More NAB 2012 News

NewTek also unveiled the new TriCaster 855 and TriCaster 455. These units replace the 850, 850 Extreme and the 450, 450 Extreme respectively. The 855 and 455 are shipping now so there will be no waiting.

The new units have all the Extreme features including the Isocorder technology to record multiple video streams and the advanced audio features (audio grouping, compressor/limiters etc.) plus some new features.

Native Quicktime support is standard. Plus Mac versions of the NewTek SpeedHQ codecs are available now.

The new TransWarp effects engine is also included to you can create 3D warping transitions with sound effects using the included editor. The editor includes a second license so you can run it on a second machine.

A new and improved IVGA is also included. You can now specify regions of the screen to grab and iVGA now supports sound.

A lot of the underlying TriCaster code has also been massaged to make operation more robust.

The best part is that NewTek has given these units a great price. The 855 including the 850CS controller is only $29,995 and the 455 is priced at $19,995 including the 450CS controller. These prices are actually a slight reduction from the old non-Extreme machines so once again NewTek throws down the price/performance challenge.

For users who already own various 450 and 850 models there are upgrades available, give us a call for details.

1-800-692-6442

TriCaster 8000 OMG

Well, I was completely wrong about the 9.4 times better even though I got the model number right (850 X 9.4 = 8000). The new TriCaster 8000 is mind blowingly better than the the 850. I'm still am trying to wrap my head around its capabilities and I'm not even sure where to start So I'll just jump right in.

In no particular order:

8 re-entrant M/E Buses. You can set these up with up to four live sources each including using an M/E as a source in another M/E.

4 Down Stream Keys (use any source including M/Es) plus four channels of overlay on each M/E

24 New Live Sets with virtual camera moves including panning, pedestal and zooming. You can adjust the moves on the fly. Optional LiveSet Editor.

Macros - configure complex switcher actions to a single button push.
 
8 configurable hot spots per input, let the talent run the show by triggering macros using these interactive hot spots.

Social Media Publishing - Integrate your live production into Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Flickr, and other social media sites in real time.

Record multiple (8) video streams with timecode to the hard drive. Native support for Quicktime.

Animated transitions using the new TransWarp 3D effects engine. Includes a transition editor so you can create custom transitions.

Fully configurable multi-viewer.

Integration with Black Magic Designs Matrix Routers.

Motion tracking effects - I'll try to post a video showing this, it's hard to explain.

iPad audio control app - Turn your iPad into a remote, wireless audio control surface.

Oh, did I mentions it can do all this stuff in 3D? That's right built in support for 3D cameras and anaglyphic stereo imaging.

They were demoing the M/E buses by doing effects with literally millions of layers on screen at once. I was impressed last year by the 850 Extreme showing 5 layers at once so to say this is a bit of an improvement is a major understatement.

The price? You better sit down.

$39,995 including the control surface!

That's right less than the price of a TriCaster 850 gets you a TriCaster 8000. There is nothing on the planet with these capabilities. To even come close would require hundreds of thousands of dollars and probably a whole truck full of equipment. You have got to get one of these things!

Digital Arts will have one of the first units to roll off the assembly line, probably in late May. Units are scheduled to ship in quantity sometime third quarter of this year. Give us a call to schedule a TriCaster 8000 demo, remember we can do these on line. 1-800-692-6442

Some pictures:

NAB 2011 TriCaster 850 Extreme

NewTek definitely came to NAB 2011 playing for keeps. Several big new product announcements which are probably going to bring tears to the eyes of their competitors including the new TriCaster 850 Extreme.

A quick overview of the 850 Extreme's features.

All the features of the TCXD850 plus almost everything that users have been asking for.

Multi-Tier Failsafe - The software is actually created from a suite of independent modules that monitor themselves so if, for example, you load a clip into a DDR that causes it to glitch the DDR will re-start without effecting any other operations. In the event of a catastrophic failure as long as the unit has power it will pass through audio and video from input 8.

IsoCorder - Record 8 streams of HD video. You can record all eight inputs or record the output in several different formats or record redundant copies of you output to different hard drives. These recording all include embedded time code so it is easy to re-sync the files in post.

Animation Store Transitions - Full color animated transitions. With sound! Animation Store creator is included so you can create your own.

Apple AirPlay Support - Any AirPlay source (Mac, iPod, iPad or iPhone or other iOS 4.3 protocol device) can be used as an audio/video input to the TriCaster.

Advanced Audio Configuration - Seven band EQ, Compressor/Limiter, Grouping and Multi-Bus Routing. You can now apply the audio follows video to groups of inputs. Groups can also be routed to the Aux or streaming outputs.

LTC Timecode Support - Hook up an external TC generator to the TriCaster and any recorded file (that supports it) or output will include the timecode.

Stream Configuration Panel - A new panel with easy, automatic setup for most common CDNs. There is also a built in browser window so you can monitor your stream directly from the TriCaster Extreme.

There's more new stuff in there I'll post more details as I get them but the TriCaster 850 Extreme is an amazing piece of equipment. Once again NewTek re-defines price/performance.


List will be $39,995 NAB special is $37,995. Upgrade your existing TCXD850 for the difference in price.

NAB Best Vaporware Award

OK the one thing that impressed me the most at NAB was the RED Digital Cinema Camera Company Scarlet Camcorder. It's not scheduled to ship until 2009 so it's most assuredly vaporware.

3k resolution $3k. That's over twice the resolution of HD for less than a crappy HDV camera.

$3k includes a lens.

Records to dual compact flash cards. Has HDMI, HD-SDI, Firewire 800 and USB ports. It's beautifully made of machined cast aluminum, can take many Red accessories and is so incredibly cool it hurts. I will own one of these.

Top Ten Dealer Dinner

NewTek hosted a dinner for their top ten dealers last night at Lawry's Prime Rib. Kris and I were fortunate enough to be seated at a table with Tim Jenison (founder) and Chuck Silber (SVP Worldwide Sales)of NewTek. We spent most of the evening reminiscing along with Varto of Varto Technologies and his wife about the old days of the Amiga and the Video Toaster. Turns out that even Chuck, who's only worked for NewTek for a few weeks, got started with a Digiview and Digipaint and eventually was a Video Toaster dealer before he ended up at Avid. It's a small world.

It was a lot of fun, Thanks Tim!

NAB Pictures

Some quick snapshots, lighting was not ideal.


TriCaster Broadcast


Ted Ruiz being Interviewed By NewTek's Rex Olsen


TimeWarp


LiveControl


That Crazy Kiki Chick


Don Ballance & Chris Hines of NewTek


Pretty Good Crowds

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

A Prediction

OK, we have arrived in Vegas and it's bright and early Sunday morning and I'm going to make my official NewTek new product prediction. Are you ready?

A three input instant replay box. Based on the TriCaster Pro.

There I've said it, I don't really have any inside info but I've picked up on some hints. I could be entirely wrong. The Dealer and end user events are this evening so we'll find out then.

Now off to The Wynn for breakfast.

Watch This Space

NAB is coming up quick!

The NewTek dealer meeting and an enduser event are scheduled Sunday night in Vegas so I'll be reporting whatever announcements are made late Sunday night. I've heard some rumors but I'll keep them to myself for now.

I'll also be posting my thoughts on the action from the show floor so again stop back and see what's up. I'm going to try to post lots of pictures.

Comments are encouraged, if there's something you're interested in let me know and I'll try to swing by and take a look.