Avid Symphony

Avid Symphony is non-linear editing software aimed at professionals in the TV and movie industry. It is available for Microsoft Windows PCs and previously Apple Macintosh platforms.

Symphony is Avid's high end SD/HD finishing platform for long form work, such as documentary and episodic TV. Its interface is based on the same look and feature set as the Media Composer and Xpress systems, but features the highest level of features and resolution including secondary color correction, uncompressed HD, and higher real-time performance.

Release History

Symphony is the software component of a tightly integrated package that includes specific hardware audio/video interfaces, storage, and the computer, also sold by Avid. Its release history is therefore tightly related to the release of new Avid interface hardware:

Symphony was introduced to the market in 1998. It was based on Avid's Meridien hardware, supporting SD only, and was available for the PC and Macintosh platforms. Its last release was 5.0.5 which supported Windows 2000 and Mac OS X v10.2.
The next major upgrade was Symphony Nitris in 2005, with a redesigned software and integration with the Nitris DNA hardware (PCI-X). It supported 8 bit and 10 bit SD and HD resolutions in both compressed and uncompressed forms, the MXF format and DNxHD codec, and ran only on Windows PC platforms.
Symphony Nitris DX, released in 2008, added support for a range of HD codecs, including HDV, XDCAM-HD, DVCPRO HD, and AVC-I, and brought back Mac OS support for OS X 10.5, as well as Windows Vista.

Avid Symphony used in Movies

* American Hardcore (film) Avid Xpress Pro and Symphony [ [http://www.movingpicture.com/news/production/non-linear_editing/avid/index.html Moving Picture News: Avid Archives ] ]
* Summercamp! (film) Avid Xpress Pro and Symphony [ [http://www.movingpicture.com/news/production/non-linear_editing/avid/index.html Moving Picture News: Avid Archives ] ]
* When the Levees Broke Avid Media Composer and Symphony Nitris [ [http://www.movingpicture.com/news/production/non-linear_editing/avid/index.html Moving Picture News: Avid Archives ] ]
* Superman Returns Edited with Mac-based Film Composer XL, but HD screenings prepped with Symphony [ [http://www.movingpicture.com/news/production/non-linear_editing/avid/index.html Moving Picture News: Avid Archives ] ]

References

[http://www.avid.com/pressroom/corp_bg.html Avid Corporate Background]

[http://www.avid.com/products/Symphony-Nitris-DX/features.asp Avid Symphony Nitris DX features]

[http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Avid-Technology-Inc-Company-History.html Avid Technology Inc. - company history] from International Directory of Company Histories, Vol. 38. St. James Press, 2001.

Related Links

Avid Technology Inc. - Wikipedia entry on the manufacturer of Avid editing systems

External links

* [http://www.avid.com/products/symphony/ Avid: Symphony]