In their Media Composer 2.7 review, DV Magazine asks the question, “Is it worth the price?” As $5,000 NLE programs go, it would appear that Avid’s Media Composer 2.7 is either a great choice or a very expensive choice depending on how you will use it and how helpful the new features will be to your productions.
One such feature is called ScriptSync, which, again depending on what you are going to use the software for, could make the purchase of Media Composer 2.7 a no-brainer. ScriptSync will match a transcript of your project to your clips automatically using voice recognition technology. This makes finding specific lines or, in the case of the reviewer, working in different languages a much easier and more efficient task.
To paraphrase Twain, rumors of Avid’s demise are greatly exaggerated. Apple and Adobe are making incredible NLEs that deliver a lot of power for not a lot of money. This is no insignificant threat, but for editors who need features such as ScriptSync, XDCAM proxy editing, and intraframe paint, there’s nothing out there that compares to Media Composer. No one likes shelling out $5,000 for an NLE, but these features are capable of paying for themselves over time.
