New Editors Frequently Asked Questions

How do I upgrade to Avid Media Composer v3, Avid Symphony Nitris v3 & Avid NewsCutter v7 software?

For options on how to obtain the latest software, please go to http://www.avid.com/support/downloadcenter/upgradeOptions.asp.

Back to Questions

Is there a software release for Mojo, Mojo SDI, Adrenaline and Symphony?

Yes, the version v3.0.5 software will be available for Avid Media Composer Mojo, Mojo SDI, Adrenaline and Avid Symphony Nitris – all the features of the software that are not dependent on the new hardware capabilities will be available for Mojo, Mojo SDI, Adrenaline and Symphony customers.

Back to Questions

Is Media Composer Adrenaline going end of life?

Adrenaline is planned to continue shipping at least through the end of Q408 (December).

Back to Questions

What is happening with Avid Mojo?

Avid Mojo SDI remains as the preferred solution for standard definition workflows with both analog and SD-SDI input and output connectivity. We will stop production of Avid Mojo analog in June 2008. Avid Mojo analog will continue to be supported by the new software version.

Back to Questions

Can I upgrade my Avid Xpress DV or Avid Xpress Pro product to Avid Media Composer v3.0.5 with new hardware?
Can I trade-in my Media Composer Adrenaline or Media Composer Meridien for the new hardware?
Can I upgrade from Media Composer Software to Media Composer Mojo DX or Media Composer Nitris DX?

Yes, please consult your Avid sales contact or Avid reseller for details on upgrade programs.

Back to Questions

Can I upgrade my Avid Xpress DV or Avid Xpress Pro product to Avid Media Composer v3.0.5?

Yes, you can purchase this upgrade either from Avid’s Webstore or from your local Avid reseller.

Back to Questions

What if I just purchased a Media Composer Adrenaline?

Special upgrade pricing is available to customers who purchased Media Composer Adrenaline after January 1st 2008 – please consult your Avid sales contact or Avid reseller for details.

Back to Questions

What are the options for Xpress Studio and Studio Toolkit owners with the new editors?

Please refer to the Avid Studio product overview page for information.

Back to Questions

What’s the difference between the Mojo DX and Nitris DX?

The two principal differences are the connectivity options and the Avid DNxHD encode/decode which is only available on Nitris DX. Nitris DX offers more connectivity for analog equipment such as Betacam SP, more audio connections, and more SDI connections allowing simultaneous connection to decks and monitors as an example, or separate connectivity for SD and HD devices. Please see the editor product pages for more details.

Back to Questions

Are there any differences in the hardware capabilities based on the software used: Media Composer, NewsCutter or Symphony?

The hardware offers the same feature set for all applications, with the exception that some capabilities such as Universal Mastering are unique to Symphony.

Back to Questions

Does Media Composer Nitris DX or Symphony Nitris DX support 4:4:4 HD-RGB?

No. This format is not supported on these platforms. Customers should choose Avid DS for 4:4:4 HD-RGB workflows.

Back to Questions

Does v3.0.5 support a Mix and Match timeline?

Yes, Avid’s Open Timeline is retained in the new software. Users can mix and match any codec or format on the timeline as long as the edit rate is the same. For instance a timeline can mix DV, MPEG and Uncompressed footage, and can mix 1080i/59.94 and 480i/29.97 (NTSC) because all edit at the same 29.97fps rate. Non identical edit rates, and interlaced/progressive formats cannot be mixed – for instance NTSC cannot be mixed with 720p/59.98 (720p/59.97 has a frame rate of 59.97 while 1080i/59.94 has a frame rate of 29.97 ). But progressive and interlaced can be mixed if they share the same edit rate as in 1080p/29.97 and NTSC.

Back to Questions

What is the performance of the new systems?

The new editing solutions offer substantial increases in performance over their predecessors. Key metrics of this performance include native multi-stream playback of camera based formats such as XDCAM HD, DVCPRO HD, AVC-I and HDV, as well as multi-stream playback of Avid DNxHD and Uncompressed HD. With an appropriately configured 8 core workstation, between 5 and 7 streams of Avid DNxHD full resolution playback are possible on both Mac and PC, and up to 9 streams of draft quality.
The new system architecture leverages the underlying horsepower of the host workstation processors and the host operating system. As such, some aspects of performance can vary based on differences between platforms. These measures of performance will vary with system configuration, updates to Avid software, updates to host workstations as well as updates to the host operating system and graphics card drivers. With the v3.0.5 release, some differences in performance have been measured on different platforms based on different implementations of the graphics processor driver on these platforms. Examples include the Safe Color Limiter and SpectraMatte™, where real-time performance is possible for some scenarios on Windows XP, but not on Windows Vista and OS X 10.5 Leopard. On the flip side, for particularly complex sequences, the 64 bit memory addressing of Windows Vista and OS X 10.5 Leopard shows some performance benefits. While these differences are measurable, they do not impact efficiency in most circumstances, and customers should typically choose their platform based on their personal preferences.

Back to Questions

What formats can be recorded to disk from HD-SDI input?

Uncompressed HD in 8 bit and 10 bit, as well as DNxHD when using Avid Nitris DX, or an 8 core workstation with Avid Mojo DX.

Back to Questions

How many channels of audio I/O are supported?

8 channels of audio for capture, 16 channels for monitoring or Assemble edit, 8 channels for Insert edit.

Back to Questions

Is closed captioning supported in the new hardware?

The new hardware supports closed captioning, but this is not integrated into the software in this release so there is no support for ancillary data handling at this time.

Back to Questions

How does the surround output work?

When you configure the audio output to be Direct Out, 5.1 Surround, the HDMI output is flagged as a proper uncompressed 5.1 mix. Any HDMI-compliant processor/receiver will interpret the signal correctly and automatically route the output to the correct speakers. In addition, on Nitris DX you can listen to the surround mix using the analog XLR and Monitor outputs. The outputs are configured by default as: XLR1=C, XLR2=LFE, XLR3=LR, XLR4=RR. The Monitor outs are used as L and R. If you have the optical out configured for ADAT you should be able to use the first six channels as a surround monitor if you&http://www.ctmsolutions.com/www/#39;ve configured the Audio Project Settings for surround output. Regarding the channel configuration for 5.1 output, you can modify it to set up any configuration desired, but the default configuration is: Ch 1=L, Ch 2=R, Ch 3=C, Ch 4=LFE, Ch 5=LR, Ch 6=RR. For the analog outputs, the Monitor outs will always output whatever is patched to Channels 1 and 2.

Back to Questions

What camera related limitations should I be aware of?

• HDV 24p does not include write-back
• The only supported JVC camera for 24p HDV workflows is the GY250. The GY110 and GY200 cameras are not supported.
• XDCAM EX requires the use of the Sony Clip Browser on import for re-wrapping from the .mp4 wrapper to the .mxf wrapper. Click here for more information
• Sony XDCAM is not supported on Vista 64. We will pass on more information once we receive it from Sony.
• Sony eVTR is not supported on Vista 64. We will pass on more information once we receive it from Sony.

Back to Questions

Do the new editors support workgroups 4?

No, the new editors only support interplay.

Back to Questions

Can you connect Mojo DX and Mojo SDI at the same time for analog connectivity?

No. Only one device can be connected at one time. For analog connectivity on Mojo DX, use an external A/D converter, or upgrade to Nitris DX.

Back to Questions

What anti-virus software is qualified?

Avid only officially qualifies the Symantec Anti-Virus Corporate edition. At this point version 9.0 and version 10.0.1.1007 or later “v10” release are qualified. Version 11 is not qualified for this release. Our Anti-Virus guidelines are included in the Avid Security Guidelines which are available on the Support Knowledgebase.

Back to Questions

What is MetaFuze and how can I get it?

MetaFuze™ is a new tool that allows for the creation of Avid MediaFile formats (Avid DNxHD and JFIF) sequential file formats such as DPX or TIF. These files can be used to perform the offline edit in a DI workflow, with the final conform taking place on a DS system or other DI conform station. MetaFuze will be included in every new copy of Avid Media Composer and Avid Symphony.

Back to Questions

What is FilmScribe?

Avid FilmScribe™ will export XML for all sequences with all source and record side metadata. All standard Avid columns as well as user custom metadata will be output as a single XML file. Transforms can applied to the master XML to create EDLs, Change List EDLs, Scan lists, etc. Transforms can be created by users and manufacturers and easily shared as needed.

Back to Questions

Is there an education upgrade from Avid Xpress Pro to Avid Media Composer Software for students?

There is a multi-seat cross-grade from Avid Xpress Pro to Avid Media Composer for schools available in the US. Please contact your sales manager for details if you are an education institution. There is no individual low-cost upgrade from Avid Xpress Pro Academic to Avid Media Composer Software Academic for students. Students must purchase a new copy of Avid Media Composer Software Academic.

Back to Questions

Where to go for help?

Customers that purchase a new Media Composer DX or a Symphony Nitris DX or an upgrade to Media Composer software v3.0.5 receive a one time setup call for help getting up and running. June 6th 2008 Avid Technology

Customers interested in ongoing support should consider purchasing an annual support contract. Details can be found here.

Back to Questions