Company meets demand for HD on the Mac, increased format support and connectivity for independent professionals
Avid Technology, Inc. today announced the worldwide availability of version 5.5 of its Avid Xpress(R) Pro software as well as the newest member in Avid’s line of Digital Nonlinear Accelerator(TM) products, Avid Mojo(TM) SDI. Avid Xpress Pro version 5.5 delivers HD capabilities for both Mac and Windows-based systems. Avid Mojo SDI, which works seamlessly with Avid Xpress Pro and Media Composer(R) software, provides high-quality, advanced analog and digital SDI (Serial Digital Interface) I/O connections for professional video and audio projects.
“I’m thrilled that Avid is delivering Avid Xpress Pro on the Mac, especially all of the HD features. The company has really stepped things up with this release,” said Tim Bird of Blast Editorial Services, LLC who specializes in documentary and high-end corporate video work and who beta-tested Avid Xpress Pro v 5.5 and Avid Mojo SDI. “We are an all-Mac shop and it’s great to have the confidence that our preferred OS will work seamlessly with our editing software of choice. The performance and feature set of this version of Avid Xpress Pro is remarkable and Avid Mojo SDI provides such robust connectivity.”
Avid Xpress Pro 5.5
The Avid Xpress Pro 5.5 software offers professional video, audio, film, effects, and encoding tools – plus custom music creation software – for both Mac and PC platforms in a single box. The software supports native HDV and DVCPRO HD for acquisition, editing, and output; real-time effects and 2:3 pulldown insertion over FireWire(R); and Avid DNxHD(TM) encoding to create effects, transitions, and titles with uncompromised image quality. Avid’s unique Open Timeline enables users to mix HDV, DVCPRO HD, and Avid DNxHD formats with SD and DV media in the same timeline in real-time, eliminating the time-consuming process of incorporating media from multiple sources into a single project.
Avid Mojo SDI
Avid Mojo SDI is a portable, advanced analog and digital SDI I/O device with high-quality professional video and audio connections supporting most professional decks and cameras. Connecting to any Mac or PC via FireWire, the Avid Mojo SDI Digital Nonlinear Accelerator offers the same analog connectivity of Avid Mojo, but adds SDI I/O and AES/EBU digital audio I/O to expand Avid Xpress Pro solutions to work with mastering-quality SD cameras and decks. It is available for both Avid Xpress Pro and Media Composer software.
“Independent video and film professionals now have more features than ever with this release of Avid Xpress Pro and Avid Mojo SDI,” said Patrick McLean, senior product manager for Avid. “No other vendor is able to offer such powerful content creation tools and connectivity options on both the Mac and PC platform, all backed up by Avid’s industry leading media management. Whether it’s support for various HD formats, multi-cam support with simultaneous playback for real-time editing, or support for new tapeless workflows and formats, our customers can now do it all on the platform of their choice – or even both if they choose.”
Pricing and Availability
Both the Avid Xpress Pro and Avid Mojo SDI systems, including upgrades for existing customers, are available now through Avid’s worldwide reseller channel or online at www.avidstore.com. Avid Xpress Pro software 5.5 is priced at $1,695 USMSRP and Avid Mojo SDI is priced at $2,495 USMSRP. Existing Avid Xpress Pro v4 or v5 customers can upgrade to Avid Xpress Pro v5.5 for just $49.95 by download at www.avidstore.com.
