Just Released! Firmware Upgrade for Seamless JPEG2000 Transfer Into Final Cut Pro®

Upgrade Saves Video Transfer Time and Brings Near-Lossless JPEG2000 Quality to Editing Process

Fast Forward Video (FFV) today announced the release of a firmware upgrade and codec for its line of broadcast-quality digital video recorders (DVRs) that enables direct importing of JPEG2000.mov files into popular nonlinear editing (NLE) systems such as Final Cut Pro^®. With the upgrade, FFV becomes the first company to harness JPEG2000 technology for use in editing systems without requiring time-consuming and quality-compromised transcoding or rendering.

All of FFV’s DVR systems support the JPEG2000 compression codec for recording visually lossless HD-SDI video, and the company’s award-winning Elite HD™ is the industry’s first camera-mounted DVR and player to record in JPEG2000. With the new upgrade, the DVR creates a JPEG2000.mov file that, together with FFV’s own JPEG2000 QuickTime^® component file, enables direct importing into NLE systems such as Adobe^® Premier, Edius™, and Final Cut Pro. Downloading the file is now a simple matter of connecting the DVR to the computer via USB and then dragging and dropping it into a timeline. Unlike former processes, which required JPEG2000 files to be converted into a compatible format, the upgrade enables operators to work with the original, first-generation video file within the editing system.

“This is a long-awaited capability that will bring significant improvements to HD-SDI recording and editing processes. Not only are editors able to go to work immediately on the native video files without having to spend time transcoding, but a native JPEG2000 file can stand up to multiple editing passes without any real quality loss or addition of artifacts,” said Harry Glass, vice president of sales for FFV. “The JPEG2000 upgrade is an important element in our SWiFT strategy, which enables a seamless workflow for file-based acquisition, transfer, editing, and playback.”

Fast Forward Video Launches JPEG2000 Alliance

Consortium to Promote Industry-Wide Acceptance of Compression Standard; Kick-Off Meeting Scheduled for Sept. 11 at IBC2009

Fast Forward Video (FFV) announced the launch of the JPEG2000 Alliance, a consortium of broadcast industry leaders dedicated to ensuring that JPEG2000 continues to develop into a leading compression standard. As the founding member and driving force behind the JPEG2000 Alliance, FFV will facilitate a kickoff session at IBC2009 on Friday, Sept. 11, from 11:15 to 12:45 in Room L of the Forum Centre.

“As a company, FFV has always differentiated itself on image quality, and the JPEG2000 codec’s wavelet-based, mathematically lossless compression is by far the best and most cost-effective solution for delivering superb video quality. That’s why we have embraced the standard in our own solutions,” said Hal J. Reisiger, president and CEO of FFV.

In addition to FFV, charter members of the JPEG2000 Alliance include 360 Systems, Analog Devices, Barco, Digital Rapids, Doremi Labs, the Fraunhofer Institute, Front Porch Digital, intoPIX, Media Links, Media Matters, and Miranda Technologies. In addition to developing their own JPEG2000 technologies and products, these companies will collaborate to ensure widespread acceptance, deployment, and support of the compression standard for the benefit of the media and video industries. Activities will be centered on educating and creating awareness about the benefits of JPEG2000, promoting interoperability between standards and system devices, and promoting the development of tools by members and industry peers. “For instance, our digital video recorders are the first to provide direct importing of JPEG2000 files into popular nonlinear editing systems without time-consuming and quality-compromised transcoding. This is the type of innovation that we are hoping to encourage throughout the industry with the creation of the JPEG2000 Alliance.”

Broadcast engineers, solutions developers, and all other interested parties are encouraged to attend the JPEG2000 Alliance meeting on Sept. 11. The hour-and-a-half meeting will feature a presentation on the topic of “Getting Better Broadcast Picture Quality With JPEG2000” and will include case studies and a Q&A session. “We’d like to encourage attendance by anyone who is interested in learning about what differentiates JPEG2000 for superior broadcast picture quality and why they should consider it for their own applications or solutions,” said Reisiger.