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You read that right boys and girls. Lightworks, the editing software that's been an industry workhorse on multiple features for over 20 years has come out of its 18-month beta, and will be yours to download on May 28th at https://www.lwks.com (currently not live). There is no mention in the press release of what platforms the software will be available for on the release date other than stating that it will run "on a wide range of PC hardware". However, it stands to reason that the Windows version will launch first, followed by Linux (a demo of which is being presented at NAB), and finally the OSX and 64-bit versions. Check out the list of new features after the jump:


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  • Very wide format support including AVCHD, H.264, AVC-Intra, DNxHD, ProRes, Red R3D, DPX, XDCAM HD 50, XDCAM EX, DVD, BluRay, 4K support (DNxHD available for a single additional payment)
  • Support for all popular camcorder and DSLR video
  • Native real-time title generator
  • Improved interoperability – including AAF with Avid and Editshare Flow
  • Major improvements to Drag-and-Drop in the timeline
  • Trimming enhancements
  • Automatic Edit backups
  • Better Import and Export windows: more options, easier to use
  • Shared Projects
  • Stereoscopic workflow

And that's not all...

With a brand new Multicore Media Engine, Lightworks now includes support for advanced Long-GOP editing, offering real-time performance for all the main Long-GOP camera formats (H.264 and MPEG-2) and also XDCAM EX, XDCAM HD, AVCHD and HDV.

Quite a set of features! But as you might expect, in addition to the free version there's also a Pro version as well that runs $60 for a one year license ($30 if you're a student or educator). No information was given on what the differences between these versions would be, but regardless, $60 for one year is a pretty sweet deal (especially when you consider that an Adobe Premiere subscription can cost about that much per month). Although, I must admit that I'm not familiar with the program myself. Have you used the Lightworks beta? If so, what are the pros and cons you have experienced and how do you think the full version might stack up against other NLE's?

Link: Lightworks is Back. To the Future. - EditShare

[via Creative Cow]