Avid Technology has added native support for Sony's XDcam format and stereoscopic 3D workflow capabilities to the latest versions of Media Composer and Symphony.

The 3D capabilities allow users to acquire, edit and display stereoscopic (3D) material.

Content can be displayed with stereo monitoring capabilities in both the composer window and in full screen playback - eliminating the need for costly conforms previously required to screen 3D material.

Assistant editor Aaron Brock, who worked on the 3D film Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience, estimates that using Media Composer 3D capabilities for offline editorial will result in cost savings.

“This new feature would save the studio an unbelievable amount of money,” he said. “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.”

Native XDcam support allows users to playback and edit directly from the disc, render, mixdown, export sequences and clips with eight audio tracks, and writeback with sequence timecode.

In addition to a new architecture designed to make the software more open, versions 3.5 of Media Composer and Symphony - and also version 7.5 of NewsCutter - also feature:

  • 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.

In addition Avid has eliminated the need for a dongle key to activate new purchases and upgrades of Avid software. All new software sales and upgrades will now be licensed by a system activation key.

The new versions of Avid Media Composer, Symphony and NewsCutter are available now.

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