Cinnafilm Eyes the End-Game With PixelStrings Cloud TranscodingPixelSrings offers pristine conversions for all formats and frame rate, VIA the cloud. Cinnafilm, which has been an industry fixture for close to a decade, has always been interested in finding ways to make pictures look better at a reasonable price. Their latest product doesn't veer from that goal - PixelStrings combines Cinnafilm's image processing technology with cloud computing and storage, and it's accessible via a web browser.
We reached out to Cinnafilm founder and CEO Lance Maurer to find out more about the company's evolution and its latest product.
You've been offering technology in this industry for years with Cinnafilm and its products. Can you talk about how that all began and how it led to PixelStrings?
I love a good back story, and I think ours is a great one. As with any technology, Cinnafilm was born from a recognized technological gap in what was available to me as a creative. I worked as an aerospace engineer, but spent most of my free time (and money) trying to make my independent 16mm movies look right. After going through countless iterations, transfers, NLE filters and getting crazy quotes from facilities with expensive boxes I found that nothing accessible was even close to being good enough. This drove me to Chris and Ernie (my co-founders) to ask, Can't this be done better and less expensively? That was 2004. By 2009, we had a patented software technology good enough that ARRI OEM'd it, and Kodak used it to regain production content.
In 2010, when cinema tools went commodity, we decided not to go down that dark path and transitioned instead to the more stable broadcast market, where we could be disruptive again. Over the next eight years, we established a reputation for solving the hardest imaging problems for all areas of professional media. We know how to make smooth, pristine pictures for any format regardless of the source. Cinnafilm technology works on the front end to fix issues before they go to editorial (which saves considerable time and money) and on the back to ensure all revisions look their best. And when cloud compute embraced Nvidia GPUs, the stars aligned for us to evolve once again.
PixelStrings is the evolutionary sweet spot. It combines our image processing with infinite cloud computing and storage, all in a simple browser. The platform is designed to ensure the right creative intent with minimal input. The term Every Frame Matters is our underlying philosophy.
What does PixelStrings do?
PixelStrings is a platform as a service, and the superset of our ideas. After a decade of solving problems for all levels of pro media organizations, we have learned a thing or two about pain points and workflow. PixelStrings is focused on the end game - making your content play back as smoothly and as beautifully as possible in all formats and frame rates. The tool is built top-down with that in mind. All of our best algorithms in motion comp frame rate conversion, artifact removal, telecine pattern and noise removal, grain modeling, retiming and rescaling are here.
For example, if someone had a 23.98 asset in SD that was 23 minutes long, and they wanted to retime it at 22:30 and convert to 25p, while removing the chroma and digital signal noise, then upres it to HD, and lastly adding a nice 35mm film grain which is so good it has fooled experts, you could do that in PixelStrings in one pass for less than $46. And if you had 100 files, the system scales up the machines in the cloud to get it done in the same amount of time as the one clip.
Who do you see using the platform and in what environments?
PixelStrings is a BYOS (bring your own storage) system, so it operates in the cloud, connecting to your storage. Users are content owners who need image processing done on the front and/or back end of the pipe, from dailies to deliverables. Since it operates in the cloud, it is aimed at facilities transitioning away from on prem buildouts and into cloud environments - i.e., for those shifting away from capital expenses to operating ones. However, there is no limit to who has access to this tool - it is open for all to use. I see a lot of folks who could not afford these tools in the past finally having easy, affordable access. It is meant to support both facilities and individuals. We have customers who have already committed entire libraries with thousands of titles to the cloud who are testing now, and some who are just starting to put their toe in the cloudy water.
What are the benefits of working this way?
I assume you mean cloud workflow versus pretty pictures. For facilities, it represents a predictably priced burst capacity. For many of our forward-thinking customers it represents a complete shift to an operating expense mode, which is a new way of doing business that scales with heavy demand more easily than pricey on-prem stacks and metal. The savings are considerable - no need to buy expensive machines, involve IT or consume unnecessary electricity and space.
The benefits of automation are what we are talking about here. To be frank, making things easier to scale and use, while delivering content that looks right, is critical for the facilities that plan to be around for the next 100 years.
Can you describe the workflow/ease of use and how people pay for the service?
It's pay as you go only. No subscription fees. Per-minute pricing covers all the processing, compute and third-party technology costs. The only expenditures the customer has are our costs and their own storage. The pricing scales with image resolution and we publish our pricing on our site. All billing is tracked in the user's ledger, which is exportable for the folks who need to track the finances.
For workflow design, those familiar with our tools (Tachyon, Dark Energy
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
06/05/2026
Polands Miecznik-class frigates are part of the largest contract in Polish shipbuilding history. (Image Credit: PGZ Stocznia Wojenna)...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Riedel Communications today announced the expansion of its leadership structure as part of a strategic initiative to strengthen both its operational management ...
06/05/2026
For nearly three decades, Veteran Production Sound Mixer and Five-time Emmy Award Winner Dirk Sciarrotta has helped define the sonic identity of the long-runnin...
06/05/2026
ZEISS CinCraft LensCore: Cinema Lens Looks for Compositing
Brie Clayton May 6, 2026
0 Comments
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a nove...
06/05/2026
Wisycom Solves Extreme RF Challenges Across Miles of Live Action for Gravity Med...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Narrative Entertainment has partnered with Encompass to deliver high-quality subtitling of its Great! network content using the Altitude Intelligence AI assiste...
06/05/2026
SipRadius, widely recognized for making content processing and connectivity secure and seamless, is proud to launch a dramatic new approach to AI content creati...
06/05/2026
When the broadband and media industry gathers at ANGA COM in Cologne from May 19 to 21, Big Blue Marble will be at the forefront. The international broadcast an...
06/05/2026
Cinegy GmbH, a leading developer of software-defined television technology, is proud to exhibit at MPTS for the first time. Visitors to the stand will discover ...
06/05/2026
Val Jeanty Receives 2026 Doris Duke Artist Award Jeanty, a composer, percussionist, and turntablist, is the fourth Berklee recipient of the prestigious award ...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
When live cycling races and international marathons stretch for miles across cities and countryside, there is no margin for RF failure in live broadcast. As Chi...
06/05/2026
Oberkochen/Germany, May 5, 2026
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a novel solution for creating physically based cinematic lens looks for visual...
06/05/2026
SAN JOSE, Calif. - May 6, 2026 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced its latest broadband innovations for ANGA COM 2026, highlighting its vision for a new e...
06/05/2026
Statement from Rupert Murdoch, Chairman Emeritus, Fox Corporation on Ted Turner&...
06/05/2026
Friday 8 May on RT One and RT Player
Meet the NSPCA team caring for and protecting animals in need in this six-part series
Fly on the wall, six-part series...
06/05/2026
The race to build the world's most powerful AI factories demands networking ...
06/05/2026
How changes to proteins can alter drug interactions for new precision therapies Scripps Research team maps how chemical modifications to proteins affect drug bi...
05/05/2026
Experts from the world of academia, tech, business, politics and media convened for a Thomson Talks at the Cambridge Disinformation Summit in April. It's th...
05/05/2026
Three phones were hardwired for power and transmission to the truck; camera feat...
05/05/2026
The creative studio behind campaigns for the NBA, Fanatics Sportsbook & Casino, ...
05/05/2026
Nielsen has announced results from a co-viewing pilot program covering February&...
05/05/2026
viztrick AiDi, an on-device AI solution developed by Nippon TV, delivered global...
05/05/2026
ARRI has announced Omnibar, a battery-powered, IP65-rated multi-color LED linear...
05/05/2026
Imagine Communications has announced that France T l visions is the first broadc...
05/05/2026
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Bell Media today announced a multiyear agreement to broadcast and stream WNBA games in Canada beginni...
05/05/2026
SVG is proud to announce Warner Bros. Discovery's Techwood Studios in Atlant...
05/05/2026
With no operator required, AutoMic workflow automates talent identification on U...
05/05/2026
A crash in 2015 set the industry back, but this winter proved that drones are he...
05/05/2026
Another year, and more proof that Asia continues to shape some of the world's most exciting new sounds. This year's RADAR artists draw from deep local r...
05/05/2026
The Austin City Limits Music Fest 2026 lineup just dropped, and this year, Spoti...
05/05/2026
New drum machine book campaign incoming
Bjooks have announced that during Superbooth 2026, they will be launching a Kickstarter campaign to fund the product...
05/05/2026
Flagship all-in-one production bundle updated
The latest version of Native Instruments' flagship virtual instrument and plug-in bundle has just been ann...
05/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to host RF Testing Innovations Forum 2026, helping design engine...
05/05/2026
L3Harris provides communications, electronic warfare, sensors and mission systems that enable Virginia-class submarine crews to operate with confidence in conte...
05/05/2026
The company grew by 7.6% in net revenue and 16.3% in EBITDA, achieving a 33% inc...
05/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
05/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
05/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
Cinnafilm Eyes the End-Game With PixelStrings Cloud TranscodingPixelSrings offers pristine conversions for all formats and frame rate, VIA the cloud. Cinnafilm, which has been an industry fixture for close to a decade, has always been interested in finding ways to make pictures look better at a reasonable price. Their latest product doesn't veer from that goal - PixelStrings combines Cinnafilm's image processing technology with cloud computing and storage, and it's accessible via a web browser.
