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intoPIX To Unveil TICO at IBC 2013

Not widely known but not exactly a secret either; intoPIX has been developing a new advanced image and video compression algorithm in order to efficiently and invisibly tackle important cost and bandwidth challenges faced by our industry.

At the upcoming IBC show in September 2013, intoPIX will unveil and display its new TICO compression.

At IBC, intoPIX launches the new disruptive light visually lossless compression standard that will be known collectively as TICO (pronounced “Teeco”). Designed to have an extremely tiny footprint in FPGA/ASIC fabric, it is nevertheless also powerful in software applications for real-time operation.

At present, images and video are transported and stored uncompressed into many systems such as cameras, video servers, displays, recorders or mobile devices. But this revolutionary compression technology has been conceived for utilization as a mezzanine compression format.

TICO can thus be utilized as a smart upgrade path to manage HD and higher resolution (4K, 8K…) workflows and frame rates. TICO assures visual quality using a 2:1 to 4:1 compression ratio, but keeps power and bandwidth at a reasonable budget. On top of this, its selectable latency down to as little as 1 pixel line ensures absolute real-time and instant operation.

Main highlights of the TICO compression technology:

  • Visually Lossless compression quality between 2:1 and 4:1
  • Persistent and Robust: Indistinguishable image loss over multiple generations
  • Fixed Latency: down to microseconds – single pixel line (selectable from 1 to x)
  • Small complexity and ultra-compact codec: easy to implement in low-cost chips (FPGA/ASIC). Limited internal memory – no external memory required
  • Powerful, Real-time or faster than real-time in CPU
  • Compatible with different resolutions, from mobile to 4K/8K UHDTV, via multiple traditional transport schemes. Support of 4:2:2/4:4:4 formats
  • Designed to be a standard for industry-wide support: TICO compression technology will be available on multiple software and hardware technologies. Code, hardware IP-cores and software libraries can be licensed from intoPIX

intoPIX welcomes everybody at its booth (10.D31g) and at the Altera booth (10.A10) at IBC 2013 (September 13-17) to discover the new TICO compression and enjoy the first technology demos.

Click for more information about intoPIX’s TICO.

Studio Lighting Modifiers: New Glow Series Now Being Shipped by Adorama

Adorama, one of the world’s largest photography, video, imaging and electronics retailers, recently launched its brand new photography diffusion and accessories line, Glow by Flashpoint. Adorama’s brand new line of professional studio and on-location lighting modifiers employs advanced technology designed to create perfect editorial and product still life images. Glow by Flashpoint offers softboxes in varying shapes and sizes, including the Grand Softbox in two different sizes, and unique HexaPop products, which combine the flattering diffusion of a softbox with the soft focused light from the reflective, curved surface of an umbrella. All Glow lighting accessories are completely heat resistant and are designed with superior construction and materials, including a super-strength, silver, gridded fabric lining the interior surfaces of the box that adds a crisp quality to the output. Made in Korea, these new lighting accessories from Adorama are available now exclusively from Adorama.

Glow – R Series

Every Glow – R Series product features removable double diffusers with extremely soft, even light spread that is contrast-balanced. Reinforced support rod pockets, seams and Velcro closures make assembly and setup trouble-free.

The unique Glow Grand Softboxes feature a construction of parabolic design, creating a light source that imitates natural sunlight. The highlight/shadow ratio is optimized with a concentrated focus of illumination from the special bowl reflector and reverse umbrella design. Both the 71” and 47” Grand Softboxes combine the strength of a key light while acting as a great reflector, maximizing a single light source into a blaze of directed soft light. The super even coverage is perfect for larger groups and objects. The design features exceptional light efficiency with flattering results.

The Glow 71” Grand Softbox optimizes the extreme potential of studio strobes, whether covering live, unpredictable action or simply large-scale location illumination. It can also be used for typical fashion, portrait and beauty photography. The Glow 47” Grand Softbox is perfect for brilliantly lit, full-length fashion, portrait and beauty photography. By adding the gridded outer diffuser shield, photographers can transform the overall wash of sharper light into a less harsh mood.

The Glow Strip Rectangle – R Series Softboxes are specifically able to isolate the glow effect, not only used as a directional soft light source but as a specialty rectangular shape in reflective and translucent objects. This unique, oblong softbox comes in three different sizes – 12” x 36”, 16” x 48”, and 30” x 60”. Each of the Glow Strip Rectangle Softboxes creates a tower of light that limits coverage to create a more dramatic effect. They are ideal for photographing people in isolated light treatment where controlled contrast is desired, when working with glass and metallic objects, and when sharper fall-off occurs.

Glow Rectangle – R Series Softboxes are designed as the softbox standard for studio and location situations where diffused light is desired. A mainstay for any photographer’s lighting kit, these rectangular softboxes are available in three different sizes: 24” x 36”, 36” x 48”, and 40” x 56”. The remarkably even light covers larger objects in a still life setting and creates smooth fall-off effects when used as an overhead light bank on a boom. The Glow Rectangle – R Series Softboxes from Adorama are also great as a rectangular shape in reflective and translucent objects.

Adorama also offers the Glow Square Softbox – R Series, a prime “harder” soft light for studio and location shooting where diffusion is desired but richer contrasts suggest more direct lighting. While rectangular softboxes create a more “open window” look, smaller banks focus more intensity into the scene – making the 28” x 28” square softbox from Glow a must-have lighting solution for any photographer.

The ultimate one-source “people” light, the Glow Softbox Octo – R Series combines the strength of a portrait key light while acting as a soft wrap, blending perfectly with additional fill soft lights. Available in three different sizes – 24”, 36” and 60” – the highlight/shadow ratio of Adorama’s octagonal softboxes is optimized with a concentrated focus of illumination from the special bowl reflector and reverse umbrella design. The smallest of the bunch, the 24” adds slightly more “pop” to contrast due to its tight reflector spec, while the 60” is an optimal tool for mastering on-location shoots, imitating natural light.

Glow HexaPop – the Marriage of Softboxes and Umbrellas

Softboxes diffuse and spread light through baffles and reflection. As the nature of the source light is more widely distributed, the light reaches all surfaces with less contrast, filling in details and shadows at the expense of ill-defined contours. Umbrellas produce soft, focused light from their reflected, curved surfaces. The sharper quality of directional light beams makes for a more seductive treatment of people and skin tones. Light aimed at the umbrella’s center focal point bounces off the internal surfaces at different angles, but leaves the umbrella as parallel rays.

The marriage of the softbox to the umbrella, Glow HexaPop lighting solutions offer a parabolic umbrella that does not cast divergent or convergent light, creating more natural, sun-like shadows and fill light. The reflector shape directs all the light in one controllable direction, while the added diffuser softens the light, creating an incredibly flattering result.

The Glow HexaPop, available in 20” and 24” sizes, brings flattering, soft and rich color lighting to normally harsh, direct on-camera flash. It can be used as a key light off-camera with a remote trigger, or attached to hot shoe camera automation with a camera bracket and cable. The lightweight HexaPop opens easily and locks to create the perfect reflector diffuser. The ultra-efficient parabolic reflector has virtually no fall-off from edge to edge. Flashpoint engineers use UV-A and UV-R diffuser materials, which are exceptionally heat resistant. The internal silver reflector fabric rivals all other flexible materials, imitating polished lame. A speedlight attaches to the speed ring assembly and aligns almost all brands of flashes.

The unique six-sided shape of the HexaPop and narrow profile provides a large 105-degree light spread in a light, space-saving package. The shadows are slight and beautifully graduated. Colors are rich and vibrant without the flat pancake “flashpan” look of direct strobe.

Speed Rings

Also available in the Glow by Flashpoint collection are the Glow Speed Rings for Bowens and for Balcar/White Lightning. Glow Speed Rings provide 360 degrees of rotation; regardless of which softbox or brand of flash is in use, full control is always achievable.

Availability

Glow by Flashpoint products are now available in the Adorama store and online at the Adorama website. Visit Adorama.com to learn more about pricing and availability.

Click for more information about Adorama’s Glow by Flashpoint.

Frankie 2.0 Extends Collaborative Video Review Toolset

Cospective, the creator of cineSync, has announced the release of Frankie 2.0, an easy-to-use browser-based video review tool. Frankie allows interactive, collaborative video review from any location where there is an internet connection. Based on cineSync technology, Frankie is an innovative browser-based tool for live, interactive video review. Frankie 2.0 also allows individual team members to initiate reviews at their convenience and save their session notes, for others to review and add to later. With this added power and convenience, creative agencies and post-production facilities can now review short-form content with colleagues and clients regardless of geographic location or time zones.

How Frankie Works

With Frankie, videos are uploaded once and stored in the cloud. There is no software to install. Users access Frankie through their browser and can play or pause content, make notes, and even sketch ideas right onto their video images. After the review is complete, Frankie generates a PDF summary of the session, including stills, notes and drawings. The PDF record is sent to all participants.

Frankie 2.0 allows users to complete video reviews, either on their own time or in group sessions with multiple participants. Individual reviews make it easy to accommodate the schedules or time zones of different team members. Group sessions include synchronized playback so that every member of the team sees the same frame at the same moment. Frankie 2.0 also allows any individual reviewer to de-couple their own playback during a synchronized session so that they can focus on a specific area in a video, while their colleagues continue the shared discussion. In each of these scenarios, the session notes from all participants are collected into a final PDF summary ensuring everyone has a complete record of the review.

Built on Award-Winning cineSync Architecture

Frankie is based on the Academy Award-winning cineSync software first released by Cospective in 2005, but is a lighter, browser-based tool, ideal for short-form content, such as commercials, short films or web content. It runs inside standard browsers and platforms, including Mac, Windows and iOS mobile devices.

Availability

Frankie monthly plans includes up to five concurrent projects, unlimited users, unlimited reviews, 10 GB of video storage and complete cross-platform compatibility. Monthly subscriptions can be cancelled at any time.

Click for more information about Cospective’s Frankie 2.0 or for a FREE 7-day trial.

Magma Releases PCIe Expansion Link Kit

Magma is proud to announce that now, with the PCIe x8 Gen 2 Expansion Link Kit, PCI Express card users are able to connect their commercial PC or server motherboards with any PCIe compliant expansion chassis or device – Magma or non-Magma brand. Don’t let your custom PCIe devices or chassis stop you from taking full advantage of Magma’s blazing fast speed and superior performance.

Magma’s Gen 2 Expansion Link Kit caters to any professional or OEM by simply extending PCI Express signals from a host server to an external expansion backplane, chassis or custom PCIe compliant target.

No software is required so your connection is automatically recognized and configured by system BIOS placing the Magma Link Kit at the top of its class.

Magma PCI Express Expansion Link Kit

  • Achieve high performance in any work environment
  • Support speeds up to 40Gbps
  • High-speed x8 Gen 2 PCI Express connection
  • Easy installation
  • Connect PCI Express Host to Expansion over cable

Click for more information about Magma’s Express Expansion Link Kit.

Intelligent Assistance Announces Producer’s Best Friend

Intelligent Assistance announces the Producer’s Best Friend, a utility application to extract an Excel spreadsheet report about the video clips, audio clips, titles, filters, transitions and markers you’ve used in Final Cut Pro X.

Producer’s Best Friend reports on Clips in an Event, Compound Clip or Project. The report includes a Summary Sheet, and individual sheets for Clips, Roles and Subroles, Markers, Keywords, Video Effects, Audio Effects and Transitions.

Producer’s Best Friend extracts all the information from an XML export of your Events, Compound Clips or Projects and formats it in an Excel spreadsheet in seconds.

Click for more information about Intelligence Assistance’s Producer’s Best Friend.

Digital Production Buzz — August 29, 2013

  • Editing “Burn Notice”
  • iOgrapher for iPad Ships Soon – What Is It?
  • Creating Films to Win Contests
  • Archiving Projects Using XenData
  • Amsterdam SuperMeet Update

GUESTS: Zack Arnold, David Basulto, Lee Cipolla, Philip Storey, and Dan Berube

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Join Larry Jordan and co-host Michael Horton as they talk with:

Zack Arnold, Editor/Director

Where do you go after you have edited an award-winning series like “Burn Notice?” Zack Arnold is raising funds for a new film called: “Go Far: The Christopher Rush Story,” about a young man with muscular dystrophy who inspired millions with his achievements. This week, we talk with Zack about his experience editing “Burn Notice,” and his plans for his next film.

David Basulto, Media Arts & Animation Instructor, San Marino High School

David Basulto is the media arts and animation instructor at San Marino High School in Southern California. In his first three years of teaching, his students have won Silver and Bronze medals in the Los Angeles County Regional Occupational Program (LACOROP) annual filmmaking competition. Outside the classroom, David is both a reviewer and an inventor. In March of this year, we learned of the iOgrapher for iPad which David invented. Now, after months of waiting, it is shipping on September 13th. Dave is here to tell us about what it took to get to this point!

Lee Cipolla, Director, Fieldlight Films

Up-and-coming director Lee Cipolla just made the finals in the prestigious short film competition sponsored by Canon and juried by the likes of Ron Howard. His short, Reflection, is imaginative, engaging and empowering. We talk with him about how he made it and his plans for the future.

Philip Storey, Co-founder & CEO, XenData, Inc.

Xen Data just announced a new partnership with Blue Lucy Media to offer partial data restoration from LTO drives. The LTO market continues to develop new software and hardware for archiving huge media projects and Philip Storey joins us to explain their latest news.

Dan Berube, Co-Producer, SuperMeets

Dan Berube, co-producer of the SuperMeet gatherings around the world, gives us an update of what is planned for the Amsterdam Supermeet, during IBC.

The Buzz is all the information you need now to know what’s coming next!


The Digital Production BuZZ airs LIVE Thursday from 6-7 PM Pacific Daylight Time. Ask questions during the show on our Live Chat, listen live, download an episode from the archives, or subscribe to the podcast either through iTunes or our website. Whatever you do, DON’T miss this week’s show!

Rotolight Expands ANOVA Product Range at IBC 2013

Following the successful launch of the award winning ANOVA LED Floodlight last year, IBC 2013 sees Rotolight proudly release the Version 2 ANOVA EcoFlood (Bi-Colour LED system) featuring enhanced Colour rendering and brighter output performance. Rotolight are also delighted to announce a massive expansion to the ANOVA family of products, including the ANOVA SOLO Single Colour Flood lights available in 5600K (Daylight) or 3200K (Tungsten). The complete range of new ANOVA products is available in either ‘UltraWide’ 110 degree beam angle for a beautiful soft light or ‘Standard’ 50 Degree beam angle for greater straight line output. All ANOVA models in the range are Totally Flicker Free and thanks to the latest LED technology, deliver ‘best in class’ Color Rendering with enhanced output (R15 ‘skin tone’ CRI = 98). The ANOVA family is also the most Eco-Friendly system on the market delivering 1000 Watt tungsten equivalent output for just 38-Watt consumption. All ANOVA lights can be controlled by DMX or via WiFi from the Rotolight ‘Magic Eye HD’ App for iPhone or iPad, the worlds most advanced Lighting controller APP.

Rotolight have developed a new LED system for the V2 ANOVA’s that gives ‘best in class’ color rendition and enhanced output and are ideal for fixed studio installs or ENG. The Bi-Color ANOVA is electronically color adjustable from 3150K up to 6300K and can accurately reproduce any color of white light. All the ANOVA EcoFlood lights produce that signature ‘Ringlight’ / Soft Light effect and are perfect for Portrait lighting and interviews.

Power consumption is an astonishingly low 38 Watts at full output (1000 Watt tungsten equivalent), so each ANOVA light can be powered by a standard V-Lock or Gold Mount battery for up to 4 hours making them ideal for location or ENG operation.

Rotolight’s products have recently been used on James Bond Skyfall, Tom Hanks latest film Captain Philips (Oct 2013 release) and Prime Time TV shows such as; BBC – The Great British Sewing Bee, ITV – Your Face Sounds Familiar, F1- Autosport Awards.

Rotolight Anova Upgrade Programme

To reward existing customers, Rotoilght are delighted to announce that existing ANOVA owners can take advantage of a generous upgrade or cross-grade offer, where they can update their ANOVA (V1) to any V2 model in the range with choice of beam angle. To take advantage of the latest LED technology this offer will be available until December 31st 2013 (*terms and conditions apply).

The new ANOVA LED EcoFlood range will comprise the following models:

  • ANOVA V2 BiColour EcoFlood Standard (50 Degree)
  • ANOVA V2 BiColour EcoFlood UltraWide (110 Degree)
  • ANOVA SOLO 5600 EcoFlood Standard (50 Degree)
  • ANOVA SOLO 5600 EcoFlood UltraWide (110 Degree)
  • ANOVA SOLO 3200 EcoFlood Standard (50 Degree)
  • ANOVA SOLO 3200 EcoFlood UltraWide (110 Degree)

Magic Eye APP wins Cinegear Technical Award :

Rotolight, have been awarded the prestigious ‘Cinegear 2013 Technical Award’ for the latest upgrade of the Rotolight Magic Eye iPhone/iPad app. The Cinegear Expo Technical Awards are presented to the best debuting products unveiled in 2013 selected by a panel of highly experienced industry experts who specialize in the latest Broadcast, Cinematography and motion picture technology, including; members of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), Peter Anderson – Cinematographer and Visual Effects artist for cult features such as Tron, Close encounters of the third Kind, Battlestar Galactica, and Godzilla. It was also judged by Chief lighting gaffer Dwight Campbell who has worked on Alien 3, The Fighter, and About Schmidt.

The Magic Eye App by Rotolight is a creative lighting control Application for the ANOVA LED Flood light that provides a simple ‘DMX Console’ user interface and advanced feature set enabling wireless remote control of brightness, colour temperature and systems settings via iPhone or iPad devices. The ‘Magic Eye HD’ lighting controller APP has also recently been updated to version 2.1 for the iPad and will control up to 256 ANOVA’s wirelessly, giving filmmakers a powerful yet incredibly compact mobile lighting control system for location shoots.

Rotolight ANOVA was also recently honoured by CINEC Grand Jury Special Award for Technical Achievement and Innovation 2012/2013 and the BKSTS Special Award for Technical and Scientific Achievement 2013.

Rotolight ANOVA 6kW ʻRotoFloodʼ Light Ring :

The ANOVA’s can be joined together to form large panels of light or large light-rings and Rotolight are showing for the first time in Europe the 6kW RotoFlood Ring, which comprises 6 ANOVA EcoFlood Llights, in a ring with a central aperture for a camera system to shoot through. This is the world’s most powerful LED softlight ring, and 19mm Railmount brackets are available to allow the 6kW rig to be mounted together with any Motion Picture Camera on a 360degree pan and tilt tripod system or camera mount. The Rotolight 6kW RingFlood system is the world’s most powerful LED ’round the lens’ Soft Light, and the totally flicker free output makes it ideal for super Slow-Mo Cinematography.

Click for more information about RotoLight at IBC 2013.

Bluefish444 Releases Support for Adobe Creative Cloud on Windows

Windows Installer V5.11.4 is immediately available from the Bluefish444 Adobe landing page enabling the following NEW features within Epoch | 4K Supernova :

  • 4K/2K/HD/SD HD-SDI Outputs on a single video card
  • Digital Cinema standard 4096 x 2160 23fps-30fps 4:2:2 YUV 8/10-bit HD-SDI
  • QFHD 3840 x 2160 23fps-30fps 4:2:2 YUV 8/10-bit HD-SDI
  • Advanced configurations allow a maximum of 4096 x 2160 60fps 4:2:2 YUV 8/10-bit HD-SDI

Windows Installer V5.11.4 enables the following NEW features within Create | 3D Ultra :

  • 4:4:4 RGB 10 & 12 bit HD SDI Preview
  • SDI Transport selection Single Link, Dual Link, & 3G Level A
  • Native Cineon, 10bit RGB pixel format support

Click for more information about Bluefish444’s support for Adobe Creative Cloud on Windows.

Digital Production Buzz — August 22, 2013

  • Creating Video for Museum Displays
  • Does iPhone Video Presage the End of the World?
  • Anderson Ranch – Where Art Meets Technology
  • The Creative Process is Universal — and Magical

GUESTS: Diana Thater, Jonathan Laurence, Nancy Wilhelms, and David Ellsworth

Click to listen to the current show.
(Mobile users click the MP3 player underneath image.)

*Right click on Download and “Save Link As…”

Join Larry Jordan and co-host Michael Horton as they talk with:

Diana Thater, Artist, Diana Thater Studio

Diana Thater, of Diana Thater Studio, is an artist that specializes in creating videos for museums and other public venues. She shoots and edits her own work, which can often take months or years to produce. Some of her most recent projects include Chernobyl, a study of the effects of the nuclear disaster in Russia. This week, we talk with her about how she creates her video and the challenges of shooting video in a very hostile environment.

Jonathan Laurence, Artist

Jonathan Laurence is an artist, Mainer, adventurer, and uncle. His first career was as a professional snowboarder. Then, he spent a year living in the desert. But his first love was motion graphics and video. This week, he joins us to talk about the exploding trend of iPhone video and photography. Does this herald the death of civilization as we know it? Jonathan has an interesting perspective on the emerging world of new age art.

Nancy Wilhelms, Executive Director, Anderson Ranch Arts Center

Nancy Wilhelms is the executive director of the Anderson Ranch Arts Center, in Aspen, Colorado. Founded in the mid-1970’s, the ranch is a retreat and training center for both the fine arts – such as sculpture and painting -and crafts, such as furniture design, wood-turning, ceramics, print-making and photography. This week, and last, The Buzz has been exploring the intersection of art and technology. This week, we hear from Nancy about why The Ranch is so important to both.

David Ellsworth, Studio Wood-Turner, Ellsworth Studios

David Ellsworth is a studio wood-turner at Ellsworth Studios in rural Pennsylvania. He is the former president of the American Association of Wood-Turners, and its first Honorary Life Member. Now why, you may ask, are we interviewing David? First, because the quality of his art is beyond stunning. But, even more, because of his thoughts on creativity and the creative process. Whether you work in video, or wood, you’ll find David’s thoughts an inspiration.

The Buzz is all the information you need now to know what’s coming next!


The Digital Production BuZZ airs LIVE Thursday from 6-7 PM Pacific Daylight Time. Ask questions during the show on our Live Chat, listen live, download an episode from the archives, or subscribe to the podcast either through iTunes or our website. Whatever you do, DON’T miss this week’s show!

Orad’s New Lightweight HDVG 2GO Server Delivers Powerful Real-Time Graphics Rendering

Orad Hi-Tec Systems Ltd., a global developer, marketer and distributor of graphic solutions for the broadcast market, has announced the release of its new compact and lightweight version of the HDVG+ real-time graphics rendering platform – HDVG 2GO. Orad’s new HDVG 2GO is a native 64-bit system offering significant processing and rendering power capabilities in a 2U mobile chassis.

Ideal for on-location production and OB Vans, the new HDVG 2GO weighs less than 5kg (29.5cm width X 28.5cm depth) and can be easily and inexpensively transported by hand.

The HDVG 2GO will be presented for the first time at IBC 2013, at Orad’s booth 7.B27.

HDVG 2GO supports 1080P, 1080i, 720P as well as SD formats and can provide up to four video outputs. It can introduce four live video feeds as well as video clips into the graphic scene with a minimal constant two frames delay. Additionally, HDVG 2GO is equipped with an embedded downstream keyer.

The new HDVG 2GO can be used with Engine Framework, Orad’s software development environment. Users can create customizable controls to manipulate interactive scenes, enhance the use of big database sources, and operate rich media events such as elections, big sports events, and more. The HDVG 2GO can also be controlled by Orad’s Maestro and 3DPlay graphic control applications.

Click for more information about Orad’s HDVG 2GO Server.