Eye to Eye New post-production kit at IBC 2009

Author: Dennis Lennie

Published 1st October 2009


This alphabetical overview of new video and film post-production kit at IBC 2009 was going to start with Apple but the company pulled out of both NAB and IBC in 2008. I begin instead with Avid which has certified its Media Composer, NewsCutter, Symphony and DS software to run on the new HP Z series Workstations – the HP Z800 and HP Z400. Avid customers editing on the HP Z800 or Z400 Workstations are promised fast processing times, as well as have the ability to create elaborate effects using popular file-based formats.

Boris' new Continuum Cartoon Look Unit allows rapid conversion of images and clips into cartoon-style animations. Continuum Cartoon Look includes Cartoon Look, Pencil Sketch, Charcoal Sketch and Watercolour filters. Continuum Cartoon Look supports Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro, Apple Motion, and Apple Final Cut Express. Apple's Final Cut Studio 3 is also supported.

Cintel's ImageMill2 is a new telecine image processing platform adding network capabilities and data file management to the existing ImageMill capabilities. Grace, a noise and film grain management tool, is expected to be demonstrated at IBC. Steady, a real time image stabilisation application and a new dust/scratch concealment option, are scheduled for later introduction.

Delta Solutions' VidiGo Graphics software enables web and PC graphics to be inserted into a live broadcast stream. It is shipped with an SDI video card for use with standard IT hardware. The operator can load a Flash movie, YouTube video, RSS feed or other on-line content using standard PC tools. A mouse or touch screen can be used to highlight a complete window or to select any area of a PC screen to be broadcast. VidiGo Graphics delays the audio if appropriate to be in sync with the video.

Doremi's new GHX-3D encoder/decoder enables 2D equipment to work with 3D content. It encodes and decodes all common 3D HD formats including line-by-line, side-by-side and checkerboard. This device enables post-production houses to expand their 3D services without incurring the costs of upgrading their existing recording and playback devices. The GHX-3D inherits the capabilities of the GHX-10, announced last year, which converts any-to-any format or scan rate between HDMI, DVI and SDI connections. Supporting SD, HD and 2K video, it employs 12-bit bicubic interpolation. The package also offers genlock, 8-channel audio, dual-link SDI and 3G-SDI connections for 4:4:4 2K film. Applications include computer DVI-to-HD-SDI conversion, HDMI or DVI resolution conversion and HD/SD video up/down conversion.

Digital Film Technology's new Scanity film scanner uses a time-delay-integration line sensor. The resulting image has over 4,300 horizontal pixels and automatically matches to the film frame aspect ratio (including full aperture, wide-screen, Cinemascope, VistaVision) simply by scanning as many lines as are required. On 35 mm 4-perf film, Scanity offers 4K scanning at up to 15 frame/s, 2K at up to 25 frame/s, and 1K up to 44 frame/s, 0.5K up to 69 frame/s, and 0.25K up to 96 frame/s (depending on workstation file systems, and SAN). In conjunction with a continuous-motion capstan film transport, optical pin registration is used to scan film perforations. Film speed is controlled by a tachometer and servo. Scanity uses LED light sources with switchable spectral wavelengths.
Eyeheight's new CW-2M is an HD/SD logo and ticker generator with integral keyer. It allows animated and static graphics plus a line of sideways-crawling text such as breaking news to be added to any part of a television image. Fully compatible with 1080i/1080p/720p HD or 575i/480i SD, the CW-2M includes a dual-channel logo inserter which can be used to impose a background image or strap over live video. Text can then be inserted into the strap together with a separate logo. An integral cross-point keyer allows sources to be assigned to any of four layers. Individual and mixed fonts can be loaded into the CW-2M while on-air.
The latest version of Digital Vision's Film Master, Film Master 2009, features enhancements for stereoscopic mastering enabling individual tools to be ganged or graded separately at the touch of a button. DVO Tracker provides automatic object tracking and, combined with high dynamic range floating point processing and Open EXR support, the toolset is claimed to be ideal for VFX-intensive or animated films.

Gee Broadcast Systems will introduce two new low-cost Geevs servers for HD and SD post-production applications. The Geevs Slim HD and Geevs HDE are flexible SD/HD servers with digital and analogue i/o. The Slim HD is 1 U with one input and one output channels which operate independently, and comes with 1 terabyte of storage for 18 hours at 100 Mbit/s. The Geevs HDE is 4 U with 2 inputs, 2 independent outputs and up to 6 terabyte of storage internally, or more in an external chassis. The servers support AVI, Quicktime and MXF file formats.

LiberoVision's DiscoverEye telestrator allows 3D sports replays from viewpoints not captured by TV cameras. Features include player relocation and remove. An offside line is adjusted automatically according to the integrated official soccer rules. New features being introduced at IBC include player tracking – perspectively correct visualisation of player tracks and player/shot speed; tracked 3D telestration – tied-to-field, continuous annotations over an entire sequence; live virtual offside Line – virtual offside line ready within 10 seconds for live replay. All are available for Soccer, American Football, Basketball and Rugby.

Quantel will be introducing what it terms 'virtualisation', claimed to eliminate file-based workflow issues such as latency and multi-version management. Final Cut Pro editors can be added to existing systems giving Quantel customers greater choice over how they benefit from the fast turnaround sQ workflow. Quantel will also be showing how the advanced Stereo3D analysis and correction tools in the 3ality Digital SIP2100 can boost post-production productivity.

RT Software's TOG-3D is a real-time post-production system consisting of edit, playout and live elements that can be consolidated onto just one PC or licensed separately and distributed around a studio infrastructure. These are supplemented by an optional module to provide a preview capability. A single TOG-3D Pro system can concurrently handle screen overlays consisting of many graphics elements; automated template driven bottom third texts and 'Reverse L'; video in scene, as a dynamic texture (including DVE moves); automated What’s Next graphics featuring multiple jpegs; scores, clock, multiple clocks; channel idents; multiple tickers/crawls; maps and charts; tables, charts and histograms.

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