NAB somewhat dull???

[Ron Thompson]

Actually, I think the FCP announcement was pretty big: Multicam, Control Surface, etc…
Decklinks announcements were pretty big…announcing “mixed media” support for its cards…the first card since Cinewave to do that. As well as their multibridge stuff.

I like the battle thats going on between Avid and Apple. Seems like both companies came out swinging. Hard to say who the winner will be (since I’m not there).

JVC is trying to join the Panasonic/Sony battle. And HDV is trying hard to legitimize itself.
I’m not sold on the P2 drives yet, but XDCAM looks interesting.

A LOT of software updates…I think this years software offerings will make post a lot more creative and easier. Combustion looks promising, but we’ll see what they do on the Mac side.

We’ll see.
Ron

[Clay Walker]

[Ron] “I’m not sold on the P2 drives yet,”

Ron, it sounds like your P2 hypnosis may have worn off. Please return to the Panasonic Booth ASAP. 🙂

[Bob Zelin]

I am amazed at what people consider dull. If I was able to get MAJOR improvements, that cost me ZERO DOLLARS, or was just an inexpensive FCP5 upgrade cost to be able to do multicam, and it would cost me almost nothing,
I would be pretty excited. What would excite you – real time HD multiple streams? The EXISTING Kona 2 does dual link HD SDI, and now it can upconvert the SD material.

AJA products are working RIGHT NOW. The new Blackmagic Multibridge STUDIO
is fantastic, and I loved it but 1) it isn’t available yet (they are waiting on the PCI-X development for the MAC card – and the input chip is still not working), and 2) if you already had a HD Link and a Horita black generator, it’s the same thing. The new Multibridges just have everything built right in – including the black gen and the HD SDI to DVI converters. So this is not revolutionary (but it is fantastic for a new purchase).

This is no different than AVID Meridian users that saw Adrenaline for the first time. Adrenaline was not amazing – what was amazing was that you could get a $90,000 AVID for $25,000 and did not have to deal with all the board problems anymore. This was BIG two years ago. Remember, AVID Meridian owners can do the same thing that AVID Adrenaline, or AJA I/O
or Blackmagic Decklink users can do now. But now, EVERYONE can afford to do so.

SO – if you already owned an AVID Meridian, with huge amounts of old SCSI storage, I guess you could say “yea, nothing has changed”. Well, to the “rest of us” that want a $10,000 solution, EVEYRYTHING has changed.

Any company like AJA that comes out with BIG NEW FEATURES that cost their
customers ZERO, is pretty amazing to me.

Bob Zelin

[John Ladle]

other than affordable real HD, multicam which actually helped catapault avid back in the day if can can properly attribute some successes, and the whole DI for 2k and now 4k film, 4 GB fibre, dual 4GB fibre, and coming soon, 4x4gb fibre via PCI x that makes the playback for 4k film, yeah the show was a snoozefest!

or maybe the death of avid is boring to some. game over!

[Clay Walker]

This was my first NAB so I cannot compare it to any previous ones.

It was great to meet the people from AJA and the Creative Cow!

I enjoyed the Apple & Avid areas. It was quite amazing to see everything.

That being said I don’t want to hear the acronym “HD” or walk anywhere for a day or so…

[Michael J c]

What did Avid do (to come out “swinging”) that even came close to what Apple annoucned?

[Ron Thompson]

LOL… Too bad I’m not in Vegas. I’ll wait to get a sample at the DV Expo when it comes to New York.
The 8GB cards aren’t doing it for me…and they have 5 or 6 slots… I dunno, I don’t question the concept, but the design gives me pause. I’m sure as the technology develops they will find a way to get more storage on these cards.
I can’t see myself in the field juggling 10 or 12 P2 cards just to get through a shoot. Not to mention the EXPENSE of the cards. almost $1000 for a 2GB card. You need a full house of cards installed just to get an hour of storage.
Depending on the cards you buy it can be $4000-$10,000 just for the cards.

Ron

[Ron Thompson]

Well, I’ve never been an Avid guy, so I couldn’t tell you. But from the press releases it looks like they upgraded their entire product line too. Both Apple and Avid are now sharing AIM Awards from NAB.

(Since I’m not there, I read the press releases to stay in the loop…since I’m shopping for an upgrade to my Cinewave, this NAB is more meaningful to me than past NABs– so far I like what I see from AJA and Blackmagic).

Ron

[Dom Silverio]

Most of the bigger Avid news- Symphony with Nitris hardware and their news division – where high-end stuff. It does not apply to indie editors/producers. So I doubt many FCP users would care.

There is always round 2 [IBC]

[Tim Langston]

Ron, looks like you and I are in the same boat…looking for a replacement for the Cinewave card. Have you narrowed it down, or has there been too much info to sort thru?

I’m waiting to hear if Decklink and there mixed media means compressed and uncompressed on the same timeline or not. I’ve heard you can use both 8 and 10 bit on the timeline.

Tim

Tim Langston
Cryin’ Out Loud Productions
Fort Wayne, IN
http://www.colproductions.com