Scratch Play Pro Suite

A new universal format player and essential toolkit from Assimilate for media up to 8K, 12-bit and VR.

For DPs, directors, on-set DITs, and postproduction creatives needing verbose playback of multiple media sources from a single software solution, the Scratch Play Pro suite from Assimilate packs several bonuses, including QC control, 1D and 3D look creator, transcoders, VR capabilities, and color grading.

Even though there are 16 camera-specific format media players, the Scratch Play Pro is designed to be more than media player. From preview to shoot, it tailors a number of toolsets for filmmaking and production workflows, like customizable metadata management, compositing, finishing and mastering tools, output and transcoding possibilities including ProRes renders compatible with Windows, and comprehensive QC review.

The Scratch Play Pro timeline, the "Construct," is a graphical media manager for playback, with single-view, dual-, or split-, as well as A-B overlay alongside SDI output for support of a second monitor or dedicated video I/O cards from Blackmagic, AJA and Bluefish444.

WIth compatibility for popular HDR formats in HLG, PQ, and HDR10, quality control comes with master reports, including HDR-analysis that can be calculated in both MaxFALL and MaxCLL. There are also vector scopes, histogram, curves, waveforms, and metadata management with manual updating to fields.

Through dynamic notation features, annotations are available in multiple-colored notes that can be added by clip or shot. Scratch Play Pro can send footage metadata to any other NLE or grading software via ALE file for further enhancements or edits. Blanking, letterboxing, and action- and title-safe guides are available as overlays for review.

It's compatible with most camera formats, with frequent support updates as new models are released. For consistent color pipeline from on-set to delivery, internal color management provides several color spaces and workflows, including ACES. The Look-Creator imports and exports both .cdl and .cc file-types of any size, and can run two different LUTs with display LUT, simultaneously. The CDL color wheels and associative tools allow storage, modification, and creation of new looks.

The internal Scratch VR module is an end-to-end VR workflow solution. With stitching and support of 360-degree-equirectangular cubic, cubic-packed 360, 180-degree VR, stereoscopic, monoscopic, side-by-side, or over/under VR and 360 formats, it also provides compatibility with embedded ambisonic audio, real-time mesh de-warping of 180-degree VR media, and live streaming capabilities. It can also publish 360/180 media directly to Facebook 360 or YouTube 360.

Uncompressed source media supports OpenEXR in 16- and 32-bit. DPX, TIFF, TGA, SGI, JPEG, JPEG2000, BMP and PNG files can be added from any digital, tape or scanned sources. Export tops off at H.264 at up to 8K resolutions in 10-bit, or 12-bit in H.265 at lower resolutions. 

For any VR headset using OpenVR, video and stereoscopic content can be tailored to either Windows or Mac platforms. A few of the current HMD options include the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Steam VR headsets, Samsung Gear VR, or Google Daydream and Cardboard headsets.

For audio, Sennheiser has partnered with Assimilate to integrate their AMBEO A-B converter plugin. For conversion of audio to the spatial format of YouTube and Facebook 360 videos, with both FuMa or ambiX output, recording position and orientation can be realigned through a chosen camera angle.

Sennheiser has a heavy investment in 3D and VR, like their $1,650 AMBEO VR Mic with four matched internal KE 14 cardioid capsules in a tetrahedral arrangement for immersive audio capture. With a number of microphone, loudspeaker and headphone solutions, they have rentals as well as sales. Like the AMBEO A-B Converter, they also offer the AMBEO Pattern and AMBEO Orbit plugins, free to download, for working with spatial sound fields.

With annual pricing at $199, Scratch Play Pro is also available for $19-a-month. For those looking for a more advanced VR workflow, Assimilate's much Scratch VR service, at $149 a month, is packaged with purchases of Z Cam VR and 360 cameras, including the the Z Cam S1, S1 Pro or K1 Pro. 

Designed to meet the production needs of 2D, 3D and VR studio or independent features, Assimilate’s real-time post-production tools have been employed by features, documentaries, TV episodes and music videos.

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