RRP Pricing

Links :

• Lightwave 3D
• SpeedEDIT
• Newtek web site

Reviews (online links)

• Digital Media Net Review [Part 1, Part 2, Part 3]

“... a unique product that combines the functions of a live switcher with those of an edit suite. All designed to work the way production professionals really need."

Paulo de Andrade DigitalPostProduction.com

VT[5]™

VT[5]™ provides the tools you need for live and post-production: live video switching with completely integrated virtual sets, real-time keying, titling and audio mixing, plus HD/SD editing, DVD authoring, 2D video paint and animation.

With VT[5] your investment is 100% productive, when it’s not in use for live production the VT[5] is equally at home for post production. VT[5] switcher offers up to 32 external inputs, virtual LiveSet™ technology, multiple DDRs, CG Designer™ for titling, video paint for animation and comes standard with SpeedEDIT™, an ultra-fast non-linear multi-format HD/SD editor. VT[5] is designed to deliver amazing video production at an unprecedented price

What is VT[5]?

NewTek VT[5]™ is an Integrated Production Suite from the Emmy®-winning company that created desktop video. VT[5] defines the cutting-edge in live production, bringing you the solutions you need to meet your production goals with more power, flexibility and affordability than you ever dreamed possible.

What VT[5] Offers

VT[5] offers live switching, live virtual sets, web streaming, real-time keying, titling, the world's fastest SD & HD editing and video painting. All this is tightly integrated with everything you need for production, post-production, and graphics. VT[5] delivers all of this, plus unsurpassed video quality with uncompressed component, SDI, digital analog video with four-channel audio.

Who Benefits from VT[5]?

VT[5] is designed for the video producer that wants to expand their services without breaking the bank. VT[5] gives the power, flexibility and functionality of a system costing much more. Whether the project calls for a live CEO message integrated with pre-edited segments or a complex edit for broadcast television, VT[5] gives you the tools necessary to complete your next award-winning project.

“I can just be creative and not exhaust my energy on technical matters.”

Walter Williams

Creator of “Mr. Bill”

"You have truly out-done yourselves... in ways I couldn't imagine. You have topped the rooms full of rack-mount equipment I've seen that produce live newscasts, local and national programming. Yes, true, it is a TV-Studio-in-a-box™, but not a "bare-bones" system – VT[4] is something that could be used for national broadcast without breaking a sweat."

Timothy Albee

Producer, Author, Digital Artist

“Personally, I think NewTek should rename VT[4] as the NewTek Video George Foreman Grill, because it does the same work as other non-linear products faster, cheaper, better and with no fat!”

Rich Helvey

NBC's Access Hollywood

Corey D. Kaup

Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, Decatur, GA

"…an excellent solution for live and Web broadcast with no real competitors, offering real-time switching with a huge range of complementary tools."

Digit Magazine

"VT[3] is the centerpiece of our production, replacing a whole bunch of analog equipment. VT[3] Saves the taxpayers a lot of money."

Aaron Skolnik

Public Affairs Office, Federal Emergency Management Agency

What's New in VT[5]

Live Production

• Advanced NewTek LiveSet™ effects engine
• Completely integrated live virtual set system
• LiveMatte™ provides sophisticated keyer previews
• Optional 8-input SX-SDI switching hardware
• Improved streaming with Push streaming and VC-1 support On-screen Video
• On-screen Video Monitor supports any resolution / aspect

• Monitor offers action safe / title safe overlays
• Still Frame option on capture panel
• iVGA Recorder captures remote client displays as video
• DDRs support different clip aspect ratios
• DDRs support all file formats listed below
• VGA output to projector includes real-time image enhancement

• Clock now on main interface
• CG Designer additions include
• Create/exports title templates for VT[5] or TriCaster™
• Title templates can be exported to Effects bus
• Export pages to Effects bus
• Render scrolls/crawls to any SpeedEDIT™ formats (HDV, etc)

Post Production

• Integrates SpeedEDIT™, World’s Fastest Video Editor
• Improved file format support
• HDR and floating-point image support
• Supports all audio channels from 4-channel DV files
• Audio plug-in support for VST audio filters

• VST audio plug-ins included from Voxengo
• CG Post animatable Character Generator
• Real-time Print to Tape for DV with dropped frame alerts
• Control Tree spline nodes support ease-in, ease-out
• Easily change the fielding order of clips
• Improved color correction
• 3-band color correction

• 4-channel selective color correction
• Tool Shed Project Backup wizard
• Time-code burn-in tool for playback overlay
• Advanced new cross-fades
• Dip to color, with selectable colors
• Additive cross-fades
• Additional filters, including Black & white; Sepia

Miscellaneous

• Audio/Video drivers support Windows Media Encoder and Flash encoder
• AVI wrapper has been re-written to support more project features

• SpeedHQ™ codec supports
• 4:2:2 video with and without alpha channel
• 4:4:4 video support with and without alpha channel

• Complete multi-core and multi-CPU decoding
• Customizable UI colors in Preferences
• Significantly improved readability across all modules

Refinements - Reliability & Performance

• Drivers no longer take any system resources when VT is not actually running.
• Re-written installer is more reliable, and does not need any path settings.
• Native support for MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, QuickTime, DV, MJPEG

• decoding and encoding, reducing reliance on external codecs.
• Multi-threaded, taking advantage of multi-core and multi-CPU machines.
• Reduced memory usage for many core operations.

• Aggressively optimized for SSE2 instructions.
• Improved desktop visuals.
• File assets always exist for resolution, frame-rate, audio sample rate, etc...
• All modules fully support aspect ratio

Live Switching:

• LiveSet™ Effects Engine
• Live Virtual Sets: multiple angles and multiple focal lengths per set
• Upstream effects row
• 8 Component inputs
• 8 Y/C inputs
• Up to 24 Composite inputs

• 8 Serial Digital inputs (with SX-SDI)
• DV input Support
• Real-time FireWire input or output
• Automated Audio Mixer
• 4 Component outputs
• 4 Y/C outputs
• 5 SDI outputs (with SX-SDI)

• Preview output
• 4 Composite outputs
• 3 RS-422 machine control ports
• Real-time, advanced chroma keyer
• LiveMatte™ keyer previews of color, edge and spill

• Cue mode in Digital Disk Recorder
• 200+ digital transitions
• Dual GPI In / Out
• 8 Internal Tally light controls
• Background generator
• Internal Genlock

Audio Mixer:

• Mix 8 stereo live and 8 4-channel online audio sources
• 4-track audio: 4 discrete channels of audio in and out
• Supports SDI embedded audio (with SX-SDI)
• Talk-over, reduces mix levels for mic inputs to talk over

• 4 adjustable XLR balanced mic / line inputs with Phantom power
• 6 stereo unbalanced audio ins from live sources
• 8 stereo inputs from computer sources
• DV and SDI audio inputs

• Floating point audio with distortion-free audio levels
• EQ, balance, mute and mono for all 16 audio inputs
• Aux Mix: stereo aux send and aux returns for external sweetening
• Automated mixing: transition between audio presets

• Calibrated audio meters
• Audio-follows-video option
• Manage your output mix with Input Pass Thru
• PA Mix Out: for live PA or control room feed
• Balance on all inputs and outputs

Digital Disk Recorder

• Multi-format, multi-standard on-screen tape deck
• Compressed or uncompressed playback

• Detects clip aspect ratios for playback
• Play back a single clip or list of clips

• Cue clips to roll when triggered by Switcher
• Real-time transitions between clips

• Count up or count down project time or clip time
• Operate multiple DDRs simultaneously
• EDL import/export (Grass Valley, CMX, Sony, Excel)

Proc Amp:

• Brightness
• Contrast
• Hue
• Saturation

• U Offset, V Offset
• U Gain, V Gain
• Track Preview function

• More than 70 adjustable parameters
• Calibrate computer sources as well as analog sources

• Auto Calibration for 75 IRE bars, 100 IRE bars, video pass-through (requires SX-84)

SpeedEDIT:

• World’s Fastest Video Editor
• SD and HD editing
• Real-time HD editing and previewing
• Resolution independent
• Frame-rate independent
• Fully multi-threaded for dual-core and quad-core machines
• SpeedHQ™ codec with 4:2:2 colorspace and alpha support
• Integrated Timeline and Storyboard editing

• Unlimited layering in real-time
• 3D control of position, size and rotation of layers in real-time
• Spline-based movement of all animations
• Unlimited undo, saved with project
• Real-time 3-wheel color correction
• 4-band color selection
• No rendering of complex projects required
• Create subprojects within a project

• VST Audio plug-in support
• CG Post™ for moving text
• Project Backup Wizard
• Time-code overlay filter
• Real-time Targa sequence playback
• Multi-format and multi-standard editing
• Real-time playback of compressed and uncompressed clips
• Real-time FireWire in and out

• More than 200 real-time transitions
• Real-time slow motion and reverse
• Real-time chroma and luma keying
• Real-time high-quality scaling of graphics
• Real-time video and audio filters
• Real-time audio mixing of unlimited layers
• 3D audio positioning
• 12dB of audio headroom prevents digital distortion

Aura Video Paint™:

• Amazingly fast 16-bit paint engine
• Paint over live video
• Four-point pixel tracking
• Color isolation

• 3D compositing
• Stroke recorder
• Wide range of text controls
• Animate text along a path

• Instantly use a graphic’s alpha channel
• Native DV support
• AVI and QuickTime audio support

• Apply Photoshop® filters to any animation
• VT[5] Supported File Formats

Video Scope :

• Full-frame data
• 60 fields-per-second
• Monitor Program or Preview
• Waveform of Y/C, Y, C, YUV or RGB
• Vectorscope at either 75% or 100% Chroma

Video Monitor :

• Fully fielded on-screen playback
• YUV video display
• Monitor Program, Preview, Key / Aux or DSK buses
• Display supports for 4:3 and 16:9 aspect
• Underscan mode
• Zebra stripes for 75 IRE and illegal video
• Proc-Amp for matching computer display to reference video monitors

CG Designer :

• WYSIWYG text and graphics editing
• Save projects or pages
• Display Program output within CG interface
• Use any installed TrueType™ font
• Create Title Templates
• Export Title Templates
• Assign a Title Template to any source in Upstream effects row
• Save pages as 32-bit images or animations
• Soft shadows
• Create graphic objects (boxes, circles, splines)
• Instantly save or recall text styles
• Powerful drawing tools

iVGA:

• Import external computer displays as switcher source
• Queue up to 3 iVGA sources
• Client provided for Windows and Mac systems
• Software-based scan conversion to video resolution
• Dedicate iVGA output to connected projector

Digital Video Effects:

• More than 200 real-time transitions
• Expansions
• Wipes
• Curls
• Trajectories
• Fades
• Overlays
• Rotations
• Compressions
• Borders
• More...

Title Templates :

• Easy creation of live pages
• More than 80 styles
• Customize/create new templates in CG Designer
• Export any title to upstream effects

Deck Controller :

• Control external decks from your VT[5] desktop
• Supports multiple RS-422 and DV decks
• Interfaces with batch capture deck lists and configurations
• Jog and shuttle support
• Record allows user to generate time code settings

Video Formats:

Graphic formats:

Audio Formats:

• AVI
• MPEG-1
• MPEG-2 *(program & transport stream)
• HDV
• QuickTime (with alpha support)

• MPEG-4 (including iPod and PSP)
• Raw DV
• DVCPro 50
• DVCPRO HD
• Image sequences
• Output to Flash

• JPEG
• PNG
• Targa
• Tiff
• BMP
• WBMP
• PCX

• WAV
• MP3
• AU
• SND
• AIFF
• WAX
• DIF

*MPEG-2 support requires appropriate DirectShow player to be installed

Options

VT[5] Optional Hardware

"NAB 2004: Best of Show - Streaming Hardware"

Digital Video Professionals Association.

"… unanimous winner of the 2004 Best Product award…""

Alliance for
Community Media

SX-84

The NewTek SX-84 is the heart of the VT[5] LIVE! Switcher, offering component, Y/C or composite ins and outs, along with audio, preview, alpha channel, tally, GPI and machine control.

There are 8 Video input rows, but that does not indicate the true flexibility of this rack-mountable beauty measuring 18 7/8” wide by 10 ½” high (or 6 rack-units high) and 1 ½” deep. This is a production switcher that saves you both time and money.

All inputs can use whatever cameras you have at your disposal, and unlike most switchers, does not require cameras to be genlockable. VT[5] performs all this internally, with each input having its own dedicated genlock controls in software. This means less gear to haul to a shoot, less time in setup and less investment for you to produce a multi-cam production. There is even an input for house synch, so you can time VT[5] to the other suites.

"We just set up a new animation facility and the first thing we bought was sixteen NewTek video systems that we could put on each of our animators' desks, along with LightWave 3D. That gives our animators the fastest 3D workflow and hands-down the best renderer, and they can see exactly how the shots will look for broadcast, including quickly and easily cutting them together to see how the sequences flow."

Emile Edwin Smith

Zoic FX, Los Angeles

“Clients can watch the artist work on a regular video monitor, giving them the same environment as they are used to in our flame® suite. The artist's work is greatly sped up by the instant feedback on how the shot will look on the air. VT[4]'s framebuffer is much faster than other Windows framebuffer products, giving feedback in real-time, with no lag."

Oliver Hotz

Digital Artist/VFX Supervisor

Inputs

Each input row consists of a Y/C input, a Y, U and V BNC input. This allows connection of 8 component cameras to VT, which is something not available to producers at even twice the price.

Not many production facilities have that many component cameras for live switching, so the SX-8 allows you to mix and match inputs for incredible flexibility. Connect a component camera to input 1, then a Y/C camera to input 2, and then connect three composite video sources to the three BNC connectors on input 3.

When a Y/C source is connected, the BNC V connector is still free for a composite input.

This means you can connect inputs with the following combinations:

• 8 component inputs
• 1 component input + 1 Y/C + 19 composite
• 8 Y/C inputs + 8 composite inputs
• 3 Y/C inputs + 18 composite
• 24 Composite inputs…and so forth.

Audio Inputs

Audio inputs are also quite flexible, with 4 microphone inputs (with phantom power). Those same inputs can be switched to line-level for 4-channel balanced audio support. There are also 6 stereo pair of unbalanced inputs. Add to that an Aux Return input for any audio coming back from outboard devices, such as parametric equalizers, limiters or reverb units. NewTek gives you incredible flexibility at the greatest price available.

Outputs

Your choices are equally flexible on the way out of VT[5]. There are 4 rows of video outs, which allow you to send Program Out to several devices for display or recording. You can also send your output in component or Y/C and composite. VT[5] also provides an output for your Preview field monitor. That connection can be soft-switched to become a dedicated key out.

Audio outputs provide four balanced outs, 4 stereo pair of unbalanced outs and an Aux Send channel if you wish to perform a pre-fader manipulation of an audio input. The integrated audio mixer provides such handy live capabilities as a Talkover function for VJ’s and a mix-minus record.

DV(IEEE1394)

Although SX-84 is analog, many customers are interested in FireWire in and out. If you have a IEEE 1394 Firewire card installed in your VT[5] machine, you can bring in your DV camera as an input into VT[5] switcher. Real-time FireWire out is also available whether you are editing graphics in VT[5] or switching a show with VT[5] LIVE!

Control

With more than 100 connectors on this switcher expansion module, we have included inputs for controlling decks and external devices as well. SX-84 includes three independent RS-422 machine control ports to remotely operate your professional decks, as well as a serial connector and a Tally/GPI connection. VT[5] gives you complete control over hardware so YOU have control over your production

SDI

Whether you are editing uncompressed or for DTV output, signal quality is imperative. NewTek's SDI option allows you to send VT's pristine D1 video output in real-time in an absolutely lossless, uncompressed state to any SDI-capable capture device or tape deck using a single coaxial cable.

For users of Digital Betacam or Digital-S equipment, this is the perfect solution, providing a direct digital connection between your source or master tapes and VT.

The VT SDI specifications include:

• 3/4-length PCI card (requires free PCI slot)
• 1 SMPTE 259M Serial Digital Video in

• 1 SMPTE 259M Serial Digital Video out
• 1 AES/EB Serial Digital Audio In

• 1 AES/EB Serial Digital Audio Out

If you need to send your video to an off-line graphics house for compositing, or simply to another VT for your co-worker to use, SDI offers two benefits: video is never re-compressed and your images are sent via a single coaxial cable, instead of a longer component run of three cables. Even if the source material was acquired in a compressed format, such as DV, you benefit from SDI by eliminating any re-compression until you are ready to print to master.

VT's SDI option is a single PCI card to be installed in a PCI slot adjacent to the VT card. The VT SDI Interface uses SMPTE 259M video in and out and EAS/EBU audio in and out. The SDI card allows for Reference In and Reference Out in addition to SDI I/O BNC Connectors.

SX-SDI

NewTek advances the state of live production with SX-SDI™, the newest VT[5] hardware that provides 8 serial digital inputs and outputs.

Serial Digital Interface, or SDI, is a standard for broadcast quality video, capable of transmitting uncompressed digital component video across a single coaxial cable with television facilities, with audio embedded in the same signal.

In addition to live switching of 8 digital sources, SX-SDI also serves as a signal router, with the ability to assign any of the serial digital inputs to any of 5 digital outputs.

Further flexibility is provided on the audio side, with support for embedded digital audio selectable from any SDI input, as well as AES-EBU audio in and out.

While the SX-SDI adds additional inputs to VT[5], it does not limit the capacity of the SX-84 analog switcher. This means an SX-SDI added to a VT[5] LIVE! system continues to provide component, Y/C and composite in and out in addition to the digital connectivity.

NewTek SX-SDI specifications:

• 8 Serial Digital video inputs
• 1 Embedded Serial Digital audio input
• 1 AES-EBU Serial Digital audio input
• 8 Serial Digital video outputs
• 1 Serial Digital Preview output
• 1 Serial Digital Program output
• 1 Embedded Serial Digital output
• 1 AES-EBU Serial Digital
• SDI Video in / out conforms to SMPTE 259M
• Embedded Audio conforms to SMPTE 272M
• Digital Audio in / out conforms to AES/EBU standards; 20-bit 48khz (2 channels)

"VT-Edit seems designed to let producers concentrate on content, and not worry about how it is accomplished, thanks to its straightforward interface."

Art Polin

WEVA Magazine

"As a wedding and event videographer for the last 8 years, I have never found a NLE that made editing long form weddings easier than NewTek's integrated production suite.."

Brian Peterson

River City Productions

"VT[4] integrates my LightWave animations, video capture, editing, Aura and After Effects all in one. Time is money and this new system is the best in the video industry at saving you time...and money."

Dan Ablan

AGA Digital

System Requirements

Recommended VT[5] System Configuration*

Processor

• Dual Intel or AMD processors that support SSE2 (Dual core CPUs recommended)
• Front-side Bus speed of 800MHz or higher

Interface

• An open 66MHz PCI slot for the VT[5] card is recommended for best performance (Additional slot needed for breakout cable)
• Any IEEE1394 FireWire card for DV and HDV capture

Graphics Card

• PCI Express-based graphics card w/ 64MB RAM per display
• DirectX 9.0c or higher
• Latest graphics card drivers
• Minimum screen resolution of 1280x1024 required

System RAM

• 2 Gigabytes or more of system RAM

Hard Drives

• Software-striped SATA drives for video storage and playback
• 8 Gigabytes of storage for DVEs and content
• System drive with 2GB of free disk space
• DVD Drive

Operating System

• Windows® XP Professional (SP2) or Windows Vista 32-bit
• Windows® Media Player 9 or higher
• Windows® Media Encoder 9 or higher for streaming

When upgrading from previous versions:

For high-definition editing and optimal performance of VT[5] LiveSet™ technology (virtual sets) we recommend dual CPUs or multi dual-core CPUs for the smoothest and fastest operation. Owners of versions prior to VT[4], may need to consider upgrading their NewTek hardware. For complete details view this PDF document.

*NewTek recommends the optimal system configuration. Systems with slower processor and drive speeds will work with VT[5], but some complex functions may not perform in real-time. Additionally, as new technology becomes available, system recommendations will be updated. Specifications are subject to change without notice.

Press Quotes

..an excellent solution for live and Web broadcast with no real competitors, offering real-time switching with a huge range of complementary tools."

DIGIT

"...undercuts the cheapest serious alternative by about £10,000." (4.5 out of 5 stars)

Computer Arts (UK)

" ...well worth the price."

PC Magazine

"It's a unique product that combines the functions of a live switcher with those of an edit suite. All designed to work the way production professional really need."

Digital Post Production

"You can throw in NTSC or PAL footage without any issues while mixing them and the live transitions are just too cool."

CG Channel

"If you are ready for a serious system for professional-level work, this system may have everything you'll ever need."

VideoMaker

"NewTek has made me rethink my workflow and even my pricing, since a production that used to take almost two weeks to complete can now be finished in not much more than one!"

WEVA International

"If I were building a start-up small broadcast or local-access cable center (or re-building an older one), I would put the Toaster at the top of my list to check out. It could easily be the center point of an incredibly cost-effective system. And it would look great doing it to boot."

DV Magazine

VT[5] Hardware Specifications

Optional Hardware Specifications

SX-84

SX-SDI

• 8 Serial Digital video inputs
• 1 Embedded Serial Digital audio input
• 1 AES-EBU Serial Digital audio input
• 8 Serial Digital video outputs
• 1 Serial Digital Preview output
• 1 Serial Digital Program output

• 1 Embedded Serial Digital output
• 1 AES-EBU Serial Digital SDI Video in / out conforms to SMPTE 259M
• Embedded Audio conforms to SMPTE 272M
• Digital Audio in / out conforms to AES/EBU standards; 20-bit 48khz (2 channels)

SDI

• 3/4-length PCI card (requires free PCI slot)
• 1 SMPTE 259M Serial Digital Video in
• 1 SMPTE 259M Serial Digital Video out

• 1 SMPTE 259M Serial Digital Preview or Alpha Channel out
• 1 AES/EBU Serial Digital Audio in
• 1 AES/EBU Serial Digital Audio out