Blackmagic made a splash with the announcement of two major acquisitions, but that was far from the only Blackmagic news coming out of IBC 2016.
As we wind down another IBC, we're all catching our collective breaths after a very busy and newsworthy show. Canon certainly turned heads with its reveal of the upcoming C700 and Zeiss answered the prayers of many a shooter (including our own Phil Rhodes) with word of the LWZ.3 Lightweight Zoom. We don't have space here to recap the show's many news items, but check out our feature announcing the winners of the RedShark Awards for IBC 2016 for some of the highlights.
Not to be outdone, Blackmagic Design had some very big news of its own, namely the purchase of Ultimatte, "the worldwide leader in blue and green screen removal technology for the broadcast television, commercial and feature film industries," according to the press release. Blackmagic also deepened its stake in audio software, with the purchase of Fairlight, "which creates professional digital audio products for live broadcast event production, film and television post production, as well as immersive 3D audio mixing and finishing." Expect much more on Ultimatte and Fairlight in the coming weeks and months as Blackmagic preps their entry into the company's growing line of creative software.
The acquisition of Ultimatte and Fairlight may have been enough to buoy Blackmagic for the IBC news cycle, but we'll never know, as the company had other newsworthy products and revisions to mention.
For version 12.5.2 of the popular colour grading and editing software Davinci Resolve, users gain additional support for URSA Mini metadata for RAW files. The URSA Mini system for RAW files has been revamped, adding swipe-and-tap functionality, predictive data entry and other enhancements to speed up the process. This new metadata can be used within Resolve for media organization and management. In addition, the update supports colour space tags on QuickTime export, Fusion Connect for Linux, upgraded filtering and more. This free update can be downloaded from the Blackmagic Support Page.
To fans of the DeckLink Mini-series of capture cards who have been waiting for the 4K/UHD versions: your wait has ended. The just-announced DeckLink Mini Monitor 4K and DeckLink Mini Recorder 4K both support formats up to UHD at 30 fps. According to Blackmagic, "the new DeckLink Mini 4K models are low profile 4 lane generation 2 PCI Express cards that include 6G-SDI and HDMI 2.0a connections. This means the high quality connections support broadcast quality 10-bit YUV and 12-bit RGB video, along with the latest Rec. 2020 color and support for high dynamic range (HDR) formats and HDR metadata." Both additions to the DeckLink Mini-series retail for $195 and are available now.
Wrapping up Blackmagic IBC news, the company unveiled the Teranex AV broadcast standards converter designed for the pro AV market, featuring 12G-SDI and HDMI 2.0a inputs, outputs and loop through. Setting it apart from other Teranex products, the Teranex AV adds AV-specific features, including low latency, a still store, freeze frame and HiFi audio inputs for live presentations and conferences. It will be available sometime this month for $1,695.
The company's on-camera field monitor, the Video Assist 4K, went to version 2.2. The new update, which can be downloaded for free from the Blackmagic Support Page, improves DNxHD and DNxHR support and adds false color monitoring, more focus options and screen rotation features.
Finally, Blackmagic used the occasion of IBC to announce a price drop for its HyperDeck Studio 12G, "the world's most advanced solid state broadcast deck." Just one week ago, the HyperDeck Studio 12G would have cost $2,495. This week, the price is $1495 moving forward, $1000 (40%) less.
If, for whatever reason, the Blackmagic news from IBC2016 doesn't speak to you and your particular needs, take heart; NAB 2017 is only seven months away...