MS makes Play for desktop video market

Microsoft and Play will unveil a high-end video production system for Windows NT on Monday at the National Association of Broadcasters trade show in Las Vegas.

The two companies will jointly market a package that includes Microsoft's Softimage Digital Studio video editing environment and Play's Trinity desktop video hardware. By joining forces, the two companies say they plan to bring broadcast quality to desktop PCs for a fifth of the price of dedicated systems. The new system will include professional audio editing, 2D and 3D paint capabilities, special effects, compositing, titling, and project management tools.

Pricing for the system, which will be available in the fall, has not been determined.

"[The system is] taking $300,000 worth of equipment and putting it into $10,000 or $20,000," said Mark Randall, vice president of marketing at Play. "[It's] taking video editing out of high priest land of video and putting it onto the PC so it can grow."

The trade show is one of the premier events for broadcasting technology professionals. Portions of the conference will be broadcast on the Internet next week.