TECHNICOLOR INSTALLS EDIFIS HD SCRATCHBOX

Technicolor Creative Services, Europe's largest film and post production facility, has purchased an Edifis HD Scratchbox high definition image retouching system. Holding eight hours of uncompressed video plus two independent AES/EBU pairs of uncompressed digital audio, the new system will be used alongside a previously installed standard definition Scratchbox with eight hours capacity which Technicolor installed in February at its production centre on London's western perimeter.

HD Scratchbox is a disk-based system enabling film retouchers to remove sparkle and scratches from film or video at the stroke of a stylus. A logically-arranged graphic user interface and control panel allow repairs to be made more efficiently than any other system currently available. HD Scratchbox eliminates time-consuming video tape pre-rolls and incurs no degradation of image quality.

Simon Wilkinson, general manager at Technicolor Creative Services
(Heathrow) comments:

"An increasing number of clients are demanding high definition copies in preparation for the introduction of HD-DVD. The Edifis HD Scratchbox is located in our HD film retouching area and is sourced from a Thomson Spirit telecine, record colour-corrected uncompressed images of archive/library footage. It is then used in a retouching/restoration session to run alongside our audio restoration system. The restored sound and images are conformed on Scratchbox before being laid onto HD D5 format. This enables us to give our clients a top-quality uncompressed image with restored sound. Scratchbox' ease of use and immediacy impressed clients within the first week and our experience of the standard definition unit gives us every confidence in the HD version."

HD Scratchbox combines the functions of a compositor, mask layer and paint tools in a single unit. It provides independent control of foreground video, mask layer and matte. The mask layer can control the composite or mix of two sources, typically foreground and background or foreground and matte. On-screen menus coupled with a control panel, jog wheel and transport buttons, allow fast and intuitive operation. A soft-edged matte or key is painted over a damaged frame using a tablet and pen interface. The operator composites or mixes within Scratchbox between the damaged foreground and undamaged background layers using this key. Scratches, blemishes and sparkle are painted away and replaced by good material. The resultant repaired frame is re-recorded at the press of a single button.

Technicolor Creative Services (www.technicolor.com) is a division of Paris-based Thomson and has participated actively in the development of cinematography and film imaging techniques for many years.

Edifis (www.edifis.com) was formed in July 1997 and is located at the centre of Britain's electronics industry. The company has achieved a high reputation for large-capacity uncompressed digital video and audio systems meeting film, post-production and broadcast requirements worldwide. Edifis hardware and software are independent of third-party computer manufacturers or operating systems, allowing highly reliable products to be produced at cost-effective prices to meet the rigours of outside broadcasting and for on-air transmission.

Contacts for further information:

Richard Lilley, Edifis Ltd
Tel +44 (0)1189 712 279
Email richard@edifis.com

Simon Wilkinson, Technicolor Creative Services
Tel: +44 (0)20 8261 2600
Email: simon.wilkinson@technicolor.com