Once again, PMI demonstrates why we are the leader in the marketplace, with increased capabilities and the latest technology. We are pleased to announce that we have recently installed a new Avid DS Nitris high-definition non-linear editing suite! This acquisition brings our total count to three Avid DS editing and compositing suites, two of which are high-definition. The new Nitris offers much faster effects processing and real-time HD operation. Click here to find out more, or give us a call at 412-281-8500 and let us tell you about our expanded post facility.

PMI Pulls Away From the Pack

DTV Update

PMI Goes Uptown for the UMN

The Bridge to Everywhere

PMI Produces Results

DTV Update - Episode 3

Money seems to have become the driving force in the U.S. transition to digital television broadcasting, and many feel the transition is going well...depending upon which side of the money you sit on. So where does this leave the viewing public? Read More.

PMI Produces Results for Pittsburgh's Film and Advertising Community

The Pittsburgh Film Office's annual fundraising event Lights! Glamour! Action! returns in 2006. The 6th annual Oscar Night celebration, which serves to celebrate the film industry over the past year and to raise funds to support the Pittsburgh Film Office, will be held on Sunday, March 5th.

Event patrons are invited to walk the red carpet in style while savoring some of Pittsburgh’s finest cuisine, enjoying a silent auction, watching the live Oscar’s telecast, and viewing the "Corporate Stars" hi-def production, produced by PMI. It features corporate sponsors and patrons as they reenact their favorite moments of the big screen.

In 2005, the event raised over $125,000 for the Pittsburgh Film Office, and with your help, they’re hoping to exceed that amount this year. For tickets or more information about Lights! Glamour! Action!, check out the Pittsburgh Film Office website at www.pghfilm.org.

On that same weekend, PMI will be unleashing Creative Monsters at the 2005-2006 Pittsburgh ADDY Awards. The annual event is a time to acknowledge the hard work and efforts of the area’s advertising industry stars. This year's event will be held on Friday, March 3, at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh.

For more information or to buy tickets, please visit the Pittsburgh Advertising Federation website at www.pghadfed.org.

PMI Goes Uptown for the Uptown Movie Network

The Uptown Movie Network recently asked PMI to produce a series of interstitials for its upcoming 2006 season. PMI's crew rang in the New Year on location with Hollywood talent Antwon Tanner and Abeba Davis as we shot and then edited, some of the 50+ elements which will air during this year's 16 urban film broadcasts. Jose Muniain created the look of the pieces, which were then directed by Zoot Dwyer and edited by Ed Fraticelli. The project was coordinated by PMI's Monica Cecchini and Evie DeSarno.

In its short history, the Uptown Movie Network has grown to become one of the top urban syndicated programs on broadcast television, and currently reaches 85% of the African American population. The network is an initiative of First World Syndication, a client that depends on PMI for syndication, editing, encoding and distributing. Now, we are excited to become part of their production team as well.

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L to R: Chris Belgrave, Antonio McDonald, Judith Aidoo, Jose Muniain, Zoot Dwyer, Antwon Tanner, Monica Cecchini and Abeba Davis.

Watch the CB4 interstitial.

The Bridge to Everywhere
Good News for ISDN Users

Back when recording facilities were looking to get into the ISDN (digital phone patch) business, we had a decision to make. The codecs (for “code/decode” boxes) weren’t standardized, and we had to choose between several types of coding schemes. PMI chose a codec from APT, because most professional studios seemed to head in APT’s direction, and we thought it sounded better. Which was fine, until we needed to hook up with a facility that had a different codec. Then we had to arrange for a “bridge”— a third party facility that would make it possible for our box to talk to their box. If you’ve ever arranged for an ISDN session, you know that bridges are an expensive hassle. Or rather, they were an expensive hassle.

Last month PMI Sound brought the new APT Tokyo codec on line. The Tokyo is the first multi-algorithmic ISDN codec, meaning that it can communicate directly with any codecs now in professional use. In short, NO MORE BRIDGES! We can now hook up with Telos Zephyrs, Musicam Primas, and everything in-between. And we may be biased, but we think it sounds better than the old way, bridged or unbridged. Give us a call or contact Jack Bailey jbailey@pmidigital.com, and see if you don’t agree!