Media 100 Lowers 844/X NLE Prices; Unveils New HD System
December 09, 2003
Marlboro, MA - Media 100 Inc. has announced a significant price reduction on its 844/X series real-time editing-compositing systems, and has introduced the Media 100 HD Mac system for uncompressed HD and SD editing.
The flagship 844/Xe real-time system has had its price reduced by 56%, from $44,995 to $19,995; in addition, the company announced price reductions for its entry 844/Xi system 60%, from $24,995 to $9,995, and lowering the price of XBLUR, an advanced visual effects option for both 844/X configurations, up to 40%.
The price moves are designed to attract the Company's large installed base to move up to the award-winning system's advanced editing and real-time visual effects processing using unlimited layers, and are made in anticipation of the next major software release due in January 2004.
Powered by new GenesisEngine (844/X) technology, called HDX, the new Media 100 HD features 10-bit uncompressed resolution-independent native HD and SD editing. The real-time processing to support resolution independence, which permits editors to mix and match HD and SD source material in the same timeline, is a first for personal computers. With HDX, Media 100 HD additionally supports broadcast-quality format conversion between all HD and SD formats, another first for PCs.
Media 100 HD gives editors an affordable and robust HD migration path featuring editing in both HD and SD formats in a single system, and unsurpassed 10-bit video quality. First shipments of Media 100 HD are planned to begin in February 2004.
The GenesisEngine HDX technology, housed on a single high-density plug-in PCI card, gives Media 100 HD its HD/SD power, including support for 10-bit uncompressed input and output of all HD and SD digital television formats defined by SMPTE 292M and SMPTE 259M. These include:
- 1080p/30/29.97/25/24/23.976 (SMPTE 274M);
- 1080i/30/29.97/25/24/23.976 (SMPTE 274M);
- 720p/60/59.94/50/30/29.97/25/24/23.976 (SMPTE 296M);
- 1035i/30/29.97 (SMPTE 260M);
- 525/60 (NTSC - SMPTE 259M);
- 625/50 (PAL - SMPTE 259M).
In addition to native HD (and SD) editing, real-time, broadcast-quality format conversion is a HDX-powered breakthrough of Media 100 HD. Broadcast format conversion enables Media 100 HD to convert from any HD format to any HD format, from any SD format to any HD format, and from any HD format to any SD format--in real time.
This powerfully flexible capability lets users master to any HD or SD format, regardless of the source format. Also, broadcast format conversion lets them mix and match HD and SD source material in a single timeline. This simplicity and format flexibility in an open desktop solution is unprecedented.
Media 100 HD upholds the Company's legendary reputation for pristine picture quality. Starting with 10-bit quantization, Media 100 HD employs high-precision digital signal processing throughout and employs sophisticated real-time algorithms to ensure superior picture quality, such as:
- Real-time motion-adaptive de-interlacing with edge detection that reduces temporal artifacts when converting interlaced source material to progressive frames;
- Real-time 3:2 pulldown processing that supports film-originated source material;
- Real-time cropping, scaling, and letterboxing that allows users to easily convert between images of 16 x 9 and 4 x 3 aspect ratios.
Media 100 HD is priced at $7,995 for new systems. Current Media 100 i owners can upgrade to Media 100 HD for $6,995. Qualified Media 100 i owners opting to participate in the beta test process for Media 100 HD may upgrade for $5,995. Complete Media 100 HD system configurations, including a new Macintosh workstation with high-speed media storage, are expected to start at approximately $15,000.
844/x system pricing summary:
-844/Xi: was $24,995; now $9,995 - a reduction of 60%
-844/Xe: was $44,995; now $19,995 - a reduction of 56%
-XBLUR: was $7,995 or $9,995; now $5,995 - a reduction of 25-40%
For more information, visit
www.media100.com
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