MAJOR UPDATE RELEASE FOR ALEXA

Hot on the heels of yesterday’s AMIRA 4K UHD update announcement, ARRI today has released its 11th major update (SUP 11.0) for ALEXA cameras, bringing ProRes 3.2K recording and an enhanced debayering algorithm, ADA-5.

The new update is available for all ALEXA XT cameras and ALEXA Classic cameras with the XR Module upgrade. SUP 11.0 is free to download and is available now, HERE.

One of the new features of 11.0 is that checksum information will now be recorded into each frame of ARRIRAW. However, this also means that (after the update) only the latest version of Codex software (Vault 3.0 and DTS 3.0) can read the ARRIRAW data from XR Capture Drives.

So it’s essential you are using only the latest version of the Codex software, to update to the latest version, click HERE.

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NEW FEATURES

ALEXA PRORES 3.2K – ALEXA XT/XR

The new recording resolution, ALEXA ProRes 3.2K has been specifically designed for TV productions, that are able to provide their 4K UHD deliverable by upscaling to 3.8K (equal to UHD). The format’s data rates are are far less than that of uncompressed ARRIRAW, and uses 3.2K photo sites from the sensor to record a 16:9 3.2K ProRes file. In addition, the 3.2K sensor area can still be covered by almost all Super 35 PL mount lenses.

ARRI DEBAYER ALGORITHM ADA-5 – ALEXA CLASSIC & XT/XR

The new debayer algorithm ADA-5 brings an improvement to the overall image quality for ProRes and DNxHD recording, with clearer and sharper images. It also produces better images in the REC OUT, MON OUT and the EVF-1 (electronic viewfinder). Where the algorithm shines is in the rendering of small, high contrast details, an example of which is thin branches against a blue sky, resulting in smoother and cleaner edges. There’s also a reduction in noise for the red and blue channels, which will be a big help for those who use bluescreen compositing for VFX.

The new debayer algorithm has already been thoroughly integrated into workflows since it first became available through the ARRIRAW Converter in ARC 3.1 and as part of the ARRIRAW Software Developer’s Kit (SDK); it has also been used in the AMIRA camera since AMIRA SUP 1.1.

EXPANDED MEDIA SUPPORT – ALEXA CLASSIC & XT/XR

The expansion of media support means that now all ALEXA cameras are able to use every generation of SxS PRO+ revision C cards (SBP-64C and SBP-128C). Additionally, ALEXA XT/XR cameras are now able to support SanDisk CFast 2.0 128 GB cards.

COMPATIBILITY WITH ARRI ELECTRONIC CONTROL SYSTEM –ALEXA CLASSIC & XT/XR

The new update provides support for the new Lens Data Encoder LDE-1, along with the unlocking of a number when using the WCU-4 wireless hand unit.

WEB REMOTE 2.0 – ALEXA CLASSIC & XT/XR

Better functionality and an improved UI.

REFINED USER BUTTONS – ALEXA CLASSIC & XT/XR

‘Check last clip end’ and ‘Check last clip start’ will replace the singular Check Last Clip’ user button command.

ARRIRAW CHECKSUM – ALEXA XT/XR
To shorten the verification time during copying and in order to bring greater safety when working with ARRIRAW data, checksum information is now recording into each ARRIRAW frame, and can be used to verify the integrity of the image data. Also, it must be noted that the latest version of Codex software must be used in order to read SUP 11.0 ARRIRAW files.

FRAMLINES AND TIMEZONES IN METADATA – ALEXA CLASSIC & XT/XR
In order to speed up the automated dailies processing, up to six framelines can now be saved in metadata. They can also displayed in post software, allowing editors to quickly identify logs.

Additionally, ALEXA cameras will now record time zone information in metadata, to support post systems that require this information for a smooth workflow.