IRIDAS announces MetaRender, an application that automates complex transcoding tasks in production pipelines and post facilities. MetaRender works across platforms and simplifies the task of managing file conversions, including burning-in grading or LUTs and adding file information for viewing with digital dailies.

MetaRender works in two ways. It can be controlled from SpeedGrade to offload rendering to one or more separate machines. It also operates as a standalone render management system to batch-process transcoding tasks across whole render farms. Timelines can be rendered out as one complete file, or as individual clips, each with their own reel ID and timecode information.

MetaRender is available for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. The application is fully scalable; users can add nodes as required. A single license for MetaRender, including a render node for a second machine, costs $1,499. Additional nodes are available for $499, with volume discounts for larger orders.

"This is perfect for working with editing applications, such as Final Cut Pro," explains Michael Gallo, head of software development at IRIDAS. "It provides a complete round-trip solution: proxies with file names and timecodes are generated for offline editing with MetaRender. Then the EDL is sent back to SpeedGrade DI for finishing work on the original full-resolution content."

MetaRender reads and writes all industry standard file formats, including AVI, QuickTime, OpenEXR, DPX files and many others. MetaRender incorporates IRIDAS' RealTime RAW 2.0 technology, supporting digital cinema RAW formats, including ARRI D-21, DALSA Origin, Vision Research Phantom, Silicon Imaging, CineForm and Weisscam, at resolutions of 2K, 3K and 4K. Through the RED SDK, MetaRender supports transcoding of R3D files for Mac and Windows.

"It is great to be able to take virtually any file format off the timeline and send it so quickly and easily right to the render queue," said Juergen Firsching, managing director at DVE, IRIDAS' reseller in Germany. "By automating so many steps in such a simple way, this tool will save facilities a tremendous amount of time and money."

"There is currently no equivalent to the telecine process to provide media for offline editing, like we have in the 35mm film world," notes IRIDAS CEO Lin Kayser. "With IRIDAS MetaRender, that has now changed. The ability to distribute transcoding to a cluster of computers speeds up the process, providing a scaleable solution to fit any schedule or budget."

Visitors to IBC can see MetaRender at booth 7.H20, where IRIDAS is co-exhibiting with Cine-tal.