GV June 1998
GV Picks for NAB 98
By Sheldon Liebman
NAB is definitely on a roll. This year, attendance at the number one show for video products and services was up 4.5% to just under 105,000 people, making NAB one of only three Las Vegas shows to reach that size. The second largest is COMDEX, with approximately 150,000 attendees. The largest show is approaching 200,000 people over two weeks and caters to the shoe industry. Who says technology is everything?
In addition to having more people, NAB also experienced an impressive increase in exhibit space. Last year, the top level of the Sands Convention Center was almost full and NAB used virtually every inch of the Las Vegas Convention Center. This year, in addition to packing the LVCC again, NAB had overflow in the Las Vegas Hilton and used BOTH levels at the Sands. The result was over 825,000 square feet of exhibit space that was used by more than 1300 companies. According to NABs post-show press release, they have already sold more space for NAB 99 than they had this year. The extra space will come in the form of an addition to the Las Vegas Convention Center that will be completed before next years show.
The good news is that virtually everything you want or need was somewhere at the show. The bad news is that in many cases, finding everything you want or need was a logistical nightmare. When NAB first expanded into the Sands, that venue was mostly filled with computer graphics and multimedia products. As our industry continues to grow through diversification as well as mergers and acquisitions, it isnt so easy to place exhibitors into neat categories. As a result, you cant really find a "computer" section or a "lighting" section at NAB today. Exhibitor locations are almost entirely based on where a company feels it will get the most "impact" and the answer, at least for this year, was the Sands. In some cases, companies actually set up and staffed two completely separate exhibits to make sure they had a presence in both the LVCC and the Sands.
Many of the new products introduced at NAB reflected the continuing shift of the industry toward Microsoft Windows NT as a platform for video applications. With the recent announcement by Silicon Graphics that they will be introducing a line of Windows NT workstations, NTs position can only get stronger.
However, this year also featured a number of companies that have decided to buck the trend by introducing products that run on proprietary platforms while still offering "open" architectures. A few years ago, Quantel was one of the first companies to move in this direction. At this years show, both new and established companies were added to this group. Are we seeing a move back to the "black box" era? Probably not. But we are seeing a reaction to the perceived problems of speed and reliability that are associated with general-purpose computers.
If you were at NAB, you probably left Las Vegas feeling like you had missed something on your list. There just wasnt enough time to see everything! If you didnt make it to the show, your feet are probably thanking you as you read this. Fortunately for both groups, Miller Freeman PSN, the publisher of Government Video, was at NAB in force with dozens of Editors and Writers. Our task was to search the show floor for products of significance and we were up to the challenge. Here is what we found, in alphabetical order by company.
AutoMedia AutoMasker AE2.0 for Adobe
After Effects
AutoMedias AutoMasker is a standalone product used to
automate the process of generating masks for video and graphics
sequences. At NAB, the company previewed AutoMasker AE2.0, which
is a plug-in version of the product for use with Adobe After
Effects. AutoMasker AE2.0 can be used with both the Mac and PC
versions of After Effects and is the only automated masking tool
available as a plug-in. The beta version was demonstrated at NAB;
the final version is expected within the next few months.
Avid Technology Marquee, Masquerade and
Symphony
Last year, Avid announced a development agreement with Intel
that was expected to result in a significant presence for Avid on
the PC platform. At NAB, this relationship bore fruit with the
introduction of three products running under Windows NT. Avid
Marquee is the companys first product for 3D title
animation and is available for both Silicon Graphics and Windows
NT workstations. This resolution-independent package features 3D
text, true 3D rotation and texture mapping. Avid Masquerade is a
paint and 2D animation system built on the strengths of the
companys Matador paint software. Avid Symphony is a new,
uncompressed nonlinear finishing system for high-end television
programs and commercials. Symphony features three uncompressed
streams two for video and one for graphics and titles. It
is expected to ship before the end of 1998.
AVS Graphics Manuscript 2000 Series
AVS Graphics, based in the UK, showcased their enhanced
platform for character generation at NAB. Their RISC-based
platform is proprietary in nature but is "as open as any PC
system," according to the company. For example, the system
can import and use TrueType and Postscript fonts as well as many
PC graphics formats. The prototype shown at NAB utilized a PC
format floppy disk, but AVS is also configuring systems to use
Iomega Zip and Jaz drives to exchange information with PCs. Three
models of the new CG were announced with prices ranging from
$7500 11000 (excluding monitors). The Cadet provides
composite and Y/C input and output. The next step up, the
Graduate, adds support for component video output formats and
provides twice as much resolution per line as the Cadet (9
Nanoseconds vs. 18 Ns). The highest end model is the Manuscript
2000 Diplomat, which adds component input and also supports
Serial Digital input and output. AVS points to enhanced
reliability and a single point of contact as two of the biggest
advantages these systems have over their PC-based competitors.
CFE Gallea
Uncompressed digital video input and output is now available
on the Macintosh by combining CFEs Gallea videographics
engine with software written by Mipsys. This powerful combination
was demonstrated at NAB and provides Macintosh users with most of
the same features that have been available to PC users for the
past few years. Three levels of software have been developed by
Mipsys for use with the Gallea. At the lowest level, images and
sequences can be loaded using a drag and drop interface. At the
highest level, full QuickTime support is available including an
uncompressed QuickTime video CODEC that was developed by Mipsys.
Through this CODEC, uncompressed video can be used with QuickTime
compatible software products such as Adobe Premiere or other
editing and special effects packages.
Draco Casablanca and Casablanca
Broadcast
If you are looking for a non-linear editing system that you
can just "open the box, plug it in and it works," Draco
suggests you strongly consider their Casablanca system. Priced
starting at $3995, the Casablanca is a turnkey non-linear editing
system that includes everything but a TV monitor. Currently,
Casablanca can be used with composite, Y/C and DV video formats,
but the company introduced a breakout box at NAB that adds
component video output. Draco also previewed a product called the
PCLink that is a serial port cable and PC software that can be
used to transfer files between a PC and a Casablanca. Using
PCLink, dozens of image formats can be moved to the Casablanca
and used in editing projects. Later this year, Draco will be
shipping the Casablanca Broadcast, which they previewed at NAB.
Designed for higher quality, the Casablanca Broadcast includes
Serial Digital input and output, machine control and support for
compression levels as small as 3:1. Final pricing on Casablanca
Broadcast has not been set, but Draco expects it to be under
$10000 including 9 GigaBytes (GB) of storage.
NewTek Aura
NewTek introduced a new software tool at NAB that is
optimized for animation, video paint and video layering. Priced
at $695, Aura was scheduled to start shipping last month.
According to NewTek, "Aura understands time, animation and
video," which makes it a perfect companion product to
NewTeks LightWave 3D or Inspire 3D products. Aura includes
a full range of standard video and image processing tools,
natural media brushes and fully animated brush and video brush
operations. The software supports unlimited layers and works with
many different file formats and resolutions to fit into any
production environment. Aura also supports stretching, squeezing
and shifting of element timing, so images or sequences can be
modified to fit into the proper frame rate of computer, video or
film environments.
Play, Inc. Trinity and ElectricImage
Play hit NAB with a powerful one-two punch when the company
announced that their Trinity system is finally shipping and that
they have purchased ElectricImage, one of the pioneers of 3D
animation for the Macintosh platform. For now, ElectricImage will
operate separately from its base in Southern California, but we
assume the capabilities of this high-end 3D system will
eventually be integrated into the Trinity system. After a number
of changes to the specifications and pricing Trinity, Play
finally settled on a product that includes more standard features
than anyone expected at a price lower than the company had ever
suggested. The base package doesnt include a Windows PC or
Input and Output modules, but it offers a very impressive list of
features. For $4995, it includes an 8 input switcher, 3D digital
video effects, non-linear and linear editing, a character
generator, animated paint and compositing software, plus a chroma
key system that can also be used for virtual sets.
Pluto Technologies AirSpace and
HyperSpace
Two new members of the Space family of products were
announced and demonstrated at NAB. HyperSpace, scheduled to ship
by the time this issue goes to press, supports compressed HDTV
formats in a product that is very similar to Plutos
VideoSpace product. In the future, the company plans to allow
four HyperSpace units to be linked together for uncompressed HDTV
applications, but Pluto believes the enhanced resolution of HD
formats will result in compressed signals that are virtually
indistinguishable from uncompressed versions of the same
material. The second Pluto product, AirSpace, is a DV native,
multi-channel broadcast server that supports up to 10 channels
and 20 hours in a single unit. Both DV25 and DV50 formats are
supported so the system can be used in broadcast news
applications as well as for production quality multi-channel
applications.
Strata StudioPro 2.5 and MediaPaint 2.0
Strata started out as a Macintosh oriented software company,
but they have put a lot of effort into expanding into the PC
arena as well. Unlike previous versions of Stratas 3D and
effects packages, StudioPro 2.5 and MediaPaint 2.0 are being
introduced simultaneously on the Windows NT and Mac platforms. A
Windows 98 version of StudioPro is also planned. With version
2.5, Strata adds OpenGL support to the Mac version of StudioPro
while continuing with support for Apples QuickDraw3D.
OpenGL allows StudioPro users to bring movies or images directly
into the modeling window and provides higher quality, faster
rendering of images during that process. For final output,
StudioPro 2.5 includes a new scan line renderer that supports
soft shadows. The inverse kinematic capabilities of the product
have also been enhanced. An early beta of MediaPaint 2.0 was
demonstrated at NAB and the final release is expected to ship
before the end of the summer. This new version adds new effects
and is designed to work more closely with the companys
VideoShop software through a feature called StrataLink.
Tri-Star Computer StudioStation
There are a lot of computer suppliers vying for the attention
of animators and editors and Tri-Star is working hard to make
sure it offers the configurations that people want most. With the
introduction of the StudioStation FX and the StudioStation DVE,
Tri-Star has configured turnkey systems that provide the hardware
required by even the most demanding video and audio editing
applications. For example, the StudioStation FX includes dual 400
MHz processors, dual Matrox Millennium II graphics cards, dual
21" monitors, and four 9 GB UltraSCSI disk drives striped
together as a single 36 GB video drive. A separate 4 GB disk
drive is included for system files and a Targa2000 RTX provides
the capture and output capabilities. For a price of under $27000,
this system includes everything but your favorite editing
software. For less demanding users, the StudioStation DVE product
line provides DPS Spark or DPS Perception capture and output on
systems that start at less than $5000 with a single 350 MHz
processor.
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