Cinedeck 4. Software Upgrade Takes Tape Out Of the Loop

Cinedeck LLC, pioneering developer of capture systems for motion picture and broadcast production, will ship a powerful new v4.2 software release on July 1st 2013 that enables its dual-channel RX and quad-channel MX file-based recorders to cost-effectively replace traditional tapedecks in everyday editorial and post production operations. Headline features include Playlisting, RS-422 deck control, LUT shaders, Segment Record, H.264 streaming, plus enhanced Audio options, Burn-ins and Closed Caption recording. This new release will also unleash an array of additional features, including ARRIRAW recording and 3D stereo modes, which further advance the versatility of Cinedeck recorders in digital cinema and broadcast workflows.

Cinedeck recorders are already sweeping aside tapedeck technology in live and mobile OB production. With the v4.2 release, new playlisting capabilities and enhanced RS-422 deck controls, combined with the recorders' renowned abilities to connect to SAN and NAS shared storage, expand their deployment options within editorial and post production operations. Now, the Cinedeck RX and MX can be utilized as either players or recorders in a range of master/slave configurations, and undertake the tasks of two or four tapedecks respectively.

Price points as low as $9,495 per play/record channel with the Cinedeck RX3G, and $13,499 with the Cinedeck MX, deliver enormous cost savings compared to the outlay on a single tapedeck, with further savings achieved against the extra shipping, power and auxiliary equipment costs associated with tape.

FotoKem, a leading full-service post production facility headquartered in Burbank, CA, has already implemented the v4.2 upgrade, successfully replacing traditional tapedecks with Cinedeck recorders. Others companies to similarly employ the new software include Modern Video Film and broadcast network Nickelodeon.

FotoKem is highly-active in HD and 2K film and tape transfers to file-based media, and this latest v4.2 software upgrade allows the Cinedeck recorders to play fundamental roles within both workflows, said Paul Chapman, senior VP of technology at FotoKem. Compared to other products, we decided Cinedeck MX and RX3G with the latest deck control functions offered the most extensive feature set for the best price. Their abilities to perform frame-accurate capture, quickly and efficiently, coupled with simultaneous delivery of multiple file types for editorial, make them a great replacement for traditional tape decks.

Highlights of Cinedeck v4.2 software upgrade:

Playlisting:

Harnessing the non-linear editor built-in to the Cinedeck interface, editors or machine room operators can select multiple clips, and play them in a desired sequence with clean cuts. Cinedecks playlist function allows the arrangement of clips in any order, from any folder and from any compatible format. Additionally, the playlist functions enable users to set in- and out-points on a clip to create sub-clips, which can be included in a playlist.

Enhanced RS-422 Deck Control:

The latest RS-422 enhancements allow Cinedeck RX and MX to directly control, or be controlled by, other devices in a machine-to-machine editing mode, where Cinedeck is the recorder or the player capable of creating instant, non-linear assemble-edits using file-based media. Uniquely, the interface of a remote tapedeck can be emulated on the Cinedeck screen, giving users complete control of a tapedeck via the RX or MX. Two channels of RS-422 control with the RX, and four channels of deck control with the MX, allow the recorders to be deployed in a range of master and slave configurations with nonlinear editing systems, outboard controllers and tapedecks.

LUT Shaders:

Users can import and apply LUTs (Look Up Tables) non-destructively in realtime, and view the results via the on-board display on the RX and MX devices, or on output monitors. Users also have the option of recording the master and/or proxy files with LUTs applied.

Segment Record:

Also known as user-defined chunking , Segment Record allows long recordings to be split into segments of specific shorter duration. During a recording, each time the specified duration is reached, the current file is closed and the next segment file begins. Segments can be fully-accessed for playing, copying, and transfer to a SAN. Breaking large recordings into smaller pieces also allows the use of auxiliary storage devices that have file size limits.

Enhanced Burn-in Options:

The new v4.2 release allows users to select from a range of burn-in options including timecode, file names and LUT names. The ability to burn-in additional data, such as GPS coordinates, will be released in subsequent software updates. New character overlay tools allow users to control the horizontal and vertical position of character overlays, as well as character size, foreground and background colors for each channel independently.

Closed Caption Support:

Version 4.2 software supports the recording and playback of standard CEA-608 and CEA-708 DTV Closed Caption data in MOV-wrapped recordings. Closed captions in Op1A MXF, AFD and V-chip will be supported in a 4.2 maintenance release.

H.264 Streaming, Extended Encoder Audio Support and more:

Cinedeck has added extra H.264 encoding profiles, and MP4-wrapped H.264 is now streamable. Advances in audio recording include support for MOV-wrapped with interleaved audio, mono audio or separate WAV audio files, and input-to-file channel remapping. Other enhancements include 10bit to 8bit video input down-sampling for 8bit codecs (XDCAM, H.264), and gang-playback of multiple channels.

Cinedeck is also releasing ARRIRAW recording and enhanced 3D stereo modes in a v4.2 update, scheduled for July 2013:

ARRIRAW Recording:

With this forthcoming feature, the RX and MX recorders can directly record the RAW, full-resolution sig

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