Data Management
Apple introduces Final Cut Studio 2 to improve audio experience
Apple has unveiled Final Cut Studio 2. It includes Final Cut Pro 6, which introduces Apple’s ProRes 422 format for uncompressed HD quality at SD file sizes and support for mixed video formats and frame rates in a single Timeline; Motion 3 featuring an intuitive 3D environment, paint and behaviours; Soundtrack Pro 2 with innovative tools for multitrack editing, surround mixing and conforming sound to picture; Compressor 3 delivering batch encoding for multiple formats with a single click; and DVD Studio Pro 4.2 for SD and HD DVD authoring. Final Cut Studio 2 also introduces “Color”, a colour grading and finishing application for ensuring consistent colour and creating signature looks.
The primaries in Color include advanced colour correction tools such as gamma, lift and gain adjustments, as well as custom R, G, B and luma curves and the secondaries provide the ability to isolate specific areas of an image with soft-edged mattes and custom-shaped vignettes, which can be tracked with ease. Professional scopes provide monitoring of chrominance and luminance values via waveforms, histograms and 3D scopes.
Motion 3, Apple’s motion graphics software, takes the familiar Motion tools and extends them to a 3D environment. Camera behaviours add depth and realism with drag-and-drop simplicity. Vector based paint tools allow editors to create brushes with colour, particles, video or pictures. A match moving tool automatically maps any image or effect to the path of any other object. Retiming behaviours enable editors to slip and slide retiming effects on the Timeline without keyframes, while audio behaviours allow users to create animations that respond to soundtrack volume and frequency.
Soundtrack Pro 2 features multitrack editing and recording tools in a streamlined interface. Soundtrack Pro 2 introduces a heads up spotting display that lets editors precisely align effects and dialogue with picture. Advanced take management tools enable editors to combine pieces of the best takes to craft seamless performances. Stereo and surround mixing tools enable users to create 5.1 and stereo mixes in the same project.
Compressor 3 comes with a streamlined interface and simplified workflows that make encoding and delivering in multiple formats. Batch processing and job chaining capabilities enable editors to create pristine quality output for a wide range of delivery formats with a single click. Compressor 3 extends support for industry-standard codecs such as MPEG-2 and H.264 to include drag-and-drop presets for delivery to broadcast television, Web, iPod, Apple TV, DVD and mobile phones.
Apple also introduced Final Cut Server, a server application that works seamlessly with Final Cut Studio 2 to provide media asset management and workflow automation for post production and broadcast professionals.
Final Cut Studio 2 will be available in May through the Apple Store www.apple.com/canadastore, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $1,499. Registered users of the current version of Final Cut Studio can upgrade for $549 and registered users from any previous version of Final Cut Pro can upgrade for $799. Full system requirements and more information on Final Cut Studio 2 can be found at www.apple.com/finalcutstudio.
Data Management
Adobe announces Adobe Photoshop CS3 and Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web application
Adobe Systems Inc. announced the immediate availability of the Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium and Standard editions and Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web Premium and Standard editions.
Also available for purchase are the following stand alone Adobe creative applications: Adobe Photoshop CS3, Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended, Adobe InDesign CS3, Adobe Illustrator CS3, Adobe Flash CS3 Professional, Adobe Dreamweaver CS3, Adobe Fireworks CS3, and Adobe Contribute CS3. These Adobe CS3 applications and Adobe Creative Suite 3 editions are available as universal applications for both PowerPC and Intel-based Macs and support both Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista.
The expanded Creative Suite 3 series also includes Adobe Creative Suite 3 Production Premium, an integrated post-production solution for video and media professionals, and Adobe Creative Suite 3 Master Collection, which combines all of Adobe’s CS3 design and development applications in a single box. Both of these Creative Suite editions are expected to ship in the third quarter of 2007.
Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium integrates InDesign CS3, Photoshop CS3 Extended, Illustrator CS3, Flash CS3 Professional, Dreamweaver CS3 and Acrobat 8 Professional for creating compelling publications, Web sites, interactive experiences and engaging content. Also available today is Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Standard software for designers and print service providers focusing on professional design and print production.
With Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium, users can experiment with, save and apply colour combinations using the Live Color feature in Illustrator; perform image editing tasks such as selecting image areas, compositing images and applying filters faster and more flexibly with Photoshop CS3 Extended.
Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web Premium edition is a comprehensive suite that combines the essential tools for Web and interactive design and development including the Adobe Dreamweaver CS3, Adobe Flash CS3 Professional, Adobe Fireworks CS3, Adobe Contribute CS3 – along with major releases of key design tools such as Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended, Adobe Illustrator CS3 and Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional. Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web Standard edition is also available to serve the professional designer and developer focused on design, development, and Web site maintenance.
Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium, Design Standard, Web Premium and Web Standard are immediately available to customers in the United States and Canada, and are available through Adobe Authorized Resellers and the Adobe Store at www.adobe.com/go/gn_store. Estimated street price for the Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium edition is US$1799, US$1199 for Creative Suite 3 Design Standard edition, US$1599 for Creative Suite 3 Web Premium and US$999 for Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web Standard. For more detailed information about features, upgrade policies, pricing and international versions please visit: www.adobe.com/go/creativesuite.
Storage
HP provides storage resource management software for midsize businesses
HP announced its storage resource management software, HP Storage Essentials Standard Edition Storage Resource Management (SRM) Software automates complex and manual tasks and improves the utilization of IT resources via a single, secure, Web-based interface.
HP Storage Essentials is built on the open standards, including SMI-S and J2EE, and integrates with HP Systems Insight Manager software for unified server and storage management.
The single Web-based interface centralizes and automates a complete storage infrastructure, from Windows and Linux servers to HP StorageWorks EVA and HP MSA disk array families, HP ProLiant Storage Servers, HP EML E-Series tape libraries, host-bus adapters and fabric switches. This allows a single IT administrator to manage tasks at the application level down to the spindle, including end-to-end troubleshooting, reporting, file level scanning, integrated SAN and NAS management, and monitoring of infrastructure performance and utilization rates. An optional software plug-in is also available for customers to monitor the status of an entire backup process.
HP Storage Essentials Standard Edition is expected to be upgradeable later this year to HP Storage Essentials Enterprise Edition Software Suite to provide customers with scalability to a larger and multi-vendor SAN environment.
The HP Storage Essentials Standard Edition SRM Software is expected to be available worldwide from HP and select channel partners in June 2007. More information is available at www.hp.com/go/sese.
ATTO Technology releases 4th generation 4-Gigabit Fibre Channel host adapters
ATTO Technology Inc. announced the release of two models to its 4-Gigabit Fibre Channel Celerity Host Adapter product line, the Celerity FC-41EN and FC-42EN. The Celerity FC-41EN and FC-42EN offer speeds of up to 800 MB/sec per channel and high-performance x4 PCI-Express host connections. The Celerity FC-41EN and FC-42EN provide support for performance-intensive application requirements such as high-definition video editing and 2K film production, along with other high-bandwidth environments, including rich content databases.
ATTO Celerity products incorporate PMC-Sierra’s Tachyon series of controllers that feature a State-Machine design in which hardware acceleration is achieved throughout every phase of command processing.
