Introducing Media Composer 4, Symphony 4, and NewsCutter 8 (http://www.avid.com/MediaComposer4.asp?cmpid=AV-PR-1)

I didn't see this coming. I don't know if there much if anything that is new though.

From the press release: http://www.avid.com/us/pressroom/avid-accelerates-customer-workflows.aspx

Eliminating timely transcode processes with the capability to mix and match different frame rates and resolutions in an open timeline within the same project.

If Avid has eliminated the need to transcode in software that is revolutionary, but i doubt that is the case. We'll see.

Gotta get back to work.

Support for Avid DNX Quicktimes in AMA linking would be grand.

Support for Avid DNX Quicktimes in AMA linking would be grand.

You would think that Avid would have considered it a no-brainer since DNXHD is their standard.

If Avid has eliminated the need to transcode in software that is revolutionary

Vegas has been doing that for 10 years. Nothing revolutionary about that.

More information on MC 4.0. The new timeline in 4.0 handles not only different resulotions and codecs but also framerates, all in real-time. So you can mix 24p and 30p and I assume 60p. This is very cool. (Sorry, and it isn't the same as Vegas because Vegas has no media management database to track. I know because i have Vegas here at work.)

See explanation below.

Splice Here (http://splicehere.wordpress.com/)

There is also 100 levels of undo, a bigger mix window, up to 16 tracks, and what they're calling transition preservation. Basically, if you have a fade up and a fade down on a clip, and you "red arrow' slide it around your timeline, the dissolves stay intact.

This also eliminates splitting a transition whe you edit a sequence into a sequence. This might see like a no big deal thing, but it really will help in long-form editing and commercials wher you're tracking 4, 5, or even in my case 15 different versions.

Cheers.

Still appears to be no real support for Canon 24F / JVC 24p users. Again, no surprise from Avid.

Mike,

That is incorrect. Avid MC has had Full JVC 24p HDV support since version 3.0 and Canon
24f support since 3.5.

Avid Media Composer Software (http://www.avid.com/products/Media-Composer-Software/features.asp)

Native codec support
HDV
HDV (25Mb/s)
Native project formats: 1080i/59.94, 1080i/50, 720p/23.976 (with support for 24p material), 720p/25, 720p/29.97, 720p/50, 720p59.94
Capture over IEEE-1394, edit, playback, export to file without timecode (export not for 24p material)

Avid has done a better job of supporting a wide range of formats (except AVCHD). It is not an easy task keeping up with the plethora of different formats.

Cheers.

Mike,

That is incorrect. Avid MC has had Full JVC 24p HDV support since version 3.0 and Canon
24f support since 3.5...

Sorry David, but sadly, that's not quite correct. You can capture Canon's 24F as long as you don't capture timecode. For some people, this doesn't matter, but for others it's outrageous. This limitation obviously rules out any kind of batch capturing or logging. Everything has to be done on the fly and there's no going back to the source material.

And there are ongoing problems w/ JVC HDV in terms of audio drift (although I believe these issues are not happening w/ the 24P frame rate).

We still looking at 500 bucks for the upgrade? Wow- Academic is only 295 for a full version... That is insanity. I remember when our company spent 40k on our Adrenaline system, although that was years ago at this point.

-C

It is insane:
If you're a student you get 4 years of free upgrades.

From the Avid website:

Just $295 for education + Free student upgrades
To empower the next generation of successful editors, Media Composer 4 Academic is just $295 USMSRP for students and educational institutions. Beginning September 30, 2009, students with academic versions of Media Composer software (versions 3.5 through 4 purchased on or after March 1, 2009) will qualify for complementary upgrades for four years from the date of software activation.

My first Avid Media Composer cost $75,000 and an SBA loan of $30,000.

David,

I acknowledge the support they *said* they added, but it's still very incomplete support, as Peter pointed out. It's like having a hamburger bun thrown at you in place of a full meal.

Also concerning the academic discount... you don't get a discount for the Avid i/o hardware. Students still need to purchase high-end equipment to implement their workflows effectively. I think it's more of a strategic move to capture a customer-base that is already turned on to Apple and Adobe. Just my own judgment of the situation.

Regardless, I feel I might be waiting this upgrade out - not much new - 3.5 satisfies my needs.

Mike, I really think students don't need some form of Mojo to do their work. Full Screen Playback works pretty well.

Where Avid is really missing the boat for students (and many other users) is making the system requirements far too narrow. Students don't have Quadro FX video cards, but they probably have GeForce gaming cards. And many users have AMD processors.

Studio Daily Blog Avid Media Composer 4.0 rolls out, properly mixed frame rates possible? (http://www.studiodaily.com/blog/?p=1964)

Scott Simmons has a good review of MC 4.0.

We'll upgrade just for AMA. Scott makes some good points about mixed frame rates.

Cheers.

Media Composer - The World's Most Advanced Film and Video Editing System (http://www.avid.com/mediacomposer4/index.asp)

and Mac or Pc.

Where Avid is really missing the boat for students (and many other users) is making the system requirements far too narrow. Students don't have Quadro FX video cards, but they probably have GeForce gaming cards. And many users have AMD processors.

Personally, I remember when you had to buy a fully configured system FROM AVID. In the mid tens of thousands of dollars TO START. There WAS no option to put a system together yourself. The only options you had were "how much storage?" and "what level of Media Composer do you want?"

AVID prides themselves on stability. That doesn't jive well with supporting "any and all" processors and motherboards.

Or perhaps I'm just old and crusty.

Thanks for the link Bob.

I didn't realize that mix and match will also allow 50i and 60i in the same timeline. Then you can modify the timeline to be either or. You duplicate the sequence
and modify you can have one PAL and one NTSC timeline.

I plan on downloading the trial tonight, take my HM 100 and shoot 50 and 60i, 25p, 24p, 30p, and 60p and see what happens.

I now see why this is a version 4.0.

Cheers.

Personally, I remember when you had to buy a fully configured system FROM AVID. In the mid tens of thousands of dollars TO START. There WAS no option to put a system together yourself. The only options you had were "how much storage?" and "what level of Media Composer do you want?"

AVID prides themselves on stability. That doesn't jive well with supporting "any and all" processors and motherboards.

Or perhaps I'm just old and crusty.Shaun,

AMD and GeForce are not really the same as "any and all." I've never heard of Avid not running b/c of an AMD processor. But I've also never read of AMD being supported. And GeForce cards are used in qualified MacBook Pros, so why not qualify those same cards for PC's?

I believe that Mac hardware and OS support the Geforce card in a different way than the PC.

There were issues of AMD processors creating conflicts with Avid, but it was a while ago. In fact I moved away from AMD because of those conflicts.

Maybe someone with more computer hardware technical knowledge has more insight.