Deal Includes the Future Return of ScriptSync and PhraseFind as Media Composer Options

Avid has obtained exclusive licensing rights to media and entertainment technology from Nexidia, the developer behind the ScriptSync and Phrasefind software options that were removed from Media Composer with the release of version 8.0 in 2014.

Avid said it plans to incorporate products like Dialogue Search and Illuminate into its MediaCentral platform in a 2017 release. It will also license Nexidia's Search Grid phonetic indexing technology to other application developers, and will continue to support third-party solutions that integrate Nexidia's technology, such as Boris Sound Bite for Final Cut Pro and Premiere Pro. And the company is now offering Dialogue Search, Illuminate (and its Comply, QC, and Align modules) and Search Grid for sale as Avid-branded products.

Meanwhile, users have been told to expect the return of Media Composer's ScriptSync and PhraseFind options, with a more specific announcement set to be made early in December. It's not yet clear if customers who had previously purchased either technogy as a Media Composer option will receive preferential pricing when the new versions become available.

The removal of ScriptSync and PhraseFind had been a sore spot for Avid users, many of whom had become reliant on the feature set and found themselves clinging to old installations of Media Composer that included ScriptSync rather than upgrading their systems across the board. Users complained about the absent features for more than two full years, as Avid and Nexidia negotiated behind the scenes but were unable to agree on terms. The acquisition of Nexidia earlier this year by Israeli software vendor Nice Systems may have helped toward the new agreement.

“We are thrilled to offer the Nexidia media products to the media and entertainment industries,” said Avid President and CEO Louis Hernandez Jr. in a prepared statement. “The addition of Nexidia’s products to the MediaCentral Platform demonstrates our commitment to giving customers greater choices and new levels of creativity and efficiency.”

Avid: www.avid.com