This paper presents several essential development considerations pertinent
to the creation of a new nonlinear editing (NLE) system operating on the Wi
ndows NT platform. A significant factor is that the new system is based on
a product initially developed for the Macintosh. The initial product operat
ed with Apple's QuickTime file-compatible standard, which offered several a
dvantages resulting from the program's file architecture. The resulting NLE
developed by Media 100 Inc. is called iFinish. The product is a cross-plat
form compatible system that permits easy access to the hardware by other ap
plications as well as the use of a substantial number of QuickTime-compatib
le software applications. Also, the initial signal architecture readily len
ds itself to the inclusion of more recent interface standards including DV
(IEEE 1394) and serial digital interface (SDI, SMPTE 259M). This is a conse
quence of the inherent flexibility stemming from the design choices initial
ly made. Based on the ITU-R BT.601 YCrCb, structure, the system design also
interfaces to component analog video (CAV) component analog, S-Video, and
National Television Standard Committee (NTSC) or phase alternation line (PA
L) sources.