Foreshadowed by their announcements at NAB 2009, Panasonic today released a firmware update for their HPX300 camera. The update provides a wide variety of image quality enhancements, as well as correcting for image degradation under adverse conditions.

Here’s a release note that details all the changes.

Download it here.

Boris Continuum Complete 6.0.3 AE is now available as a free update for BCC 6 users. This update adds even more typographical treatment and animation to BCC 6 AE’s already-formidable extruded text capabilities. New features include animated text on a path, animated tracking, leading, and baseline and sophisticated text jitter controls. In addition, the BCC 6.0.3 AE update includes a number of performance improvements.

The update is free, however, deinstalling version 6 is required before updating.

Click here for more information.

Connectivity solutions provider Gefen today announced the availability of its new DVI-3500HD. This long-range sender/receiver extension system delivers video in the DVI format with USB peripherals, RS-232 control and analog audio up to 6600 feet (2 kilometers) in distance over fiber optic cables. The DVI-3500HD supports extended resolutions up to 1920×1200.

A unique feature of the Gefen DVI-3500 HD is the ability to operate in either local or remote mode. When in local mode, the DVI display and USB peripherals connected at the computer’s location can be used to access data; when in remote mode, the DVI display and USB peripherals connected at the extended location can be used to access data. Essentially, two different locations can access the same computer, giving always available access to mission-critical data. A front panel switch on the sender unit allows users to select local or remote mode.

Installation of the DVI-3500HD is a simple matter, requiring the computer to be connected to the sender unit’s DVI, audio USB, audio and RS-232 connectors; local DVI display and USB peripherals such as keyboard/mouse can be connected here for local access. The extended display connects to the receiver unit along with the USB, audio and RS-232 peripherals. Fiber optic cables connect the local sender unit to the remote receiver unit, presenting an instant, long range transmission of computer signals when in remote mode. The fiber cable can be single or multi-mode 62.5 or 50 microns and the connectors are LC to LC type.

Click here for more information.

Blackmagic Design’s new Videohub 4.0 software update for Videohub routers has
revolutionized router control by using low cost, all-in-one computers with touch
screens as router control panels. Videohub 4.0 adds support for a revolutionary
“button view” control screen that is designed to be easy-to-use on touch screen
computers. Users can choose from a number of icons of popular video equipment
and the button layout is fully customizable. Videohub 4.0 software is available
for both Windows and Mac OS X.

Three Button View control panel windows can be selected in Videohub 4.0. Two
are for dedicated full screen use when customers dedicate a computer as a router
control panel. The third is a smaller 8 source x 4 destination size, for a fast
to use control panel window on the desktop.

Videohub 4.0 software also retains the previous popup control windows for users
who want to keep using the router as before.

Click here for more information.

OConnor Engineering, a Vitec Group brand, introduces the 120EXe Encoded Heavy Duty Fluid Head, designed to provide high-precision pan and tilt position information for cinema quality visual effects production on feature films and commercials. The new 120EXe is being premiered by Mo-Sys, in conjunction with Mo-Sys latest camera motion capture system.

The 120EXe provides absolute output pan and tilt position information via an external 19 pin Fischer connector. Mo-Sys provides a companion encoder box for the 120EXe which allows high-resolution pan and tilt data of 1.8 million counts per revolution to be output from the head, making it suitable for film and HD formats.

When the 120EXe is coupled to the Mo-Sys Motion Logger, it instantly becomes a powerful camera mocap system for use in post-production. When used with the Mo-Sys 3D Inserter, it also allows real-time previsualization of live action and CG compositing on set.

Click here for more information.