blue boosts HD offering with new Avid DS Nitris system

Full-service postproduction facility blue has expanded its HD facilities with a new Avid DS Nitris finishing system.
The purchase is in direct response to a growing demand for HD work across blue’s core broadcast markets.
The addition of the DS Nitris is part of the facility’s plans to offer clients a long-term alternative to linear edit suites. This first DS Nitris complements existing editing facilities at blue, and the company has plans to purchase further such systems in the near future.
“We do intend to continue offering linear editing, although the addition of further systems like the DS Nitris will lead to a reduction of our linear editing capacity,” said Bill Ogden, Head of Editing, blue. “The speed and compatibility of the system coupled with its ability to handle HD work makes it a natural choice towards a more efficient and creative non-linear editing environment.”
blue recently completed the post on ‘Fat Fiancẻs’, a 50-minute documentary for Cicada Films. This will be aired on the Discovery Channel in the US early in 2005. The show, which was shot on HDCam and graded and captioned using the DS Nitris, tells the stories of families in Uganda who have retained bridal fattening rituals to give the groom and his family a higher social status.
“We’ve seen client demand for HD work growing and the DS is an ideal way for us to make the transition,” commented blue’s MD Danny Whybrow. “With our flames, Editboxes, linear suites, new smoke and now the DS, we are able to offer our clients a range of creative editing and graphics solutions that is second to none within Soho.”
Avid’s DS Nitris is a high-end creative editing system that supports both SD and HD. It has a powerful set of edit tools with real-time editing and effects and the flexibility to work on broadcast, features, promos or commercials.
As a part of the Avid family, DS Nitris perfectly compliments blue’s existing Avid offline infrastructure and means blue can now offer a fully integrated Avid workflow.
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