844/X Development Frozen

Optibase puts freeze on Media 100 844/X development

It's official, Optibase have placed Media 100 844/X development on ICE, with future details to be announced some time around NAB 2005.

Details from the announcement follow.

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From the desk of Uzi Breier CEO, Optibase, Inc.

Dear Valued Channel Partners:

Two weeks ago the Media 100 business unit released some exciting news about Media 100 HD development plans. This letter provides me an outlet to express my own excitement about the direction this business unit is taking, and the opportunities before us. It also serves as an invitation for you to contact me directly with any concerns or questions.

Allow me to begin by acknowledging your concerns about the restructuring that took place at Media 100 five weeks ago. As strong and committed advocates who have been with this company through good times and bad, and were surprised by the nature and scope of our announcement, I understand how that must have raised your ire. As businesspeople though, you must understand that my task upon accepting the position as Optibase CEO in October was to focus the company around opportunities and initiatives that present the very best potential for growth. The restructured Media 100 unit, with its Media 100 HD, is one of those initiatives. The Media 100 team will remain focused here. That said, the larger story--the one around which investors will rally--is the huge potential for growth in the IPTV market. It is this opportunity that will remain the stated public focus for Optibase.

Media 100 HD lives in the sweet spot between low-cost systems like Final Cut Pro HD and high-cost systems like Avid's Adrenaline HD. It is of particular interest to tens of thousands of legacy Media 100 users. Further, the software that comprises Media 100 HD's editing interface and functionality has been designed with the idea of running with or without the HDX hardware--opening up an even broader opportunity for us and creating exciting new workflows for existing users.

I realize that many of you are also wondering about 844/X. As promised, we plan to communicate updated status on this line at or around NAB 2005. Currently, 844/X development has been frozen. This product line will continue to be sold on an as-is basis with full warranty and available technical support, but without the promise of future development. In the meantime, we are evaluating our plans and technology with an eye toward the best opportunities for the growth of the company.

These are the opportunities I have asked the Media 100 team to focus around: continued development and marketing of Media 100 HD, and the introduction of a low-cost software product to complement Media 100 HD and create a growth opportunity in the broader marketplace. The roadmap is as follows:


Media 100 HD Roadmap

To summarize, this candid look at our plans begins what I hope will be an open and communicative business relationship. I want you to continue to work with us. Your advocacy has always been a key component of Media 100's success and it remains an important part of our plans moving forward. I appreciate your efforts and welcome your feedback.

Respectfully,

Uzi Breier
Chief Executive Officer
Optibase, Inc.
uzib@optibase.com

844/X Free Stuff

Inscriber - downloads

Inscriber offers some free stuff that you can use with your Inscriber 844/X system at their website.

You can find things like:

• Chrome texture-mapped text styles.
• Weather Logos (sun, clouds, rain, etc.)
• 16 Texture mapped text styles.
• Animated Test Line that flies around a globe.
• Animated baseball layout.
• Animated type-writer layout.
• Animated cartoon bounce of a lower third.
• Animated Bar Chart.
• Perspective Roll effect, as used in the movie StarWars.
• Animated Lower Third with a pipes/plumbing look
• Animated light flare
• Animated Lower Third as used in an "Academy Awards Show"

Check out the Design Resources in the links section for more details. You'll also find some links to some great free font archives.

Hope you enjoy the free stuff. If you know of a site with some great resources for 844/X, please drop me an email and let me know about it.

Help Save 844/X

Jöran Maaswinkel, the Media 100 844/X forum leader on Creative Cow, has put together a petition in an effort to persuade the CEO of Optibase to continue development of 844/X.

If you would like to get involved, please add your name to list.

Contents of the petition letter follow.

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Open message to Optibase,

I’d like to bring to your attention the major issues created by your press release of January 7th concerning the ‘restructuring’ of the Media 100 business unit.

The judgments of Mr. Uzi Breier created tremendous concern to all users and owners of Media 100 systems. Although the future of the Media 100 HD and specially 844/X were not precisely explained, all existing owners are naturally very concerned about their investment.

Because I host one of the Media 100 user groups, in the past couple of weeks I have seen many posts form users/owners that could not believe what Optibase is doing with a company that supplied them so many great products.

In the press release from September 8th Media 100 announced their future plans for 844/X and at IBC we could feel the positive energy from the people that where back on the team again, enthusiastic to make their products a success! During that time I heard a lot of positive reactions to the Media 100 HD and the announced new feature set of 844/X.

Now 5 months later, there’s a new CEO and it seems nothing is left of the new plans. IPTV is the main target and the future plans of 844/X are swept away and previous commitments are dismissed without mention.

I’m not sending this email to judge your business plans, but I would like to draw your attention to the fact that you have some unique and valuable editing tools in your company. These helped a lot of customers grow their business and create a group of people who supported the plans announced last year. These people – your loyal customers – are eager to remain exactly that and support Optibase in the future.

In the last three days I have received representations from almost a hundred users and owners that have signed a petition in the hope that Optibase will keep to its previous commitments, listen to the existing user base and the current customers. Word of mouth is one of the most underestimated yet effective methods of marketing and selling. The current perception amongst customers is that Optibase does not care about its customers – serious commitments can be broken upon a whim. I’m sure you’ll agree that this would be a damaging situation and I’m inviting you to take the necessary actions to ensure that customers continue to be supported.

Finally, I would like to provide here some quotes from owners and users of Media 100 products to make it clear what people think about the statement Mr Breier has made.

- Michael Vitti Media 100 owner since 1996:

“Please reconsider the January actions and announcements and let the hard & software engineers, Mike S. and Steve B. do their job: re-energizing the digital post production community with innovative Media 100 technology and re-build the user base.”

- John Twigt Owner of 4 Media 100i and 1 844/Xe systems:

“A message to Optibase; Trust is everything, trust your users! They will bring you new business if they believe your intentions are honest and good. Get HD on the market! Don't throw away this user-base.”

- Robert Griffiths Owner of 1 Media 100i and 1 844/Xe systems:

“I would like to see the 844/x live up to its potential and Optibase live up to it's promises.”

These are just a couple of responses that were sent, but I will attach all the names of those who would like to see the future plans reconsidered.

I hope that you will respond to this on a public message board or, failing that, by personal email response that I can forward to those who have a vested interest.

Sincerely,
Jöran Maaswinkel
First worldwide user of Media 100 844/X system and forum leader on Creative Cow.net

News: PFHoe 3D Tracking

Came across this today, and just had to share it with everyone. If you've ever wanted play around with 3D match moving, but where scared away by the price of the software, this may be the solution. I know this doesn't work with 844/X directly, but I hope you all find this of interest.


PFHoe 3D Tracking - Screen shot

PFHoe, is said to be the most cost effective DV tracking application, for the Mac and Windows platform. Details from press release follow.

Using core technology developed for PFTrack - the industry leading tracking and analysis system - PFHoe provides a tremendous amount of power via a very simple to use, intuitive interface. An import Wizard guides the user through importing and setting up the DV footage by explaining the parameters that are needed to successfully track a shot.

The simple one click tool set provides an environment which will produce great results - even for the most inexperienced user. Like its big brothers PFTrack and PFMatch, PFHoe is able to solve any kind of camera motion, including zooms and nodal pans

PFHoe also features additional tools, including a unique automatic lens distortion correction tool, support for importing mattes from third party applications, simple edit tools to modify tracking data and quality graphs to aid the user in making data editing decisions. Distortion corrected DV resolution footage can also be exported as a QuickTime or AVI for proper matching of 3D objects into the scene in third party compositing applications.

Camera data can be exported to common CG packages with 3D support via a range of plug-ins working under an API to facilitate future support of new applications. PFHoe comes with a single exporter, chosen when purchasing the software, with the option to purchase additional export format support as and when needed. Exports supported on release: 3DStudio Max, Maya, XSI, Lightwave, Animation Master, Combustion, After Effects.


PFHoe 3D Tracking Software

PFHoe can be purchased from the Pixel Farm