Avid Technology Inc. has announced Avid Xpress Pro with Avid Mojo. The new package includes both nonlinear video editing software and an external, portable device that incorporates what Avid calls Digital Nonlinear Accelerator, or DNA.
Coming in the third quarter of 2003, Mojo is part of a new family of DNA devices, and it connects to a Mac or Windows computer — including laptops — using a FireWire cable. (Mojo’s upscale sibling, Adrenaline, is aimed at Media Composer-based systems).
Mojo features real-time DV and analog video and audio output to tape with real-time 2D and 3D DVE, real-time video monitoring, real-time analog-to-DV and DV-to-analog conversion, and real-time uncompressed graphics and titles via an analog output port.
Mojo sports S-video and composite input and output connections, and features genlock sync to black burst on both analog and digital ports. It also supports compressed 15:1s offline, DV25 and uncompressed Standard Definition (SD) resolutions.
Avid Xpress Pro, available both for Mac OS X and Windows, sports 24 video and 24 audio tracks, 2D and 3D OpenGL technology-based effects, enhanced titling, JKL edit, trim and machine control, extend & replace edit, clip group and ganging capabilities. The software sports customizable keyboards, toolsets and other interface parameters, too.
Avid Technology senior manager of product marketing Steve Chazin calls Avid Xpress Pro with Avid Mojo the first real-time DV-out solution for laptops. “Avid Mojo effectively doubles the media processing power of the host computer, eliminating the need to render when outputting to tape,” said Chazin.
The Xpress Pro package includes Avid IllusionFX, Image Stabilization, Pan and Zoom, and The Filmmaker’s Toolkit — Avid FilmScribe, Avid Log Exchange, Film Effects, Dupe Detection, and Script-Based Editing. Sonic ReelDVD, Sorenson Squeeze 3.1 Compression Suite, Boris Graffiti and Profound Effects Elastic Gasket are all included, too.
OneStep AutoCorrect color correction is included, with previous, current and next-frame windows, before-and-after split-screens and NaturalMatch technology which incorporates vectorscope and waveform monitors. Other new features in Avid Xpress Pro include DV Scene Extraction, OneStep Dynamic Storyboards, Quick Transitions, AutoSave, SuperBin and ExpertRender.
Avid Xpress Pro supports 23.976 project types, 35:1, 28:1P, and 14:1 offline film resolutions. The Panasonic AG-DVX100 24p camera is supported (it offers 15:1s Avid offline resolution. And native DV25 media can be transcoded and mixed in real time with 15:1s offline resolution in the same timeline using Avid Xpress Pro.
There’s a ton more features, too. Avid expects to release Xpress Pro through its reseller channel during the second quarter. The software will carry a suggested retail price of US$1,695, with Mac OS X and Windows XP versions in the same box. Avid Mojo will follow in the third quarter of 2003, with its own price tag of $1,695 as well.