Fulfilling a promise made at IBC, Avid has released a new version of its Media Composer software which enables users to work natively in 4K.
The company bills this as allowing productions to become truly resolution independent and work in SD, HD, 4K ‘and beyond’, the latest Avid DNxHR codec scaling to work with whatever resolution is on the screen and making it “possible to edit and deliver high-res content within HD-capable infrastructures.”
Happily DNxHR is fully backwards compatible with DNxHD and features an adaptable gamut of flavours depending on what’s in front of it and what it’s running on; from DNxHR 444 (4:4:4 colour space, ideal for high-quality colour correction and finishing) down to DNxHR LB (low bandwidth, used for remote workflows and saving storage).
Other new capabilities include enhanced colour management, 60fps support, high-efficiency proxy workflows, and background rendering of high-resolution media.
Read the full release after the break.
The Avid Artist Suite’s Media Composer | Software enables video professionals to quickly and efficiently acquire, manage, edit, and deliver native 4K media
WHAT:
Avid® today announced that the latest version of Avid Media Composer® | Software, which allows video professionals to acquire, manage, edit, and deliver native 4K and other high-res media faster and more efficiently than ever, is now available.
Leveraging the new Avid Resolution Independence architecture and Avid DNxHR™ encoding, Media Composer offers the most complete and flexible end-to-end workflow for file-based editing of any resolution. This new release helps content creators deliver higher quality content in more collaborative, powerful, and efficient ways – a key part of Avid Everywhere™. Leveraging the Avid MediaCentral Platform, Media Composer is part of the Avid Artist Suite of industry-standard creative tools.
Avid Resolution Independence provides a holistic, platform-centric approach that puts no limits to the resolutions customers can capture, edit, and output. Media professionals can work with the broadest variety of media in every resolution – SD, HD, 4K and beyond – using their existing infrastructure. Media Composer is the first Avid product to support Resolution Independence, with support for more products and solutions across the MediaCentral Platform coming soon.
At the center of the Avid Resolution Independence architecture is Avid DNxHR, a new extensible media codec that makes it possible to edit and deliver high-res content within HD-capable infrastructures. Offering greater beauty without the bandwidth, DNxHR scales from lightweight proxies to mastering-quality high-resolution media.
Other new capabilities in the latest version of Media Composer include enhanced color management, high frame rate support, high-efficiency proxy workflows, and timesaving background rendering of high-resolution media.
WHO:
Media Composer | Software gives editors at post production facilities, broadcasters, production companies and more, the tools, workflows, and options needed for professional film, television, video, and news creation.
WHEN:
The new version of Media Composer | Software is available now (as of Dec. 22, 2014).
WHERE:
Media Composer | Software is available to purchase online and through authorized Avid resellers.
Before the end of 2014, existing owners can upgrade many older versions of Media Composer for only $299 and receive all updates and support for a year.
Existing customers can easily update their Media Composer | Software at any time using the Application Manager tool.
Notes to editors
New capabilities in the latest version of Media Composer | Software include:
• High-resolution editing – including 4K as well as 2K and Ultra HD
• Avid Resolution Independence
• DNxHR encoding
• Enhanced color management – support for new advanced color spaces that provide richer color depth than HD
• High frame rate – support for up to 60p
• Proxy workflows – work with high-res media quickly and efficiently with proxy media and proxy timeline features
• Background rendering for high-res media