NLEs
One thing most users have discovered with NLEs is that they work well on some PCs and not on others, even of almost identical spec. Also, that updates come frequently, but that some bring with them unexpected “bonuses” and more patches and fixes are needed. Even as august a player as Canopus has had their share of such issues with the Raptor lately. It is not just a Buz phenomenon.

We can expect more of the NLE functionality to be consolidated into one supply chain, even to one integrated product. Examples include Matrox RT2000 which includes a modified G400 as both a graphics adaptor and video content processor/accelerator, and Canopus with the RexFX card.

The variability in PC environment is best managed by eliminating the discrete components, incorporating them instead in the NLE card. Expect more networking using 1394a instead of Ethernet, in fact using 1394a ports on the NLE card – expect a 56K V.90 modem built into the package, expect a graphics adaptor (dual head in most full feature systems) to be part of the bundle, expect programmable multi-stream CODEC processors to be built on the card. Expect analog audio and video I/O to be incorporated, with audio CD and video DVD software so no separate audio and DVD decoder cards are needed. Expect 1394a and 1394b to be implemented for file transfer, as well as various streaming video formats including DV and DV2 (MPEG-2 over 1394). So, expect at least three 1394 ports per card. Expect breakout boxes or connector bays to become standard. Expect the s/w to cover almost all aspects of operation, independent of the OS – even expect hard drive connections – maybe 1394b in place of IDE.

At the budget end of town, expect NLE vendors to supply their own DV and MPEG-2 CODECs for use with 1394a connections. Expect file transfer to supplement streaming DV as method of getting video into PC. Expect PC performance to rise notably, and to include better handling of video content, to the benefit of OHCI type editing.

Expect camcorders with hard drives to be connected to the PC via 1394a, and appear as (once the drivers have been loaded) an external hard drive. Expect to be able to edit direct from that drive over the 1394a link as though the drive was in the PC, whether the video is in streaming format (DV, MPEG-2) or PC file format (eg .avi). You can then save the finished edit to disk on PC, write to tape on a docking station or another camcorder (say a DV camcorder connected on another 1394a port), or write direct to a GD, DVD-R, DVD-RAM or other media on the PC.

The RT issue will become a cul-de-sac as GD and HDD acquisition technology becomes more widely used. Video will no longer be streamed in or out of an NLE, but rather files are read and written. So unless the editor chooses to review the entire production, it never needs to be streamed. RT thus becomes a non-issue. The search for performance will lead to dedicated programmable video processors paralleling the PC CPU, and in the case of editing docking stations, replacing the CPU entirely.

In summary, capturing of video becomes a thing of the past as non-linear acquisition replaces streaming to tape.

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What Do We Know About?
Camcorders
Docking Stations
Protection of Content
Tape Formats