NewTek Meeting Wrap Up

Just got back from the NewTek Dealer and End User events.

New Products

TriCaster Broadcast
Basically a TriCaster Studio with SDI ins and outs including a preview output and TriCaster 2.0 software (more on this later).

LiveControl LC-11
This is the new big brother to the RS-8 and VM with control of 11 inputs and a few more controls on it.

TimeWarp TW-42 Slow motion and Instant Replay Controller
Buttons and a jog wheel to control the new slo-mo and replay features of TriCaster 2.0

LiveText
Remote titling. Runs on a separate computer but allows an operator to update titles on the TriCaster in real time.

TriCaster 2.0
Update for all the TriCaster models, necessary for TimeWarp, LC-11 and LiveText. Adds realtime MPEG-2 recording, Quicktime and MPEG-2 playback HD clip import and editing, Daktronics scoreboard interface, Flash streaming.

TriCaster Pros will also get upgraded with Live Sets and full CG Designer bringing it up to the TriCaster ProFX feature set. Since the TriCaster ProFX features are being merged into the TriCaster Pro the FX model will disappear. TriCaster 100s may not be able to play QT or MPEG-2 or stream flash but I need to verify this. UPDATE: Yes they will.

Sports LiveSet Pack
New virtual set package with five sports network style sets.

Sports Graphics Packs
Two new packages of sports themed graphics. Scoreboards, lower thirds, borders and DVEs.

3D Arsenal 2.0
Based on Lightwave 9 technology. Better and faster renders and more.

Sports Ammmo Pack
Sports themed animations for 3D Arsenal.

Lightwave 9.5
More better :)

Shipping? you ask. The TriCaster Broadcast they say will ship in the next couple of weeks. Most of the rest will ship in the next 30 to 45 days. We'll see.

What about the VT? A point upgrade later this year, it should support the new controllers at that time.

OK, now back to my new product prediction I made this morning. I was right but I was wrong. We are getting the TimeWarp replay controller and some new features in the TC software to support it but that isn't quite what I expected. But.

At the Dealer meeting they showed a prototype of a device called the 3Play.

This will be NewTek's first HD live production device. It is, as I predicted, a multi input instant replay box. I say multi input because you'd think that a thing called 3Play would have three inputs but it looked like it had six to me. UPDATE: verified - three inputs. It's based on NewTek's upcoming HD hardware and it's built into a box similar to that used on the TriCaster Studio and Broadcast.

So I was pretty close. I don't have any other details and I haven't seen it operate but it is supposed to be officially announced sometime this year. Pretty cool.

No photo-ops but I'll try to get some of the new stuff tomorrow