Stand SL2329, NAB 2012

SGO presents its dynamic range of powerful Mistika DI and stereo 3D workflow solutions and systems at NAB 2012. Mistika provides a complete suite of features including timeline-based editing, conforming, infinite layer compositing, innovative colour grading, advanced graphics, optical flow-based motion estimation and image restoration. Mistika is able to provide its highly evolved creative feature-set across all resolutions, in 2D and stereoscopic 3D at breath-taking speed at the highest quality. It enables extremely efficient collaborative workflows to be formed, owing to its true openness, flexibility and ability to integrate seamlessly with other systems. Mistika continues to play a vital role in many award-winning broadcast, commercial and film projects for top industry professionals around the world.

An impressive selection of new capabilities will be unveiled on SGO’s NAB booth, from image capture through to delivery. Headlines include Mistika’s High Frame Rate (HFR) support, with real-time high resolution playback, in 2D and Stereo 3D at 48 frames per second (fps), and even 60 fps. Significantly, these extraordinary abilities have already been proven and are currently in use in world-class productions. In addition, an array of enhanced developments have added new and exciting tools to Mistika’s already market-leading colour grading and stereo 3D functions, including support of the new Tangent Device Element grading control surfaces.

Mistika continues to accelerate support for the latest high-end digital cameras, enabling users to make the most of advanced camera features. For RED EPIC, both 5K and High Frame Rate data is fully supported, along with functions that allow the merging and re-timing of dual exposure High Dynamic Range images such as HDRx, using unique blend tools to guarantee final image perfection. For ARRI ALEXA, Mistika provides real time playback directly from ARRI RAW data files, including the addition of non-destructive creative grading, as well as the ability to playback multiple streams of Apple’s ProRes format. A camera-agnostic debayer facility allows high quality and instant access to many other bayered camera formats such as the PHANTOM. Mistika directly supports a vast array of file formats without the need to transcode, including those created by SONY, PANASONIC and CANON cameras. SI-2K is also fully supported with real time playback from both 2D and 3D Cineform files.

Inevitably, Mistika has become synonymous with stereoscopic 3D, boasting the most advanced toolset available matched with unrivalled speed and quality. Development in this area has continued at a rapid pace, delivering even more functionality under its stunning Equalize suite. Functions to automatically match left and right eyes, in terms of colour and geometry, have been expanded further, allowing auto-correction of key-stoning, pitch errors and shear. Pixel-by-pixel colour matching meticulously corrects even the most complex mismatches, such as those caused by the effects of light polarisation.

As part of SGO’s commitment to assist its customers to create efficient workflows across many products, Mistika has added support for bi-directional exchange with AVID’s Media Composer. This includes read and write support for DNxHD formats, conforming from AAF and support of AVID’s stereoscopic groups. Multiple streams of DNxHD files can be played back in real-time, as can Apple’s ProRes files, which also assists workflow with Final Cut Pro.

SGO customers have already found Mistika’s ability to create a DCP (Digital Cinema Package) directly from the timeline a real time-saver. The DCP functionality has been further expanded to add encryption to the final package, as well as being able to add subtitles from a pre-defined text file. These subtitle files can be used either to automatically generate subtitles for the DCP, or to create subtitles as text layers in the Mistika timeline.

SGO also launches at NAB 2012 its free educational training programme, Mistika Insight. Designed specifically for students and freelancers, it enables them to learn Mistika by gaining hands-on experience, within the parameters of their own environment and provides an opportunity to join the fast growing community of Mistika users. Based on a Windows operating system for ease of installation, the training programme is complimented by a comprehensive set of online tutorials leading to an SGO certification process.

Informative Mistika product overview presentations will take place every half hour, showcasing work from customers across the globe. These will be complimented by captivating case studies of work by Park Road Post and Identity FX, summarised as follows:

· 10.00 am and 2.00 pm – Identity FX
· 12.00 pm and 4.00 pm – Park Road Post Production

Miguel Angel Doncel, CEO of SGO states: “With Mistika being used by our customers in so many high calibre projects across broadcast, commercial and film, we continue to raise the bar and push boundaries to the extreme, by constantly developing the software to exacting standards. We owe appreciation to our exceptional and valued Mistika customer feedback and relationships, combined with the SGO team’s continuous hard work, to drive development forward.”

Geoff Mills, Director of SGO Global Sales & Operations adds: “The fact that Mistika continues to receive world-wide recognition as system of choice, exciting our customers and prospects alike, reinforces its enviable position and significance in the industry. Mistika has proven to be a beneficial and award-winning investment for creative and ambitious companies that seek a true differentiator with innovative technology, which stimulates growth and future-proofs long-term security.”

New Features in Mistika 6.5

Mistika’s New File Formats and Codecs

* Mistika version 6.5 is now able to work in real time with multiple Apple ProRes streams, both for YUV and RGB444 variants, and also for MXF and with support for more codecs.
* Further advanced High Frame Rate (HFR) workflow capability, with real-time playbacks at 2K in Stereo 3D at 48fps (frames per second), even 60fps.

Mistika’s New Stereoscopic 3D Tools

Although Mistika is already well known for having an unrivalled Stereo 3D toolset in the market, development in this area has accelerated at an astounding rate. The unique Equalize technology has been implemented with new tools that deliver an even more accurate and automatized matching processes at pixel level. Horizontal “shear” distortions and other challenges caused by imperfectly aligned lenses on mirror rigs have been solved, as well as other mirror related issues. Corrections on vertical misalignments have been developed further, with increased speed at the last step of stereo 3D adjustments.

Mistika’s New Colour Grading Tools

* Significant modifications in the storyboard and snapshot comparison tools have been added, in direct response to customer suggestions to increase grading efficiency still further.
* Icons now have four zoom levels and the timeline time code information enables the user to define the number of visible storyboard lines. The instant icon refresh tool and the four reference markers will substantially ease navigation on projects. Additionally, Mistika boasts an innovative “dual head” grading system, allowing the colourist to instantly jump between set locations on the timeline.
* The snapshot interface has also had extended pre-sets with different display options added.
* New Tangent Devices “Element” grading surfaces have been totally integrated.
* The new CDL (Colour Decision List) write support will significantly enhance Mistika’s strengths when integrating with other systems on its workflow.
* Other new DI functions in version 6.5 include a fresh implementation of “printer lights” – a popular tool for many colourists as well as support for the new Tangent Devices “Elements” control surface. All features remain constant whether working in 2D or 3D, and at any supported resolution or frame rate.

Mistika’s New Advanced Camera Support

Mistika supports all RAW camera formats including ARRI, Sony, RED, Phantom, Canon, SI-2K, HDRI including HDRx and so forth. Mistika continues to set the pace to allow the most advanced features of the latest digital cameras to be integrated easily into any post production workflow.

Mistika’s 5K native support of RED EPIC. Its support for ARRI ALEXA has been upgraded as well. The Debayer effect has dramatically improved speed when working with Phantom files.

RED: RED EPIC HDRx support : Mistika’s 5K native support of RED EPIC has been upgraded further, offering full support for RED EPIC HDR footage, including specialised tools to enable the blending of tracks from both exposures, then matching their motion blur differences and integrating them with CG. Mistika fully supports 5K and 48FPS working from the RED EPIC Camera.

ARRI ALEXA: Mistika has its own general purpose “Debayer” algorithm that allows real-time processing of the RAW image data from an ARRI ALEXA camera. The feature was optimised and integrated into an ARRI specific process that allows real-time processing using Mistika’s proprietary debayer algorithms, but with the “colour science” provided by ARRI. This combination provides the best post-processing available for the ARRI ALEXA camera. Further support in 6.5 includes the ability for the S.TWO flash nags onto which ARRI ALEXA records its RAW images to be directly attached to a Mistika system and processed without further copying.

Mistika Live’s New Features

The ultimate production-based work station, enabling creative decisions to be made in real-time within a live broadcast environment has also improved its matching tools, automatically adjusting zoom differences in the camera rig at shooting time.

Mistika’s Conform and Browser Tools

The new user-friendly conform tools and browser related options will facilitate file management efficiency and help to refine media organisation when importing files, new columns with tape, headers, path and file name information. A new re-link tool is included to optimise the use of Mistika in different client facilities with a different folder structure.

Mistika’s Subtitling

Mistika has the remarkable ability to now read standard subtitle files such as .text, .html, UTF and so forth, and apply these to the timeline or to DCP packages.

Mistika’s DCP Encryption

Finally, users with the DCP module have an improved interface for DCP encryption. Last year, Mistika added the ability to create DCP (Digital Cinema Packages) directly from its timeline. By popular demand from Mistika users that found this function to be a huge time-saver, Mistika is now able to create Encrypted Digital Cinema Packages for enhanced project security.

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