News: Media 100 SW Now Available

[Jim Wigler]

Hi,

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE spending money on MEDIA 100 & post production “stuff;” but why should I buy this?

Jim

[Floh Peters]

[Jim Wigler] “Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE spending money on MEDIA 100 & post production “stuff;” but why should I buy this? “

E.g. for editing “on the road” on a PowerBook, or as a cheap additional system to your existing Media 100 i or HD system. It will render and work much faster than Media 100 i due to its removal of the hardware codec.

[Ashley James]

How would I use this with my Media 100i system (version 8)? what would be the workflow if I had it on a Powerbook?

[Seaniepie]

If you are using v8 (bearing in mind that once you’ve trasfered a prog from v8 to SW you can’t send it back) my advice would be to wait until the version that can digitise is released. Even then, only do this if you tend to work with firewire/DV material to aquire from. If you work from component or other sources, an aditional component to firewire converter will be required.

We’ve been using 2 powerbooks in conjunction with the public beta and 1 full m100HD system to produce 15x23min progs for UKTV. It has been invaluable to us all. An inexpensive way of adding 2 extra edit suites to the existing 3 (1xHD; 1x XS v8.2; 1x LX v8.1). At least 2 definite buys here once the digitising version becomes available. It’s meant we could edit on the train, at home as well as in the studio to get the jobs completed. It will also prove itself I feel when we take it on a tour of resorts around the world for another series and edit on site for near immediate delivery to the station.

Cheers M100!

Sean

[Matt Short]

You could copy your bins and media to your powerbook, then import them into SW, create your programs in SW and print an EDL to import into M100i for finishing. The problem I’ve found with SW on a powerbook is you have to work in low res to get any kind of performance so your limited to basically cuts w/transitions only.

[Carlitos]

I think is a wrong move to launch a NLE that can’t capture.

The good thing about a software only NLE is precisely that you can capture on low resolution to work as an offline.

Even worse, If you have to convert to low resolutions to work apropriately with SW, then SW is close to useless.

A NLE that can’t capture is the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen, with all due respect.

My humble opinion.

[Kieran Matthew]

Although I am inclined to agree, in fairness this isn’t an NLE that can’t capture, it’s a companion editor to a full NLE system.

I doubt that anyone would consider buying SW if they didn’t already have the ability to capture and conform on their main systems. At least not in this current version anyway.

[Carlitos]

“it’s a companion editor to a full NLE system.”

So, in other words, Media100 made a software NLE for the following Target:

People who already have a Media100, instead of trying to lure new users with a cheap complete software solution and open new markets.

Do you think all the editors who use AVID Xpress DV also own a Media Composer Adrenaline??

In order to simply use this software, you NEED, You MUST HAVE a Media100 system.

New users, Do you want a $ 395 Media100?

All you need is a $ 10.000 Media100 to use it. That’s it!!

That’s even dumber than making a non-capturing NLE.

[Kieran Matthew]

Yes, you are right. Media 100 has released a version of its software only NLE that at present is only really useful to editors with access to a full system. But that doesn’t make it a dumb decision.

For a lot of existing users the ability to use features previously only available on the HD system like multiple video layers, the ARC feature, etc, or just the fact that it renders quicker than the hardware system make this an attractive purchase even before Media100 adds the capture / output features that have been promised. The software isn’t perfect, but it is early days yet.

It’s just a shame (In my opinion) that they chose to charge for it before it was a complete solution. A $9 incentive to buy incomplete software ? Now that really is dumb! 😉

[Seaniepie]

It appears from the inclination of your words that you are unaware that a capturing version is soon to appear.

Here is another great thing in the meantime. You can capture with any other software you might already have such as iMovie and import said media (this can be found in the project if you right/ctrl click the project and choose ‘show package contents’) into M100SW. Cut it together in M100SW then export as a ref qt file to playback from iMovie direct to DV. Ignor any reverse field comments on import as it seems to sort itself out anyway.

I know, I know it doesnt keep the timecode info, but it’s a great stop gap for now if you don’t have M100i/HD but still want to use m100SW until the capturing version becomes available.

All the best..

Sean Cole
Pi Digital Productions Ltd