Sony Announces New Line Of Media Preparation Applications

MIDDLETON, Wis., Sept. 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Creative Software, a leading global provider of professional editing and authoring solutions, today announced its new line of production applications, Catalyst Browse™ and Catalyst Prepare™. These new applications streamline media management and production processes, enabling professional producers to efficiently move media from their cameras and decks, saving valuable production time and providing confidence that their media is securely backed up.

Catalyst Browse is a free, powerful clip-management tool specifically designed for the latest portfolio of Sony camcorders and decks such as CineAlta, SR, XDCAM and NXCAM, including the new PXW-FS7. Catalyst Prepare, the fast, simple, reliable path from camera to post, works with a variety of cameras beyond Sony, including Canon and GoPro, and offers a set of media preparation tools that bridge the gap between acquisition and editing. Catalyst Browse and Catalyst Prepare both support Windows and Mac OS X and have a simple consistent, UI design across both platforms. The Windows version is also touch-friendly.

"Sony Creative Software is pleased to announce these new products. Our research and development has been focused on uniting our cameras and software in new ways that foster maximum speed and precision on the way to post," said John Freeborg, vice president of Sony Creative Software. "These applications offer solutions that kick-start the post-production process in ways that will make you better, faster, and more organized than ever."

Both applications are built from a set of underlying technology components which combine to provide a powerful, consistent experience:

• OpenCL GPU accelerated video engine for smooth playback and fast rendering
• Precise color engine featuring ultra wide color gamut and large dynamic range capabilities for previewing and adjusting S-Log, S-Log2, S-Log-3, RAW, and Rec.709 source footage
• Precise and comprehensive format support for all the Sony Professional cameras including the new PXW-FS7

With Catalyst Browse, the user can:

• Browse – Quickly browse the files on your device using a thumbnail view or detailed list.
• View – See the details of each clip, check focus, mark in and out points, adjust colors, and edit metadata.
• Fast Copy – Copy all clips on the media, a subset, or only the desired portion of a clip to save time and space.
• Ultra Wide Color Gamut– Review with confidence the full range of color captured by your S-Log and RAW Sony cameras. Apply color looks, and import/export standard ASC-CDL files with other workflow tools to save time.
• Clip Lists – Create, import, and export Sony Professional Disc clip lists for quick play-out needs.

Transcode and Cloud Upload – Transcode clips to the most popular video production formats.  Upload clips directly to the Sony Ci media cloud for collaborative team review.

Catalyst Prepare, built on Catalyst Browse functionality, revolutionizes the post-production workflow with a variety of advanced features, including:

• Import – Quickly view and import clips from the latest professional cameras, including Sony, Canon, GoPro, and others.
• Organize – Organization is key: Prepare gives you the ability to organize your media into targeted, meaningful collections.
• Edit – View the details, zoom into every corner, mark In/Out, edit metadata, adjust colors non-destructively, and create a storyboard to rough draft your vision.
• Export – Export a file, a group of files, or a storyboard. Render to .MP4, DPX, OpenEXR, ACES, ProRes (Mac only), or XAVC in a variety of resolutions and frame rates, or upload to the cloud via Sony Ci media cloud for collaborative team review.
• Confident Backup – Back up the entire camera media with the confidence of checksum verification.
• Ultra Wide Color Gamut – Work with the same wide color gamut as your camera. Set the source color space and the grade color space independently. Grade in Rec.709, Log, or ACES.
• Create a Rough Cut – Use the storyboard editor to sequence and edit a rough cut, then render the storyboard or export it to a variety of NLEs.

Price and Availability

Catalyst Browse is a free application. Catalyst Prepare is available for $199.95. Both applications will be available for digital download and physical purchase on September 30^th. For more information, please visit: www.sonycreativesoftware.com/catalyst.  

About Sony Creative Software

Sony Creative Software is a leading provider of innovative professional and consumer software solutions that inspire creativity, discovery, and productivity. We encourage artistic expression with our award-winning line of digital video, audio, and music production applications. Our customer base is extensive and includes film, television, and recording professionals as well as students, educators, and independent artists worldwide. For more information about products from Sony Creative Software, please visit www.sonycreativesoftware.com.

© 2014 Sony Creative Software Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Sony and the Sony logo, Catalyst Browse, Catalyst Prepare, ACID, Vegas, Sound Forge, and DVD Architect are trademarks of Sony. All other trademarks or trade names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

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SOURCE Sony Media Software