Editware Gets A Lift

by David Fox

Editware liked what it saw on the adjacent Lift stand at IBC 2000 and decided to set up a joint venture to enable it produce a powerful hybrid linear/nonlinear system adding Editware's know-how to Lift's good idea, according to its marketing director, Jerry Lewis.

The resulting Fastrack VS is basically the Lift system launched 2000, but enhanced by Editware, which created new device drivers and improved its workflow, "because they understand editing so well," says Robert Malzan, head of software development, Lift. Editware modified the Lift graphical user interface slightly and added many of the specialist editing functions (splits, ripples, slow motion), timeline control and video switcher control.

The hybrid solution is similar to Editware's VPE, but with a graphical user interface and not limited to use with Grass Valley's Profile server.

The full version has an 80 track controller, for up to 80 channels (if you have that many servers). It can access a mix of tape machines and Abekas, Pinnacle or Profile servers. A Louth controller is coming soon, which will allow almost any server to be used. It takes full advantage of whatever each server offers and never re-records anything that is on the server, only recording what is necessary to make best use of storage.

Material doesn't have to be digitised first. "Once you know what you want, only that will be digitised," says Malzan. "You could save a lot of time using this."

He claims it is a very flexible system that can easily be customised to an individual user's way of working. It can be used with a Sony-like or Avid keyboard, mouse, or the traditional Editware way of working.

There is also a lite version, starting from eight tracks with one tape port and using a single make of video server (depending on which server it is used with it can have up to 15 tracks).

Lift is selling it in Europe, Editware elsewhere. Lift's earlier L2 version has been sold in Germany, where RTL is among its users.

NOV 2001

Back to the top

© 2000 - 2010

MORE...

There is a wide range of video hardware boards. We take a look at Matrox, Pinnacle, DPS, Canopus and Digital Voodoo.

FAST's flagship editing system, blue, finally turned up as a working product at IBC 2001

Media 100's new editing and compositing system "Pegasus" will be capable of unlimited layers, run multiple simultaneous streams and should cost between $25,000 and $50,000 for a turnkey solution.

The EditPro/M from Athens-based Eagle Research is a complete edit suite in a box offering half a Terabyte of RAID disk storage.

Pinnacle's Pro-ONE is native DV and can handle up to ten effects in real time find out more.

Avid's Media Composer line has been updated with a DV option (25 and 50 Mbps), with real-time DVE.

The latest version (Dimension 8.2) of Accom's Affinity NLE adds "speed, speed, speed."

Pinnacle buys FAST- Fairlight gets Lightworks - Discreet purchases Media 100's Cleaner and CineStream products

Discreet editing report The new edit 6.5 is launched.

News item on Boris FX - Nov 2001

We have a new review of Adobe Premiere 6.0, Photoshop 6.0 and After Effects 5.0

Apple's Final Cut Pro - low-cost broadcast editing on the Mac.

Fast's Purple - budget non linear broadcast editor for PCs

David Fox