Behind-the-scenes editor

Electronics Times, Nov 9, 1998

Another key technology is Magic DaVE, a digital video editor (DVE) and switcher which is currently being used behind the scenes at NBC in the US.

Video engineer Jim Malloy, who operates the video wall each night on NBC's Nightly News broadcast, uses Magic DaVE as both a central switching and supplementary special effects device to process the images sent to the Syncom multi-image processor that drives the video wall.

"I use the Magic DaVE for some special effects, possibly a page turn or a specialised wipe," said Malloy. "I also use it for speed, as far as opening up the wall to me. This gives me quick, one-button access to the central switcher that feeds DaVE."

Magic DaVE is especially useful, says Malloy, when breaking events cause the news broadcast to become chaotic: "If we've got a `crash and burn' situation where it's `take this, take that, no take this,' I can push a button on the Magic DaVE and change things very quickly. This ability to do quick switches through DaVE is a key reason why we use it."

With Magic DaVE, operators can incorporate high-resolution still images into their effect sequences and save time through the use of the powerful cross-hairs feature, which gives instant access to chroma key settings, DVE axis location and chroma mapping.

Magic DaVE also includes standard effects such as 3D perspective, infinite zoom, two light sources, mosaic, solarisation, false colour, multi-tile and twin effects with intersecting planes, as well as all the warps, shapes and distortions available as solid, hollow or sliced in half and image modulation such as flag wave and ripple effects.