AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Sept. 12, 2003 — Today at IBC2003, Quantel and Microsoft Corp. announced that support for Windows Media®
9 Series will be available throughout Quantel generationQ post-production and graphics product lines, including iQ, eQ and gQ. The combination of generationQ and Windows Media 9 Series opens up a range of new workflow possibilities in post-production and graphics, enabling users to share high-quality multi-resolution video among colleagues, without needing expensive dedicated networks. Windows Media 9 Series support will be included in all generationQ post-production and graphics systems with the delivery of version 2 of the software, scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2003.
“Our clients want a cooperative content-creation environment that enables them to have high-quality, integrated and seamless workflow experiences,”
said Richard Taylor, executive chairman of Quantel.
“Windows Media 9 Series along with generationQ delivers these experiences, enabling delivery of excellent image quality even at low bit rates, spanning multiple resolutions in an affordable manner.”
Files imported in Windows Media 9 Series are instantly available on the edit timeline for review and editing in their native format due to Quantel’s exclusive Resolution Co-existence (TM) . Resolution Co-existence is a technology unique to Quantel generationQ systems that describes the ability to ingest, simultaneously work with and output from multiple clips of any resolution, in any format, at a variety of color-spaces and bit depths. Similarly, any video clip in any format or resolution can be instantly output from the Quantel system in Windows Media 9 Series.
Quantel’s technology and Windows Media 9 Series built in to post-production systems provide a number of major benefits for customers. For example, it is often not possible for the client to be present throughout post-production, but with the compression efficiencies of Windows Media 9 Series clients can be part of the remote approval process even if they are on the other side of the world.
“The availability of Windows Media 9 Series on iQ will speed up the process and enable us to deliver copy for approval more readily,”
said Roland Brown, head of engineering at the Moving Picture Company.
“Quantel’s generationQ systems are an important part of the creative industry tool set across the post-, film post-, graphics, digital intermediate and broadcast production industries,”
said Amir Majidimehr, general manager of the Windows Digital Media Division at Microsoft.
“Windows Media 9 Series with generationQ systems delivers the highest possible audio and video quality at all bit rates, helping streamline production processes and maximize revenue opportunities through new delivery mediums to reach PCs, televisions and other devices.”
In addition, Windows Media 9 Series support in generationQ meets the current trend for distributed workflow, in which several remote facilities collaborate on various aspects of a project. Each facility can share its progress with the others to ensure the most time- and cost-effective application of resources.
New York’s Full Code Masters was set up by Lloyd Forcellini using state-of-the-art hardware that optimizes Windows Media 9 Series for digital projection of full-length feature films. By creating high-definition digital intermediates, clients will have the master to generate all deliverables in both video and digital media for distribution. Working with the Quantel eQ editing system with the QColor in-context grading option, Forcellini encodes and grades features in Windows Media Video 9.
“The eQ is a very powerful display and processing engine, which means we can evaluate all the parameters needed to quickly create a great-looking, high-quality encode,”
Forcellini said.
“The resulting projected image also retains the texture of the film print. It’s amazing, if you’re transferring from a clean film print, the image in Windows Media 9 Series is beautiful. The Windows Media 9 Series projected image retains the texture of the film print; it still feels like you’re watching an actual film being projected at the theater.”
A growing number of features, mainly independently made, are encoded in WMV 9 and then sent securely to cinemas and projected digitally.
About Quantel
Quantel is dedicated to creating new tools for the new digital age, covering everything from terrestrial and satellite television to broadband internet, DVD and d-cinema. Quantel’s generationQ is a radical, all-encompassing, new concept that offers total scalability in both hardware and software across post-production, graphics and broadcast for multiple-resolution, team-working production environments.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.
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