ProMax Blu-Ray Archiving Video

ProMax is proud to offer its first video on Blu-Ray. This video covers using the Blu-Ray disk as an archiving format. For many of our customers, this will be an inexpensive and quick alternative to the stack of hard drives you may have begun to accumulate. Check it out and let us know what you think!

Check out the NEW ProMax Blu-Ray Disc Player/Burner

MOTU Announces Adobe Premiere Support for V3HD on Windows

March 18, 2008

Source: V3HD.com

MOTU, the makers of the V3HD firewire video interface, have announced that the V3HD now supports Adobe Premiere (Ver. 3.1 or higher) on Windows XP or Vista (32).

The V3HD is the first and only video capture/playback solution for Premiere Pro CS3 that provides hardware-accelerated DVCProHD (P2) capture from any HD video input, including HD component or HD-SDI sources. The V3HD dovetails with the new P2 workflow features recently introduced in Premiere Pro CS3, allowing you to immediately play back P2 clips (either imported or ingested) on a variety of SD and HD formats simultaneously, with no transcoding necessary. Conversely, the V3HD allows you to capture any video source, either SD or HD, convert it to DVCProHD in hardware and then capture it directly as a P2 clip in Premiere. The V3HD provides real-time, hardware-accelerated SD-to-HD up conversion for capturing SD sources in P2 format.

The V3HD is also the first and only all-in-one capture/playback solution for Premiere that provides both SD and HD capture over FireWire, allowing you to build a comprehensive, yet compact and portable desktop workstation based on a PC laptop or notebook computer equipped with FireWire, without the need for separate PCI expansion products.

Advanced features include an "Export to Tape" feature that allows you to lay back clips, or an entire project, to a tape deck using the V3HD's extensive machine control features. The V3HD also supports Premiere Pro's Batch Capture features.

The complete software package plus firmware update can be downloaded here.

As always you can turn to ProMax for your complete Adobe solutions. For more information
regarding this or any other editing or workflow products or solutions please visit ProMax.com.

Avid Ends Xpress, Reduces Price of Composer

WOW! After Avid's pullout from the NAB show, we've all been waiting to see what their next move would be. It looks like we got it in the form of a press release this morning. Avid has announced their multi-tiered "New Thinking" strategy, the first phase of which includes the simplification of their product line, new software pricing, updated support services and new online community resources. This product simplification means end to development and upgrades of their Xpress product line along with a price reduction on upgrades, new versions, and academic versions of their Media Composer software.

So, if you just purchased Media Composer software this year, you may be eligible for a credit from AVID on future purchases. If on the other hand you purchased Xpress Pro this year, then now is the time to call your ProMax rep and get a Media Composer upgrade on order now. It's only $495 to upgrade from Xpress Pro! ProMax is already taking orders for our customers and look forward to helping you get MC soft. If you are looking for a complete Turnkey editing system featuring Media Composer, ProMax has you covered with our Media Composer turnkey systems, starting at under $9500, which includes a MC Soft license, an HP XW8400 3.0 Ghz workstation with 1TB of video storage and a pair of 20" computer monitors. As usual systems can be custom built to meet your needs.

It's quite clear what Avid intends to do here, particularly as it relates to Final Cut Studio. If part of their next tier is to allow for the use of 3rd party hardware with their Media Composer software, they may be onto something in terms of a competitor to Apple in the small-to-medium post production business segment. Frankly, I'm not sure what other approach they could take to make a $2495.00 software price point appealing, unless they really take turns to focus on streamlining tapeless workflows with all the major manufacturers.

Another interesting plot to watch is the emergence of another competitor on the video IO hardware front on the Mac. Who could it be?

As always, it should be interesting. We'll be here watching.

ProMax's 13th Annual Digital Cafe

ProMax's 13th Annual
Charles McConathy Digital Café
during NAB 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada

Tuesday Night
April 15, 2008

Sands Expo
201 Sands Avenue, Las Vegas, NV
7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
(Registration begins at 6:30PM)

Cost: Still FREE

REGISTER NOW

As a thank you to our loyal customers, we are proud to announce we will be hosting the ProMax Digital Cafe during this year's NAB show. After our departure from the familiar environs of the Stardust Hotel (RIP) to the Empire Ballroom last year, we have decided to move the Digital Café to the Sands Expo, a closer, more familiar, and more accessible venue for our customers. In its namesake, ProMax's Charles McConathy Digital Café will continue to represent Charles' pioneering spirit, as well as his legacy of bringing new technologies to the masses with the best of the best from the NAB show floor.

Come join us and see what's happening on the cutting edge of video, storage, and storage area network technology all in an appetizing format that's much more easily consumed than the massive NAB show floor. We'll have drinks, food, good company, and ample seating to rest your feet after a long day. We want to this event a highlight of NAB for all of you who choose to attend. And don't forget about our world famous giveaway at the end...

REGISTER NOW