NewTek, Inc., manufacturer of industry-leading video and 3D animation products, today announced the next generation of its award-winning TriCaster™ line of portable live production and virtual set systems is shipping. Included in new TriCaster STUDIO™, TriCaster PRO, and TriCaster models are MPEG-2 format recording during live shows, which allows the file to be used on any editing system, a wide range of performance improvements and support for a new line of accessories including: LiveControl™, TimeWarp™, LiveText™ and DataLink™.

Support for the new line of TriCaster accessories from NewTek gives TriCaster users the flexibility to work independently or expand their production team by offering a range of new capabilities in production:

• LiveControl™ ($1,995US) provides a physical control surface that allows for transition between sources without the use of a keyboard or mouse.
• TimeWarp™ ($995US) provides the ability to assign a dedicated operator for incorporating slow motion and replay in live production.
• LiveText™ ($995US) provides the ability for a dedicated graphics operator to use a remote laptop or other computer system for pre-production of title pages, scrolls and crawls or for updates on the fly during live production.
• DataLink™ ($995US) provides compatibility with external sources for real-time updates of title pages including information from scoreboards and databases.

TriCaster STUDIO and TriCaster PRO now have Adobe® Flash® streaming and archiving ability, providing the most popular means of online video delivery. NewTek’s proprietary LiveSet™ technology for network style virtual sets has been added to TriCaster PRO. Both TriCaster PRO and TriCaster now offer switching support for both 16:9 and 4:3 video for greater flexibility in live production, along with SpeedEDIT™-based nonlinear editing for expanded pre and post production capabilities. In addition, the entry level TriCaster now includes Windows Media® push streaming which dramatically simplifies the ability to stream, a full featured character generator for creation of custom titles and adjustable VGA output resolution for projectors that support higher resolution display.??”The next generation of TriCaster software expands the reach of the product by adding key features that allow it to work faster and in a broad range of new situations,” said Dr. Andrew Cross, NewTek Executive VP of Software Development. “The ability to stream a live show using Adobe Flash video allows a TriCaster user to present their vision to a much wider audience, while the ability to record native MPEG-2 clips of the entire show makes it possible to move the files for further editing or processing to other platforms or media without the need for conversion.”??TriCaster™ enables sports organizations, corporate communications departments, broadcasters, schools and others to provide a new level of extended programming and content to their fans, partners and other audiences. Now, a single operator or a team can produce a live show switching between as many as six cameras with two VCR’s, multi-channel effects, and NewTek’s proprietary LiveSet™ virtual sets and keying technology. With TriCaster™, everyone can produce network quality live video, which can be distributed simultaneously to video, projector and web stream.??Current TriCaster owners who desire to gain the benefits of the next generation TriCaster line will have full access to the wide range of expanded capabilities offered in the new products. An FAQ for TriCaster™, TriCaster PRO™ and TriCaster STUDIO™ users is available at www.newtek.com/tricaster/faq.php For a complete overview of the next generation TriCaster STUDIO, TriCaster PRO and TriCaster visit www.newtek.com/tricaster.??Pricing and Availability?The TriCaster™ family of products in NTSC is available in North America starting at $4,995US. The TriCaster™ family of products is available in multi-standard internationally beginning at $6,995US. The upgrades for TriCaster, TriCaster PRO FX and TriCaster STUDIO will be priced at $495US with the TriCaster 2.0 upgrade for TriCaster PRO priced at $995US. For more information, please visit www.newtek.com or call NewTek Sales at 1-800-368-5441, international callers dial +1-210-370-8000.