da Vinci Systems, the world leader in colour enhancement technology and film restoration products, has implemented Aspex’s Linedancer extreme processors in its PowerPlant™ acceleration hardware. The PowerPlant technology, a component of the Resolve RT colour enhancement system, enables da Vinci to offer the first software-based colour enhancer capable of real-time processing of SDTV, HDTV, and data material in true 2K resolution.

da Vinci’s Resolve software-based product family is an extension of the company’s Emmy® award-winning 2K real-time colour enhancement system and is engineered for the emerging digital intermediate (DI) market. The initial product, Resolve RT, is optimised for facilities mastering films in 2K resolution and higher. 

Resolve RT incorporates a set of exclusive da Vinci-designed PowerPlant boards incorporating Aspex Linedancer devices, forming what da Vinci refers to as a PowerGrid™ subsystem. The Linedancer-based hardware platform replaces an existing configuration that used a large number of FPGAs and host CPUs to sustain the required processing speeds. da Vinci worked with Aspex Semiconductor to implement Linedancer onto standard PC boards that fit in a typical PC chassis. The Linedancer’s software-programmable architecture enables da Vinci to continue creating and updating features in the field without resorting to integrating expensive, dedicated, and feature-specific hardware.

Using Linedancer, Resolve RT produces the high-performance processing needed to deliver powerful end-to-end, real-time rendering of SDTV, HDTV, graphics, visual effects, and data materials in 2K resolution at 24 frames per second. Colourists can instantly view full-resolution processed images, reducing their production time while performing even the most complex colour enhancements. By exploiting Linedancer’s inherent “plug and play” scalability, da Vinci can provide increasingly flexible colour correction systems ranging from inexpensive SDTV configurations up to and beyond 4K real-time solutions.

Henry Gu, chief technology officer at da Vinci, said, “We were very encouraged when we first heard about this high-performance, software-programmable device and it’s lived up to its promise. Using Linedancer in our new PowerPlant and PowerGrid technologies means we can use a standard PC chassis. Yet the most important thing is that we have created a highly flexible and scalable solution for our customers with processing speeds of 24 frames per second in 2K resolution with native 2K viewing. For post-production facilities worldwide, this will open up the door to an unrivalled combination of speed and quality for leveraging new business opportunities in feature films, television productions, and advertisements.”