MediaReactor Workstation for Adobe, Apple and Avid
MediaReactor Workstation is a direct plug-in version of Drastic’s MediaReactor file translation system. Rather than having to use a separate translation step, the artist can work with incoming footage directly in their preferred creative software. MediaReactor Workstation is available on Windows (XP, Vista, 7 – 32/64) and MacIntosh OS-X Intel (10.5+). It provides plug-ins for Assimilate Scratch/Lab, FinalCut Pro 7, Avid Media Composer, Adobe products, QuickTime and DirectShow. Many other applications that utilize the QuickTime and DirectShow interfaces are also supported.
Overview
Contemporary production work flows are able to access an ever increasing choice of acquisition, production, mezzanine and output devices and formats. Unfortunately, the proprietary nature of these media tools often leads to time consuming and potentially lossy translations of content, simply to allow other creative tools to access them. MediaReactor Workstation was designed to alleviate this problem. MediaReactor Workstation provides access to the widest range of file formats of any single plug-in package. It specializes in high quality conversion on the fly, on everything from ancient OMG JPEG to the latest camera acquisition formats from Weisscam, Phantom and Arri. Coupled with its incredible range of file and codec support, MediaReactor Workstation provides a group of plug-ins that make the content directly compatible with most major editing and creative software on Mac and Windows systems.
Supported applications:
| Adobe | After Effects | Windows/Mac |
| Media Encoder | Windows/Mac | |
| Premiere | Windows/Mac | |
| Apple | Compressor | Mac |
| Final Cut Pro | Mac | |
| Motion | Mac | |
| Assimilate | Scratch | Windows/Mac |
| Scratch Lab | Windows/Mac | |
| Avid | Media Composer | Windows/Mac |
| Drastic | Drastic Preview | Windows |
| Microsoft | Direct Show | Windows |
| Media Player | Windows | |
| QuickTime | QuickTime PlayerQuickTime Apps | Windows/Mac |
OS Support
MediaReactor Workstation provides support for the three major operating systems that have well defined plug-in systems (for Linux, please contract Drastic for available options). The primary plug-in interfaces on Mac OS-X, Windows 32 bit and Windows 64 are:
- Assimilate Scratch and Scratch Lab SPA plug-in
- Avid Media Composer AMA access plug-in
- Adobe file import and export plug-ins
- Final Cut Pro 7 real time access and rendered file export
The Final Cut Pro 7 plug-in is OS-X specific, but Avid and Adobe are available on both platforms allowing seamless access to content with platform independence. Drastic is dedicated to supporting as many file formats as possible on all three major operating systems and supporting all major production tools that provide a plug-in interface.
Mac OS-X
MediaReactor’s primary plug-ins under OS-X are Apple’s QuickTime layer and Adobe’s import and export plug-ins. MediaReactor Workstation connects to QuickTime at multiple levels. It provides codecs for encoding and decoding video frames, image importers and exporters, movie importers and exporters and low level data handlers. The result is that all QuickTime enabled applications can access media as easily as a native QuickTime movie including still formats like DPX, Cineon, ARI and DNG sequences. This includes metadata, multi-track audio, multi-track video, time code, closed captioning and other tracks. All supported formats, including IPB MPEG transport streams and series of stills (that would normally require conversion) are directly available for editing in Apple, Adobe and many other third party products.
Windows 32
MediaReactor Workstation supports all four primary Windows’ audio/video layers, which are: VFW (Video For Windows), DirectX/DirectShow, Apple QuickTime for Windows and Adobe import/export plug-ins for older Adobe products (CS5+ uses the Windows 64 version). QuickTime is the most standardized platform for media access on 32 bit Windows, and the MediaReactor Workstation connects to QuickTime on multiple levels. It provides codecs for encoding and decoding video frames, image importers, image exporters, movie importers, movie exporters and low level data handlers. The result is that all QuickTime enabled applications can access media as easily as native QuickTime movies including still formats like DPX, Cineon, ARI and DNG sequences. This includes metadata, multi-track audio, multi-track video, time code, closed captioning and other tracks. All supported formats, including IPB MPEG transport streams and series of stills (that would normally require conversion) are directly supported available for editing in Apple, Adobe and many other third party products.
For some applications, DirectShow or VFW provide the easiest or only interface for MediaReactor to file import. DirectShow allows player applications like Windows Media Player to access all the available file formats seamlessly. MediaReactor Workstation 32 also supports Adobe Creative Suite applications that run under 32 bits, which includes CS4 and earlier.
Windows 64
The latest productions tools tend to prefer operating as 64 bit applications. MediaReactor Workstation for Windows 64 provides interfaces to these applications. Assimilate Scratch and Scratch Labs are great examples of powerful programs running on Windows 64. Drastic provides the technology to Assimilate for their CSP plug in, and MediaReactor Workstation takes that interface to a whole new level. Providing a much wider set of file formats and codecs, MediaReactor Workstation allows Assimilate’s software to access almost every production file type your work flow could need.
The latest Adobe Creative Suite products, CS5 and CS5.5, are also native 64 bit applications. MediaReactor Workstation provides both import and export plug-ins for all of Adobe’s Creative Suite tools. The plug-ins provide all the advanced media support and even improve on Adobe formats like MOV and MXF.
The Windows 64 bit version of MediaReactor Workstation license also allows you to install and use the Windows 32 bit version, which is fully compatible and very useful, in Windows 64 (XP, Vista or 7).
Live Event Editing in FCP7, Premiere and MediaComposer
MediaReactor Workstation also provides advanced edit-while-recording of live events directly in your favorite editing software, when coupled with a live event compatible recorder. To take advantage of this huge time saver, set up your compatible recording device (Drastic DDR, MediaNXS or 3rd party system like XOS Hurricane Replay), begin recording and load the various camera files directly into Media Composer, Premiere or Final Cut Pro 7. All material recorded at that point is immediately available for editing, and as new material is recorded it automatically becomes available on the editor. Simply edit as normal, building packages, melds, internet content or new packages during the game, rather then having to wait and work long after everyone else has gone home.
Content Source Support
The complete list of supported formats, codecs and metadata is overly long and unwieldy, but what follows is a rough guide to the kind of content sources supported by MediaReactor Workstation, from major software and hardware providers past and present.
- Adobe CS: AVI, MOV
- Apple Final Cut Studio: MOV
- Arri: ARI (D21/Alexa)
- Assimilate: DPX, TIFF, MXF
- Avid Editor Family: OMF (AvBv, Meridien, DV, NTLSI), MXF Op1a, MXF OpAtom, MOV
- Discreet: DPX, TIFF, MXF (export)
- Grass Valley: GXF, MXF
- LMP: Raw bayer
- IFX Piranha: ARC
- Ikegami: OMF (CamCutter), MXF (DNxHD, DV, DV50, DVHD)
- Ikon: DNG bayer
- Iridas: DPX, IHSS
- Mikrom: DNG, Raw bayer
- Panasonic: MXF P2 Media AVCi, DVHD, DV50, DV, AVCHD
- Phantom Camera: CINE
- Sony: MXF MPEG-2 4:2:0/4:2:2, MP4 MPEG-2/4
- Weisscam: Raw bayer
File Format Support
Support is Windows + Mac unless otherwise indicated
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Note: AVCi & JPEG2000 file formats require an optional license.
Note: If the MediaReactor Workstation trial is installed on OS-X, you will have to re-install the CSP to get those formats back after the trial. In Windows the CSP and trial can co-exist.
Download the trial plug in:
Download MediaReactor Workstation for Windows 32
Download MediaReactor Workstation for Windows 64
Download MediaReactor Workstation for Mac OS-X
To purchase a licence key contact us here.
