Legacy Casablanca
Some basic information on the second generation Casablanca machines delivered by Moving Image Hongkong. All these Casablanca are still fully operational and working with digital video. How many five-year old computers can even load video like the venerable entry-level Avio machine!
Casablanca Avio ST / Avio DV
The all-in-one video production solution combining video editing, effects,
titling and audio dubbing. You can do all of this with ease
on the Casablanca Avio ST or Casablanca Avio DV.
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The Casablanca Avio is perfect for video film hobbyists and anybody wanting to enter the world of digital editing. You do not need to know your way around a PC to use the Avio, since it will not confront you with computer jargon or complicated techniques. The system is ideal for users wanting to concentrate on creating videos using state-of-the-art digital technology without having to face the confusion and difficulties of today's computer technologies.
And you will not need a stack of equipment either. All that is required is a device like a video camera for adding your footage, and a TV monitor or television set. You can record the final result onto a video cassette using a video recorder, and in the case of the Avio and Avio DV, you can transfer it back to your video camera. So what else will you need? First, some nice raw video footage and the desire to turn it into a really first-rate film, and second, an audience to gaze in awe at your masterpiece.
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The Avio DVD is a response to the many users
crying out for DVD capability. MacroSystem has answered to this with a
modified casing and fitted DVD writer.
Combine this with the immensely popular "DVD-Arabesk" software and you get a package that allows you to create DVDs that can be played on
just about any available DVD player!
The Casablanca Avio DVD comes with the following enhancements:
- High quality silver casing with totally re-designed look, featuring a lid to cover the DVD writer
- "Whisper Edit" cooling concept for considerable noise reduction
- DVD writer including DVD-Arabesk software for writing DVDs in DVD-R format (once writable) and DVD-RW (multiple writable)
- "DVD-Dicon" technology with real-time video conversion of projects
- Integrated VGA option for connecting unit to two monitors (either used as a single monitor solution or two-monitor suite).
Join the ranks of users who are already making profit out of the DVD production features and upgrade to Casablanca Avio DVD!
Casablanca Prestige and Prestige PLUS is the smart production solution for digital video editing. Make your video the finest - without external, additional equipment and totally without a PC or PC experience.
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The hard-core hardware facts:
- DV port and Direct-DV mode as standard:
Casablanca Prestige PLUS features two DV or i-Link in/out ports. This allows you to directly record and output data from and to a digital camcorder or digital VCR. Without further conversion, all data is recorded to the internal hard-drive - this means excellent picture quality. In addition, you can of course use analog material in your projects. Record your finished project to either analog recorders or directly onto digital tape using the DV ports.
- DVD-writer and DVD DICON
Create your own DVDs using the integrated DVD-writer. And thanks to DVD DICON, video data can be converted to the DVDs video format in real time. A hardware supported MPEG-2 compression makes this possible, resulting in a conversion time that is up to 20 times faster than on PCs. The DVDs can be used on nearly all available DVD players (DVD-R or DVD+R).
- Flexibility thanks to front inputs and removable 160GB hard-drive.
The front inputs simplify capturing from the camera to Casablanca Prestige PLUS. The removable hard-drive offers limitless expandable capacity.
Also, Casablanca Prestige PLUS features a SmartMedia-drive. Using Smart Media cards with a capacity of between 4 and 128 MB makes for very speedy software updates.
Casablanca Claro
Claro: A true Casablanca system with DV and DVD for just HK$9,990!
In 1996, when Casablanca made its debut, the marketplace for video editing products was revolutionised drastically and long-term. Casablanca made it possible for any dedicated videographer to enter the world of digital editing at a high quality and with an ingeniously easy user concept.
Since then, many new Casablanca models and options
have been released. The system has established
itself firmly in the video scene which would
simply no longer be the same without it.
Casablanca users have organised themselves into
clubs, meeting at the traditional, annual MacroSystem conventions in spring or at the
Photokina/IFA in autumn. A considerable portion of
all video editors swear by Casablanca.
There has been once disadvantage though: Editing with Casablanca was easier and often better then the competition but it came at a price. The system, developed and produced completely in Germany, has been somewhat more expensive than many competing PC products.
The brand new Claro model puts an end to this. The price has been reduced to €999 (recommended European retail price) and that’s including a DV port and DVD burner! Despite this, Claro is clearly a German manufactured Casablanca system. Smart Edit runs flawlessly fast, all options are available and even the demo mode (for unlicensed software options) works just like on the `bigger´ Casablancas. And there’ even one particular highlight: Claro comes with an integrated card reader which supports all relevant storage cards used by digital photo cameras.
Moreover, with Claro it is possible to edit completely on a VGA monitor. To date, using a high-resolution, flicker-free monitor was only possible in combination with a TV monitor. Claro supports either TV or VGA. (Of course, the VGA screen used can be a flatscreen LCD monitor.)
There’s one limitation however: As Firewire (miniDV) is the standard today, Claro has no connections for analogue video sources - the unit is a true digital video specialist. If you need to make use of analogue video sources, simply do this via the analogue inputs of your existing DV equipment. All current DV recorders and camcorders can be used as a converter (CVBS or YC to DV [iLink, FireWire]).
Claro is delivered with 120 GB hard-drive (over 7 hours of video) and 256MB RAM.
 The Casablanca Solitaire is the result of a design study presented at the European IFA show. Combining the fastest processor available, DVD burner, removable hard drives, City-Disk portable disk support, one-button backup solution and more. Together with CBPaint software, the sleek designed, glass-housed cube turns into a full blown video and computer graphics workstation with storyboard import, timeline and titling functionality that is nearly limitless. |
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Solitaire comes in a completely new housing case concept. The unit is more narrow and taller than a standard VCR. Both front and top are made of heavy, background imprinted glass. A noble display shows the system operational status - on a lighted background using white, graphic elements.
A modern system motherboard, with fast processor, and real-time VxWorks operating system, makes for extremely high rendering speed. This power has been harnessed to give background rendering of video effects. Each and every pause during non-rendering work stages (the majority of editing work) is used for automatic rendering. In most cases this will result in no waiting times!
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Optionally, a touch-display VGA screen from WACOM allows you to draw, edit, as well as use Smart Edit interfaces between CBPaint and the video editing side of the system. Clearly a revolution of power and functionality. Practically any effect, text, or edit function that you can dream of will be realisable with Solitaire. A truly professional Casablanca, with all the features that Casablanca has become known for: Smart Edit editing software, DVD DICON real-time DVD conversion and more!
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Solitaire is prepared for full resolution high-definition TV (HDTV) editing. The employed codecs are already able to work with high-definition video streams. HDV camcorders are compatible with Solitaire. An investment in the Casablanca Solitaire is clearly a true, future-oriented decision.
You can visit the MacroSystem website for more information.
