Miglia Technology Limited, a UK company, is shipping Miglia Director’s Cut, a Mac compatible PAL/NTSC analog to digital video (and reverse) converter. It doesn’t require any drivers for use. The system, which hasn’t made it to the Americas yet, simply “sees” a DV (digital video) camera and is ready to receive a video signal from whatever source.
Miglia Director’s Cut lets users of video editing applications edit their analog video archives together with their new digital video footage on a FireWire enabled computer. The Director’s Cut will also enable Digital Video editors to export their finished movies to any analog video device, such as VHS tape, according to Miglia spokesperson Nick Peart. By combining Miglia Director’s Cut with a new generation DVD-R it’s possible to create digital DVD archives from “mountains” of old analog footage, he added.
Miglia Director’s Cut also brings extra life to “old” analog video equipment, Peart said. For instance, home video directors can use their old cameras together with a new DV camera to record multiple angles of the same scene.
Separate audio recording devices such as tape and mini disc recorders can also be used to provide continuous sound tracks for laying on top of the movies, in addition to the sound track from the video. Director’s Cut has separate composite, S-Video, sound-in/out connectors for video and audio input/output. A unique feature is the ability to watch the imported or exported video and audio footage on a preview monitor, Peart said.
Director’s Cut ships with a FireWire cable, analog audio and video cables, S-Video cable, and a multi-lingual (English, French, German, Spanish and Italian) installation guide. It’s compatible with iMovie, Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere, and most DV video editing applications. To use it, you’ll need a Mac with a G3/300 or better processor, 64MB of RAM, a DV editing application, and Mac OS 9.x, or Mac OS X.
Miglia Director’s Cut carries a suggested retail price of £297 (+VAT). The product is currently available via distributors in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia/Pacific areas.