LAS VEGAS – NewTek (www.newtek.com) is showing a powerful, yet low-cost nonlinear editor at NAB that allows users to mix HD and SD video all on the same timeline. Priced at $495 and scheduled to ship this summer, SpeedEdit supports AVI, QuickTime, Flash and MPEG formats.
SpeedEdit does not transcode footage, which allows it to deliver high performance. The company sees SpeedEdit as a true linked timeline storyboard editor that can handle realtime transitions from different formats. The Windows-based tool offers a three-band color corrector, image stabilization tools, 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratio support, and realtime HD previews.
NewTek is also previewing Version 9 of its LightWave 3D application at NAB 2006. The tool is in beta testing right now and features upgrades to its modeler and layout tools. The modeler features edge support, while the layout portion contains a new node editor. The familiar layering system of the layout portion remains too. Version 9 also now supports Zbrush for displacement maps.