Live from NAB 2010

So after the first two days of the show, I have finally found some time to post some info here.  By far, the most revolutionary new development announced at the show, is Avid’s new native support of Quicktime files via AMA in Media Composer 5, which is scheduled to be released on June 10th.  This will effectively eliminate the need for a lengthy conversion process to DNXHD upon import of any Quicktime files.  The primary uses I see for this capability are for native editing of Canon DSLR MOV files which are explicitely supported, even with speed changes and effects, and for live support of Cineform’s active metadata updates, to impliment non-destructive color and stereoscopic 3D workflows.  It also supports native playback of Red R3D files, and hardware outputs from Matrox MXO2 devices.

Blackmagic Design has a whole selection of new products, the most significant of which is a thousand dollar software only version of their newly acquired DaVinci Resolve toolset.  The software runs on a MacPro with an NVidia GeForce 285 GTX GPU and a Decklink SDI card, and supports the Tangent Wave panel as a hardware inferface.  This release will really shake up the desktop DI market.  Blackmagic also introduced a series of USB 3.0 connected external I/O boxes including a laptop compatible Ultrascope for onset monitoring.  They also released a couple of 3D compatible products, and a new generation of 3G SDI matrix switchers to their VideoHub lineup.

Adobe announced all of the features of the new highly anticipated Creative Suite CS5, which will include native 64bit, CUDA GPU acceleration, and better support for formats like DPX and DSLR clips.  I will have many more CS5 details in future posts, delving into how that will change the landscape of many workflows.  There are lots more new developments in the post world, but those are the primary things that stick out to me right now.  We still have two more days, and I will be spending a good bit of time demonstration Cineform’s Neo3D features at their booth at the back of the Lower South Hall.  So if anyone wants to catch up with me, feel free to stop by.

Tags: Adobe, Avid, Blackmagic, Canon, Cineform, Compression, DSLR, Matrox, Nvidia, Stereoscopic 3D