Alacrity MR, or Multi-Resolution, is a complete editing system whose software is still in beta. It uses an OEM version of the Matrox Axio as its video board. The distinguishing feature, however, is that Alacrity uses an ATI Radeon graphics processor to calculate effects, reducing CPU load to a minimum. During the IBC product demonstration at stand 7.130, applying a keyer and colour correction to an HD video clip in real time increased CPU load by only five percent.
The system supports compressed and uncompressed HD and SD, MPEG-2, MJPEG and DV, multiple real-time streams, and different formats on one timeline. The familiar Lightworks user interface is supplemented by the Lightworks Console, a jog/shuttle controller that serves as the central element when working with the system.
Multiple workstations can be networked through a SharkNET SAN solution. The manufacturer says Alacrity will become available in November; Lightworks has not yet announced a price.
