AVC-Intra is based on the advanced MPEG-4 Part 10 Intra standard and offers high-quality record and playout at roughly half the bit rate of MPEG-2 based codecs. With the new MIP-5600 line of MediaPorts for Spectrum and MediaDeck systems, incoming raw video feeds can be encoded in the AVC-Intra format in realtime, creating AVC-I formatted files within the servers’ systems that can be accessed and edited by non-linear editors that support the format. AVC-Intra files can then be decoded by the MediaPorts for playout.

The MIP-5600 line of MediaPorts, which includes the MIP‑5601 and MIP-5602 for the Spectrum system and the MDM-5601 for MediaDeck, is based on the AVC-Intra specification provided by Panasonic and is fully compatible with Panasonic cameras and recording equipment, both AVC-Intra 50 and 100 modes. Each video channel supports up to 16 channels of embedded audio or four channels of separate audio.

The new Omneon MediaPort modules also enable the direct transfer of AVC-Intra content from Panasonic P2 media to the Spectrum system and MediaDeck server for editing and playout. Non-linear editors that support the format, including those announced by Apple®, Avid®, and Grass Valley™, will be able to mount the Spectrum or MediaDeck file systems to edit the content in place, reducing the need for lengthy transfers.

“Our support for AVC-Intra reaffirms our commitment to deliver the HD capabilities that our customers require or will require,” said Geoff Stedman, vice president of worldwide marketing for Omneon. “Omneon systems have been designed with the flexibility to address the changing HD and multiformat requirements of today’s facilities, and we have continually rolled out new format support as they are accepted by the industry. The addition of AVC-Intra to our portfolio carries on this tradition.”

The new MediaPorts can be connected easily to existing Spectrum servers to add AVC-Intra functionality and can be mixed with other Omneon MediaPorts for SD within the same system. The addition of a new MediaPort to an existing server requires no disruptive upgrade procedure and in most cases can be done while the system remains online.
           
Omneon is demonstrating playback of AVC-Intra video through the MIP‑5601 of a Spectrum server at Inter BEE 2007, Nov. 20-22 at the Makuhari Messe exhibition hall in Tokyo, Japan. The complete MIP-5600 line will be available in mid-2008.