Over 20 years ago Avid began with a shift away from linear purpose-built hardware by harnessing the power of non-linear software, running (eventually, as they increased in power) on commodity workstations.
Today, the network--extending beyond the local network to the internet--is the platform ready to be harnessed.
A lot of our day-to-day digital life has already moved into the extended network.
• Services like GMail or Google Docs move e-mail, documents, and spreadsheets to servers, accessible from any internet-connected device, requiring no more than a web browser.
• Services like Mozy, DropBox, or iDisk (MobileMe) provide similar benefits for somewhat richer files (presentations, photos, home videos) by transparently syncing server-side files to the devices that are part of your day-to-day.
But you're a video editor. You spend a good chunk of your time working with lots of very large video files.
• Server-side video won't help you much: what video editing application can work on files that you can only access with an internet connection?
• Transparent syncing doesn't make a lot of sense: media duplication and transfer is time-consuming and imposes large compute/storage requirements at every sync-point.
That's why Avid has long led the way with shared storage products for media with ISIS, and has more recently, with Interplay Access, started harnessing the extended network by supporting proxy workflows that push simpler media management tasks to lighter-weight workstations beyond the facility walls.
Uncompromising craft editorial experiences, however, continue to require at least a laptop with good local compute and high-speed media access.
Or do they?
Wouldn't it be great if you, the editor, could work in a no-compromise video editing environment with minimal client-side compute/storage requirements and without the need to sync data, proxy or otherwise, regardless of the distance between you and your video?
At NAB, Avid is demonstrating technology that aims to fulfill the vision: edit anywhere, on anything. Behind this vision are some core beliefs:
• We believe you should be able to access your media anywhere-without copying it.
• We believe that you shouldn't have to worry about codecs and formats for either ingest or delivery. Everything should just work.
• We believe that you should be able to edit in the edit bay, in the cafeteria, at home, on location, in the airport lounge, or even at 33,000 feet-without compromise.
• We believe that if the only hardware you have with you is a netbook-you should still be able to edit.
• We believe that not just media, but software too can be streamed to the laptop-truly making any computer an editor.
You probably have those same beliefs. And if seeing is believing, you'll just have to come check out our web-based editing technology demo at NAB.
Richard Gratton will be demonstrating Web-based editing: edit anywhere, on anything twice daily at the Avid booth at NAB 2010. Between demos, seek him out and ask him more about Avid's vision and measure it up against your own (if they don't line up, let him know).
Join the online conversation on Twitter using the #editanywhere hashtag.