Splice Here by Steve Cohen

Avid is releasing Media Composer 3.5 today (with parallel updates to Symphony and Newscutter). It’s a big release and should have something for everybody.

Here’s an overview, based on an Avid conference call, Friday. There are some revolutionary changes, and some more pedestrian improvements, as well.

• The End of the Dongle. Yes, it’s true. 3.5 will allow you to license your software over the net and get rid of that pesky little piece of plastic. (You can still use your dongle with this version if you prefer, but over time Avid plans to phase it out.) The software will give you 14 days to register, which results in a 14-day free trial period.
• Avid Media Access (AMA). This is Avid’s new plug-in architecture for diverse media types. Initially it will support Sony XDCAM and Panasonic P2 flash media, allowing editors to work with these files on the flash card or on any drive that they’re copied to. You won’t have to import any longer — the MC will work the media in it’s native form. And you can store and work with this media anywhere you like — no need to keep it in a MediaFiles folder.read more...