAF compatibility, Windows XP support, and Microsoft Windows 8 Media.

Another underrated player with one of the highest-quality DV codecs is Canopus, which will be showing its new 3D effects capabilities and a range of software/boardsets and turnkey editing systems.

Platforms such as Media 100's GenesisEngine will challenge engines such as the Accom Affinity media processor, Aurora Video Systems' Igniter, Avid's Meridien, Digital Voodoo, Bluefish444's new family of products, Leitch's HD/SD DPS RealityHD engine and new DPS Quattrus engine, DVS ClipStation Pro and HDStation, the various engines from Matrox (DigiSuite MAX, RT 2500, and RT Mac), and Pinnacle Systems (Targa 3000, Cinewave, plus the multiple InTime processing engines available on Edition NLEs).

Bluefish444 is introducing a range of 10-bit SD and HD uncompressed SDI I/O and output only PCI cards for the Windows environment. Bluefish444 sees these software/boardsets as solutions for applications such as Adobe Photoshop, Premiere, and After Effects as well as for users of Discreet's Combustion software. They will also announce that they have created drivers to support Digital Voodoo's PCI cards for the Windows environment.

Boxx Technologies will feature HDBoxx and CineBoxx, another alternative to the SGI platform if you select the right software package to compliment it. If Apple announces a G5 platform at MacWorld Tokyo, as many expect, that platform will also be competing in these platform wars.

Boxx Technologies is one of the platforms that also specialize in Linux. Hewlett-Packard, which has had major sales to Dreamworks, and IBM are other platform venders finding that Linux will play an increased role in the broadcast and entertainment industries. Before Apple's announcement of the acquisition of Nothing Real, I expected the Linux OS to be more prevalent at this year's NAB. Solutions from Alias|Wavefront Maya and hardware solutions from Linux Media Arts, Linux Media Labs, and DVS may become more common at this year's NAB.

Plug-ins will be the other must-see for postproduction people. Besides checking out the usual players (5D, The Foundry, GenArts, Pixelan, Digital Film Tools, Boris FX, DigiEffects, etc.), there are also some other noteworthy players for this category as well. Profound Effects offers Elastic Gasket, but check out the Useful Things and Pan&Scan plug-ins too. Automatic Duck will demonstrate Automatic Composition Import, now available for FCP and XpressDV as well as Avid Media Composers. Ultimatte will be launching a new generation of matte extraction tools and an HD Ultimatte. Pixel Power will be demonstrating a CG AVX plug-in, Collette. 3-Prong offers several excellent plug-ins for Avid platforms. Conoa has a new 3-D plug-in. If you haven't seen Re: Vision Effects Video Gogh, you should. And I am partial to StageTools' Moving Picture.

It should be an excellent NAB for the postproduction community. There will be a completed Las Vegas convention center, plenty of after-hours happenings, and enough exciting new technology to give you plenty to talk about to those who could not make it. See you there.
Bob Turner

Cameras: A Buyer's Market?

There's only one trend discernable from camera introductions at this year's NAB: the expectation that a buyer's market will require high price-to-performance ratios to attract sales.

Last year, the whisper suites were filled with tapeless camera prototypes. Only the one from Hitachi made it out of R&D to this year's show floor.

Sony, an anchor tenant with its largest display to date, should make the Nevada “block” trip from the main hall worth the hike. Pre-show prognostication indicates that several flavors of less expensive HD, a camcorder that streams directly to the Internet, and a miniDV camcorder capable of recording at 24fps, sort of, will be the highlights of the camera introductions. Here's what you'll find at the manufacturer's booths:

Canon shows its XL1s, the latest version of its popular miniDV camcorder, which features redesigned menus and user control over image quality. The features added to the pioneering XL1 are numerous, but top marks go to improved resolution and low-light capability, DV Control (controls external 1394 devices), the ability to shoot any monitor without worrying about scan lines, and a variable zebra level.

Hitachi Denshi America debuts a DVD-RAM recorder for dockable cameras that records 60 minutes of MPEG-2 video on DVD-RAM cartridges. The recorder comes bundled with software to transfer the media to a server, edit on a laptop, or edit in camera.

The second generation of Hitachi's SK-3300P and SK-3100P HDTV cameras (1080i/480i simultaneous output, 1080i/720p optional) will feature newly developed 12-bit A/D converters. Hitachi's SK-555 16:9/4:3 switchable 640,000 pixel IT CCD broadcast camera has its NAB premiere along with Hitachi's first HDTV graphics/POV camera, the DK-H3. The DK-H3 camera weighs less than 1.2 kilograms, has one 2.2 million pixel IT CCD and a digital signal processor that offers six-vector color correction, adjustable detail frequency and flesh-tone detail control.

With a nod to its glory days in the 80s, Ikegami introduces a familiar name, the HDK-79 series of HDTV cameras. The 79E employs 2/3-inch, 2.2 million-pixel IT CCDs. It comes in one version with a built-in MPEG encoder. Also new: the HDK-720P with 720p native 2/3-inch CCDs; an ultra-compact — the HDL-20 with two 2/3-inch 2.2 million pixel IT CCDs; and a new switchable standard def camera (16:9/4:3) the HL-60W with 520,000 pixel AIT CCDs.

JVC will generate some noise with the Streamcorder (GY-DV300), a camcorder with three 1/3-inch 4:3 CCDs and 14:1 fixed zoom lens that records on miniDV tape. The DV300's internal circuitry is identical as its larger ENG-style cousin, the DV500. Consequently, it offers gamma controls, blemish correction, user set-able zebras (75 to 100), and two XLR microphone inputs.

What differentiates this camera, priced under $4,000, is its companion KA-DV300U network adapter — a miniature web-server that attaches to the bottom of the camera. With the slim KA-DV300U attached, the camera can simultaneously record on tape and stream live to the Internet. The optional network package includes the adapter, which has a microprocessor running Linux, connections to control up to four cameras remotely, and Streaming Producer software to link the camera to a computer.

Panasonic has a broad range of new products. For miniDV aficionados, the AG-DVX100 is a breakthrough. The AG-DVX100 can record 60i or 23.976 progressive on miniDV tape, using a scheme similar to the one employed by Panasonic's variable frame rate HD camera, recently renamed, the AJ-HDC27 Varicam.

The AG-DVX100 is a palm-sized camcorder with three newly-developed 1/3-inch progressive scan CCDs (4:3), a sensitivity of F/11 at 2,000 lux, two built-in XLR inputs with phantom power, swing out LCD screen, and a viewfinder. Unfortunately, there's no 16:9 feature or a way to playback Panasonic's 24 true frames, which are being recorded in a 29.97 format.

This playback problem will be resolved for Varicam shooters with Panasonic's new AJ-FRC27 Frame Rate Converter. It outputs variable frame rate, progressive-scan footage captured with the AJ-HDC27 Varicam to 24fps recording formats. In the field, the FRC27 converter will instantly display the results of changing the camera's frame rate. HD-SDI and analog composite outputs are standard; SDI is optional. Cinematographers will also appreciate the cine-style gamma option for this camera, which extends its usable dynamic range and substantially improves the master gamma, knee point, and detail controls.

Also new are the AK-HC931, a 480i studio camera with variable-frame-rate capture support that's upgradeable to 720p, 1080i, or 720/24p and the AK-HC900 720p camera. Both employ 2/3-inch, 1 million pixel IT CCDs, 12-bit analog to digital conversion, with a sensitivity of F/10 at 2,000 lux (HC900 at 60fps). The HC900 records multiple frame rates — 6-, 12-, 18-, 24-, 30-, and 40fps — though the underlying frame rate is always 60fps. The HC900 is extremely compact, with the head measuring 4.4"×5.3"×7" and weighing just 3.9 pounds.

Sony introduces two HDCAM cameras using its newly developed IT CCDs (1080 format) with extremely low smear levels (-125dB). These record a 1080 HD signal at 59.94i or 50i in compliance with the ITU internationally standardized 1920x1080 Common Image Format (CIF).

The compact HDW-730 HDCAM camcorder offers DSP controls with selectable gamma curves, adaptive highlight and knee saturation control, and a Memory Stick media slot for storing settings in an eight-pound package. HD-SDI output is standard. Optional equipment includes a downconverter board and video cache board. When the camera is on, the video cache board automatically stores up to seven seconds of video in memory prior to the operator triggering record, at which time it's saved to tape. The idea is to help capture unpredictable events you might miss, such as a dramatic lightning strike.

The HDC-930 is a studio camera version that offers an optical fiber interface and 1.5Gbps HD-SDI transmission in an 11-pound package.

On the standard definition front, Sony's new MSW-900 camcorder records MPEG based I-Frame at a bit rate of 50Mbps, using the same CCD technology employed in its new HD cameras. The MSW-900 records standard definition at 60i or 30p (switchable) with 12-bit A/D conversion and features 20-bit audio as well as a Memory Stick slot. An optional SDI output card and video cache board are available.

Thomson appears to be returning to NAB with newer prototypes of the HD cameras the company has been showing for the past several years. Check out the LDK 6000HD series HD camera (using what has to be the largest CCD anywhere, the 9.2 million pixel HD-DPM), which Thomson says is the first native multi-format camera system for studio and EFP use. It handles both 1080i and 720p. The 6000 can use installed Triax, delivering a signal up to 3,300 ft. away.

Expect to also see cameras highlighted at the IBC, including the LDK23 HS MKII slow-motion camera, the TTV 1657D and 1707 with a fiber extension, and the LDK 7000HD digital cinematography camera as well as the “smallest camera base station”, the LDK 4500SL (SlimLine series).

Some companies are clearly thinking out of the box and others continuing along the path they set several years ago. Of course, there are bound to be surprises. NAB is famous for last minute additions and still wet technology that makes everyone stand up and take notice. See you on the show floor.
Robert Goodman

Getting Glass

While most of the new product excitement at the show will center on top-of-the-line HD primes and zooms, there's still plenty of innovative development in the rest of the offerings. Once difficult and expensive to develop, improved wide-angle capabilities now turn up in many of the latest offerings. Look for a good number of innovative non-standard lens introductions, and unique items such as Innovision's track-running, radio-controlled mini camera cars.

Canon's HDxs series gains new lenses featuring optical stabilization that are claimed as more affordable. These include the DIGI SUPER 86xs series and a completely new series of HDxs EFP lenses, the HJ40X10B IASD-V and HJ40X14B IASD-V TELE. Another in that series, the HJ11X4.7B IRSD lays claim to being the widest-angle HD lens ever for newsgathering and documentary.

The new 19X IFpro (Pro-Video) lens for 2/3-inch and ¼-inch cameras features a faster zoom and Shuttle Shot, a technology for zooming back and forth instantly from any two positions at the touch of a button.

The IS-20B Image Stabilizing Adapter makes it possible, for the first time, to attach a VAP (Vari-Angle Prism) optical image stabilization device to a standard Canon lens.

Fujinon will introduce two wide-angle ENG lenses; the A13×6.3 and A13×6.3E are described as having the widest focal length (6.3mm) and highest magnification of 13x (82mm focal length at telephoto end and 164mm with a 2x Extender) among all professional lenses.

While both lenses are designed for 2/3-inch cameras, Fujinon will also introduce the S13×4.5E and S1×34.5, lenses designed for ¼-inch cameras. The new lenses provide comparable specifications as standard lenses and a wide range of shooting applications from wide angle to telephoto with a single lens. The inner focus mechanism commonly found in Fujinon's broadcast lens products has been incorporated to make the lens compact and lightweight.

Innovision Optics, a developer and distributor of novel lenses and camera support gear, will show the latest version of its CAMS MD Remote Camera Head. Innovision describes it as the most modular and versatile camera tracking system for use on jib arms, cranes, overhead, or floor rails. The CAMS MD, already lightweight and compact, gains even more versatility since it requires only standard telephone type cable for operation, rather than bulky coaxial cables.

Don't miss the latest version of Radcam, the miniature, radio-controlled camera car. Similar to a kid's Monster Truck, but in a toughened version (for cameras weighing up to 35lbs.), the Radcam now runs on track. Consider laying track, for example, across the front of a stage to get those extreme low-angle (4 inches off the ground) shots during a concert.

With an active camera rental business, Les Zellan's ZGC also distributes some unique camera and lens gear, including OpTex and the renowned Cooke primes and zooms. Check out OpTex's Periscope/Borescope system, with versions that work with 16mm/35mm film, HD, and standard video. The lens assembly enables unusual shots, and couples with, for example, 35mm cameras with Arri PL or BL, Panavision or BNCR lens ports.

ZGC also distributes the P+S Technik Mini 35 Digital Adapter, allowing the use of 35mm film lenses on the Canon XL-1 and XL-1S. The adapter delivers the same depth of field, focus, and angle of view as with a 35mm film camera, reproducing the three-dimensional quality of 35mm film on a Mini DV tape, according to the company. The unit comes with a choice of mounts: Arri PL, Nikon, Leica, Canon EF, and Zeiss Contax. In a case where the tail clearly does wag the dog, the adapter even accepts Panavision lenses.
Dan Ochiva

Graphics, Imaging

UK-based First Art has just one product: hardware that both adds and accelerates high-res effects right at the telecine. At the show, check out the new version of Primal, its telecine “creativity toolbox”, along with the new Black Box range of separate lower cost image processing modules.

Imagica exhibits its High Resolution Imager XE scanner, capable of scanning 16mm and 35mm film with resolutions from 2K and 4K. It includes a pin-registered gate. Imager XE plays well with Linux, Irix, or Windows.

At Siggraph 2001, the scanning speeds for 35mm/4perf 2k came in at 4 seconds; for 4k, it clocked at 8 seconds per frame. Expect to see even faster 2k and 4k scanning times at the show.

REALVIZ debuts MatchMover 2 Professional, with a built-in automatic 3D tracker to pull 3D camera data and motion from videos and film sequences. MatchMover 2 Professional adds to the standard 2.0 version with the addition of automatic tracking, calibration, track cleanup, and support for matte sequences for tracking specific objects. A user can start tracking automatically, for example, and then move smoothly back and forth between automatic and manual processes, with no interruption of workflow.

Chatsworth, Calif.-based Ultimatte will announce a new generation of matte extraction tools for Adobe, AVID, Discreet, and other effects and NLE products. Ultimatte says the product will provide an intuitive and modern UI design filled with innovative features including separate shadow channel, smart matte sizing, image decompression, and dynamic screen correction.

Saving one for the show, Ultimatte said it would unveil a new hardware product for realtime HD video processing.
Dan Ochiva

Workstations and More

One of the products involved in HP's recent technology alliance with Dreamworks is the x1100, a Linux workstation running Red Hat Linux 7.1. Features include the new .13 micron Pentium 4 processor, delivering speeds of 1.7-, 1.9-, 2.0-, or 2.2GHz (you can have a single or dual processor model). Other specs include PC133 RAM (ECC DDR 266 style), IDE or Ultra 160 SCSI hard disks, CD-ROM with CD-RW, DVD, Ethernet 10/100, keyboard, mouse, and power cord in a minitower configuration.

The first NewTek Video Toaster came out in 1990. Working with the popular Amiga computer, it offered one of the first practical methods of editing video on inexpensive gear. New for the show, Video Toaster [2] (Windows 2000-based) comes as a card bundled with incredibly comprehensive software, enough so that the overhyped term studio-in-a-box really does fit (okay, so NewTek calls it a TV Studio-in-a-Box.)

The VT2 includes Speed Razor 4.8SE realtime NLE software, character generation, 2D painting and compositing, 3D animation and effects, realtime keying, does live Web streaming, as well as video and audio processing. An optional switcher expansion module, for example ($1995), adds component, composite, and Y/C live switching, an audio mixer, and machine control.

But wait, there's more! There's also Aura [2.5] Video Paint, LightWave Express 3D modeling and animation, ToasterCG character generator, ToasterVision on-screen video monitors, ToasterScope Waveform monitor/Vectorscope, and ToasterDDR Digital Disk Recorder, all for under $5,000.

SGI shows Fuel, a new workstation line that leverages the architecture of its high-end SGI 3000 products. Quoted as delivering 30% more performance at a 57% lower price tag than the base Octane2, Fuel features a new generation of MIPS processors (500MHz and 600MHz). From the 3000 line, Fuel inherits a high bandwidth architecture, increased memory, and increased cache. Throw in the VPro graphics card — capable of 48-bit RGBA — and take it home for a list price around $11,500.

Of course, SGI doesn't want to jeopardize its flagship Octane2 line. The Fuel series can employ one processor only (the Octane can run two), and it currently handles only SD, not HD. While the Fuel comes in lower priced and faster than the base Octane2, the later can scale much higher in speed, memory, support dual monitors, and use the VPro 3D graphics card and DMediaPro DM2 HD video card.
Dan Ochiva

Networks, Servers, Storage, and more

Ciprico calls it the “world's first Digital Media Appliance”. While you may not want to use it in your kitchen, the company says the DiMeda 2400 combines SAN performance with NAS ease of use.

Ciprico's product testing verified speedy NAS performance levels exceeding 75 MB/s aggregate bandwidth delivered to video applications through a single node.

The Ciprico DiMeda 2400's performance and fault-tolerant dual node architecture make this the first NAS product truly capable of addressing mid- to high-end visual media applications, says the company. Development, on track for an initial product release in April, will first focus the product on the news editing market.

Over the past few years, DataDirect Networks has developed a plug-and-play networked storage technology, one that is claimed to provide data three times faster than any existing Storage Area Networking (SAN) systems.

At the show, the Chatsworth, Calif.-based company shows the results of that development. The newest member of the Silicon Storage Appliance family (SSA), the S2A 3000 Silicon Storage Appliance, is said to combine affordability and performance. The device delivers 1TB for $49,995, in a more compact unit than its previous products.

Incite Multimedia Corporation, the Swiss company offering nonlinear editing products, recently announced that DataDirect Networks' Silicon Storage Appliance has been chosen as its primary storage networking solution for broadcast, post, and digital media installations that require access, collaboration, and scalability.

Envivio introduces a new product and updates to its end-to-end MPEG-4 interactive commercial broadcasting solutions. The unnamed product utilizes MPEG-4's rich set of integrated streaming media elements, including the high-performance streaming audio and video, text, images, animation and vector graphics.

Fast Forward Video's Recon Portable Digital Video Recorder goes where no DVR has gone before: on the road in your laptop. The Irvine, Calif.-based company's miniature, ultra-compact digital video recorder board measures just 2.8"×3.9" (the same form factor as notebook IDE/ATA disk drives), while offering broadcast-quality resolution (greater than 550 lines at 4:1 compression).

Glyph's JK2002 takes advantage of the latest advances in materials technology, using a composite alloy that dampens vibration, which extends the life cycle of the two-channel Ultra 160 SCSI JBOD array. The JK2002 relies on redundant, hot-swappable drives, power supplies, and cooling components. With a claimed sustained data throughput of 200MBps, the array supports HD and compressed SD video.

Kasenna's MediaBase XMP or (“Extensible Media Platform”) enables advanced video-on-demand services via a software framework that addresses the major aspects of video delivery. The product is built on Kasenna's core technology for managing, distributing, and delivering high-quality video and audio over IP and ATM networks. MediaBase XMP adds key features including MPEG-4 support, a back office integration foundation, and commercial grade capabilities that meet the requirements of emerging VOD applications.

Leitch continues upgrades on its server systems, with the latest in hardware, including 180GB FC drives and 2Gbps fibre channel connectivity. A new SNMP application helps monitor and maintain the complete server system. Meanwhile, DVD archiving has been extended to include archiving of long-form programming. Interoperability is improved through automating the transcode capabilities. Servers can now transcode between all major server file formats and from JPEG to MPEG-2 in Leitch systems.

Mathematical Technologies (MTI) introduces IntelliDeck 2002, an enhanced, PC-based version of MTI's flagship DRS restoration and image processing product family. With IntelliDeck 2002, MTI says its workstations will offer a more cost effective, tapeless workflow based on off-the-shelf computers.

MTI also debuts image rendering on Linux clusters. Fully scalable, clustered PCs enable users to perform noise and grain reduction, automatic removal of dust and dirt, and multiple, simultaneous format conversions in faster than realtime.

Omneon introduces the Omneon Networked Content Server, for applications serving centralcasting, automation, on-air play-out, fault-tolerant redundancy, program-delay and editing. The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company's file server platform claims a higher level of performance over Gigabit Ethernet to maximize transport of video over high-speed IP networks.

Telestream manufactures Flipware products, offering fairly straight-forward methods to encode and deliver broadcast-quality video and streaming media via the Internet. Now, the Nevada City, Calif.-based company will introduce FlipFactory TrafficManager, co-developed with a “major network”. The setup automates station operations for processing commercials and other media received from a variety of sources. This media can then be aggregated, logged, and redistributed via LAN without the need for manual intervention.
Dan Ochiva

Test and Measurement

For those who use scopes, be sure to check out Tektronix's booth. Focusing on education, the venerable test and measurement company will rotate 15-minute “how-to” seminars, covering the benefits of multi-layer monitoring and how to use waveform monitors for production and postproduction applications such as color correction.

New at the show: the Tektronix AD920, a handheld, battery-powered MPEG tester that provides faster installation time by quickly identifying faults and reduces downtime. The portable unit helps ensure quality and reliability in networks that distribute video, audio, and data in digital formats.

Whether SD or HD, keeping a post operation simple can be difficult with so many pieces of gear needed to check the growing number of signals. Videotek addresses that with its VTM-420HD/SD, which combines all the popular features of its predecessors the VTM-400HD and VTM-300 for monitoring and measuring picture, waveform, vector, and audio on a single high-resolution XGA monitor.

In addition, the VTM-420HD/SD adds 601 processing to the existing inputs, Ethernet connectivity, closed-caption monitoring, auto-detect of HD or SDI and expandability of up to 24 inputs.
Dan Ochiva

NAB Wish List: Godfrey Pye, Sunset Digital

“We are primarily a movie mastering house, though we are seeing more broadcast and restoration work recently. In the restoration category, I'm particularly interested to see what [Snell & Wilcox] have done with their Archangel HD restoration tool. We've had good success with it, and I'm hearing they will have some improvements for it, including [an expanded filter set for] realtime restoration of film and video material. I'm also very interested in the new Snell & Wilcox's 6200 HD cross-converter technology since we have been involved in talking to them about that technology for some time now. Their Sprint [disk-based, NT workstations] also seem to have a lot of potential to speed up workflow by converting everything to your chosen HD format automatically. That could be a cost-effective alternative to [Quantel's] iQ system.”

NAB Wish List: Roger Mayer, Level 3 Post

“Any product to ease the transition from film acquisition to 24p acquisition would be something that I'd be interested in. That's where format converters can be very helpful, and I'm hearing Snell & Wilcox is doing good things in that area, in addition to Panasonic. I'd like to see them develop less arcane user interfaces in terms of ergonomics, so hopefully, I'll see something along those lines. It's my understanding that Snell & Wilcox is also a bit further along than some others with its [6200] cross-converter technology, in terms of detecting and removing mixed cadence. That technology will therefore be of great interest.”

Tech Toys

By S.D. Katz

NAB is a few short weeks away during an acknowledged tech industry slump. While the signs of hard times are not difficult to find, gloom-and-doom really doesn't hold in the tech sector. There is no shortage of announcements for a slew of devices and technical advances that would be considered breathtaking at any other time in history.

In the last several months we've gotten even faster CPUs (the Northwood Pentium 4, with Mac's G5 coming soon), breakthrough imaging chip technology (Foveon), another fast game machine from a company with home media hub aspirations (Microsoft's Xbox), and the stylish, re-energized flat-panel iMac.

Shown at the Computer Electronic Show were new devices that track your children's location if they wear something that looks like Dick Tracy's radio watch, handheld devices that play back an animator's reel, and Apple iPods that store most of a serious music collector's CD library.

A lot of this hardware tends to be in the boy toy category, but all these devices will need software and content, which means at some point they'll be calling you. Although unemployment is up, new entertainment devices and our need to distract ourselves is good news for NAB attendees.

The same crowd that must own the PlayStation and Xbox are the ones responsible for the continuing dynamics of postproduction and the rise of the boutique motion design studios. The once predatory desktop shops on Santa Monica Boulevard and in New York's Flat Iron district, however, are not recession proof; the glut of After Effects houses would put a smile on Darwin's face. Boutiques that once gnawed on the leg of postproduction facilities now find themselves vulnerable to even more competitive pricing, coming from even smaller shops as well as individual artists working out of their apartments.

NAB reflects all these dynamics. The number one item on the production side is how to reduce costs (and prices) while still maintaining a margin. The conundrum? The lowering cost of digital production, while seemingly a boon to postproduction companies, has opened the door to competition.

All that stands between the utter collapse of prices and profitability is the creative community. The best directors still want to shoot film, and while not averse to saving money, the headlong charge into consumer video formats and other desktop efficiencies is not an automatic decision. Art directors that ask for 19 revisions are also the firewall that holds back cheap formats and cutthroat postproduction pricing.

Getting Layered at NAB

Compositors and broadcast designers alike have benefited from a decade of rapidly improving desktop products. Adobe After Effects is at the top of the desktop pyramid with version 5.5. AE is making up for the development lag that took place in the late 90s when the product was being ported to the PC. AE, with two robust versions delivering in less than a year, has again created tremendous excitement in the vast motion graphics community, one that was literally spawned by Photoshop and After Effects.

Version 5.5 adds high quality intersections between layers, projection lights, simpler scripting for expressions, support for 3D objects (with a bundled plug-in), and numerous other features. Particularly cool are the plug-in developers like Canoma and Zaxwerks that are making it possible to create 3D objects in After Effects' 2.5D environment.

Discreet's Combustion 2.0 was not far behind After Effects this winter, with the latest version furnishing the postproduction industry with a second desktop 16-bit rendering solution that also includes paint and an integrated 2.5D environment. New in this version are an integrated particle system, an interactive, fully editable, schematic view, 64-bit image processing, grain tools, and expanded interoperability with Flame and Inferno.

In January, Discreet raised Combustion's price to $4,995, a general admission that taking on After Effects (base package $695, Production Bundle $1,500) was futile; it was just better to hold margins and sell through the traditional dealer channel that sells Flame and Inferno. Now, Combustion is being repositioned as a prepping tool for Flame and Inferno suites. As a standalone product, it gives traditional post facilities an option for competing with motion graphic boutiques.

Also new at the show, Pinnacle Systems' Commotion 4.0 shows the company's continued effort to turn this highly regarded rotoscoping and paint tool into a full-blown compositing solution. But it's hard to imagine them taking market share from After Effects or Combustion, since its implementation of basic features such as nested comps is generally not as powerful as those in AE.

Commotion has an improved timeline interface, faster rendering for composites, paint and spline feathering for mattes, a new player interface for clips, new time remapping features, and a new effects palette. Commotion's core (and original) tools for painting and roto work are still the main reason for buying the program.

The Mac OS X is now supported, and if you have a CineWave or Targa 3000 board you can play back standard definition clips in realtime. Still worth the price for roto work and its excellent tracker.

Deep Color

In this, the first half of 2002, the promise of professional video produced on consumer desktop systems is officially a reality. What makes it official? First of all the compositing applications listed above that finally support 16-bit files and rendering. Secondly, the arrival of very serious color correction tools on the desktop.

In the case of Combustion 2.0 (and 1.0) the robust correction tools come with the product. An even more sophisticated solution is available as a plug — in for After Effects and Final Cut Pro. Color Finesse, from Synthetic Aperture, the same folks that developed Echo Fire, a software vectorscope, is a full-featured color-correction tool that performs extremely high-level color correction in HSL, RGB, CMY, and YPbPr color spaces. There are six channels of secondary color correction calculated at 96 bits per pixel. This is code that is comparable to daVinci's and Pandora's products.

To take advantage of all this 16-bit software, it's necessary to output work at the same high level. Fortunately, there are several affordable options to do just that. First is Digital Voodoo's absolutely terrific set of graphics cards for the Macintosh. At Macworld, the Australian company announced the compatibility of its codec for supporting 16-bit RGB for Adobe After Effects 5.5. This is the D1 Desktop 64 AV series, consisting of three cards (including D1 Desktop 64, D1 Desktop 64 Lite, D1 Desktop 64AV) with uncompressed 10-bit SMPTE 259M SDI, standard definition Quicktime video cards.

For HD, Digital Voodoo has the Iridium HD card; it's compatible with all the hi-def motion graphics applications on the Macintosh. This card supplies uncompressed 10-bit 4:2:2:4 or 4:4:4:4 dual link video in YUV colorspace. The product includes Media Transfer, a frame capturing utility that allows the frame-accurate capture and insertion (in or out) from a digital tape deck with RS422 control.

Another option for the Macintosh G4 is Pinnacle System's CineWave product based on the Targa Cine engine using the HUB3 video processor. The 64-bit PCI board supports NTSC/PAL, CCIR-601, or HD compressed and uncompressed. The system also supports 4:3, 16:9, YUC, RGBA, 4:2:2 or 4:4:4:4, interlaced and progressive signals. Other options include I/O with SDI with analog composite, component and S-Video. The standard def version of CineWave is upgradeable to HD SDI with embedded audio. The HD option supports 1080i/60 and 1080p/24. As a complete system, take After Effects, Combustion, or Commotion, plus high-quality color correction in 10-bit, and add a 10-bit output card, and you've got an unprecedented pipeline for digital studios.

3D and Animation

Show attendees looking for the latest products in 3D should check out Alias|Wavefront's Maya and Softimage's XSI, because both programs shipped new versions before Christmas 2001. The latest version of Maya shipped is version 3.5.1 for Mac OS X. This puts the Mac version a little behind the NT version, which is currently at version 4.0. But this is another big win for the Mac platform.

Softimage XSI version 2.0 is a remarkable animation system, but it arrives at a time when the visual effects and animation studios are very cautious about new purchases. This is the third major release of its visionary 3D product with realtime shaders, hair and fur simulators, substantially increased performance, enhancements to its nonlinear animation, interactive rendering, and many other new features. Meanwhile Softimage continues to support Softimage 3D, its original animation system, with a new released version 3.9. If you appreciate elegant interface design and a product with vision, check out XSI at the Soft booth.

Fans of Discreet's 3ds Max will probably get a preview of version 5.0 at NAB. The next major release of this hugely successful animation product is due this summer or early fall. However, Combustion 2.0 will be of interest to Max users because of its tight integration with the overall workflow in Max.

NewTek will be showing the recently shipped version 7 of LightWave, the popular animation program. Highlights include nonlinear animation and a cut-and-paste system for character animation loops that allows motion segments to be blended. Complex scene management gets easier with a powerful spreadsheet editor that provides access to all the attributes of every element in a scene. Fur simulation is now part of the core program, and there are numerous improvements to particle effects, including fluid dynamics and crowd simulation.

Alias|Wavefront's Maya will be attracting Mac users with the new version ready for OS X. After years of 3D envy, the Mac now has two (Maya and LightWave) of the Big Four high-end 3D animation systems, as well as new versions of dependable 3D products such as Electric Image's Universe and Hash's Animation Master.

The early exhilarating days of desktop production are gone. While the industry is defined by greater homogeneity in design, the fact remains is that we've gotten a great deal of what was only dreamed about in the early 90s. The ratio of tech support calls to active work has improved. Rendering times are down, and science continues to jazz us with image-improving developments such as global illumination, sub surface scattering, and HDRI. You'll find these and other surprises on the show floor at NAB.

Is Nothing Real Anymore?

By Bob Turner and S.D. Katz

In a terse two-sentence release this past February, Apple announced that it acquired Venice, Calif.-based Nothing Real, manufacturer of high-end compositing packages Shake and Tremor. With no more information available at press time, Millimeter asked contributing editors Steve Katz and Bob Turner for their thoughts on what this sudden turnabout might mean for the post industry.

Point: Bob Turner

On February 6, Apple confirmed that it was acquiring Nothing Real, the manufacturer of Shake and Tremor compositing software. These two software products were making significant inroads into professional film and video postproduction. In fact, Shake was used in the making of Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter as well as 80 other films. They were also making significant inroads in video postproduction. There have been predictions that Shake on Linux, together with Maya, would be the pillars that would bring the Linux operating system to prominence in our industry.

Apple plans to use the technology gained by this acquisition in future versions of its products, but would give no further information. Nevertheless, based upon past acquisitions, conjectures can be made on possible impacts. When Apple acquired Spruce Technologies, the company disappeared, and Apple announced no new DVD products that were derived from the acquisition. Before that, Apple's acquisition of Astarte's DVD authoring technology became DVD Studio Pro. The other well-known video industry acquisition is that of the Final Cut Pro technology from Macromedia. In this case, it became a successful Mac-based product, but the cross-platform solution and several promised features were eliminated. We also know that Apple CEO Steve Jobs has great interest in providing tools for the film and video industries.

Neither Apple nor Nothing Real will comment upon the acquisition, but a memo from Nothing Real management to the Shake user group indicates Shake will be around for the foreseeable future. The message states, “We will continue to sell, support, maintain and develop Shake. We are not closing shop and abandoning you. Instead, we will now have more resources to improve the software and give you new tools to do your work. As you might expect, our OS X port will be coming soon.” The memo also reveals: “Everyone at Nothing Real has joined Apple. No one is going away. We are not moving to Cupertino; we are all staying right here in Venice.” This memo also reveals plans to contact each customer and explain the actual impact.

There is lively speculation on various newsgroups concerning whether Shake will be incorporated into Final Cut Pro or if it will evolve into a new Mac-based product — or if the technology will be absorbed in some way, but the products will disappear.

Nothing Real has evolved into a potential powerhouse in the composting/finishing marketplace. It holds a significant position in what looks to be the hottest product arena at NAB this year. It would be a blow to the Linux community if the product disappears or is limited to the Mac interface.

If Shake evolves into a Mac-only product, it will be another blow to Adobe Systems. Final Cut Pro has taken a significant number of sales away from Adobe Premiere, and Apple's iPhoto is beginning to impact sales of Adobe's photo imaging products. Now Apple could use its marketing muscle to offer a product — perhaps for significantly less than the original suggested retail price of Shake. If such were the case, the system would become a major competitor to Adobe After Effects. This may have ramifications for Discreet with its Combustion, Flint, Flame and Smoke products and for Media 100 with its new entry, code-named Pegasus. Products from other manufacturers from 5D Cyborg and Eyeon Final Effects to Leitch's DPS VelocityQ, and Accom Affinity could also be impacted.

Counterpoint: S. D. Katz

Few announcements in the digital production industry have caused as much speculation as Apple's recent acquisition of Nothing Real, the developers of compositing software Shake and Tremor. There are many more questions then answers right now, so in the interest of recreational augury, here are some basic thoughts.

One popular line of reasoning that I keep hearing is that Apple hopes to grab Adobe After Effect's market share with Shake (or a new product using Shake's technology) by repeating the success of Final Cut Pro when it vanquished Adobe Premiere.

The circumstances, however, are quite different. Premiere was a troubled product when Final Cut Pro was launched, while After Effects is a bona fide phenomenon with a very large and extremely loyal following. Users don't switch from software they like even if a better alternative is available. Rival software has to be an order of magnitude better while the incumbent has to make mistakes. After Effects has one of the best engineering teams in the industry who also happen to be extremely responsive to their users, so I don't expect them to falter any time soon.

The situation with new users is a bit different. After Effects is more vulnerable in this area, and if Apple releases the yet-to-be-named OS X product at a comparable price point to AE and manages to get the schools to offer an alternative to After Effects, then this may in fact cause AE some problems.

As it turns out, Shake is a very, very good product that has been aimed at large- and medium-sized visual effect studios. Its node based architecture fits into large pipelines more easily than AE, and its considerably faster rendering is no small advantage. But then this is a relatively small market. After Effects, although a superb effects compositing solution, has piled up the big user base because of its supremacy in the broadcast graphics market. Here the product benefits from its connection to the print and design world in which Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator continue to rule.

After Effects' Mac sales are small compared with its Windows sales, and so if Apple reduces support for Shake on Windows or Linux, it is unlikely that they will be able to damage After Effects. However, I don't believe Jobs is able to make that bold a move in the near future.

The possibility that Apple will take Shake to a broader market is reasonably high and in the long run this could soften the near lock on the compositing market that After Effects now holds. But this is a long process for the simple reason that in the production world, the Rolodex rules.

When a producer looks for a compositor for a project, there are dozens of After Effects artists to choose from. In New York, for example, the idea of staffing a commercial project or broadcast design project entirely with Commotion, Combustion, or Digital Fusion artists is nearly impossible. This is true in most urban areas except Los Angeles, and in that case it's only less the case.

The AE lead in the job market and the schools that train the artists is the insurance policy against competition. An early lead in a market often means that some very good alternative products are overshadowed or squeezed out. That is why Maya and Avid are so difficult to dislodge from their leading positions.

So the Shake news is important because Apple is sitting on considerable cash. It's making a serious comeback in the graphics market, and Nothing Real has terrific software. So one of the two conditions for change is in place. The second condition, After Effects failure to please their users, is highly unlikely. But it is also possible that Apple has something entirely different in mind for Nothing Real's technology. The most productive aspect of the news so far is from the rumor mill.

NAB Wish List: Bob Williamson, Hollywood Digital

“The number one thing I'll be looking at will be to see if the [Snell & Wilcox] 6200 format converter is as advanced as I'm hearing. Theoretically, being able to remove a 3:2 mixed cadence sequence on the fly for up-converting material would make my job [as an online editor] much easier. Until now, the mixed cadence issue has been a big problem for people who do what I do.

“And I'm always interested in what Discreet is doing with Fire and Smoke, and all that stuff. From what I've seen, the Fire has important potential for HD mastering, but probably more for short-form stuff, like commercials, because it also offers all those effects capabilities.

“Quantel's new features for the iQ box — with this idea of multiple input streams working simultaneously — interest me. If that's the case, you could auto-assemble from multiple tape machines automatically.”

Continue the discussion on “Crosstalk” the Millimeter Forum.

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