Software upgrade release notice - and special pricing for all effected products. Included new, demo and used. Contact EAR sales for details. About the upgrade - this batch of upgrades effects Xpress, Symphony Nitris and Media Composer. See details below. If you're waiting for support for Apple's Leopard OS X or Microsoft's Vista OS the latest word is "later in 2008".  

  Symphony Nitris

Avid is pleased to announce the release of Avid® Symphony™ Nitris® v1.8. This release includes additional codec support and a number of quality improvements over the previous version 1.7.7 and is available free of charge to all registered Avid Symphony Nitris 1.7.x customers. Please note that this release is not for Avid Interplay™ connected systems.

Approximately a year ago, Avid initiated a series of quality improvement initiatives. These initiatives focused on product stability and robustness improvements for all development activities. We continue to emphasize quality within product development and want to let you know that we are dedicated to on-going quality improvements. Your feedback has been and continues to be instrumental in directing our quality initiative now and into the future.

Please take a moment to download the new software release. Once you have had an opportunity to download and use this release we would appreciate your feedback.

Why upgrade?

• Support for VC-1 codec. This release adds native support for the Microsoft VC-1 codec. You can import, playback, render, mixdown and transcode in native VC-1 resolutions.
  Please refer to the Avid Symphony Nitris v1.8 ReadMe document located on the avid.com Knowledge Base for a detailed list of the capabilities and limitations of VC-1 support in this release.
• Quality improvements. Please refer to the Avid Symphony Nitris v1.8 ReadMe document located on the avid.com Knowledge Base for a detailed list of improvements in this release.

The following enhancements were already available in Avid Symphony Nitris version 1.7.5:

• Avid Unity ISIS® support. In conjunction with the new Symphony Nitris release, Avid Unity ISIS v1.4 is being made available. This new Avid Unity ISIS release is highly recommended and includes many enhancements for collaborative environments.
• QuickTime support. This release adds support for the latest version of QuickTime, 7.2.

How to upgrade?

• Avid Symphony Nitris 1.7. If you own an Avid Symphony Nitris v1.7.x system, you may download an upgrade to v1.8 at no charge from the Avid Download Center. There is no need to update your dongle.
• Avid Support Contract customers. If you own a pre-1.7 version of Avid Symphony Nitris and you have a valid Avid Support Contract, you may download an upgrade to v1.8 at no charge from the Avid Download Center.
• Avid Unity ISIS. Customers who have Avid Unity ISIS shared storage and a valid Avid Total Support Contract are able to download an upgrade to Avid Unity ISIS v1.4 at no charge from the Avid Download Center. Avid ISIS customers are advised to only update their Avid editing systems after they have installed the Avid Unity ISIS 1.4 upgrade. We strongly recommend this upgrade, in order to take maximum advantage of quality improvements in the new release.
• Avid Unity Interplay. Please note that this release is not for Avid Interplay connected systems. There is an outstanding issue involving database permissions that will be addressed in a subsequent release that will address this issue for Avid Interplay customers.

Physical upgrade kits. Avid will not automatically send physical update kits. If you wish to receive a physical kit, there will be a US$50.00/EU50.00 shipping and handling fee, payable by credit card, for each kit shipped. Please contact Avid Inside Sales at 1-800-949-2843 option 1 (inside the US) or EuroResponse on +353 1207 8242 or email: Euroresponse@avid.com (outside the US)

If you have questions regarding your Avid Download Center account access, or if you feel you should have access to additional software releases, please contact Avid Inside sales at 1-800-949-2843 option 1 (inside the US) or EuroResponse on +353 1207 8242 or email: Euroresponse@avid.com (outside the US).

We encourage you to continue subscribing to our world-class Avid Support and Services program to ensure you get the support you need and remain among the first to get all of our upcoming releases.

On behalf of the entire Avid family thank you for your continued support and we hope you'll be pleased with this new product release.

Xpress 

 Dear Avid Xpress Pro Customer,

Avid is pleased to announce the release of Avid Xpress® Pro version 5.8. This release, which is available for both Intel- and PowerPC-based Macs in addition to PC systems, includes additional codec support and a number of quality improvements over the previous version 5.7.7. Avid Xpress Pro v5.8 is available free of charge to all registered customers of Avid Xpress Pro 5.7.x and Avid Xpress Studio 5.7.

Approximately a year ago, Avid initiated a series of quality improvement initiatives. These initiatives focused on product stability and robustness improvements for all development activities. We continue to emphasize quality within product development and want to let you know that we are dedicated to on-going quality improvements. Your feedback has been and continues to be instrumental in directing our quality initiative now and into the future.

Please take a moment to download the new software release. Once you have had an opportunity to download and use this release we would appreciate your feedback.

Why upgrade?

• Support for VC-1 codec. This release adds native support for the Microsoft VC-1 codec. You can import, playback, render, mixdown and transcode in native VC-1 resolutions. Please note that VC-1 support is currently not available on Macintosh Power PC and playback-only on MacPro platforms.
  Please refer to the Avid Xpress Pro v5.8 ReadMe document located on the avid.com Knowledge Base for a detailed list of the capabilities and limitations of VC-1 support in this release.
• Mac OS X support. This release supports Mac OS 10.4.11. Support for Mac OS X Leopard (10.5) will be added in a future release.
• Quality improvements. Refer to the Avid Xpress Pro v5.8 ReadMe document located on the avid.com Knowledge Base for a detailed list of improvements in this release.

The following enhancements were already available in Avid Xpress Pro version 5.7.5:

• Latest QuickTime version support. This release supports QuickTime 7.2.
• CPU hardware support. Avid has added a number of workstations and notebooks, both Mac and PC, to the list of qualified and recommended CPU hardware. Check out the latest Avid Xpress Pro system requirements.
• Improved installation. Avid Xpress Pro can now be installed “silently” – without any user intervention. No more dialogue boxes to click during the installation!
• Avid Unity ISIS® support. In conjunction with the new Avid Xpress Pro release, Avid Unity ISIS v1.4 is being made available. This new Avid Unity ISIS release is highly recommended and includes many enhancements for collaborative environments.

How to upgrade?

• Avid Support Contract customers. If you own Avid Xpress Pro or Avid Xpress Studio and you have a valid Avid Support Contract, you can download an upgrade at no charge from the Avid Download Center.
• Avid Xpress Pro v5.7 and Avid Xpress Studio v5.7. Customers with Avid Xpress Pro v5.7.x or Avid Xpress Studio v5.7 can upgrade to Avid Xpress Pro v5.8 at no charge. There is no need to update your dongle. Please visit the Avid Download Center.
• Avid Xpress Pro (earlier versions). If you own a pre-5.7 version of Avid Xpress Pro, you can purchase and download an upgrade to the latest version from the Avid Online Store.
• Avid Xpress Studio (earlier versions). If you own a pre-5.7 version of Avid Xpress Studio, you can purchase a physical upgrade to version 5.7 from the Avid Online Store. You can then download Avid Xpress Pro v5.8 at no charge from the Avid Download Center.
• Avid Studio Toolkit. Systems with Avid Studio Toolkit must be running v5.7 in order to work with Avid Xpress Pro v5.8. Customers with a valid Avid Support contract can download an upgrade free of charge from the Avid Download Center. Other customers can purchase a physical upgrade kit to v5.7 from the Avid Online Store.
• Avid Unity ISIS. Customers who have Avid Unity ISIS shared storage and a valid Avid Total Support Contract are able to download an upgrade to Avid Unity ISIS v1.4 at no charge from the Avid Download Center. Avid Unity ISIS customers are advised to only update their Avid editing systems after they have installed the Avid Unity ISIS 1.4 upgrade. We strongly recommend this upgrade in order to take maximum advantage of the quality improvements in the new release.

Physical upgrade kits. Avid will not automatically send physical update kits. If you wish to receive a physical kit, there will be a US$50.00/EU50.00 shipping and handling fee, payable by credit card, for each kit shipped. Please contact Avid Inside Sales at 1-800-949-2843 option 1 (inside the US) or EuroResponse on +353 1207 8242 or email: Euroresponse@avid.com (outside the US)

If you have questions regarding your Avid Download Center account access, or if you feel you should have access to additional software releases, please contact Avid Inside sales at 1-800-949-2843 option 1 (inside the US) or EuroResponse on +353 1207 8242 or email: Euroresponse@avid.com (outside the US).

We encourage you to continue subscribing to our world-class Avid Support and Services program to ensure you get the support you need and remain among the first to get all of our upcoming releases.
On behalf of the entire Avid family thank you for your continued support and we hope you'll be pleased with this new product release.

Sincerely,
The Avid Xpress Family Team

Media Composer 

 Dear Avid Media Composer Customer,

Avid is pleased to announce the release of Avid® Media Composer® version 2.8. This release includes additional codec support and a number of quality improvements over the previous version 2.7.7. It is available for software-only, Avid Adrenaline™- and Avid Mojo® SDI-based systems running on Intel- and PowerPC-based Macs and PC platforms (but not for Avid Interplay™ connected systems) and is available at no charge to all registered customers of Avid Media Composer 2.7.x.

Approximately a year ago, Avid initiated a series of quality improvement initiatives. These initiatives focused on product stability and robustness improvements for all development activities. We continue to emphasize quality within product development and want to let you know that we are dedicated to on-going quality improvements. Your feedback has been and continues to be instrumental in directing our quality initiative now and into the future.

Please take a moment to download the new software release. Once you have had an opportunity to download and use this release we would appreciate your feedback.

Why upgrade?

• Support for VC-1 codec. This release adds native support for the Microsoft VC-1 codec. You can import, playback, render, mixdown and transcode in native VC-1 resolutions. Please note that VC-1 support is currently not available on Macintosh Power PC and playback-only on Mac Pro platforms.
  Please refer to Avid Media Composer v2.8 ReadMe document on the avid.com Knowledge Base for a detailed list of the capabilities and limitations of VC-1 support in this release.
• Mac OS X support. This release supports Mac OS 10.4.11. Support for Mac OS X Leopard (10.5) will be added in a future release.
• Quality improvements. Refer to the Avid Media Composer v2.8 ReadMe document on the avid.com Knowledge Base for a detailed list of improvements in this release.

The following enhancements were already available in Avid Media Composer version 2.7.5:

• Avid Unity ISIS® support. In conjunction with the new Avid Media Composer releases, Avid Unity ISIS v1.4 is being made available. This new Avid Unity ISIS release is highly recommended and includes many enhancements for collaborative environments.
• Latest QuickTime version support. This release supports QuickTime 7.2.
• CPU hardware support. Avid has added a number of workstations and notebooks, both Mac and PC, to the list of qualified and recommended CPU hardware for the new Avid Media Composer releases. Check out the latest Avid Media Composer system requirements.
• Boris Continuum Complete support. This release adds support for Boris Continuum Complete AVX™ version 5. Please note that this version of Boris Continuum Complete has not yet been qualified to work with other Avid editing solutions, so please continue to use Boris Continuum Complete version 4.x if you need to transfer projects with effect settings to other Avid editors, to be able to take advantage of Avid Total Conform.

How to upgrade?

• Avid Support Contract customers. If you own an Avid Media Composer system and you have a valid Avid Support Contract, you can download an upgrade at no charge from the Avid Download Center.
• Avid Media Composer 2.7 customers. If you own an Avid Media Composer v2.7.x system, you may download an upgrade to version 2.8 at no charge from the Avid Download Center. There is no need to update your dongle.
• Avid Media Composer software (earlier versions). Customers with Avid Media Composer software v2.5 can purchase a downloadable upgrade to the latest version from the Avid Online Store. If you own an earlier version, you can purchase a physical upgrade kit to v2.7 from the Avid Online Store, and then download an upgrade to v2.8 at no charge from the Avid Download Center.
• Avid Media Composer Adrenaline (earlier versions). If you own a pre-2.7 version of Avid Media Composer Adrenaline, you can purchase a physical upgrade kit to v2.7 from the Avid Online Store, and then download an upgrade to v2.8 at no charge from the Avid Download Center.
• Avid Studio Toolkit. Customers with Avid Studio Toolkit must be running v5.7 in order to work with Avid Media Composer v2.7.7. Customers with a valid Avid Support contract can download an upgrade free of charge from the Avid Download Center. Other customers can purchase a physical upgrade kit to v5.7 from the Avid Online Store.
• Avid Unity ISIS. Customers who have Avid Unity ISIS shared storage and a valid Avid Total Support Contract are able to download an upgrade to Avid Unity ISIS v1.4 at no charge from the Avid Download Center. Avid Unity ISIS customers are advised to only update their Avid editing systems after they have installed the Avid Unity ISIS v1.4 upgrade. We strongly recommend this upgrade in order to take maximum advantage of quality improvements in the new release.
• Avid Interplay. Please note that Avid Interplay customers should not upgrade to these new releases. There is an outstanding issue involving database permissions that may cause problems. Avid Interplay customers are advised to wait for a subsequent release that will address this issue.

On behalf of the entire Avid family thank you for your continued support and we hope you'll be pleased with this new product release.

Sincerely,
The Avid Media Composer Family Team