Avid Now Shipping Media Composer XL 8.0

The ability to manipulate uncompressed digital video and an expanded edit cutlist for the emerging 24 frames per second (fps) standard are among the new features in Avid's Media Composer XL 8.0. The Tewksbury, MA-based developer of NLE digital video systems is now shipping the latest generation of its industry-leading Media Composer, which is comprised of two core configurations—Media Composer Offline XL and Media Composer 1000 XL, each available for Mac and NT.

This latest generation of Media Composer also features the new Meridien hardware, announced last July. The Meridien subsystem offers high quality fixed Kbyte/frame compressed images and more flexible and comprehensive video I/O.

Optional bundles for the system include 3-D effects software and hardware, single stream uncompressed 601 video support and the ability to create a 24 fps (frames per second) cutlist from a 30 fps or 24 fps video sequence plus Autosync for automatic syncing of picture and sound.

Media Composer Offline XL is available for $47,500; the Media Composer 1000 XL sells for $67,500.