Media composer 3.5 released??
 

Just stumbled upon this: http://store.avid.com/sv/index.cfm?

Media Composer 3.5!!! However - when I click the link it leads me to a page with info on 3.1.

Cannot find any information on 3.5 being released on the forums either. I really wish it is a free upgrade from 3.1. I just upgraded last week from 2.7... :-(

Avid Delivers Native XDCAM Support and Industry First Stereoscopic 3D Capabilities with Latest Versions of Editing Software
Customers to benefit from creative editorial enhancements, a more open Avid architecture and streamlined HD workflows

TEWKSBURY, Mass., March 2, 2009 – Avid Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: AVID) today announced that it has addressed customer requests for native support of the Sony XDCAM format, a ground breaking 3D Stereoscopic workflow and the “death of the dongle,” with the release of Avid® Media Composer® (v3.5), Symphony™ (v 3.5) and NewsCutter® (v 7.5) software. In addition to an innovative new architecture designed to make these Avid solutions more open, the latest version of the software delivers a variety of new features that enable customers to take advantage of:

* More streamlined and efficient HD audio and video workflows;
* A number of offline editorial effects enhancements like Keyframeable Color Correction and a new Fluid Stabilizer feature;
* CPU/GPU acceleration of visual effects and;
* Improved interoperability with Digidesign® Pro Tools®.

What Customers are Saying:

“This new release of Media Composer will greatly improve the speed and efficiency of our workflow here at Discovery," said Mark Miller, Producer/Director at Discovery Channel Canada’s West Coast Office. Miller favors the seamless XDCAM HD capabilities and Keyframeable Color Correction in the new release. “By having the ability to natively ingest in the field, my producers, directors, and editors can start working with the media right away, and not waste time traveling back to the office to get a cut completed. Also, the Keyframeable Color Correction features are invaluable. We've been able to save a lot of time and money in the production process by being able to make color changes on the fly in run-and-gun situations where lighting can change and affect color over the course of a single shot. Previously, that could only be fixed in the online color correction."

Editor Michael Tronick and Assistant Editor Aaron Brock have worked on a number of 3D films including the newly released Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience, and are very excited about the possibilities of Avid's Stereoscopic capabilities. “It would be so useful to see how the 2D material I am cutting would translate to 3D and be able to show that to the director on the spot, while making changes on the fly. Avid has created the most innovative 3D workflow I’ve seen,” Tronick said.

Brock estimates that the benefits of using Media Composer 3D capabilities for offline editorial will save thousands of dollars. “If we could use this new feature, it would save the studio an unbelievable amount of money. Instead of having the online system running for five months straight, we could just conform complete reels for full screenings like on a normal feature. It would be much more efficient than doing conforms on a daily basis.”
What’s New in Avid Media Composer and Symphony Software?

* Native XDCAM support: Offers complete end-to-end native support for the popular Sony XDCAM HD formats, at all bandwidths. Customers may now playback and edit directly from the disc, render, mixdown, export sequences and clips with eight audio tracks, and writeback with sequence timecode.

* Stereoscopic 3D editing: Delivers full support of stereoscopic workflows, which enables customers to acquire, edit and display stereoscopic (3D) material. Content can be displayed with stereo monitoring capabilities in both the composer window and full screen playback - eliminating the need for costly conforms previously required to screen 3D material.

* AMA, or Avid Media Access Architecture: Customers can automatically link clips from a third-party volume (Panasonic P2 or Sony XDCAM HD/EX) devices into an Avid editing bin, without having to transcode or store the media on their system.

* Elimination of Dongle with new Software Activation and Licensing: Eliminates the need for a dongle key to activate new purchases and upgrades of Avid software. All new software sales and single seat upgrades will be licensed by a system activation key.

* Keyframeable Color Correction: Provides customers with the ability to make most color adjustments using advanced keyframes in the offline editorial process – saving time and money associated with online color correction costs when using the Avid Total Conform.

* Fluid Stabilizer: Equips customers with a new 2D tracking engine designed to track and remove camera motion, when used in combination with the Avid SteadyGlide™ feature.

* General FX enhancements: Offers improvements such as the ability to copy Keyframes at position as well as enhanced 3D Warp, Quality and CPU/GPU performance to quickly render and process FX.

* Improved Pro Tools integration: Integrates Media Composer 3.5 with Pro Tools 8 through the Video Satellite feature, which allows control of a Media Composer system from Pro Tools for full resolution, synchronized video playback for audio. Now, customers can install both Media Composer and Pro Tools software on the same system.

* Enhanced Audio Capabilities: Delivers a wide range of new audio capabilities that provide customers with more control over audio clips and sequences.

right now we're offering a free pioneer BDr-203 Blu-Ray burner with Media Composer
Videoguys.com Avid Media Composer Upgrade $495, Media Composer $2495, Avid Media Composer Upgrade with MojoDX $4995

all our inventory is bing updated to 3.5 this week.

Gary

Gary,

Have you heard if the new software validation means a copy of MC can be installed on only a single machine?

With the dongle, I can have the same copy of MC installed on both my desktop and a laptop, as long as a I transfer the dongle between the two.

I guess I'm a big fan of the dongle. I'm also so sick of people using cracked versions of FCP, I hope that doesn't happen with Avid now :(.

But thanks for the update and info you posted.



Found an answer: the new version will allow you to install on more than one machine, but only one installation can be active at a time. There is a utility in MC to activate/deactivate.

Ola,

It is free if you purchased 3.1 in Feb, but you have take adavantage of the upgrade offer before the end of March, I believe.

From what I've been able to learn so far, you can install MCon multiple machines, but only have one activeation at a time.

So lets say you have a Mac Pro at work and a Dell laptop at home. When you are done editing at work, you de-activate on teh Mac Pro. You get home, activate ont eh DEll and edit. Then de-activate when done, and re-activate at work. From what I can gather it's a quick and painless process, but you do need to be on net. If you are not on the net you can still de/re activate it's just more involved.

More info as I get it.

Gary

That is great news for me! Can you please direct me to where you found this info? Also - where do I get it? Avid only has 3.1.2 on their site.

/ola

Ola,

This is from,

Avid Releases version 3.5 of the Media Composer Software - Avid Community

about a third of the way down:

"Any Media Composer v3.x, Symphony v3.x or NewsCutter v7.x if you purchased a new system after February 1, 2009 you are entitled to a free upgrade of Media Composer v3.5, NewsCutter v7.5 or Symphony v3.5. This offer will be available until March 31st, 2009. If you are eligible to receive this offer, you must act before March 31st, 2009. All customers will be required to register their system before downloading their software. If this applies to you, you should visit..."

;)

Thanks! Already downloaded. Very happy!

Hey Gary,

I'm thinking of ordering the upgrade to MC from Xpress Pro. The full upgrade with the 3rd party apps.

Do you know if the full upgrade is only to MC3.0, or will it apply to MC 3.5?

Also, how do you ship to Canada? UPS ground usually means we get dinged here for brokerage charges, so I usually try to avoid them.

Thanks...

the $495 upgrade gets you MC 3.5 and all of the 3rd party apps. Some have new dot releases in order to support 3.5 and a dongle-less environment.

Gary

BTW - check out our new website Videoguys.com

So your website just hasn't been updated to show the version number?

Thanks for the quick reply. I couldn't find the full upgrade anymore on the Avid site, so I was wondering if they were going to remove it.

How about the shipping?

Cheers!

new website has been updated. We are in the process of updating the old one now.

We should have 3.5 inventory here by Friday at the latest.

Gary

Oops. I was looking at the old website.

Thanks again.

Gary - could you say which old 3rd party applications won't work with MC 3.5. I still have Boris CC 4.0 and it ran fine with 3.1.2. Will it still work with 3.5?

Avid DVD used the dongle to allow the software to function. So a new update is needed to work with the new dongle-less activation scheme.

I believe that there are some minor updates to the others to get them fully compatible with 3.5. Your existing 3rd party versions for these will still work, you just may run into some issues.

Gary