What’s new

Directly access and edit RED files through AMA, without transcoding (images are scaled to HD frame size)

Work natively with QuickTime video formats, including Apple ProRes and H.264

Edit video and audio by dragging and dropping elements in the timeline

Keep high-end finishing projects in-house and gain great color precision with HD-RGB support (including dual-link I/O support with Nitris DX systems)

Monitor video externally with support for the Matrox MXO2 Mini

Mix and match frame sizes and aspect ratios — in addition to formats, frame rates, and resolutions — in the same timeline

Take a break during long renders and have your system email you when the job’s done

Import AVCHD files directly from cameras and other devices

Capture to and edit XDCAM HD and DVC PRO HD formats from baseband without additional hardware

Access low-res XDCAM proxies for offline work, with full-quality audio

Import text-based ancillary data and embed it in the video signal with the new “Data Track” and SMPTE 436M support using Nitris DX- and Mojo DX-based systems

View stereo audio tracks as single channels in the timeline for easier handling

Create high-quality sounds and mixes with support for RTAS audio processing plug-ins

Natively access and edit 4:2:2 MPEG-2 media from the new Canon cameras using AMA

Work Directly with RED Using the Newly Improved AMA
With Media Composer 5, AMA (Avid Media Access) has been completely reengineered, so you can work natively with more file-based media formats now and in the future. With the new and improved AMA, you can speed up RED workflows by directly accessing RED files (.R3D) in Media Composer without having to prepare them through MetaFuze (all footage is scaled to HD frame size). Plus, you have access to its full metadata and color management data too.

Edit QuickTime Formats Natively
Get native access to all popular QuickTime formats, with full access to clip metadata. Thanks to AMA, you can natively access and edit any movie that can be played in Apple’s QuickTime Player (including Apple ProRes and .mov files captured by Canon 5D and 7D cameras) right in Media Composer — no transcoding, rewrapping, or logging and transferring required.

Drag and Drop Video and Audio to Edit
Get comfortable — with Media Composer 5, you can truly edit the way you like. In addition to the standard way of editing, you can also now directly manipulate elements in the timeline to edit video and audio. Drag and drop clips anywhere you want on the timeline to rearrange sequences. And grab a clip’s in or out point and drag to trim a scene, dialog, or music.

Get Full-Quality HD-RGB Processing
Keep those finishing jobs in house, and deliver the highest quality color and effects work, with support for full-quality 4:4:4 HD-RGB color space processing in Media Composer. With the higher resolution detail, you can perform color correction, keying, and effects work with greater precision and ease. And if you have a Nitris DX-based system, you can digitize, process, monitor, and output (output in Symphony systems only) projects in HD-RGB, using the two HD SDI connections to handle the high-bandwidth resolutions.

Monitor Video Externally through Matrox MXO2 Mini
If you don’t have a Nitris DX- or Mojo DX-based system, Media Composer 5 opens the door to third-party workflows, enabling you to monitor video externally using the Matrox MXO2 Mini interface, which is available for Mac and Windows systems. When paired with Media Composer software, MXO2 Mini becomes a dedicated, high-quality monitor-only solution for file-based or workgroup production, so you can view your video work in real time without any major expense. Editing Done Right

Seamless Integration into Any Workflow

Get the Look, Sound, and Quality You Want

Designed for Collaboration

A Worldwide, World-Class Community

* Starting with Media Composer 5, Symphony 5, and NewsCutter 9, ScriptSync, a feature that has long been a coveted tool, enabling you to blaze through script-based projects and find the best takes fast, will be offered as a separate, purchasable option. If you’ve been using ScriptSync in previous versions, you’ll get a new license for the ScriptSync option when you upgrade to the versions above. When Avid ship new versions in the future, they will provide you with upgrade paths for their editing software and ScriptSync. So the first one’s on them - enjoy it! For more information, please visit Avid's ScriptSync page.

For optimal performance and reliability, be sure that your computer or laptop meets the following minimum system requirements.

Important: Avid dedicates a significant amount of engineering resources and time to test and qualify specific platform configurations. Please note that Avid cannot provide support should you choose to use a non-qualified system.

Windows

• Computer: Avid-qualified Windows-based computer or laptop (see details)
• OS: Windows 7 Professional (64-bit), Windows XP Professional SP3 (32-bit), Windows Vista Business SP2 (64-bit), Windows Vista Ultimate SP2 (64-bit)
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.33 GHz processor or faster
• Memory: 2 GB of RAM (4 GB of RAM recommended; Windows Vista requires 4 GB of RAM)
• Graphics Card: NVIDIA Quadro FX family** (FX 560 or higher)
• Internal Hard Drive: Minimum 80 GB 7200 rpm hard disk
• Optical Drive: DVD drive for disc-based software installation
  ** Only NVIDIA cards are supported; full-screen playback requires a minimum of 128 MB of graphics memory.

Mac

• Computer: Avid-qualified Mac-based computer or laptop* (see details)
• OS: Mac OS X 10.6.3 (Snow Leopard)
• Processor: Intel Dual or Intel Dual Core 2.66 GHz Xeon processor or faster, or Intel Core 2 Duo 2.33 GHz processor or faster (laptops)
• Memory: 2 GB of RAM (4 GB of RAM recommended)
• Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce family**
• Internal Hard Drive: Minimum 80 GB 7200 rpm hard disk
• Optical Drive: DVD drive for disc-based software installation
  *NewsCutter is available for Windows only.
  **Full-screen playback requires a minimum of 128 MB of graphics memory.

Nitris DX and Mojo DX Interfaces*
The following are additional requirements for using Nitris DX or Mojo DX editing systems:

Nitris DX: Avid-qualified Windows or Mac-based computer with a PCIe x4 card slot
Mojo DX: Avid-qualified Windows or Mac-based computer with a PCIe x4 card slot, or ExpressCard slot (laptops) with optional Avid ExpressCard Hardware Interface Board

Additional Information

• Laptop users:
  
  ◦Please note that support of uncompressed video on laptops is limited to one stream of uncompressed SD video
  ◦DNxHD capture with Mojo DX is only supported with the new generation of Windows based Intel I7 laptops (Quad Core with Hyper-Threading). Additionally, these laptops can play multiple streams of 1:1 uncompressed SD with eSata external storage.
  
  
• QuickTime: Avid has tested and qualified Apple QuickTime X for Mac users and QuickTime 7.6.4 for Windows users
• Windows Media Player: Microsoft Windows Media Player 11 is required to export certain formats and to work with VC-1 material