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Pinnacle Systems has announced
Thunder MCS 4000 and MCS 2000,
multi-channel video and audio clip
servers. The new Thunder family of
servers is a complete, compact solution
based on Pinnacle Systems' architecture
which features custom chip technology and
award-winning software.
Thunder
can handle multiple digital recording
formats, transitions between clips,
browsing clips across a network, plus
browsing and streaming of clips across the
Internet. Remote users can view video
proxies via standard streaming
technologies on the Internet, using
connection rates from T1 down to as little
as 28.8kbaud (i.e. over a modem). Thunder
creates a separate video/audio proxy for
every clip it records allowing users to
scan the database and view the full-frame
rate proxies of the clips stored on
Thunder. These high-quality, low data rate
images are available to any standard PC
with a network connection to Thunder. It
supports the simultaneous, back-to-back
record, playback, and storage of MPEG-2
and native DV formats. It processes four
video streams in MPEG2 and DV formats
simultaneously and performs seamless real
time transitions between clips, regardless
of compression format or data rate. Video
data rates from 2 to 50 Mbits/sec are
supported on all four channels
simultaneously. Thunder is based on the
Windows NT platform, and housed in a 4RU
Pinnacle rack mount chassis.
Thunder
will debut publicly at the National
Association of Broadcaster's convention in
Las Vegas in April.
<www.pinnaclesys.com>
Sony has introduced the 1.3 million
pixel MVC-FD88 camera. The MVC-FD88
features a choice of Super XGA (1280 x
960), XGA (1024 x 768) and VGA (640 x 480)
resolution options. It also has an 8x
optical/16x Digital Zoom lens with auto
macro. Also announced are the MVC-FD73 and
MVC-FD83.
The
MVC-FD83 uses interpolation to increase
the image by 17 percent to produce the
largest image size. A four times
high-speed floppy disk drives (FDD) is
also included.
The
Digital Mavica MVC-FD88 and MVC-FD83
cameras offer these additional
features:
- High-speed
Scan Auto Focus with auto macro
capability
- Precision
Digital Zoom
- Two
slow shutter speeds
- Four
pre-programmed special
effects
The
MVC-FD73 camera features a 10x optical
zoom, two-times high speed floppy disk
drive, E-Mail Mode and a 2.5-inch LCD
screen.
The
MVC-FD88 and MVC-FD83 will be available in
June 1999 for $999 (MSRP) and $799 (MSRP),
respectively. The MVC-FD73 will be
available in May for $599 (MSRP)
<www.sel.sony.com>
Sony Electronics has announced a a
new micronotebook with a built-in
camera called the VAIO
PictureBook.
Weighing
2.5 lbs and measuring only 1.5-inches
thick, the PictureBook computer is a
Windows 98, 266MHz Pentium MMX system
roughly the size of a paperback with a
built-in swivel camera housed in the top
bezel of the display. User's simply press
the capture button to snap a still image
or record up to 60 seconds of video. It's
also possible to create 360-degree
panoramic images using Sony's bundled
PictureGear imaging software.
The
PictureBook computer comes with a 4.3GB
hard drive, 64 MB SDRAM (upgradable to 128
MB), USB floppy disk drive, video and USB
ports. The PictureBook computer will ship
in March at an estimated selling price of
$2,299.
<www.ita.sel.sony.com/jump/c1x/>
CD-R
Sony is previewing a CD-RW
drive with a USB interface
connection. The CRX-100E/X will offer
connectivity to both PCs and Macintosh
computers. Sony's USB CD-RW drive supports
quad speed (4X max.) recording of CD-R
media, double speed recording of CD-RW
media and 8X (max.) CD-ROM read
performance. Price and release data not
yet available.
<www.sel.sony.com>
Flatland has incorporated
Aureal's A3D 2.0 positional audio
standard as the audio engine for
Flatland Rover, their browser
extension software that enables users to
view web pages created with Flatland's
3DML (Three-Dimensional Markup
Language).
As
part of their agreement, Aureal will offer
the Flatland Rover software as a standard
component of its Vortex driver set,
included with every A3D-enabled product
they ship. 3DML (Three-Dimensional Markup
Language) is Flatland's 3D Web publishing
format, which requires no experience with
3D modeling or programming. Based on HTML,
3DML uses a basic building block approach
that lets builders create 3D spaces by
arranging ready-made blocks into complete
environments. Flatland intends to create
audio block sets based on A3D 2.0 in the
coming months.
Those
interested in getting started with 3DML
and A3D will find tools and information at
the websites:
<www.a3d.com/flatland>
<www.flatland.com>
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co
has completed development of consumer
audio-video applications utilizing an
Audio-Video Hard Disk Drive (AVHDD) and
will soon begin to incorporate AVHDDs into
a number of Panasonic products to be
launched later this year. These systems
take advantage of Quantum's
QuickView digital storage technology
utilizing hard disk drives that can be
installed in a TV set-top box, television
set, or digital VCR. Quantum QuickView
makes random access recording and playback
possible. Matsushita will incorporate
AVHDD into Panasonic consumer electronic
products.
The
first Panasonic product to incorporate the
AVHDD will be a home video editing
application with functions such as
super slow-motion replay, speedy noiseless
searching and other image control
functions that take advantage of the
sequential data transmission feature and
are accessed via a jog dial.
Additional
technologies will be demonstrated at the
National Association of Broadcasters (NAB)
trade show at the Las Vegas Convention
Center, from April 19-22.
<www.panasonic.com>
More than 50 companies involved with the
Secure Digital Music Initiative
(SDMI) gathered in Los Angeles last Friday
for the first meeting of the Portable
Device Working Group, which is working
to ensure that portable devices enable
secure distribution of digital
music.
The
specification for portable devices is
intended to be completed by June 30, 1999,
and is part of the first phase of SDMI.
This phase is designed to respond to
marketplace demands for portable devices
in a way that supports the long-term goals
of the SDMI process. The next meeting is
scheduled to take place in two weeks.
<www.sdmi.org>
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