Pinnacle Announces CineWave 4.5

Some key features include high precision processing in 4:2:2 or 4:4:4:4, real-time 3:2 pull down for converting 24fps to 30fps, selectable aspect ratio of 4:3 or 16:9, selectable frame rate of 24/25/or 30, simultaneous output of SD and HD. CineWave 4.5 also supports uncompressed HD in 1080i or 1080p with the addition of the HD breakout box.

CineWave 4.5 ($5,000) faces competition from many other real-time hardware accelerators currently on the market. DV Storm 2 PRO ($1,599) from Canopus and RT MAC ($599) from Matrox are examples of competitive products that are also available. These products offer similar performance boosts in real-time editing. CineWave 4.5 is particularly valuable to independent filmmakers and smaller production houses because it allows resolution independent editing and can handle standard resolution through HD. Although there are a variety of real time hardware accelerators available for use with Final Cut Pro, CineWave is the only one certified by Apple to work with the latest version.

Software manufactures often tout the ability of their editing programs to render in real time but often fail to deliver the goods in real situations. While software supported real time editing may be possible on some systems and with some video and effect combinations, on the whole real time editing is not something that is accomplished only with software and a standard computer. Hardware accelerators such as CineWave 4.5 are able to deliver true real time performance to the user and enhance productivity in the process.