Avid said it is bringing back ScriptSync and PhraseFind with the release of Media Composer 8.8, scheduled for release in February 2017.

"In early 2017 we will introduce updated, feature-rich products using the very latest Nexidia phonetic search technology," wrote Media Composer Product Manager David Colantuoni in a blog post announcing the news. "To complement these upgrades, we are also introducing new pricing, with attractive offers on bundles, upgrades and education licenses."

The new version of ScriptSync will include an updated color palette, support for both 4×3 and 16×9 aspect ratios, undo and redo stacks, user notes, and the ability to edit script text, Avid said. Updates to PhraseFind 2.0 will include a reskinned Find window to match the new Media Composer interface, autofill in the search field, a faster indexing engine, additional languages, and support for shorter phoneme phrases, which Avid says should produce more accurate results.

A new license of ScriptSync 2.0 will be $499 (or a $349 upgrade for owners of the previous version) and a new license of PhraseFind 2.0 will be $199 (or a $149 upgrade). A bundle with both products will run $599 for a new license ($419 for the upgrade) or $49 for an educational license. Floating licenses will be available. 

Both products will require users to be on the latest version of Media Composer, meaning you need to make sure your upgrade plan is current if you want to use them in February. Without going into detail, Colantuoni mentioned an "amnesty program" to help users who stuck with Media Composer 7 become current when the new ScriptSync and PhraseFind are released. 

ScriptSync is a system for phonetically indexing media and automatically linking clips and takes to the text of an imported script. PhraseFind is a phonetic search engine that automatically indexes audio to allow search based on spoken words. The features quickly became a mainstay of many customer workflows, but disappeared when Media Composer 8.0 was released in 2014. That led some users to stay on Media Composer 7 rather than upgrade.

Users complained about the absent features for more than two full years while Avid and technology developer Nexidia negotiated behind the scenes. Finally, in October of this year, Avid announced it had secured exclusive licensing rights to Nexidia's technology for the media and entertainment market.