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Canon teases 'exclusive screening' in Las Vegas, new Cinema EOS products coming at NAB?
With both its 1D and 5D-series models already confirmed for 2012, today's Canon teaser hints at something slightly different -- and, according to our sources, a major announcement. The event is set for April 15th -- during the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show in Las Vegas -- further confirming that whatever imaging device we'll see will likely be geared towards the motion picture and television communities. So, what could it be? A new Cinema EOS cam with a 1D form-factor? A lower-priced model poised to compete with the RED Scarlet? We have but a month to wait for confirmation, so if you haven't already placed your C300 order, it might not be a bad idea to hang tight until after Canon's Tax Day reveal.
Sony's F65 CineAlta 4K camera now available for a paltry $65,000
Sony's F65 CineAlta camera now has a price tag to match its name -- and its girth. The imager, which was first unveiled at this year's NAB Show, has now been officially released ahead of this week's IBC conference in Amsterdam. The newest member of the CineAlta family captures images in 4K (4096 x 2160) resolution and features a speedy 20.4 megapixel, Super 35mm CMOS sensor, capable of reaching up to 72fps at 4K resolution and 120fps on 2K. The F65 also comes boasts 16-bit RAW output at 19Gbps on 4K and WiFi connectivity that allows you to manipulate it from the comfort of your tablet. The shooter won't start shipping until January, but filmmakers or production houses with lots of disposable income can order one now, for a mere $65,000. More details await you in the press release, after the break.
Adobe Nav for iPad and Photoshop video demo
John Nack, Principal Product Manager at Adobe, posted a video demo of Adobe Nav for iPad on his blog Saturday morning. Adobe Nav is one of the first apps to showcase the new tablet integration features included with the software maker's upcoming Creative Suite version 5.5 (CS5.5). The video demonstrates two of the iPad app's most useful features: the ability to build a custom tool palette and navigation among open Photoshop projects. Adobe introduced the first mid-cycle release to its popular Creative Suite at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) conference earlier this month. The announcement highlighted CS5.5's new Touch Software Development Kit (SDK) that allows developers to create tablet applications that interact with Adobe software on a personal computer. Adobe Nav for iPad is one of three applications the San Jose company built to demonstrate its forthcoming tablet SDK -- the other two are Adobe Color Lava and Adobe Eazel. According to PCWorld, Adobe Nav allows Photoshop users to more easily manage open projects, activate frequently used tools, adjust a document's zoom percentage, switch between Photoshop's screen modes, and change foreground and background colors from their iPads. The demo video certainly illustrates how the iPad can evolve the creative workflow. I look forward to seeing what else Adobe and app developers cook up to extend CS5.5's usefulness beyond the boundaries of the desktop. To watch the video, please visit John Nack's blog. Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 and Adobe Nav for iPad will ship in early May, 2011. Customers can pre-order CS5.5 from Adobe's website with a variety of options and prices. Adobe Nav for iPad is expected to be sold through the App Store for US$1.99.
Unofficial videos of Final Cut Pro X arrive online
A couple of videos from the announcement of Final Cut Pro X last night have leaked out online, and you can watch them on the next page for as long as they stick around, though I'm not sure who would have the claim on these. As you would expect, the announcement shows off all the new features of the software, including the spiffy Content Analysis features, the audio track analysis and just how fast and smooth this thing is. It really is very impressive. Part one is mostly a presentation, while part two gets more into a demo of the (very iMovie-like, actually) software. If you've been intrigued by what you've heard of Final Cut Pro X so far, these two videos are definitely a must-watch.
Apple announces Final Cut Pro X, rebuilt from ground up with 64-bit support (update: $299 in June)
Apple's just announced Final Cut Pro X at NAB, and Chief Architect of Video Applications Randy Ubillos is demonstrating a beta release as we speak. The "rebuilt from ground up" video editing suite -- which now shares a similar look and feel with iMovie -- will be shipped with 64-bit support to finally make use of more than 4GB of RAM, as well as handling 4K clips on 8-core editing rigs (by way of the Grand Central Dispatch feature on OS X Snow Leopard). Most notably, though, is that this new FCP will always be rendering instantly in the background, meaning you can edit on the fly much like you do on iMovie! There's also a whole stash of other new features: editing before media ingest, magnetic timeline, people detection, instant color matching between clips, smart collection of media based on custom keywords and people, auto image stabilization on import, and many more. Itching to get your hands dirty with Cupertino's new video tool? You'll be able to download it from the Mac App Store in June for just $299. Update: @robimbs has just posted a video of Randy Ubillos' wrap-up at the show. We've got it after the break.
Blackmagic announcing a free version of DaVinci Resolve
This week at NAB 2011, Blackmagic Design has announced version 8 of the very high-end dedicated color-grading solution DaVinci Resolve. The upgrade brings XML support, multi-layer timelines, curve grading, noise reduction, stabilization, automatic 3D matching and OpenCL acceleration to the solution, making it a substantial upgrade. Unfortunately, if you don't have an equally high-end paycheck then the US$29,995 price for the full system is probably prohibitively expensive, and even the software-only version costing US$995 may stretch many people's budgets. If you're in that boat, Blackmagic has some good news for you: it's releasing a free version in the form of DaVinci Resolve 8 Lite to "help promote the art of color correction."
G-Technology crashes NAB with portable, Thunderbolt-equipped RAID arrays
The Thunderbolt goodness just keeps on rolling out at NAB. G-Technology just announced it will be adding support for the high-speed connection to its line of RAID devices for those who spend their days chopping up HD video. The first batch of products will hit in either Q3 or Q4 and start with the company's smaller arrays in the four to eight-disc size. A prototype of a four-drive model can be seen in the photo above, which rep Pete Schlatter described to us as "the sweet spot" in terms of portability and storage. Sure, calling an eight drive array "portable" sounds like a stretch, but don't forget: these are designed to be paired with laptops and carried by people editing video on the go -- you know, guys with giant cases of equipment and biceps to match.
Dear Apple, here's our Final Cut Studio wishlist
Today the NAB exhibit hall opened, and just about everyone in the video world is showing off the hot new stuff they've been waiting to announce to video professionals from around the world. Apple, however, is notably absent again this year, choosing instead to make an announcement tomorrow evening at the Final Cut Pro Users Group SuperMeet. As rumors of a long awaited update to Final Cut Studio started circulating, we asked you how the new version needed to change. While some commentators defended Final Cut Studio enthusiastically, most of us feel that an update is long overdue despite our affection for Apple's professional video suite. Some users have already jumped ship because their needs are better filled by alternative editing applications, while other users plan to give Apple a chance to meet all their needs with a new update before deciding to explore other options.
Matrox strikes at NAB, first to market with Thunderbolt products
Word out of NAB is that Matrox, known best for enabling day-traders to run an excessive number of monitors off a single graphics card, will be the first company to market with peripherals designed to use Thunderbolt. All the latest models of its MXO2 family of video I/O boxes will be shipping with Thunderbolt on board, while budding film makers using the current gen MXO2 devices will be able to push 10Gb worth of pixels per second by picking up an adapter. Matrox didn't announce a firm release date or price, though we expect it will fall in line with the current products, which range from $449 up to almost $2,400 for the MXO2 Rack with Matrox Max. They're not exactly must have accessories for the average user, but if you simply can't wait any longer to put those Thunderbolt ports to use, it's the only game in town.
Sony shoots out CineAlta F65 4K camera and PMW-TD300 3D camcorder at NAB
The current trend in the world of home theater may seem like 3D cinematography is all the hype these days, but Sony's latest imager in its CineAlta family begs to differ. Unveiled at the 2011 NAB Show, this F65 mammoth camera (pictured right) packs one beastly 20.4 megapixel, Super 35mm CMOS sensor -- a huge leap from the F35's 12.4 megapixel 1080p CCD. Aside from the obvious quantitative difference, what's special about this new chip is that unlike the Bayer BG-GR subpixel matrix on conventional 4K sensors, here we have green pixels forming the 4K grid while an RB-BR matrix fills in the space, thus doubling the number of horizontal pixels to 8K for a finer 4K picture (see illustration after the break), as well as allowing better visual effects editing using the extra data. What's more, this sensor is fast -- not only can it capture up to 72fps on 4K, but it can also crank up to a smooth 120fps on 2K. As for those seeking to squeeze out every bit of detail from their clips, don't worry: the F65's got you covered with a 16-bit RAW output (19Gbps) at 4K resolution, or it can be compressed to 5Gbps for the convenience of recording onto the new SR-R4 portable 4K recorder. Looks like Sony's finally found a candidate that'll put a lid on film stock, but then again, at the end of the day it'll depend on the price tag when it comes out in Q3 this year. Of course, Sony isn't going to just ignore the 3D scene here. Also announced at NAB is the PMW-TD300, which will be the first professional 3D camcorder sporting a shoulder mount. Featuring a pair of Exmor 3CMOS sensors, hardcore cameramen will finally be able to go mobile with this new toy while filming 3D in 1080p. Not sure how the videos will turn out, though -- we're not keen on the idea of watching shaky and potentially nauseating 3D captured by someone running along the sideline. Anyhow, this camera will be up for grabs in Autumn this year. [Thanks, Blackjack]
Panasonic's AG-3DA1 camera will shoot 3D video, Robonaut vlogs on the International Space Station
NASA's Robonaut 2 is something of a celebrity around these parts, owing to his dashing good looks and insatiable appetite for publicity, which can now be put to good use with a new toy the landlubbers are sending his way: a professional 3D camera. The human-aiding robot that presently calls the International Space Station home will soon be joined by Panasonic's AG-3DA1, a full 1080p 3D video recorder with twin lenses and dual 2 megapixel 3MOS sensors. Panasonic is also loading up the next Space Shuttle Atlantis flight to the ISS (scheduled for June 28th) with 25.5-inch 3D LCD monitors and rugged Toughbook laptops to help with documenting proceedings aboard the research vessel. The new shooter costs a whopping $21,000, and though it's not clear whether NASA paid for it or Panasonic just decided to be charitable, the space agency should have the cash to splash after deciding to shelve the James Cameron-approved project to slap a zoom-equipped 3D imager on its next Mars rover. We're just wondering if the human world is quite ready for 3D video blogs from its favorite robotic astronaut.
LG adds 'Tweet-TV' enabled Android phone to its list of Mobile DTV prototypes
Whenever mobile digital television broadcasts finally take off LG will be ready and its latest concept design -- following the autostereoscopic 3D screen shown at CES -- is the Tweet-TV pictured above. At the National Association of Broadcasters show this week it's demonstrating the prototype Android phone with a Harris MDTV antenna that also pulls in relevant tweets and displays them over the broadcast being watched. Whether or not a dose of social networking will help MDTV succeed where others have failed remains to be seen but first we'll see if it manages to reach 40% of the US population later this year. The press release and a bigger picture follow after the break.
Talkcast tonight, 10 PM ET: Pro video preview from NAB
It's Sunday night, and that means talkcast time! This week, as the NAB convention kicks off in Las Vegas, we look ahead to the highly-anticipated next step in pro video editing from Apple. Yes, the rumor mill around Final Cut Pro is percolating with extreme prejudice, so there's no better time to bring in our editor friends and colleagues (including our own Chris White) to talk about what we can expect and what we might wish for in the next FCP/FCS version. Our special guest tonight is John Foster of KnowTech.tv. We'll also tackle the news of the week plus your questions and comments -- and if there's time afterward, there's always the TUAWTF aftershow (never recorded, often regretted). To participate on TalkShoe, you can use the browser-only client, the embedded Facebook app, or download the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for maximum fun, you should call in. For the web UI, just click the TalkShoe Web button on our profile page at 4 HI/7 PDT/10 PM EDT Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VoIP lines (yay for free cell phone weekend minutes!): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *8. If you've got a headset or microphone handy on your Mac, you can connect via the free Blink or X-Lite SIP clients; basic instructions are here (if you like Blink, the pro version is available in the Mac App Store). Talk to you tonight.
More talk that the next Final Cut Pro will be the best thing since sliced bread
Okay, it's getting to the point now that the next Final Cut Pro better be the best thing ever invented because everyone who has played around with it seems to think it is. The latest heap of praise comes from Mark Raudonis, head of post production at Bunim/Murray Productions. Raudonis talked about the upcoming "awesome" FCP at a FilmMarker Magazine pre-NAB panel discussion. While Raudonis didn't give away any new features, he did have the following to say about the new Final Cut Pro, including a quote from Henry Ford: "I would also end with Henry Ford: 'If I asked people what they wanted, they'd tell me they wanted a faster horse.' So, Apple is very good at going their own way and figuring out where things will be. They may not ask you what you want. They are going to tell you, 'We're going to invent something different.' And that's kind of my take away from it. I was very impressed, it was awesome and look out, I believe they say it will be available in Spring 2011. So, that goes all the way up to June 20th. So, that's what I know, that's what I can say, and if there's anyone from Apple out there, I hope you don't sue me." I've worked with my fair share of video editors over the years and if there's one truth about them it's that they are very picky people. If a current editing suite works for them, there's no reason to reinvent the wheel. But reinventing the wheel seems to be exactly what Apple has done with this next Final Cut, and the fact that so many video editors are heaping extraordinary praise on it has me salivating just to get a glimpse of the next version of Apple's powerhouse video editing suite. For those of you into editing, watch the entire video after the break. There's a lot of good talk about the future of video editing -- and some speculation on where Apple wants to lead it. [via MacRumors]
What do you want to see in the next Final Cut Studio?
It's no secret that many post-production professionals feel Final Cut Studio has been falling behind over the last two years. While Apple has taken its time developing a new version of its video suite, competitors like Adobe have jumped ahead with significant updates; some have even questioned Apple's commitment to its Pro apps and hoped that Final Cut Studio doesn't go the way of Shake. As we reported yesterday, that is hopefully going change with Apple's announcement at the Final Cut Pro User Group SuperMeet on April 12, coinciding with the National Association of Broadcasters convention.
Rumor: New Final Cut Pro to debut on April 12
According to ProVideo Coalition, Apple is planning on debuting the next version of Final Cut Pro at the Final Cut Pro User Group SuperMeet on April 12. According to PVC, "Apple will be using the Vegas Supermeet to announce the next version of Final Cut Pro. Supposedly, Apple will be taking over the entire event for their announcement, canceling all other sponsors, including AJA, Avid, Canon, BlackMagic, Autodesk and others, who were set to give presentations." While the FCP SuperMeet does seem to be an odd event for Apple to launch the next version of its professional editing software (because NAB 2011 starts on April 9), the rumors do seem to have credibility because Canon, Avid and Autodesk have all confirmed that their sponsorships have been canceled because Apple has demanded no one else has the main stage. A Canon spokesperson supposedly confirmed to PVC, "Canon was told last night that Apple has demanded ALL 'lectern' or stage time exclusively." Likewise, Avid told them, "Apple doesn't want anyone to have stage time but them." There's no word yet on what the next Final Cut Pro will feature, but in February, a group of high-profile video editors were supposedly given time with the software. Their reactions to the new FCP were overwhelmingly positive, with one of them saying the next Final Cut Pro is "the biggest overhaul to Final Cut Pro since the original version was created over 10 years ago."
US Army developing mobile apps for soldiers in the field
According to Computerworld, US soldiers may soon be carrying some familiar devices into battle: iPhones and iPads. Two military contractors, Harris and Intelligent Software Solutions (ISS), are building applications for the iPhone, iPad and the Android platform that will assist soldiers deployed to the battlefield. Harris' forthcoming app for the iPad and other tablet devices enables a soldier on the ground to remotely control the video cameras on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in order to gather intelligence on enemy movements. Soldiers would use multi-touch gestures to transmit commands from the iPad to the aircraft without putting themselves in harm's way. Video from the UAV, along with time and location data, would be sent to the app and transmitted to military decision-makers located anywhere in the world. ISS is close to field testing apps for iPhone and Android phones that keep soldiers -- especially those first arriving in a war zone -- informed about nearby fighting, bombings and arrests. The app keeps troops on the ground well prepared by superimposing battlefield data, sent wirelessly from a command center, onto a map of each soldier's surroundings. According to both developers, the new apps promise to drive down equipment and training costs for the military. For example, many soldiers are already veteran iOS or Android users and will likely understand the new software with less training than would be required for custom-built gear. Additionally, the new software runs on comparatively inexpensive, off-the-shelf devices priced at US$300 to $800 each. "They [the military] are using $10,000 wireless receivers today, but with mobile devices costing $400, those can be ruggedized [with cases and other gear] and the costs are minimal," said John Delay, director of architectures for emerging business at Harris, which will demonstrate its new app at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) conference in Las Vegas next month. Unfortunately, even an encased iPad or iPhone may more frequently succumb to the rigors of battle. But Rob Rogers, vice president of national systems for ISS, is optimistic that the Army will still be able to save money. "We've seen first-hand what happens to a laptop used in the desert [in combat], so there's going to be some problem with ... these [mobile consumer] devices that are fairly inexpensive and almost disposable," said Rogers. "But if they break or get dust in them, you don't have to shell out a lot to replace them." He adds, "It's a trade-off. I would anticipate a lot of broken Androids and iPhones." The loss of a few good iDevices is a small price to pay for solutions that safely provide soldiers with the intelligence they need to make life-saving decisions. [via Engadget]
Xsan sites gain options as Active Storage steps in with new metadata controller
So long, Xserve. At the end of the day (January 31), you will be leaving the product sales list after serving the Mac community faithfully for nearly nine years. But today Active Storage introduced ActiveSAN, a high-performance metadata controller for Xsan and StorNext networks, intending to pick up where Xserve leaves off -- at least for this specialized function. Xsan is Apple's version of a storage area network/cluster file system, using high-speed Fibre Channel connections to allow bunches of workstations access to the same pool of data without clogging traditional Ethernet networks. They're widely deployed in video production environments, scientific computing and other spots where enterprises find the need to get lots of bits moved around in a big hurry. A typical Xsan deployment might include terabytes of storage (on Xserve RAID or Promise RAID redundant storage) available to users. In order to make sure that individual client machines only get access to the stuff they're supposed to (and to guard against two machines writing to the same block at the same time), Xsan requires metadata controllers -- traditionally Xserves or Mac Pros running Mac OS X Server and connected via PCI-based Fibre Channel cards to the SAN. While the Mac Pro is still an option for use as an MDC, the Mac mini server is not (no PCI slot to stash the FC card). Since Xsan is built on the same technology as Quantum's cross-platform StorNext, the Active Storage team was able to create a Linux-based 1U metadata controller with Xsan-friendly setup and a native Mac administration tool. There's no price or configurations for the system yet, but Active Storage intends to show off ActiveSAN at the NAB 2011 convention in April and start delivery during the second quarter. We can assume that ActiveSAN will take advantage of Active Storage's iPhone app, which monitors RAID systems remotely. You can see a video demonstrating ActiveSan following the jump. [hat tip 9to5Mac]
CEA survey: Americans don't want FM in cell phones
Personally, I'd like to have an FM tuner in my iPhone, but then again, I'm a radio geek, so I guess I'm in the minority. According to a survey from the Consumer Electronics Association, more than half of Americans polled say they don't want an FM tuner in their cell phone. That seems strange to me -- why would you not want that extra functionality? The new iPod nano still has an FM tuner on board, so it must be pretty easy to get one in there. Of course, if there's no demand for it, Apple's not likely to eventually include one in a future version of the iPhone. If this survey is any indication, you'll have to try and get American Top 40 in podcast form. Then again, there are some political machinations going on here, too -- the CEA also reports that over 80% of Americans would be opposed to a government mandate on including FM tuners in mobile phones. As big a fan of radio as I am, even I wouldn't support that one. It's not the government's business to determine what features are in my cell phone. But sure enough, that's what the NAB is pushing for, trying to require FM tuners in cell phones for emergency usage and information. At any rate, politics aside (and commenters, please be civil), I'm surprised that so few people are interested in having an FM tuner. Sure, it's not cutting-edge technology, but certainly there are still times that you just want to tune into the radio, right?
LG proposes an update to ATSC for non-real-time content
Broadcasters are always looking for ways to make better use of their allotted spectrum and since even the highest quality HD signals use a variable bit rate, there are always some bits that go to waste. Up until now broadcasters have used multicasting to put those extra bits to work, but since each channel has a minimum bitrate, this tends to lower the maximum bit rate of the primary HD feed -- which usually causes some very blocky HD. At NAB this week, LG was demonstrating new tech that could allow broadcasters to use those extra bits to send high quality (3D even) non-real-time programming -- of course the TV or set-top would need some disk space available to store the programming until you are ready to watch it -- kind of like the old Moviebeam service worked, but obviously a digital version. LG hopes this will make it into ATSC 2.0 in the next few years and we do too as this concept has lots of bandwidth potential. You see because while the big game on Sunday afternoon might require the full 19.3 Mbps, most other programming uses half that. So in other words, if a channel doesn't multicast, they are probably sending you about 553 Gigabytes of null bits a week. Show full PR text LG Electronics Demonstrates World's First ATSC Non-Real-Time 3D TV Broadcast Spare broadband capacity utilized to cache 3D programming for more home entertainment options LAS VEGAS, April 13 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Electronics is paving the way for next-generation digital television (DTV) broadcast standards and advancing its leadership in 3D television with the first public demonstration of Non-Real-Time (NRT) technologies contemplated in ATSC 2.0, a new activity of the Advanced Television System Committee (ATSC). The world's first broadcast of NRT 3D TV takes place at the 2010 National Association of Broadcasters convention which runs through April 15 in Las Vegas. LG's NRT technology takes advantage of unused bandwidth in broadband digital TV transmissions. While viewers are watching live ATSC DTV broadcasts, the NRT function can simultaneously cache other broadcasts in the background onto hard drives or USB flash drives so the content can be viewed at a later time. LG has successfully tested the ATSC-compatible technology in Korea with SBS, one of the country's premier terrestrial broadcasters. "LG is at the forefront of developing this technology for digital broadcasting," said Dr. Woo Paik, president and chief technology officer, LG Electronics Inc. "NRT 3D broadcast is a prime example of our leadership in 3D TV, and it fits very well with LG's efforts in the developments associated with the newest ATSC technologies." The demonstration at the NAB show, conducted in cooperation with SBS, is built around prototype LG NRT- and 3D-capable HDTVs to record and replay 3D ATSC programming stored on an external USB drive. The experimental broadcast showcases the capabilities of emerging ATSC 2.0 technologies, expected to be the next enhancement in the ATSC family of standards, perhaps as early as 2011 or 2012. LG expects NRT technology to have enormous commercial potential with broadcasters and content providers taking full advantage of the flexibility of ATSC broadcasting to deliver additional services such as Internet radio and video-on-demand (VOD). For consumers who have already bought or plan to purchase LG 3D HDTVs, the company plans to offer a software upgrade so they can take full advantage of additional content through the NRT and 3D ATSC services when they become commercially available in the years ahead. Also at the NAB show, LG Electronics is demonstrating how Internet connectivity related to ATSC 2.0 will help enhance the DTV viewing experience. With a hybrid terrestrial transmission and IP (Internet-Protocol) service, Korean broadcaster KBS and LG will showcase enriched content for viewers and exciting applications for broadcasters. The demonstration will highlight features on prototype LG broadband TVs, including an advanced electronic service guide, VOD capability, and clip services.
