NLE Buyer's Guide 2003 Prev 1 2 3 4 5
	QuanteliQ (Click image for enlargement)   Quantel iQ (from $385K turnkey) The iQ sits at the head of the class of the generationQ line of products. An entirely new technology, iQ provides a completely integrated working environment where Quantel's unique hardware meets the openness of a standard PC. The iQ platform is synonymous with unfettered workflow offering operators the ability to work in fully uncompressed, top quality media of any resolution -- in real time. Using what Quantel calls resolution coexistence, the company says it can handle any format, any resolution, all on the same timeline, in real time. Quantel claims it's the world's only system to offer real time 2K for film. [an error occurred while processing this directive]     Quantel eQ (Click image for enlargement)   Quantel eQ (from $180K turnkey) Quantel's new HD nonlinear editing and effects system offers interactivity and performance that might be expected from SD nonlinear systems. It features Henry and Paintbox effects and compositing capabilities including tracking, color correction and title generation along with new tools, techniques and workflow possibilities for mainstream online applications such as longform, episodic, promos, trailers, commercials and music videos. Resolution coexistence allows 1080/24P, SD and DV in the same timeline without rendering.     Quantel QEdit Pro (Click image for enlargement)   Quantel QEdit Pro ($68K turnkey)This next generation multi-format editing and effects system delivers real 10 bit non-compressed quality AAF-compliant SD/HD PC-based NLE with a high-end creative toolset for the mainstream finishing market. The integrated toolset builds on the former Quantel flagship Henry Infinity and provides all of the high-end features found in iQ including tracking, color correction and the next-generation Paintbox. Quantel QEffects ($12K software only) Quantel's answer to After Effects, it's a software compositing application designed and optimized to run on a standard PC. QEffects is designed to extend the toolset of iQ and eQ onto the PC. It has the same effects, titling and paint features as eQ and iQ. Only the power and capability of the platforms are different. By the way, all generationQ products share the same user interface, can be mixed freely on the network, and can share projects via a common AAF archive format.     Vegas Video 4 screen shot (Click image for enlargement)   Vegas Video 4.0 $489 Windows 98SE, Me, 2000, XP. The best DV app just got a lot better. New features in Vegas 4 include primary and secondary color correction, video scopes, 5.1 surround mixing, media bins, improved ripple editing, audio and video bus tracks, motion blur envelopes, and application scripting (shipping scripts include batch encoding, edl export, still image sequence export and many more). Vegas 4 renders HD .avi/.mov/.wm/.mpg to file. The Vegas + DVD package ($699) includes a Dolby 5.1 AC-3 encoder plug-in and DVD Architect, Sonic Foundry's new DVD authoring tool. Sony Xpri 5.0 is available in turnkey SD or HD trim, and all uncompressed. The SD version has a Pinnacle Targa 3000 card under the hood and costs around $70K, including 2 hours worth of uncompressed storage. The HD version, using a Sony proprietary HD card, is $150K with 45 minutes' worth of storage. Real time effects are plentiful in the SD version, while the new version 5.0 of Xpri adds some real time features to the HD side as well. Obviously patterned after the Avid Media Composer, the user interface looks alot like those of the now-defunct FAST multimedia. Xpri has a unique way of capturing two streams at the same time in SD mode, and the HD model works well with Sony's HDCam format. Even though Xpri features keyframable compositing, it works best as a long-form editor. A particular advantage is its highly customizable hardware controllers, offering a comfortable hands-on experience for those who grew up in linear suites. Also making Avid shops happy is Xpri's OMF import, and filmmakers will like the HD model's 24p capabilities. New for version 5.0 are enhanced HDCam real time effects, network rendering, 8-point motion tracking and more. Sony also told DMN it would be demonstrating a beta version of of the new 6.0 software at NAB 2003.     Thomson Grass Valley NewsEdit (Click image for enlargement)   Thomson Grass Valley NewsEdit SC Based the Grass Valley NewsEdit nonlinear editor, the software-based NewsEdit SC system combines cuts-only edit bay capabilities, traditional A/B roll suite transition functions, and storage and network connectivity. It allows recording directly from tape to timeline without pre-digitizing and and supports DV25 media, tight DV camcorder integration, and up to four channels of audio.     Thomson Grass Valley NewsEdit LT (Click image for enlargement)   Thomson Grass Valley NewsEdit LT NewsEdit LT laptop-based editing software lets you see edits as they're being made, eliminating the edit review process. You can also start editing before a feed ingest is complete, speeding things further. With its cuts-only edit bay capabilities, traditional A/B roll suite functions, and a highly networked design, this turnkey system offers a toolset for journalists who need instant mobility.     Ulead MediaStudio Pro 7 screen shot (Click image for enlargement)   Ulead MediaStudio Pro 7 $495, Windows 95/98, Me, 2000, XP. Ulead MediaStudio Pro 7 is a complete professional digital video post-production suite offering real-time, software-only preview, output and MPEG Encoding. MediaStudio’s modular package includes video capture, editing, audio editing, video painting and CG graphics, as well as DVD/VCD authoring tools. These modules combine to give a complete set of integrated post-production tools. Developed to produce video content for broadcast, tape, CD-ROM, Video CD/DVD and the Internet.     United Media On-Line Express (Click image for enlargement)   United Media On-Line Express 3.0 $995 software Win98/Me/NT/2000. If you compare edit systems to wristwatches, most contemporary systems are like the digital models with all their modes and settings. If you want to set or change anything, you must first push the mode switch. On-Line Express could be compared more to an analog watch with a quartz movement -- while it can still do its job as accurately as a digital watch, it's a little easier to deal with, especially for those who grew up in the analog world. The result is a solid cutter, and best of all, it's able to get the most out of its capable underbelly, the speedy Matrox DigiSuite hardware. If you're a seasoned editor who's accustomed to working with a hands-on controller, or if you're often perplexed by too many modes, menus and on-screen widgets, this powerful editing system is certainly worth a close look. Charlie White has been writing about new media and digital video since it was the laughingstock of the television industry. A technology journalist and columnist for the past eight years, White is also an Emmy-winning producer, video editor and shot-calling PBS TV director with 27 years broadcast experience. Talk back -- Send Chazz a note at cwhite@digitalmedianet.com. Source: DMO Prev 1 2 3 4 5