Phase One Media Pro is Released

[Doug Peterson]

Copenhagen, May 10, 2011
Announcing Phase One Media Pro
Phase One, the world’s leading pro photography equipment provider, today released Media Pro. Originally created by iView Multimedia, this professional digital asset management software has recently been known as Microsoft Expression Media. In its first release since Phase One’s acquisition of the product from Microsoft last year, it has been re-christened Media Pro.
Media Pro is a professional photo manager built for photographic, video and multimedia collection management. Media Pro offers a flexible and intuitive way to catalog, organize, and utilize digital media assets.
Its strength is in organizing photo files, no matter where they are stored -- on shared folders, CDs, hard drives, DVDs or other media. It’s an application comprising visual catalogs which can be easily and quickly browsed, searched, and annotated.
Images within these very large catalogs (Media Pro now supports more than 128,000 files per catalog) may be non-destructively edited with Capture One and other image editing applications. They may also be converted into other file formats. And all catalogs may be archived, backed up, published via slide shows, web galleries, and distributed via email, contact sheets, prints, and other custom options.

What’s new In Phase One Media Pro?
- Seamless workflow with Capture One
Phase One’s Capture One raw image rendering engine is built into the new Media Pro. Photographers can instantly magnify and evaluate raw images with correct colors, in detail, including adjustments. Images and adjustments made in Capture One are updated in Media Pro and the two applications offer integrated exchange of the metadata that describe images, and convey ownership and licensing information. This increased compatibility is a major improvement in the workflow between the two applications.
- Openness
Media Pro offers exchange of metadata information by way of XMP, the extensible metadata platform. Media Pro also provides options to permit Windows-based systems to use Windows Imaging Components and Mac-based systems to use Core Image processing as their image rendering engines. This means that Media Pro maintains its independence as a best-of-breed digital asset management solution supporting other popular image editing software.
- More camera support
Raw files from more than 100 new camera models are supported, including raw image and video support for Canon, Nikon and other popular pro and semi-pro digital cameras.
- Larger Catalogs
The limitation of 128.000 files per catalog and the maximum size of 2GB per catalog has been removed to allow for larger photo collections. Users can still create an unlimited number of visual catalogs.
- Updated User Interface
Media Pro comes with a redesigned user interface to match the sleek look of Capture One. While this version continues to provide support for audio, DTP, font, text and HTML files, Media Pro is primarily a photo manager for photo and video files. For more information about Media Pro, please see: www.phaseone.com/media-pro
“Working with Phase One to develop the new Media Pro tutorials has been very exciting, “said Peter Krogh, leading DAM expert and professional photographer. “I’ve long considered Media Pro to be one of my favorite DAM resources, and it’s clear that its future is bright.”
“Phase One is committed to investing in professional photo management and image editing software,” said Carsten H. Olsen, Phase One Software Product Manager. “This Media Pro release is designed to deliver a combined photography software toolset that will satisfy the world’s most demanding professional photographers.”
Availability and Pricing
Media Pro is available now via download for USD 199 and EUR 139 through Phase One’s Online Store and through leading professional photography dealers worldwide.
Current Expression Media 2 customers can upgrade to Media Pro for USD 59 and EUR 39. Current iView MediaPro/Expression Media 1 customers can upgrade to Media Pro for USD 69 and EUR 49.
About Phase One
Phase One is the world’s leader in open-platform based medium format camera systems and solutions. Phase One medium format cameras, digital backs and lenses are designed to deliver superior quality image capture and investment value. Phase One’s Capture One software helps streamline capture and post-production processes. Phase One products are known for their quality, flexibility and speed enabling pro photographers shooting in a wide range of formats to achieve their creative visions without compromise. For more information, please visit Phase One at http://www.phaseone.com. Follow Phase One on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/PhaseOneWW
Phase One is an employee-owned company based in Copenhagen with offices in New York, London, Tokyo, Cologne, Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Phase One and Capture One are registered trademarks of Phase One A/S. All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

[Doug Peterson]

We'll have our own observations of this news up on our blog shortly. For now we just have the Phase One Media Pro press release on our website (copied above).

[Doug Peterson]

Phase One Media Pro Tutorial Videos on CaptureIntegration.com

Capture Integration's Editorial on How Phase One Media Pro Fits Into the Phase One Ecosystem

Not everyone is going to need or want Media Pro. That's one of the genius parts of the Phase One Capture One + Media Pro ecosystem. If you don't need catalog management (fast and easy review/editing/comparison/sharing of files spread across multiple sessions, detailed metadata'ing etc) then you don't need Media Pro and you can sleep safe knowing that Phase One won't bloat Capture One with those features (which you don't need). On the other hand if you do need catalog management you'll be able to use a catalog manager which is 100% dedicated/designed-for that purpose which is slowed down by the ability to adjust images, tether, etc.

It's a first release so I'm sure there will be a few bugs and I'm sure performance will improve greatly over the next few months, but this is a very exciting announcement.

Doug Peterson (e-mail Me)
__________________

Head of Technical Services, Capture Integration
Phase One Partner of the Year
Leaf, Leica, Cambo, Arca Swiss, Canon, Apple, Profoto, Broncolor, Eizo & More

National: 877.217.9870  |  Cell: 740.707.2183
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[dchew]

This is very interesting news!  I am excited for P1 and the direction they are heading. 

As a previous user of iView MediaPro, and given my recent leap to MF/C1, I would presume to be a target customer of Media Pro.  However, there are a few things holding me back:

1.  Switching Cost:  Not dollars, but time and learning curve.  Since moving to LR several years ago, I've become quite comfortable in it.  The switch to MF has moved me to C1 for developing raw images (at least for MF images), but I still export to LR and that's my central repository.  I'm learning a new camera! Do I really want to learn another new software right now?  Maybe if I spent less time on Lula...

2. Printing:  I really like LR's printing workflow.  Maybe C1 has something similar and I just don't know it well enough, but printing out of LR is the cat's pajamas. 

So that's what is holding me back from jumping on the Media Pro download page.  I heard hints this was going to happen, and I think it is great for the industry.  I hope it takes off and becomes strong competition; that would be good for all of us, including Adobe.

Ciao,

Dave

[Doug Peterson]

1.  Switching Cost:  Not dollars, but time and learning curve.  Since moving to LR several years ago, I've become quite comfortable in it.  The switch to MF has moved me to C1 for developing raw images (at least for MF images), but I still export to LR and that's my central repository.  I'm learning a new camera! Do I really want to learn another new software right now?  Maybe if I spent less time on Lula...

2. Printing:  I really like LR's printing workflow.  Maybe C1 has something similar and I just don't know it well enough, but printing out of LR is the cat's pajamas.  

So that's what is holding me back from jumping on the Media Pro download page.  I heard hints this was going to happen, and I think it is great for the industry.  I hope it takes off and becomes strong competition; that would be good for all of us, including Adobe.

Switching costs (measured in time to switch the catalog and learn a new program) is not minor for cataloging software. I'm a big fan of "if it ain't broke don't fix it". If you're completely happy with the speed/flexibility/future-proofness-and-compatibility of your LR catalog then the switching costs may not be worth it. Certainly it will be more appealing to those who don't have a cataloging solution yet, or for those who are unhappy with LR.

Printing in LR is definitely stronger than this version of Media Pro. This is an area where Phase One needs to invest time in the next several months. Now that the (relatively large) task of switching the code to Phase One's code base, user interface, tie-ins (e.g. activation system) and is integrated with C1's rendering engine, such improvements can take priority.

The fully functional trial also helps to offset some of the switching cost as it lets you evaluate whether it's going to be worth your time without investing any money. If after evaluation it seems worth it to you (both in time and money) then you can Buy Phase One Media Pro at 10% through us.

Doug Peterson (e-mail Me)
__________________

Head of Technical Services, Capture Integration
Phase One Partner of the Year
Leaf, Leica, Cambo, Arca Swiss, Canon, Apple, Profoto, Broncolor, Eizo & More

National: 877.217.9870  |  Cell: 740.707.2183
Newsletter | RSS Feed
Buy Capture One 6 at 10% off

[Jay101]

V.pleased that P1 continue the enhance the great app that was once iView Media Pro (especially after Microsoft came "that close" to killing it).  It's a remarkable application, and despite not using P1 gear, I have upgraded as this is a fast and truly useful piece of software for my needs. Thanks P1.