Internet Video News

 

Serious Magic Announces the
Immediate Availability of DV Rack 2.0

 


 New version delivers advanced features to enhance the shooting process plus offers an HD version to support high-definition cameras.

 

 

 

September 13, 2006 (Folsom, CA) – Serious Magic, Inc.™ announces today DV Rack 2.0, the latest version of its direct-to-disk recording and monitoring software to help generate superior quality video from an SD or HD camera connected to a laptop. With DV Rack 2.0, Serious Magic strengthens the power of its 10 production tools and now offers a version with real-time capture support for DVCPro50 and DVCProHD cameras.

 

Powerful Direct-to-Disk Recording

Extensive enhancements have been added to DV Rack’s Digital Video Recorder that slaves recording to a camera while recording directly to an internal or external hard drive and includes:       

·         Motion-Activated Recording to automatically start recording when DV Rack 2.0 detects motion in a shot. This is especially useful for “solo shooters” looking to minimize wasted disk space and nature shooters looking to capture that one-in-a-million shot.

·         Stop-Motion Animation Recording allows for easy animation recording of static objects. DV Rack 2.0 can be set to record images one frame at a time to a single AVI File.

·         Time-Lapse Recording sets DV Rack 2.0 to record a single frame at regular time intervals to appear as if time is moving faster than it is. Editors using DV or HD footage can easily convey the passing of time by recording variant cloudscape motion, crowd movement, or traffic flow.

·         Pause Recording enables users to stop in the middle of a recording without creating a new clip. This is especially useful when recording interviews, such as legal depositions.

·         Clip naming, reordering and resizing permits users to rename shots while recording and adds the ability to move and resize them within the DVR.

·         Pulldown removal of 24p(a) footage removes the pulldown from 24p recorded clips, saving hard drive space and making it easy to edit in “true” 24 frames per second when using the HVX200 camera.

·         DV timecode support has been added for Adobe® Premiere® Pro, Apple® Final Cut® Pro, Sony® Vegas®, and Avid® NLEs.

 

 

Accessible Monitoring Tools

DV Rack 2.0 includes vital monitoring tools that help videographers identify and correct lighting, video, and audio problems. The Professional Field Monitor accepts standard-definition video input and when using DV Rack 2.0 HD, accepts HDV, DVCPro50 and DVCProHD footage as well. Users also get a full-resolution 1280x720 monitor ensuring precise pixel-for-pixel display of 720p footage. The monitor helps shooters achieve the absolute best image possible from their camera and includes features such as underscan, safe area and letterbox display. The Field Monitor can also be flipped horizontally and vertically to support 35mm lens adaptors, such as the Redrock Micro M2.

 

DV Rack’s Waveform Monitor and Vectorscope feature industry-standard monitoring functions enabling users to monitor the actual post-compression signal as it will be recorded. New in this version is an RGB Waveform Monitor for users wishing to monitor individual channels separately to easily see which channel is illegal.

                         

Better Analyzing, Continuity and More

DV Rack lets users analyze audio by actually seeing what cannot be heard with headphones alone. The new Audio Spectrum Analyzer III features analyzing modes, exact frequency readouts, and more accurate display graphics that help indicate poor microphone placement and orientation so users can adjust levels for dramatic audio quality improvements.

 

DV Rack 2.0 offers advanced tools for checking continuity between shots. The Split Function in the Field Monitor now provides on-screen controls to adjust the position of the split making it easier to check continuity from one shot to another. The new Onion Skin mode enables users to overlay a semi-transparent recorded clip on top of a live or recorded video to ensure users get identical framing between shots. This feature is useful for stop-motion animators to see variations from one frame to the next.

 

The ShotClock Timer is now editable and now offers a count-down feature and support for 24p (NDF) mode. The DV Grabber now allows users to capture to the DVR while the Spectra 60’s lock feature helps users fix onto a particular pixel for accuracy when adjusting for color or brightness settings on the camera. 

 

Compatibility

DV Rack 2.0 has two versions available. DV Rack 2.0 SD supports standard definition cameras while DV Rack 2.0 HD offers additional support for HDV and Panasonic DVCPro cameras. DV Rack 2.0 will run on a Windows 2000/XP laptop or desktop PC connected to a standard NTSC or PAL camcorder via FireWire. Output is in standard formats such as AVI and QuickTime with additional support now being offered for Avid-based NLEs.

 

DV Rack 2.0 HD also includes Serious Magic’s DVCProHD Decoder, its Video for Windows (VfW) decoder that enables Sony® Vegas® and Adobe® Premiere® Pro users to edit DVPro50 and DVCProHD video files without the need for transcoding. This decoder also includes an easy-to-use software utility that quickly converts native MXF files from the Panasonic camera to standard AVI or QuickTime files. For more information on this decoder, visit www.seriousmagic.com/DVCProDecoder

 

Availability

DV Rack 2.0 SD is available at Serious Magic’s online store and many professional video resellers for $495. DV Rack 2.0 HD is available for $795. Current owners of DV Rack 1.0 can upgrade to the DV Rack 2.0 SD for $195 or to the HD version for $395. Owners of DV Rack 1.0 with HDV PowerPak can upgrade to DV Rack 2.0 HD for $295. Serious Magic is currently offering a $100 discount on DV Rack 2.0 upgrades for the month of September. For more information on DV Rack 2.0, please visit www.seriousmagic.com/DVRack

 

About Serious Magic, Inc.

Serious Magic, Inc. was founded in early 2001 by a team of industry veterans to create the next generation of visual communication tools. Award-winning products include Ovation, a companion to Microsoft® PowerPoint® that makes presentations look sensational, Visual Communicator, easy-to-use video presentation software; ULTRA, transforming chroma keying into a practical daily production tool; and DV Rack, direct-to-disk recording and monitoring software to help generate superior quality video from an SD or HD camera connected to a laptop. The name Serious Magic was inspired by Arthur C. Clarke's observation: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”