Native 4K Editing with Media Composer Announced

One of the major announcements at Avid Connect Europe 2014 is Avid Resolution Independence. This is the ability to collaborate between creative teams in-house and remotely, leveraging your existing storage/network capabilities, regardless of the resolutions you are being asked to work with. In one of the “Video Everywhere” Breakout Sessions at this pre-IBC event in Amsterdam, David Colantuoni, Senior Director Product Management, unveiled the very first demo of this upcoming feature. The first step towards Resolution Independence is all about 2K, 4K, UltraHD and the DNxHR codec.

Now, by editing 2K/4K/UHD media natively, video professionals can reduce transcoding tasks, offline/online workflows, and spend more time on creative storytelling, and deliver projects on time and on budget. But how will all this be implemented in Media Composer? Here are some details, from the demo by Luc Amiot, Senior Product Designer with Avid:

Create Project Types in Higher than HD Resolutions

2K, 4K and UHD will be the new Project Types, supported in Avid Media Composer. 2K and 4K can be  Flat, Full or Scope. There are also some new Frame Rates. Check out the list of the New Native Project Types above.

Introduction of DNxHR (High Resolution)

This new codec will be available in the following flavors:

• DNxHR LB (low bandwith)
• DNxHR SQ (Standard Quality)
• DNxHR HQ (High Quality)
• DNxHR HQX (10 bit)
• DNxHR 444

Notice that the name “DNxHD” will still be used for Media with HD resolutions.

New Transcoding Options

Now you will be able to transcode to the Frame Size of your original media, regardless of the Project you are working in. You can transcode to the Original, 1/4 or 1/16 of the Frame Size. (Working at 1/16 allows a user to transcode the High-Res media to even lower than HD resolutions.) You will also be able to change the following Frame Rate option when transcoding: to match it with the Project Rate or keep the Original Rate.

Change Frame Rates

Prior to using your media in the timeline, you can also choose to keep its Original Frame Rate (60P media will then provoke a slow motion in a 24P timeline) or to Match the Project Frame Rate (60P media will play normally in a 24P timeline).

Work with Proxy Timeline

Improve your editing experience by working with Proxy Timeline.  Change this setting in the Format Settings from OFF to 1/4 or 1/16, and your timelines become Proxy Timelines. Now you can edit more fluidly from your original media, and render your effects to proxy media. Turn the Proxy Timeline to OFF and you just need re-render your effects and you are all set. Should you switch back to Proxy Timelines, the rendered proxy effects will still be there, cached.

4K Full Screen playback support within Media Composer

4K Full Screen Playback will be supported within Media Composer, so if you work with a 4K computer monitor, you can preview your media Full Size through “Full Screen Playback”.

Client Monitor

It will be possible to monitor in Full-Resolution your native High-Res media via Open I/O hardware. If you still work with an HD monitor or output solution, you can monitor your 4K media through “downscaling”. In the Video output settings, you can select the Hardware Resolution, Color Space etc.

AMA DPX Export

Export your High-Res Project as DPX, through AMA .

Other New Features Coming Up

• Background Rendering
• Enable Mac GPU acceleration in addition to the existing Windows based GPU acceleration support
• Applied Masks will now be exported
• Search across bins for Markers
• Make your favorite bins show up in every project with Favorite Bins

View real-time 2K/4K media in its native resolution on a client monitor using third-party I/O hardware.

As you can see, Avid Media Composer users will soon be able to edit natively with High-Res media. So if you already have a Subscription License with Support, these new features will be available soon for you. If you haven’t upgraded yet, don’t hesitate to subscribe now to Avid Media Composer | Software.