Archive for August 7th, 2012

T-VIPS stand: Hall 1. B71.

Oslo, Norway – T-VIPS, a global leader in professional video contribution and distribution solutions, today announced the launch of its TNS460 HD/SD-SDI Monitor, a new addition to T-VIPS’ nSure product line which has been developed to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of high quality video content. Visitors to IBC will be able to see on-stand demonstrations of the solution (stand 1.B71), which will be shipping from September 2012.

“The TNS460 answers the need of broadcasters and network operators to ensure the delivery of high quality video signals throughout the value chain,” said Johnny Dolvik, CEO, T-VIPS. “This expansion of our nSure product portfolio means we provide solutions for transport stream monitoring, RF signal monitoring at the transmitter site and now SDI (HD/SD) signal monitoring for contribution and in-house video distribution. We understand that network infrastructures are becoming increasingly complex which is why we continue to provide monitoring solutions which increase reliability in video transport.”

The TNS460 delivers efficient, continuous monitoring of HD and SD-SDI signals. It provides central head-end input monitoring and is ideal for monitoring at handover points where signals may be delivered from one party to another – a scenario which is increasingly common in today’s complex network infrastructures. The TNS460 provides the data to monitor SLA adherence and also offers stand-alone monitoring for temporary contribution links such as services delivered for a one-off sporting event.

The TNS460 is compact and cost-effective, offering simultaneous, real-time monitoring of four SDI signals. It delivers monitoring of video format information, uncompressed audio bitrates and number of channels but also offers an advanced mode for extended monitoring and error detection where required. It features a thumbnail view of the video being transmitted and also innovatively offers template monitoring, which allows users to set pre-defined perimeters for monitoring according to their own individual service.

“We believe that the TNS460 is the ideal solution for broadcasters, system integrators and network operators who are looking for a cost-effective product which doesn’t compromise on functionality. We understand the need for cost effectiveness when deploying high-end monitoring systems at many hand-over points in an infrastructure – the TNS460 fits the bill for both functionality and cost. We look forward to IBC visitors seeing our entire range of monitoring solutions and how the newest addition to our monitoring portfolio, the TNS460, can play a crucial part in the delivery of fault-free video services,” concluded Dolvik.

Features of the TNS460 HD/SD-SDI Monitor

• Video monitoring and error detection

• Simultaneous, real-time monitoring of four SDI signals (HD/SD)

• Video format information

• SDI continuity check and checksum error (EDH/CRC)

• Freeze and Black frame detection

• Audio and ancillary data monitoring

• Uncompressed Audio bit rates and number of channels

• AES3 channel status information

• Uncompressed Audio Silence and Peak detection

• Ancillary and embedded data monitoring

• Advanced monitoring for extended analysis and error detection

• Template monitoring

• Thumbnail view

For further information: David Bramley, Platform PR, Tel: +44 (0)20 7486 4900, Email: david@platformpr.com

Note to editors:

If you would like to see the TNS460 or any other T-VIPS product in action, or to hear more about how T-VIPS is utilizing its broadcast and IP expertise to ‘make the complex simple’, please email Sally Douglas (sally@platformpr.com) or Rajin Kang (rajin@platformpr.com), or call them on +44 (0)207 486 4900.

About T-VIPS AS

T-VIPS is a global leader in professional video transport solutions. We help our customers deliver next-generation TV services such as 3D, HDTV, live events and local content. Our IP based video transport and Digital Terrestrial TV solutions allow network operators, broadcasters, and content providers to deliver the highest picture quality at the lowest cost. Leveraging our technology expertise in video over IP, video compression, transport stream processing, monitoring and seamless switching we deliver products and solutions that improve Quality of Service (QoS), ensure high quality in live contribution workflows and enable state of the art DTV.

Our wide range of products enables fast time-to-market, increased reliability and improved video quality. We also provide fully customizable solutions, tailored to customer needs to deliver increased efficiency in video transport infrastructures.

T-VIPS is driven by innovation, customer success, and the application of new technologies to enhance both traditional video transport and Over The Top infrastructures and ensure the delivery of high quality content to TV ready mobile devices.

Old Lyme, Conn., August 7, 2012 – With a list of hits including ‘World Hold On’ and ‘Love Generation’ as part of his back catalogue, Bob Sinclar can truly be described as a DJ legend. The man who brought the groove back to the dancefloor – a man who marches to the beat of his own tune, producing number ones around the world which are played on radio stations in every country and on every continent. Bob Sinclar has carved out a reputation as one of the most talented DJs on the planet and Sennheiser is proud to announce that he will be its first global endorser for the new Amperior headphones. This is a collaboration be¬tween a man and a company who are both passionate about music and style.

The Sennheiser Amperior brings DJ-club sound quality to the streets – perfect for everyday music fans wanting superior sound as they listen to their beats on the move. The Amperior mobile headphones are a must-have for users wanting to experience the professional quality enjoyed by Bob Sinclar. They combine the pureness of sound of a great performance with a high-end look and style.

For Bob Sinclar sound quality is paramount. Whether three people in a small room are listening to his hits, or a dance floor full of clubbers, the sound needs to be precise and exact, and he gets this with Sennheiser – having used their HD 25 headphones for years. For him, nothing is more important than sound quality in order to share the energy of the songs with his audience; for them to hear, enjoy and react to each beat and every word.

For Bob Sinclar, being a DJ is a way of living – and was his dream since the age of 16. He is passionate about sharing energy with the crowd, creating an environment for them to escape to and lose themselves in their enjoyment of the music.

From the States to South America, Europe, Asia and Australia, the demand for Bob Sinclar’s smooth disco-tinged house sets is unwavering. His flair for blending vocals, instrumentals and rhythms into one soaring, euphoric house set rocks clubs to their very foundation wherever he touches down.

On the partnership with Sennheiser, Bob Sinclar commented, “I have worn Sennheiser headphones since I was 18, since the start of my career, because of the quality of sound. It goes straight to your ear so you can enjoy and lose yourself in the music. I want people on the streets to experience with the Amperior what I myself experience when I DJ, when I produce, when I listen to the music that I not only make, but that inspires me. Sennheiser creates a professional quality of sound for every day, and is the best in the industry.”

Sennheiser Amperior headphones are part of the lifestyle range. Their sound signature has been derived from the legendary HD 25 monitoring headphones. They bring together cutting-edge and superior sound technology with stunning materials to create headphones that people want to be seen wearing. The Amperior come in a silver or blue aluminium finish and are the perfect choice for those who don’t want to choose between perfect sound and cool design. Allowing people to experience club beats wherever they are – a real design statement which means you’ll stand out in the crowd and show your real appreciation for quality sound. Demonstrating their exclusivity, Sennheiser Amperior headphones are currently only available in Apple stores and Apple online stores and they are the perfect fit for the iPad, iPhone and iPod.

Peter Callan, President, Consumer Electronics at Sennheiser explained, “These headphones are essential for all music lovers who want to experience the pure joy of a great sound performance – whenever they want and wherever they go. We are extremely excited and proud to be working with Bob Sinclar, a true musical legend, who combines fashion and style with music – just like the new Amperior.”

Enhancing Acoustically Challenged Devices – Processor Agnostic Systems – Audio For iPad Publishers

SAN FRANCISCO: “133rd AES Convention Product Design Track Chair Conrad Cooke has developed a groundbreaking combination of razor edge Tutorials, Workshops and Master Class Events,” states Convention Co-Chair Jim McTigue. “This Track is designed to provide deep insights into emerging technology which is expected to have a lasting impact on the field of pro audio.”

“My goal was to ferret out the most relevant issues facing today’s product designers,” Conrad Cooke said. “I uncovered a wealth of knowledge, and selected thirteen presentations which present techniques to help solve some of those common issues. We are confident that attendees will come away with invaluable information that will greatly benefit their future thinking.”

133rd AES Convention Product Design Track Events Include:

A Next Generation Audio Processing Suite For The Enhancement of Acoustically Challenged Devices: Presenter, Alan Seefeldt, Dolby Laboratories – A commercial audio processing suite has been developed to enhance the sound of acoustically challenged devices such as laptops, tablets, and mobile phones. This tutorial will address the design principles and algorithms developed for the suite. Each example was designed to operate within a common frequency domain framework. Several of these algorithms were tuned specifically for the acoustics of the device on which they operate.

Implementing Application Processor Agnostic Audio Systems For Portable Consumer Applications: Presenter, Jess Brown, Wolfson Microelectronics. – This tutorial will outline future audio trends for portable consumer devices. Areas covered include: HD audio voice, capture, playback and share. The total ‘mouth to ear’ audio solution will be reviewed, from both the technology and device perspectives.

Don’t Make Your Product a Noise Nightmare: William Whitlock, President/Chief Engineer, Jensen Transformers – Audio systems that operate on AC power experience interference in the form of ground voltage differences, magnetic fields, and electric fields. Establishing high immunity in real world, mass-produced equipment is not a trivial issue. This Master Class will probe the critical importance of high common-mode impedances; the disadvantages of legacy test methods; the new IEC test for CMRR; alternatives to ordinary input stages and ubiquitous design errors.

Audio For iPad Publishers: Jeff Essex, AudioSyncrasy – Book publishers are running to the iPad, and not just for iBooks, or one-off apps. This tutorial consists of two case studies which explore how to build audio creation and content management systems to produce multiple apps in high-volume environments, including VO production, concatenation schemes, file-naming conventions, audio file types for iOS, and, helping book publishers transition from the printed page to interactive publishing.

Audio In HTML 5: Jeff Essex, AudioSyncrasy, Jory K. Prum, studio.jory.org – HTML 5 is coming. Many expect it to supplant Flash as an online rich media player, as Apple has made abundantly clear. But audio support is slow in coming, and there are currently marked differences between browsers. From an audio content standpoint, it’s the Nineties all over again. The W3C’s Audio Working Group is developing standards, but this is a fast-moving target. This talk will provide an update on what’s working, what isn’t.

Multimedia Device Audio Architecture: Laurent Le Faucheur, Texas Instruments – This tutorial investigates a low cost, hardware audio architecture that solves several mobile low power multimedia application processor constraints related to: Legacy software reuse, signal processing performance, power optimization, multiple data format interfaces, and low latency voice and tones.

Audio DSP Requirements For Tomorrow’s Mobile & Portable Devices: John Richards, Oxford Digital Limited: Presenters: Peter Eastty ( Oxford Digital), Howard Brown (IDT), Bob Adams (ADI), Alan Kramer (SRS Labs), Julia Backman (Nokia), Cyril Martin (RIM) – As the convergence of communications, entertainment and computing races ahead, largely centered on portable and mobile devices where form factors are shrinking and style wins out over practicality of design in some instances, the challenges in delivering the audio DSP to provide good sound and differentiated effects are discussed by a panel of experts representing semiconductor manufacturers, mobile/portable device manufacturers and DSP IP providers.

Other Product Design Track Presentations Include:

* Ethernet Standard Audio: Steve Lampen, Belden
* Rub & Buzz and Other Irregular Loudspeaker Distortion: Wolfgang Klippel
* An Overview of Audio System Grounding and Interfacing: William Whitlock, Jensen Transformers
* AVB Networking For Product Designers: Rob Silfvast, Avid
* Graphical Audio/DSP Applications Development Environment For Fixed And Floating Point Processors: Miguel Chavez, Analog Devices

Scheduled for October 26 – 29 at SF’s Moscone Center, the Convention is expected to draw thousands of attendees from around the globe to its 4-day program of Broadcast/ Streaming, Educational, Live Sound and other Special Events.

Photo: Conrad Cooke, 133rd AES Convention Product Design Track Chair

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The Audio Engineering Society was formed in 1948 by a group of concerned audio engineers. The AES counts over 14,000 members throughout the U.S., Latin America, Europe, Japan and the Far East. The organization serves as the pivotal force in the exchange and dissemination of technical information for the industry. For additional information visit http://www.aes.org

The Hollywood Edge has released a new addition to its flagship collection, Premiere Edition, recorded entirely in high definition sound at 24-bit/96 kHz. The new release, comprising more than 24 GB of general sound effects, is the first installment of the Premiere Edition in HD, a comprehensive library of high quality, high definition sound effects designed for film, television, radio, video games and other media.

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Webby Award-Winning Filmmaker Seth Worley Debuts “Order Up” Showcasing Light Effectsfrom Knoll Light Factory 3

 

Portland, OR (August 7, 2012) – Red Giant today announced the release of Knoll Light Factory 3, the biggest update to the industry’s most advanced 3D lens flare system. Co-developed with Academy Award winning VFX Supervisor John Knoll, the new Light Factory delivers an intuitive interface, realistic flare elements, beautifully designed presets, and time-saving animated behaviors.

 

“This is the biggest advance to Light Factory in many years,” said John Knoll, inventor of the lens flare technology. “Version 3 delivers a great new editor to make flare creation faster, and new and updated elements for the flare engine for better accuracy at high resolution. The library includes a collection of realistic cinematic and distant flares that I’ve built to help with your next production.”

 

To showcase the cinematic impact of Knoll Light Factory 3, Red Giant has produced Order Up, a new short film in collaboration with Seth Worley, the Webby Award-winning director of Red Giant’s film Plot Device. Watch the debut of Order Up on the Red Giant website at http://redgiant.com/orderup.

“Building a short film around a product is easy when the product is as exciting as Light Factory 3,” said Seth Worley, filmmaker for Red Giant. “Much like Plot Device, where we used over-the-top effects and humor to show off Magic Bullet Looks 2, we made Order Up with some fairly extravagant but realistic light effects to show how awesome Knoll Light Factory continues to be.”

What’s New in Knoll Light Factory 3

Central to Knoll Light Factory 3 is its completely redesigned and intuitive interface. Designing flares is now refreshingly simple with newly organized controls, and a Lens Designer preview that has been rebuilt for a productive, creative experience.

 

Knoll Light Factory 3 has new realistic flare elements, offering 28 Elements and 56 Sprites that let users quickly create a light design. The product ships over 100 beautiful Lens Flare Presets — including new presets designed by John Knoll — that emulate real world lenses and lights, and are equally useful for visual effects, sci-fi scenes and motion graphics.

 

New automated Behaviors instantly add unique animation by simulating real world light effects like Strobe, Pulse, Flicker and Blink. The new Edge Reaction feature flares or fades light at the edge of a frame for more realistic effects and cinematic impact. Full integration with After Effects 3D camera and comp lights lets users move the Knoll flares in 3D space and sync them with animated lights.

 

Knoll Light Factory 3 is also part of the newly released Effects Suite 11, the company’s popular suite of over 70 tools for visual effects and broadcast design. All products in Effects Suite 11 ship with full support for OS X Mountain Lion and Adobe After Effects CS6.

 

Pricing and Availability

Knoll Light Factory 3 is available immediately for $199.00 for new customers. This new pricing is a 50% price reduction from Knoll Light Factory 2.7, which sold for $399.00. All existing Knoll Light Factory users are eligible to upgrade for $99.00, regardless of the version number they originally purchased.

 

Knoll Light Factory 3 supports Adobe After Effects CS4-CS6, Premiere Pro CS5-CS6 and Apple Final Cut Pro 7. For sales and more information, please visit http://www.redgiantsoftware.com/products/all/knoll-light-factory/.

 

Effects Suite 11 is also available and priced at $899.00 USD for new customers. Existing Effects Suite customers can upgrade for as low as $99.00, and get Knoll Light Factory 3 as part of their purchase. For sales and more information, please visit http://www.redgiantsoftware.com/products/all/effects-suite/.

 

The Red Pledge

Red Pledge is Red Giant’s commitment to customer happiness, with no purchasing hassles. Learn about the Red Pledge guarantee at www.redgiantsoftware.com/redpledge/.

 

About Red Giant 

Founded in 2002, Red Giant (www.redgiant.com) creates an ever-expanding universe of effects tools ranging from plug-in suites, applications and mobile apps to Guru Presets, free products and sharing communities. We provide software for motion design, photography and color correction that is used for everything from major motion pictures to worldwide television programming to web production. Red Giant offers the industry-leading Trapcode tools for broadcast design; Magic Bullet Suite for color correction; and over 60 products that run in After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Motion, Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Lightroom, Aperture, Avid, Vegas, Nuke, and Avid Studio. Our effects have enhanced dozens of feature films such as Angels & Demons and The Social Network, and added sparkle to networks like NBC Universal, ESPN, Disney, CNN, Comedy Central, MTV, and TNT. Join us on Facebook (RedGiantSoftware), follow us on Twitter (@RedGiantNews) and get free content at Redgiantpeople.com.

 

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Tailored Solution Is Perfect Fit for ABC’s Interactive Reality Competition’s Production Needs

BURBANK, CA, AUGUST 7, 2012—Bexel, a unit of the Vitec Group’s Services Division and a leading worldwide provider of broadcast services and solutions, supplied a state-of-the-art custom equipment package for ABC’s new interactive real-time reality competition, The Glass House. As ABC’s second in-house produced show, Bexel worked closely with technical consultant Jerry Kaman and Tim Bock, ABC’s vice president of production for alternative series and specials, to find solutions that would help meet the demands of the aggressive, technically advanced 24-hour show.

The Glass House features 14 contestants living and competing for a quarter-million dollars in a state-of-the-art house that is under complete surveillance, with no access to the outside world. The contestants aren’t just competing with each other, but also playing the game to win over the audience each week.

Bexel supplied more than 50 cameras for The Glass House, including close to 40 robotic cameras, seven fixed cameras and eight large studio cameras/handhelds for the show. Among these were Panasonic’s new AW-HE120 2.2 mega-pixel robotic cameras. Not only do the Panasonic robotic cameras provide excellent picture quality, their entire control system is IP-based. This makes it easy for busy show staff members to deploy the cameras and use off-the-shelf equipment for camera control.

“The Glass House is a large-scale job that integrates some of the more complicated equipment that we own,” says Johnny Pastor, director of technical services, Bexel. “From rigging to the engineering and large router infrastructure this is an ideal project for us, as Bexel’s expertise and experience is a perfect fit for these types of reality shows.”

The production also called for robotic cameras with infrared capabilities. For those, Bexel turned to Camera Corps and its Q-Ball. The Q-Ball is Camera Corps’ latest HD/SD pan-and-tilt camera system, combining both appearance and performance in the smallest system currently available. The Q-Ball incorporates a built-in 10x zoom optical lens and smooth accelerating pan/tilt motors in a sturdy, fully weatherproof aluminum sphere with a diameter of 115 mm/4.5in.

For the project, Bexel also built a custom HD control room with a large fiber infrastructure and custom work benches for producers and loggers. A PESA router was utilized with a distributed audio routing system, which made the cabling very easy—requiring the team to simply interconnect everything using fiber.
For more information, please visit www.bexel.com.

About Bexel
Bexel is the pre-eminent worldwide provider of broadcast services including video and audio equipment rentals, fiber services, new audio sales, used equipment sales, and repairs/maintenance. Bexel provides brilliantly designed and flawlessly executed systems and solutions to all customers – including producers of the biggest and most important televised events in the world. For more information, visit http://www.bexel.com.

A Snapshot of The Vitec Group
Vitec is an international Group principally serving customers in the broadcast, photographic and military, aerospace and government (MAG) markets. Listed on the London Stock Exchange with 2011 revenue of £351 million, Vitec is based on strong, well known, premium brands on which its customers worldwide rely. Vitec is organized in three divisions: Imaging & Staging, Videocom and Services. Imaging & Staging designs, manufactures and distributes equipment and accessories for photography, video and events. Videocom designs and distributes systems and products used in broadcasting and live entertainment, film and video production and MAG. Services provides equipment rental, workflow design and technical support for camera, video, audio, fiber optic and wireless technology used by TV production teams and film crews. More information can be found at http://www.vitecgroup.com.

Free-To-Play MMO Distinguished as Most Popular Unity-based Title Using Substance; Allegorithmic to Demonstrate Technology at Unite 2012

San Francisco – Aug. 7, 2012 – Bigpoint (www.bigpoint.com) – a worldwide leader in online games – and Allegorithmic, the leading firm in texturing technology, today announced that Bigpoint’s free-to-play, browser-based title, Battlestar Galactica Online (BSGO) is the most successful game built atop the Unity 3D platform to incorporate Allegorithmic Substance technology. Utilizing Unity and Substance products, Bigpoint greatly enhances user experiences by creating in-game art that is optimized for each player’s individual computer.

“Bigpoint is constantly striving to push the boundaries of browser game development and we’re very pleased with the benefits BSGO has gained with the addition of Allegorithmic’s sophisticated technology,” said Matt Norton, Studio Director, Bigpoint Inc. “Substance enables us to produce high-quality art without creating sizing issues. Since we can easily scale assets down from megabytes to kilobytes, we can use higher-res textures all while still minimizing download times for players in the game.”

Since its launch in 2011, Battlestar Galactica Online has become the most popular Unity-based game to adopt Substance. In one year, BSGO enlisted more than 10 million registered pilots to the tactical space combat massively multiplayer online game, and adds 25,000 new registrations per day. Bigpoint has created a number of customizable character skins with dynamic levels of detail; the first batch of Human and Cylon ship paints built with Substance were released in early 2012. More recently, a limited-edition collection of golden ship skins were produced for the in-game Festival of Kobol celebration (running through Aug. 12).

“Working with Bigpoint and the talented BSGO development team has been incredibly rewarding,” said Alexis Khouri, VP Strategy & Sales, Allegorithmic. “BSGO is one of the most impressive browser-based titles ever launched, and we are both excited and proud to know that Substance technology adds to this game’s power.”

Allegorithmic Shows Substance Secrets at Unite 2012

Attendees at the upcoming Unite 2012 developer conference in Amsterdam (Aug. 22-25) will have the opportunity to learn more about Substance in two scheduled program sessions: “Faster, Better and Lighter Textures with Substance Designer 3 (R.I.P. Photoshop)”on Tuesday, Aug. 21 and “How to Benefit From Unity’s Substance Integration Without Paying a Dime” on Thursday, Aug. 23. Among other user cases, Allegorithmic will demonstrate how Battlestar Galactica Online became the biggest Unity-based title to be released with Substance. Unity Technologies natively supports its clients with free access to Allegorithmic’s Substance runtime engine.

The latest version of Substance Designer 3.0, the Texturing Workshop, will be available this summer. Substance Designer 3 will include a new major batching and powerful painting system with the ability to create smart filters and minimize production time. Pre-orders can be taken at: http://www.allegorithmic.com/products/substance-designer-3

Battlestar Galactica Online can be accessed for free on all web browsers. For more information about BSGO, visit: http://battlestar-galactica.bigpoint.com/.

About Bigpoint

Bigpoint (http://www.bigpoint.com) is an online-game developer, publisher and content provider for more than 1000 global distribution partners. Bigpoint’s free-to-play games are played by over 250 million registered users in over 30 languages. The company’s diversified portfolio includes high quality games for browser, mobile and social platforms. More than 800 employees from over 35 different nations work at the company headquarters in Hamburg, Germany or at other locations in Berlin, San Francisco, São Paulo and Malta. For more information or press material, please visit www.bigpoint.net.

About Allegorithmic

Founded in 2003 and based in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Allegorithmic is a leader in the 3D content production industries with clients including Intel, Autodesk, NVIDIA, Tencent, NCsoft and Funcom. The company specializes in creating advanced authoring software and middleware that is designed to simplify the process of creating and distributing high-quality textures for next-generation content developers. The company’s flagship product range is Substance. For more information on Allegorithmic and its products, please visit www.allegorithmic.com.

Press Contacts
Lucianne Tan
Bigpoint PR Coordinator
ltan@bigpoint.net
415.821.8106

FORK Platform Evolves to Help Broadcasters Match Latest Multiscreen Delivery Workflows

AMSTERDAM — Aug. 7, 2012 — Primestream(R), a leader in advanced media asset management and broadcast automation software, today announced FORK(TM) 3.5, the newest version of its acclaimed FORK Production Suite for managing and automating broadcast workflows. more

New Genoma rigging system for Modeler, soft-body Bullet Dynamics, modeling enhancements and interchange support for After Effects and GoZ FiberMesh create a robust end-to-end pipeline.

The LightWave 3D® Group, a division of NewTek, Inc., announced today LightWave 11.5, a powerful new edition of its Emmy® Award-winning 3D modeling, animation and rendering software. A complete 3D pipeline, LightWave 11.5 includes many new features to streamline productivity, including a new Genoma character animation and rigging system for Modeler, predator and prey flocking, Instancing, soft-body Bullet Dynamics, interchange support for Adobe After Effects and Pixologic’s GoZ Fiber Mesh, major workflow enhancements, and more.

“LightWave 11.5 elevates artistic freedom with innovative new features and workflow enhancements that are designed to streamline productivity,” said Rob Powers, president, LightWave 3D Group. “From fast interactive stereoscopic rendering in the VPR to physically accurate hard-body and soft-body Bullet Dynamics, LightWave 11.5 continues to reinforce its leadership position as an end-to-end pipeline.”

LightWave 11.5’s new features and enhancements include:

Genoma
A new modular instant-rigging system that can be used to quickly rig a simple biped or quadruped for animation in Modeler without the need for specialized rigging tools. It offers modular rig presets that consist of skeletal parts such as spines, wings, arms, legs, hands and feet. Complete rigs for biped and quadrupeds can easily be customized using Genoma.

Modeling Tools
New functionality and architectural advancements in Modeler allow for faster interactivity, performance, and tool development. LightWave 11.5 introduces many new tools like UV Unwrap, Edit Edges, Place Mesh, Slice, Thicken and Heat Shrink that emphasize the system’s power and lay the groundwork for future third-party modeling tool development.

Soft-Body Bullet Dynamics
Bullet now includes soft-body dynamics for effects such as cloth, rubber, jelly or other deforming properties. Bullet meshes are also now reactive to bone deformations and wind forces can also be added for rippling effects.

Flocking
A specialized particle system that allows items to move in very organic ways, Flocking offers new prey and predator behaviors that allow flocks to chase other flocks or have flocking agents seek out and chase the closest prey. Neutral flocks do not chase or chase but still affect other agents for collision avoidance. Other new features include Plane, Pursuit and Arrive directors and the addition of node controls.

Interchange Tools
A new GoAE button allows you to select elements in a scene and see them in Adobe After Effects—including animation, lights and camera setting. Changes can be made using Camera Tracker in After Effects before returning to Lightwave. GoZ technology for Pixologic’s ZBrush allows you to send models to and from LightWave with automatic node flows for textures and normal maps. ZBrush styling tools can also be imported to LightWave and attached to objects.

Instancing
Now includes Per-Object control of scale, stretch, offset, rotate and nodal controls, along with new Copy and Paste functions and Path Mode optimizations for greater flexibility and workflow.

ViewPort Preview Renderer (VPR)
VPR transforms how artists work in LightWave with fast interactive onscreen rendering. LightWave 11.5 now supports depth-of-field and motion blur effects and stereoscopic rendering in VPR.

Pricing and Availability
Purchase or upgrade to LightWave 11 for $1495 and automatically receive LightWave 11.5 at no extra cost when publicly available. Upgrade pricing from earlier versions of LightWave is $695. LightWave 11.5 is expected to ship Q4 2012 at a suggested retail price of US$1495. Educational pricing is also available. Visit www.lightwave3d.com to purchase or locate an authorized LightWave reseller.

About LightWave
LightWave 3D combines a state-of-the-art renderer with powerful and intuitive modeling and animation tools. LightWave includes 999 cross-platform render nodes, support for Windows and Mac UB 64- and 32-bit operating systems, free technical support and more. LightWave is enjoyed worldwide as a complete 3D production solution for feature film and television visual effects, broadcast design, print graphics, architectural visualization, game development, and more. LightWave is responsible for more artists winning Emmy® Awards than any other 3D application.

For more information about LightWave or the LightWave 3D Group, please visit: www.lightwave3d.com, Twitter, YouTube or connect with us on Facebook.

About NewTek
Benefiting producers and artists with cost-effective and groundbreaking technologies, NewTek is a worldwide leader in portable live production, video editing, 3D animation and special effects tools, including the TriCaster™ product line, 3Play™ and LightWave 3D®. NewTek has won numerous industry accolades, including two Emmy® Awards.

Clients include: “The X Factor,” ESPN X Games, New York Giants, NBA Development League, Fox News, BBC, NHL, Nickelodeon, CBS Radio, ESPN Radio, Fox Sports, MTV, TWiT.TV, USA TODAY, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). NewTek products have been used in feature films and television shows, including “The Amazing Spider-Man,” “The Hunger Games,” “Avatar,” “The Adventures of Tintin,” “The Walking Dead,” “Fringe,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” and more.

NewTek is privately owned and based in San Antonio, Texas. For more information on NewTek please visit: www.newtek.com.

NEW YORK – August 7, 2012 – Today, Brevity announced a strategic restructuring to position the company for further growth and market development by electing Timothy O’Brien as President and CEO. O’Brien will succeed Jacob Bronstein, one of Brevity’s original two founders, who now assumes leadership of key areas including product development and strategy.

“Brevity has seen phenomenal growth in the past six months. Many leaders in the broadcast, production and post communities have now experienced the speed, simplicity and workflow effectiveness of Brevity, resulting in immediate demand for our solution,” said Jacob Bronstein, Founder, Brevity. “Similarly, we need to make sure we’re providing the market with a comprehensive and ambitious vision. Today’s announcement enables Brevity to optimize our organization to achieve this dual goal. Timothy O’Brien is an experienced and capable leader whom I have enjoyed working with and in whom I have deep confidence.”

An example of Brevity’s growing market traction is evidenced by its current support for NBC Olympics. Brevity is providing integrated transcode and transport support of graphics files to NBC Olympics during its production of the London 2012 Olympic Games from July 27- August 12, 2012.

As President and CEO, Timothy O’Brien brings a wealth of experience to lead Brevity Ventures’ growth strategy and business. After working decades in start-ups and major companies such as IBM Global Services Media & Entertainment and Yahoo, Timothy brings both the entrepreneurial spirit, sales leadership, and proven operational experience required to lead Brevity to the next stage of its evolution and growth. Timothy worked with Brevity starting in May 2011 as an advisor to develop the business strategy, operationalize the company, drive institutional financing efforts, and bring the V3 solution to market. He became COO of Brevity in October of 2011 and President in April of 2012.

Commenting on the appointment, Timothy O’Brien noted, “Jacob has achieved something extremely rare and special in Brevity. As a result, the company is transforming the broadcast, production and postproduction communities with a truly innovative and imminently useful offering. I am pleased to take on the additional responsibilities as CEO and am determined to keep this company as an force for innovation, a catalyst for progressive change and an agent for growth.”

Prior to Brevity, O’Brien was Vice President, Video Services, for Yahoo from 2008 to 2010. In this role, he was responsible for the delivery of creative and professional services required for Yahoo and its global partners to monetize video across their online platforms. He joined Yahoo as a result of an acquisition of Maven Networks of Cambridge, MA in 2008.

At Maven, Timothy was Vice President of Media Services, responsible for deploying in just one year over 30 enterprise customers in the US and Europe that lead to the Yahoo acquisition. In this role, Timothy was responsible for leading the company’s Professional Services, Creative Services, Media Network Operations & Customer Support teams, and was the executive in charge of day-to-day relationships with its media customers and partners.

Before Yahoo, Timothy served as Partner and Practice Leader in IBM Global Services’ Media and Entertainment industry practice in North America and Asia, where he was responsible for more than $100 million annually in digital media services engagements. He was one of the principal designers of IBM’s Digital Media Factory, an end-to-end framework that enabled rich media content to be managed and distributed for a wide range of networks and devices — PCs, mobile phones, set-top boxes, kiosks, and game platforms.

“It’s been an honor to be the CEO of Brevity and to lead such a world-class team,” said Bronstein. “And I can say with confidence that we are just getting started.”

About Brevity:

Brevity provides breakthrough technology that offers for the first time the ability to simultaneous transcode to multiple formats while transporting video files to multiple locations at highly accelerated speeds over any network. Founded in 2010, Brevity transforms media production and distribution workflows and redefines the time, cost, and efficiency required to support M&E operations. Brevity is working with leading networks, studios, content providers, sports teams, and production houses to redefine media production and distribution around the world. For more information please visit at www.brevityv.com or follow @BrevityV.