da Vinci and Kodak Collaborate to Enhance Image Quality

[Sue Smith]

Kodak is pleased to announce a collaboration with da Vinci Systems, LLC, a leader in high-performance color correction tools for the postproduction industry, to bring its image quality enhancement algorithms to the marketplace.

 

These tools are used to modulate the texture and sharpness of images in postproduction.

 

“We are pleased to be partnering with Kodak on this initiative,” says Mark Malinoski, da Vinci’s general manager. “It will enhance both the image quality and functionality of our systems by integrating algorithms provided by the world-class leader in film and hybrid motion imaging technology.”

 

da Vinci will integrate Kodak’s proprietary Motion Compensated Grain Management into its Resolve R-series Color Corrector, which allows grain levels to be manipulated in scanned film. Kodak’s Adaptive Sharpening Technology, which preserves the detail of the image throughout processing, will also be incorporated into the Resolve R-series Color Corrector.

 

“da Vinci’s Resolve R-series Color Corrector provides an ideal platform in which to implement Kodak’s high-tech software algorithms,” says C.J. Johnson, product manager for Kodak’s Entertainment Imaging Division. “We’ve enhanced our algorithms to take advantage of the latest in GPU (graphic processing unit) processing capability. da Vinci has the market reach to allow our mutual customers to benefit from the ability to efficiently enhance film images, including 16 mm and archival footage.”

 

“da Vinci’s R-series color grading systems integrate the supercomputing power of NVIDIA GPUs to process images in real time,” Malinoski adds. “With KODAK Motion Compensated Grain Management harnessing the CUDA™ computational processing power of the da Vinci R-series, colorists will reduce grain and sharpen images to extract all the richness and information of film after being scanned to digital images.”

 

The Kodak algorithms will be integrated into da Vinci Resolve software in the third quarter of 2009. Newer versions of the Resolve R-series Color Corrector already in use by da Vinci customers may be upgraded in upcoming software version releases with KODAK Motion Compensated Grain Management and Adaptive Sharpening Technology.