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Linux Media Arts Advances Video in Linux
GigsVT writes "Linux Media Arts has introduced a line of video capture and hardware MPEG encoding cards with full Linux support. The sd601 is a full featured hardware video solution including hardware dissolve, key, wipe, and split screen.
At pricetags around $3000 US, they aren't cheap, but this could break Linux into the video editing market. This isn't vaporware, they are selling these right now."
I already own video capture cards that run under Linux, but what about other imaging products? I was doing some work at a dental office the other day, and they were using specialized video capture equipment for their X-ray machines (running on Windows 98 PCs... blech!). Based on the Windows driver name (bt848.sys), I'm sure it uses a standard video capture chipset used in many TV tuner cards, but these cards *definitely* didn't have Linux drivers.
Hmm, they did cross-link to Heroine Warrior, whose site says:
After a long period of deliberation on the matter, Broadcast 2000 has been removed from public access due to excessive liability.
We've already seen several organizations win lawsuits against GPL/warranty free software writers because of damage that software caused to the organization. Several involved the RIAA vs mp3/p2p software writers. Several involved the MPAA vs media player authors. You might say that warranty exemption has become quite meaningless in today's economy.
While not related to either of these cases the distribution of Broadcast 2000 enhanced to unacceptable levels the risk of an individual experiencing significant financial damage due to the extremely expensive nature of high end video production and the high risk inherent in professional video business marketing.
This has forced us to reconsider our liability protection at this time. We still plan to continue offering minor works for download and in the coming years, as the liability issues surrounding open source software are resolved, we expect to issue newer major works.
Hmm.
--LP
Wasn't shrek made on linux running Maya? Linux already is in the movie business! (It's called...research)
I'd like to shout out to my Windows XP box: as of now it has an uptime of 2 days 6 hrs 39 min and 55 seconds. A new record for Windows!! Yay!
Well, Video Toaster and Lightwave.
Lexx, the new Firestarter series, and all of the "I am Sci-Fi" spots are also done with Video Toaster and Lightwave. Strangeworld is done with Video Toaster and KDE kVideo. (AFAIK, Strangeworld is the only active production using Debian right now. You'll find the Debian swirl hidden in at least one scene per show, so presumably they've got at least one Debian fanatic on board. Pretty damned cool!)
For what it's worth, Babylonian productions and J. Michael Straczynski have renewed their contract, and now have 5 NewTek engineers working in-house for ongoing software improvements in anticipation of the upcoming Video Toaster 3 board, up from the 3 engineers in the previous contract. There was a big press release from NewTek about that recently.
The upcoming Video Toaster 3 is for PPC-enabled Amigas only, is about the only reason I see for AmigaOS 4.0.
I'm not sure how many video professionals would actuall trade their current desktop video production environment for a linux-based one, but this kind of hardware may be very useful for unattended video work - you know, the box that is sitting there in the rack and encoding, decoding, switching, inserting, etc.
Stop worrying about the risks of nuclear power and start worrying about the risks of not using nuclear power.