Media Composer 5.5

System requirements

For optimal performance and reliability, be sure that your computer or laptop meets the following minimum system requirements for Media Composer 6, Symphony 6, or NewsCutter1 10 software.

 

Important: Avid dedicates a significant amount of engineering resources and time to test and qualify specific platform configurations. Please note that we cannot provide support should you choose to use a non-Avid-qualified system.

 

 

Windows

  • Computer: Avid-qualified Windows-based computer or laptop1
  • OS: Windows 7 Professional (64-bit), Windows XP Professional SP3 (32-bit), Windows Vista Business SP2 (64- bit), Windows Vista Ultimate SP2 (64-bit)
  • Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.33 GHz processor or faster
  • Memory: 4 GB of RAM (6+ GB recommended)
  • Graphics card: NVIDIA Quadro FX family2 (FX 560 or higher)
  • Internal hard drive: Minimum 80 GB 7200 rpm hard disk

Mac OS X

  • Computer: Avid-qualified Mac-based computer1
  • OS: Mac OS X 10.6.5-10.6.8 (Snow Leopard) & 10.7 (Lion)
  • Processor: Intel Dual or Intel Dual Core 2.66 GHz Xeon processor or faster, or Intel Core 2 Duo 2.33 GHz processor or faster (laptops)
  • Memory: 4 GB of RAM (6+ GB recommended)
  • Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce family2 or ATI Radeon family (as supported by Apple)
  • Internal hard drive: Minimum 80 GB 7200 rpm hard disk

Additional compatibility information

  • QuickTime: Avid has tested and qualified Apple QuickTime X for Mac users and QuickTime 7.6.9 for Windows users period.
  • Windows Media Player: Microsoft Windows Media Player 11 is required to export certain formats and to work with VC-1 material period.
  1. Uncompressed video on laptops is limited to one stream of uncompressed SD video, except for Windows-based Intel Core i7 laptops (Quad Core with Hyper-Threading) with eSata external storage, which can play multiple streams of 1:1 uncompressed SD.
  2. NVIDIA cards are recommended; full-screen playback requires a minimum of 128 MB of graphics memory.

What's included

Media Composer

(software)

  • Media Composer—Edit SD and HD video
  • Production Suite* (boxed versions only)— Create effects, author media, and more
  • Interplay Transfer (standalone version)— Transfer media and metadata to Interplay
  • Log Exchange—Convert shot logs into ALE files
  • EDL Manager—Export timecode metadata
  • FilmScribe—Export film metadata
  • Log Exchange—Convert shot logs into ALE files
  • MediaLog—Manage logging and metadata
  • MetaFuze—Work with stereoscopic files, DPX, and other formats (Windows only)
  • Getting Started training videos
  • User guides and other documentation

Media Composer Nitris DX

(hardware/software bundle)

  • Everything in Media Composer 5.5, including the Production Suite
  • Nitris DX**—High-performance analog and digital I/O video interface
  • PCIe Host Interface Board—Connects Nitris DX to your computer
  • Choose DNxHD and/or AVC-Intra acceleration (up to two chips)
  • One year of Avid Advantage support

Media Composer Mojo DX

(hardware/software bundle)

  • Everything in Media Composer 5.5, including the Production Suite
  • Mojo DX**—High-performance digital I/O video interface
  • PCIe Host Interface Board—Connects Mojo DX to your computer
  • One year of Avid Advantage support

* The Production Suite is not included in download versions of Media Composer. Media Composer Academic includes Avid DVD by Sonic, but no other products in the Production Suite.

** Nitris DX and Mojo DX video interfaces are also available as individual upgrade purchases if you currently own Media Composer software.


Media specifications

See a table of all Media Composer family supported formats

Native codec support

See all supported native codecs

Uncompressed SD and HD video

See all uncompressed SD and HD video specifications

Supported project formats

See all supported project formats

File-based support

See all supported file formats

Supported audio and video plug-in formats

See all supported file formats