We’ve noted the demo of Blackmagic Multibridge Extreme and DeckLink HD Pro with Adobe’s OpenHD turnkey HP xw8200 system running the new Adobe Production Studio (see Jan. 24th).

This is not just a budget system capable of handling HD resolutions. Since the xw8200 incorporates a PCI Express bus (capable of 10 Gbps throughput), used with the Multibridge’s DVI-D dual link connection, you can easily run Apple’s 30 inch Cinema display — or the new Dell 3007WFP 30-inch display, which prices around $2200, or a $200 cheaper list price than Apple’s recently discounted screen. (Dell also has a revolving discount policy; keep checking their site and you’ll probably find their 30-inch on sale with another $200 or so knocked off.)

All this by way of pointing out that the Multibridge with PCI Express supports 2K even for QXGA monitors (which are 2048 x 1536 @ 75Hz). The two 30-inch monitors can display this, since they offer 2560 x 1600 display res. It’s pretty striking that 2K can now be displayed on systems that price way below top end products from Autodesk and Quantel.

Wanted to comment on Trevor’s mention of HP’s xw4300 workstation in a couple of his postings (Jan 20th).

I have my own xw4300, running a dual-core Pentium D (you can get one with a single core Pentium 4, but why bother? See the following.).

So why choose a dual core workstation? One word: Multitasking.

While a faster CPU might make a difference in some situations, if you’re anything like me, a day at the computer is less about speeding through one action and more about doing many things at once, jumping among various programs, checking something on Google, buying and downloading an image or video file from the ‘net– all things that can tie up the standard, single-core CPU, since everything has to go through that one gateway.

With a dual core CPU, one of the pair can work in the background, downloading, compressing, rendering, and doing whatever other intensive chores you need. This makes even more sense if, again, you’re like me, and run dual monitors. I can keep windows open and active without worrying about my interactivity taking a nose dive.

If you‘re intrigued about Cynthia‘s tracking what went down at the “Cinema on the Move” session (see Jan. 21), here‘s some other info that points up some of the serious development going into “video on the fly.”

Intel, Motorola, Nokia, Texas Instruments (TI), and Modeo (Crown Castle subsidiary) have formed the Mobile DTV Alliance, with the aim of developing Digital Video Broadcasting - Handheld (DVB-H). By creating an industry-supported standard, the group hopes to speed the day when cell phone and portable media device users will be able to receive live TV programming anywhere a cell phone signal can go.

TI recently debuted its mobile TV chip codenamed “Hollywood.” It‘s a single-chip DTV solution that‘s being shipped to cellular manufacturers to begin putting in phones late this year.

It‘s interesting that cell phone video has gotten most of the attention. With TI and others providing powerful, low wattage chipsets able to receive video on the fly, it‘s much more likely that folks will want to watch it on something like the video iPod or other portable media device that offers a larger, higher res screen.

As a follow up on Trevor’s January 21 posting on Intel’s new Viiv platform (”Intel Digital Experience Zone”), I’m suggesting interested readers turn to John Furrier’s useful podcast interview with Raj Puran of Intel. Puran, interviewed at Intel’s Sundance headquarters, talks about the Viiv platform, Centrino Duo dual core laptops, and the dual core desktop Pentium D.

(Furrier’s podcast page has other interviews you might want to check out–see the right hand column–as he chats at Sundance with Adobe and HP reps.) (www.podtech.net/?p=289)

Intel announced its Viiv platform late last year, with the first, big roll out at the CES show earlier this month in Vegas.

I have to give credit to Intel on this one. Viiv looks to be more than just some tricked out scheme to sell CPUs. Instead, it’s a very big operation that represents a serious bit of repositioning on Intel’s part. They’re making a bet on their future that the real money is in the digitally desirous masses, not the increasingly steady state market of supplying commodity chips to the business world. more