Optibase introduces broadcast quality HD Encoder at NAB 2005

Optibase, a leading provider of advanced digital video solutions, will show for the first time real-time professional MPEG-2 HD encoding for the PC at NAB.
Optibase's MovieMaker 200 HD is designed for professional quality ingest of HD for broadcasting, video on demand (VOD), ad insertion, program initiation and post-production studios, as well as for integrators working on high-resolution military simulation or surveillance projects.
Optibase say they are developing the MovieMaker 200 HD hardware encoder in response to the rising demand for high-quality HD compression solutions from its existing client-base who have been tapping Optibase's encoding platforms for professional encoding, DVD production, video server upload and archiving for over a decade.
"All of our production for the past year or so has been in High Definition. The biggest bottleneck in our workflow is getting that rocking HD video onto DVD or into a Standard Definition broadcast," said Terry Fryer, Managing Partner, ThirdWaveProductions.com, a leading content producer and Optibase customer.
"Our normal procedure involves getting a down-res version of our HD content onto a Digibeta. Tweaking the video and using a real-time encoder is time consuming, expensive and hard to control. Optibase has now come up with the MovieMaker200 HD - no more down resolution, no more transfers, and we get to do the HD encode in house, on our own schedule. This translates into less time, less money, and more control - so what's not to like? We're looking forward to folding the MovieMaker 200 HD into our workflow."
The MovieMaker 200 HD board is designed to support both high definition and standard definition video input, with MPEG-2 compression support at up to 80Mbps. The board is designed to digitise from an array of inputs (file, analogue or digital) and to drop files to a host as either compressed or uncompressed data. The MovieMaker 200 HD board will ship with Optibase's full-featured encoding management application, MPEG Composer 200, version 4.0, with integrated device control, parameter setting, and encode status monitoring.
The board will be released with a powerful software developer toolkit (SDK) for system integrators and OEM partners to develop their own HD-based applications and products.
MovieMaker 200 HD is expected to be available in Q3 of 2005, visit www.optibase.com for further information.
(SP)