Grass Valley Improves Edius NLE System

EDIUS 5.1, the latest version of the Grass Valley EDIUS multi-format/multi-resolution nonlinear editing software package, now includes tighter integration with the Grass Valley Aurora digital production workflow, as well as a variety of new features that help users improve productivity and get the most from their investment, whether working in standard-definition (SD) or high-definition (HD).

Professional editors using the Aurora platform can now take advantage of the editing toolset found in EDIUS as well, thanks to a new optional upgrade. This new functionality gives Aurora users the ability to utilize a MediaFrame database workflow, import Aurora Edit EDLs into an EDIUS workstation, edit or read MPEG Long-GOP VMF content, export completed programs into multiple servers for playout, view NRCS scripts, and create an Aurora “Smart Bin” directly from the EDIUS user interface.

The new version of EDIUS also allows craft editors to output a completed timeline to an HD Blu-ray disc using software encoding or the optional Grass Valley FIRECODER Blu H.264/MPEG-2 hardware transcoder board. This means HD project distribution is quickly and easily accomplished, as well as very cost-effective to perform. In addition, EDIUS 5.1 can download partial digital clips captured with P2 solid-state or XDCAM optical disc media. This saves time and allows editors working in a file-based environment to begin working immediately, without having to ingest the content.

“The Grass Valley EDIUS editing package has been very popular with customers due to its cost-effective toolset that provides users with the ability to create long-form projects with ease,” said Jeff Rosica, senior vice president of Grass Valley. “These new features extend this ease of use into broader environments that make use of an expanded list of file types. We’re also making the new features of EDIUS 5.1 available to fast-paced news editing environments through our Aurora Edit system.”

Other new features delivered in EDIUS 5.1 allow users to gain more control over audio levels with an audio normalize tool, the ability to capture reel names, output finished edits to multiple discs, leverage multi-cam mode clip reel names, and take advantage of clip markers in the EDIUS marker palette.

EDIUS 5.1 is available for the list price of $799, and is a free update for existing EDIUS 5 users. Aurora 6.5 users pay a small upgrade fee for Aurora-EDIUS-SYS package. For users with Aurora versions below 6.5, the Aurora-EDIUS-SYS 5.1 option is available for $5,200. Both Aurora-EDIUS-SYS packages will be available in May 2009. The Grass Valley FIRECODER Blu H.264/MPEG-2 hardware transcoder board is available for $599 and is currently available.