Blackbird (software)
Date Version Platform Significant features
Jan 2006 New video codec designed for editing Windows / Mac / Linux compression Java editing and playback Blackbird 1 codec
Jan/Feb 2006 First prime time TV series uses Forscene BBC1 ( UK ) Super Vets
Apr 2006 Podcasting released Video iPod , iTunes
Apr/May 2006 British Army uses Forscene mobile player Symbian mobile phones Ascent of Everest published on mobiles
May 2006 Video Podcast Forscene Videos edited in Forscene can be published directly as video podcasts . These can then be downloaded and viewed in a podcast viewer such as iTunes or on a video iPod
June 2006 Forscene review BBC Breakfast , This Morning , Sky News Channel 4 News , Channel 5 News Broadcasters select Save the Children footage
August 2006 Forscene Ogg support added Java Ogg format is supported by Wikipedia for upload of suitable video content
September 2006 Forscene online chat feature added Java Share edited videos Forscene users talk in real time Contributions ( and logging entries ) are spell checked ( as of Nov 2006 )
November 2006 Citizen Journalism Java / Symbian mobile phones Third project completed at the World Congress of Science and Factual Producers ( WCSFP ) . Citizen journalism began at the IBC in 2006
January 2007 Account Management Web Interface provides for management of accounts by customers
February 2007 Forscene Flash support added Java Export of video to the Flash format for use with the Adobe Flash Player
March 2007 Forscene Speed Control Java Video and/or audio clips can be edited for slow motion/fast motion style effects
April 2007 Forscene Fades Java Fade up and fade to black with a single drag on the video track
May 2007 File names/playback Java Multi-line file names and three-speed playback control
June 2007 Security Java Log on now supports the secure HTTPS protocol
August 2007 Images / playback Java Images can be integrated directly into the video track and playback can now be viewed at 150% ( as well as 100% and 200% )
September 2007 DV Java Broadcast quality DV can be output directly from the web interface and effective transfer of DV from the field over standard internet links
October 2007 Webstart/codec Java Webstart can be used to run FORscene , providing access to more memory available , and better performance . The Blackbird codecs deliver better picture quality and lower memory requirements
December 2007 Audio/graphics/codec/ account management Java Simpler stereo audio editing by linking the two audio tracks . Add anti-aliased graphic overlays with transparency levels and fades . Accounts distinguish between departmental and inter-departmental ( programme-wide ) levels of access
January 2008 Codec Java Blackbird codec upgraded to version 5
History
This section possibly contains original research . Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations . Statements consisting only of original research should be removed . ( August 2012 ) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message ) Blackbird is a development from an editing system made by Eidos Interactive in the 1990s . This history starts from the first public showing of this product , at the International Broadcasting Convention in Europe in 1990 . 1990–1999 Date Version Platform Significant features 1990-1999 Edit 1 , Edit 2 , Optima Acorn Archimedes 1990-1994 Acorn Risc PC since 1994 StrongARM CPU since 1996 Software codecs Cheap removable storage Reliable platform Quick to learn 2000–2005 Date Version Platform Significant features Feb 2000 London float for Forbidden Technologies plc Shares rise 5000% in first week Feb 2001 Java video streaming on website Java 384x288 pixels 25 frame/s 40 kbit/s for talking heads . Picture quality `` cartoon-like '' May 2002 Live video streaming to mobile phone Java/GPRS Picture quality poor e.g . monochrome Dec 2002 Broadband web streaming Java 384x288 pixels , 25 frame/s Sep 2003 FORlive launched Linux compression/ Java player Live video compression 384x288 pixels , 25 frame/s . Nov 2003 FORmobile launched Symbian Series 60 Mobile phone player application 160x120 pixels , up to 12.5 frame/s , colour . Sep 2004 Forscene launched Java Forlive compression Optima-style editing Formobile/FORweb publishing Sep 2004 IBC TV news use FORscene/FORmobile Symbian Branded player Feb 2005 GMTV first broadcaster to sign up Java International access to GMTV May 2005 Logging added to Forscene Java Java logging , editing and publishing tool Sep 2005 Upload over-the-air from mobile phones Symbian Video : up to 352x288 pixels Photographs : phone resolution Sep 2005 IBC TV news use FORscene/FORmobile Symbian Branded player . The mobile player can be sent from handset to handset for free via Bluetooth , and videos can also be distributed virally via Bluetooth once the Forscene mobile player has been installed . Forbidden has coined the term Viewtooth to describe this process . Sep 2005 First broadcast TV series uses Forscene Channel 5 ( UK ) Trust Me - I 'm a Holiday Rep
Blackbird (formerly named FORscene) is an integrated internet video platform, video editing software, covering non linear editing and publishing for broadcast, web and mobile. Designed by Blackbird plc to allow collaborative editing of video at resolutions of up to 540p and up to 60 frames per second on bandwidths as low as 2MBit/s, it is capable of video logging, reviewing, publishing and hosting through HD and 4K to UHD quality from original sources. The system is implemented as a mobile app for Android and iOS devices, a Java applet and a pure JavaScript web application as part of its user interface. The latter runs on platforms without application installation, codec installation, or machine configuration and has Web 2.0 features. Blackbird won the Royal Television Society's award for Technology in the post-production process in December 2005, and is now used globally. The underlying compression technology and the user interface are covered by separate patents.