Cineform Neo Product Line

[Geoff Murillo]

David, David, Jake and the Crew,

You guys must never sleep! Congratulations once again. Can't wait to see all the new features.

Here's a couple of links to the announcements:

http://www.cineform.com/products/NeoHD.htm

http://www.cineform.com/press/rel070412-NEO.htm

Just a few questions...

Will NEO be replacing all of the previous product lines (Aspect and the Prospect Products) like it will be replacing HD Connect?

I see that you will be supporting ingest through Blackmagic Decklink Cards. Will Blackmagic support include real-time monitoring through the cards output as well?

Last question - Will the MAC ingest and conversion tools, as well at the software components for MAC applications (when they are all available) be able to do everything that the PC tools can?

Amazing work. Can wait to use the new tools.

-Geoff Murillo

[David Newman]

NEO HDV is an upgraded version Connect HD.
NEO HD adds 10-bit and 1920x1080
NEO 2K adds to HD 12-bit, RGB 4:4:4 and 2048x2048
NEO 2K-Ingest (coming) turn yours PC into 4:4:4 DDR

Aspect HD, Prospect HD and Prospect 2K get enhanced but remain our flagship products.

Decklink is only supported as an ingest card, AJA remains our choice editing card for the forseeable future.

Mac version of NEO intend to have the same features as the PC versions. There is no equivalent to Aspect/Prospect on the Mac annouced yet.

[Dmitry Yun]

Sweet so with Neo HD I can take .mov and convert them to cineform .avi's? And I can have the export cineform .avi function in After effects as well, or I can just export .mov files from after effects and then convert them to cineform .avi, I'm glad I waited around :)

[Peter Ferling]

Originally Posted by David Newman

..Aspect HD, Prospect HD and Prospect 2K get enhanced but remain our flagship products...

There's a prospect update coming? What's the difference between Prospect HD and Neo HD?

[David Newman]

Yes, but you will doing all the same with the new version Aspect/Prospect HD/2K lines. NEO is our base product for which everything builds upon.

[Dmitry Yun]

woops never mind about exporting from after effects u can do that already :) heh sorry. :) Still awesome .mov to cineform. Can't wait to get that one just gotta get my bank up some more :)

[David Newman]

re: What's the difference between Prospect HD and Neo HD?

Prospect HD include every of NEO HD, plus all the Premiere Pro acceleration (not in NEO.)

[Peter Ferling]

My third party just requested their files in quicktime. Sounds like I'll encoding alot more QT in the future. Will I need to wrap this using QTPro, or will Prospect, due to Neo features, allow me to just convert QT directly?

Second question, do you guys every get any sleep?

[Richard Leadbetter]

Excellent news on NEO and the upgrades to the existing packages. Also great to see AVI <-> MOV conversion debuting across the range. The $999 Prospect package is a really nice surprise too.

One thing that strikes me as curious though, and correct me if I'm wrong - NEO offers the 4:4:4 codec for just $200 more than than the full raster 4:2:2 codec, which is superlative value. However, if you want the Premiere Pro acceleration offered with Prospect, the price difference between 4:2:2 and 4:4:4 is $1,000.

Are there any plans for a non-2K Prospect package with 4:4:4 support?

Regardless, greatly looking forward to the Betas and the upgrade package from Aspect to Prospect does seem like a bit of a no-brainer.

[David Newman]

Originally Posted by Peter Ferling

My third party just requested their files in quicktime. Sounds like I'll encoding alot more QT in the future. Will I need to wrap this using QTPro, or will Prospect, due to Neo features, allow me to just convert QT directly?

The new HDLink (in all our products) has a re-wrap tool that losslessly converts AVIs to MOVs, and vise versa. You can directly edit MOVs with Prospect HD, and soon Aspect. We will have a free decoder only available for cross platform quicktime support. Lots of stuff, pity we have to sleep, otherwise this would be out sooner.

As Prospect HD customer, you are going to like this, all Prospect HD registered users (as of the end of April '07) get a free upgrade to Prospect 2K with 4:4:4 support and resolutions up to 2048x2048.

The products are targetted like so

NEO HDV & Aspect HD -- HDV, AVCHD and P2 users.
NEO HD & Prospect HD -- Indie Film and Broadcast users of all 10-bit HD formats.
NEO 2K & Prospect 2K - Broadcaster and Film / effects work. Supporting film, HD and HDV sources.

[David Newman]

Originally Posted by Richard Leadbetter

Are there any plans for a non-2K Prospect package with 4:4:4 support?

Not at the moment. NEO 2K at $799 is really for supporting effects work seats for a Prospect 2K system. We often find two or three effects stations for every edit station, so the price reflects that. Yet 4:4:4 editing is a rarer product, and at $1999 it is a bargin. We will also be inducing NEO 2K-Ingest for 4:4:4 RT dual-link acquisition for around $1500.

Regardless, greatly looking forward to the Betas and the upgrade package from Aspect to Prospect does seem like a bit of a no-brainer.

That's what we intend. Prospect HD should became the most commonly used product, for HDV & P2 shooters, Prospect 2K for everything else.

[Geoff Murillo]

Originally Posted by David Newman

As Prospect HD customer, you are going to like this, all Prospect HD registered users (as of the end of April '07) get a free upgrade to Prospect 2K with 4:4:4 support and resolutions up to 2048x2048.

David,

The day started off great with the NEO announcement. It got even better for me when I read your post above.

Thanks,

Geoff

[Richard Leadbetter]

Originally Posted by David Newman

Yet 4:4:4 editing is a rarer product, and at $1999 it is a bargin. We will also be inducing NEO 2K-Ingest for 4:4:4 RT dual-link acquisition for around $1500.

I also just noticed that Aspect owners can for a limited time effectively upgrade to 2K/4:4:4 for $1000, which is an extremely compelling offering. I think that'll be the route for me as soon as my Q6600 quad core system has been built :)

[David Newman]

Yes the is a good deal over the current month for all configurations (new and old customers.) The are also many upgrade in the works have a page to list all the deals, http://www.cineform.com/SpecialPricing.htm

Basically complete you order or upgrade before the end of the month, and you will saving.

[Mike Teutsch]

I have Aspect HD v4, purchased/upgraded in December 2006. Why does it cost me $99.00, when those who got it a couple of months later get v5 for free?

Mike