CineForm has launched a new product family called CineDDR. Developed in partnership with Drastic Technologies, CineDDR provides direct-to-disk recording of HD video sources as an alternative to tape-based recording whose workflows are common for feature film and television post production.
CineDDR offers visual quality equivalent to or exceeding that of the respected HDCAM SR tape deck that has become the workhorse in the industry, yet at fully-integrated price points as low as 1/10 the price of HDCAM SR decks. CineDDR has data I/O (HD-SDI) and control (VTR emulation) interfaces compatible with tape decks, so CineDDR can be used immediately as a replacement for tape decks in professional workflows.
CineDDR is available as a software product from CineForm for integration by customers, or as a turnkey direct-to-disk recorder. More details about CineDDR are available on their website http://www.cineform.com/cineddr/index.php, and in the press release below.
and Playout As An Affordable Alternative to HDCAM SR
CineForm Compression Technology In Combination with Drastic Technologies DDR
Expertise Ushers in a New Era of File-Based Post Production Workflow Efficiency
Solana Beach, CA, July 22, 2009 – CineForm®, Inc. (www.cineform.com), creators of high-fidelity compression-based workflow solutions for the post production marketplace, today announced it has teamed with Drastic Technologies (www.drastictech.com), a developer of digital disk recording and data infrastructure technology, to accelerate the migration of post production workflows away from expensive and cumbersome tape-based formats towards more efficient and cost-effective file-based recording and playback.
The result of this technology partnership, CineForm CineDDR, combines CineForm’s respected mastering-quality compression with Drastic Technologies’ expertise in professional DDR technology to provide a software-based alternative for professional acquisition and playout. Leveraging commonly-available PC or Mac hardware, CineDDR delivers an accelerated workflow by creating media files that are immediately usable in post production – a significant development over tape workflows whose recording formats are not widely supported in post-production.
ScreenshotL CineForm CineDDR (prelimenary)
CineForm demonstrated CineDDR for the first time in its booth at NAB 2009 in Las Vegas.
“HDCAM SR has proven to be a workhorse technology for film and television production and post work,” said David Taylor, CEO and co-founder of CineForm, Inc. “Our strategy with CineDDR is to offer cost savings and labor efficiency that exceeds tape workflows, while also offering higher visual fidelity and feature compatibility demanded by professional workflows. Partnering with Drastic was a perfect fit for CineDDR because it allowed CineForm to focus on compression features and performance while leveraging the rich deck control features and user interface expertise for which Drastic is known.”
“The result of our collaboration with CineForm represents a significant workflow enhancement for the post production market,” added James Brooks, Manager of Development, Drastic Technologies. “Combining our expertise in developing tapeless digital disk recording solutions with CineForm’s innovative compression workflow creates an entirely new opportunity for customers to adopt a streamlined capture/playback solution with the functionality of a professional production VTR and a familiar VTR-style front end for ease of operation and a minimal learning curve.”
CineForm CineDDR Key Features: Economics of Ownership
A unique and valuable attribute of CineDDR is its affordable integrated price point for video capture and playback. CineDDR is available to customers immediately as a software solution, as well as a manufacturer built, optimized turnkey system, which will be available for purchase on August 1, 2009.
As a software-based solution, customers can assemble a CineDDR recording/playout system by adding an Intel Core i7-based PC or Mac with RAID storage plus an AJA Xena (Windows) or Kona (Mac) card. The integration cost for dual-link recording and playout for a CineDDR system is less than $10,000, enabling an ownership model instead of a rental model because the integrated price point is approximately 1/10 the cost of purchasing a fully-featured HDCAM SR deck.
As a turnkey solution, customers can easily order and deploy a specifically-designed and optimized ‘bullet proof’ turnkey solution. Benefits include professional system design, performance and maintenance for customers with mission critical content.
Key features of CineDDR software and turnkey solutions include:
• Record into or playback from CineForm’s 10-bit YUV or 12-bit RGB mastering format;
• Timecode-based video capture and playback to/from HD-SDI and component sources;
• 9-pin serial control and VTR emulation supporting IN and OUT for integration into an automated environment;
• Supports VITC, LTC and absolute time code sources;
• Clip metadata maintenance and display;
• Setup tools for up, down and cross conversion for output flexibility
Pricing and Availability
CineDDR software will be offered in both single-link and dual-link versions, and also in versions that support both Windows and Mac OS X. The single-link version of CineDDR is priced at $2500. The dual-link version is priced at $4000. The Windows version of CineDDR is available for purchase and Trial download from CineForm’s website. The Mac version of CineDDR will be available in the coming weeks. Turnkey solutions will be available August 1, 2009.
About Drastic Technologies®
Drastic Technologies Ltd, founded in 1991, is a major industry provider of products for digital media capture, control, conversion and delivery. These products are sold as software only applications or as part of a complete DDR solution built and certified by Drastic. Drastic’s head office is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Drastic Technologies Ltd has resellers and distributors operating in the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, and Asia. www.drastictech.com
About CineForm
CineForm Inc. develops compression-based workflow solutions for the post production marketplace. Offering the industry’s highest fidelity compression technology, CineForm is trusted among Hollywood filmmakers, television producers, videographers and digital media artists who rely on high image quality, high performance and innovative compression-based workflow solutions with up to 4k spatial resolutions for their online content creation projects. Available on both Windows and Mac platforms, CineForm workflow solutions are optimized for direct-to-disk camera recording, high-resolution post production and long-term content archives. For more information, visit www.cineform.com.
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