The Best High-Budget NLE System!!

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Hi everyone :)

Finally, I had the chance to see a real-world demonstration of Avid's Media Composer with Nitris DX. The demonstration was done in my friend's MediaCast Systems company in Dubai (www.mediacastsys.com).

The company happened to be the distributor of Avid Systems, Apple Final Cut Systems, Adobe Systems, and SpeedEdit, so my friend was very frank with me, and not biased with his recommendations. Long story short, FCP is a software based system, and it demands 100% on the host system to process everything just like Adobe Premiere Pro (without Matrox DigiSuite LE or Axio LE hardware) and like other software NLE such as Vegas.

So, FCP is not for me, and I do no like Adobe Premiere. So, hardware assisted RT performance was limited to only Avid's Media Composer (or Symphony) with Nitris DX. Please note that there is a difference between property hardware-assisted, and property hardware depended. Hardware-depended depends 100% on its property hardware to process all RT things, and it uses the host systems for non RT process. Such systems include Velocity, VelocityQ, and VelocityHD. The other type, hardware-assisted uses it own property hardware to "accelerate" most process in real-time with the help of the host system's CPU, and the GPU in some systems. Such systems includes Avid NLE with the Nitris DX (Mojo is only I/O interface). I think some of Eduis NLE systems is also hardware-assisted, but I am not sure.

Back to Avid again, the Nitris DX is not just BOB like Mojo, and other low-cost BOB. It has chips to to accelerate (in conjunction with the CPU, and GPU) most of the processing of its native video formats, especially with the DNxHD codec. So, multi-streams of full quality HD playback is possible in realtime. Also, the Nitris DX dose realtime trans-coding to DNxHD codec when capturing.

Back to the demonstration; the demo was prepared and done by an expert editor (with over 20 years experience). He started working with Avid's system since its introduction 20 years ago. It was called back then Avid Film Composer. I asked to use the footage of my EX3, so after installing the Sony Clip Browser, and using it to copy my clips to Media Composer. He did a quick editing with 4 HD streams with PIP, and basic dissolve translation, and the system was able to play back everything in realtime with full-quality, full frame rate. Please note that we did not transcode to DNxHD codec, it was all done with XDCAM file format natively. Also note that the system configuration did not include any Raid, or dedicated video drive, we used the Windows system drive!! That's amazing.

With dedicated video drive, and even RAID configuration, he said I will be able to play back even more HD streams in realtime, and I believe him. They did not recommend Symphony for me unless am going to do alot of color correction and grading since there are very minor changes between MC and Symphony, and Symphony only offers a secondary color correction.

In fact, they said if I want to upgrade from MC, I should consider DS, not Symphony, because DS offers much much more and its worth its price if I will be doing alot of compositions and special effect.

Well, I think I will be doing my compositions, motion graphics, and special effects in After Effect, and Combustion, so, I have decided to go with full turnkey of Avid Media Composer Nitris DX system, and I thank very much everyone contributed on this subject.
 
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They are right. There is no need for Symphony at this point.
GL with the new system. We are lookin' forward to seeing you creations.
 
Congrats! Glad you were able to get a demo of the product and some honest feedback from someone you know and trust.

Let us know how it all turns out when your system arrives.

Michael.
 
Thanks Grinner, and Michael :) WOW .. that was a quick reply. I will try to post some of our work, whenever I have time.

By the way, they told me that sooner or later, Avid will discontinue Symphony, and add the secondary color correction to future MC.
 
I thought it was already discontinued.
MC will get no futher updates or up grades due to the fact that Avid no longer has a developmental department.
or a managorial department for that matter.
 
grinner said:
I thought it was already discontinued.
MC will get no futher updates or up grades due to the fact that Avid no longer has a developmental department.
or a managorial department for that matter.
Click to expand...

And Steve Jobs has cancer, so we're all screwed...
 
aboammar said:
By the way, they told me that sooner or later, Avid will discontinue Symphony, and add the secondary color correction to future Media Composer.
Click to expand...

Now THAT'S something I'd be looking forward to. :thumbsup: Best of luck with your new workstation!

grinner said:
I thought [Symphony] was already discontinued.
Media Composer will get no futher updates or up grades due to the fact that Avid no longer has a developmental department. or a managorial department for that matter.
Click to expand...

:huh: Sounds like a dead company to me. I can't imagine then, why, they will be making a grand return to exhibiting at NAB 2009 if they supposedly aren't developing products any longer? I suspect this coming NAB will reveal some exciting developments behind the scenes. Or maybe not?
 
grinner said:
I thought it was already discontinued.
MC will get no futher updates or up grades due to the fact that Avid no longer has a developmental department.
or a managorial department for that matter.
Click to expand...

What?? Are you sure about that? What is your source? :( If that is true, then I should rethink my decision ...:huh:
 
El Gato Negro said:
hey aboammar. have you gotten a demonstration from autodesk smoke/flame? there are two main production companys here in San Antonio. One has the Avid DS/Nitris and one that has Autodesk Smoke/Flame. I have seen commercials cut on both and I have to say I was more impressed with Autodesk Smoke http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=10247363
Click to expand...

Thanks for your recommendation. Well, I never considered Smoke/Flame because some people told me that it is too expensive :huh: How much dose it costs? How dose it compare with AVid MC Nitris ?
 
aboammar said:
Thanks for your recommendation. Well, I never considered Smoke/Flame because some people told me that it is too expensive :huh: How much dose it costs? How dose it compare with AVid MC Nitris ?
Click to expand...

Hey Aboammar. I call Autodesk about a year and a half ago. The system runs about $85,000.00 to $100,000.00. As I stated in my post I have seen commercial spots edited on Autodesk and it is flawless. I would say it is Avid's equal. They have retainers world wide and you could arrange for a representive to give you a dementration or just fly to the closes retailer. Prices might have dropped considering the ever changing market.
 
aboammar said:
What?? Are you sure about that? What is your source? :( If that is true, then I should rethink my decision ...:huh:
Click to expand...
I know some remaining people at Avid. Not much left these days.
I'm not trying to talk you out of anything. Don't look at it as investing in Avid. Puchase the tool that will make you the most profit.
 
El Gato Negro said:
Hey Aboammar. I call Autodesk about a year and a half ago. The system runs about $85,000.00 to $100,000.00. As I stated in my post I have seen commercial spots edited on Autodesk and it is flawless. I would say it is Avid's equal. They have retainers world wide and you could arrange for a representive to give you a dementration or just fly to the closes retailer. Prices might have dropped considering the ever changing market.
Click to expand...

Thanks El Gato .. it seems its price is over my budget, however, I will check it out. Thanks for the links ... :)

Avid MC Nitris DX will cost me around $40,000, so it seems a very good value.
 
grinner said:
I know some remaining people at Avid. Not much left these days.
I'm not trying to talk you out of anything. Don't look at it as investing in Avid. Puchase the tool that will make you the most profit.
Click to expand...

I see .. so you are assuming that they will not keep developing MC, right?
 
Right. I don't think they plan on being around much longer.
At this point they have already killed most of their product line.
MC's "upgrades" have just been bug fixes since they killed the meridien line.
Use to be ehen one got an upgrade, they could dive into their new bells and whistles that next morning. Now, it's more just wondering what new bugs you just installed.
I have been on an Avid product longer than anyone else here. I saw it grow to awesomeness from conception.
then I had to watch as they began that rapid spiral downward.
I know you can get into an MC for 40k. I got into an MC Adrenaline for just over that 3 years ago. I can only tell you that I sorely wish I had put that money in a sweet FCP suite instead. When my adrenaline croaks, thats what I will go with as it offers far more bang for the buck (for my needs, anyway) than any (I should say either lol) product that Avid offers today.
While I use to be able to use Avid's name as a selling point for my business, in this market, it's now something that has to be down-played.
Think about this... ONE of those monthly Avid payments you are about to commit to for 3 years could pay for FCP's software. Looking at it that way you have to ask yourself what you'd be gaining by chosing Avid over FCP to make it worth it.
At this point, man, I cannot think of a reason that justifies it.

It's this growing global mentality that ensures Avid's demise. You don't see Avid suites being built today. You see anything but. Hope on mandy.com and do a quick search for current editor staff gigs... 2/3 are now FCP as that's what people are buying.
 
That chip on your shoulder is huge.
The happy fun loving hippie has turned into a bitter old man. It's sad or pathetic, either way your doom and gloom monologue about the demise of Avid has become trite and boring.
 
That's one way to look at it, I guess.
Another is the guy asked me a question and I answered it based on what I know.
While arguably, old, I'm not bitter. I reserve the right to purcahse whatever tools best suit my needs today as much as I did when I was a laid back hippie. I have been burned on purcahses before, from lemmon cars to sour encheladas. Lining up to buy more bad product is just not something I try to make a habbit out of. That's an educated consumer, not an angry hippie.
 
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