*Discreet down in first quarter ’99

Discreet Logic has announced its first-quarter 1999 results, reporting revenues of $27.4 million for the period ended Sept. 30, 1998, compared to $38.4 million for the first quarter of ’98. The results are on track with an earlier announcement by Discreet which warned investors that the quarter’s results would not be as robust as expected.

Net income for the quarter was $1.5 million or $0.05 per share, compared to net income of $5.9 million or $0.19 per share for the same period a year earlier (excluding a $21-million write-off resulting from the D-Vision purchase last year. Including this charge, net loss for the ’98 first quarter was $15.1 million or $0.53 per share).

Discreet president Richard Szalwinski says while the results were disappointing, there were positives. These include the strong growth of the company’s New Media segment, driven by the success of the edit nt editing system, which saw first-quarter revenues increase almost 50% over the previous quarter.

Szalwinski says the company will also continue to build its presence in the editing market, and toward this end recently announced new pricing for its Smoke editing system, now targeted at mid-range facilities with editing budgets between $150,000 and $200,000.

*CBC News Online

The cbc has launched its new online service CBC News Online (www.cbc.ca), which applies cbc news resources to delivering news in a multimedia Web format. The network says the service is the only news site in the country producing original Web content enhanced by audio and video created specifically for Internet users.

CBC News Online will be the network’s primary news site, although Newsworld, CBC Radio and The National will continue to have a Web presence.

The site will offer interactive elements, including the ability for users to participate in discussion groups and polls and take part in online features like interviews with newsmakers and roundtables with journalists.

Ken Wolff is executive producer of CBC News Online and Newsworld.

The launch of CBC News Online coincides with the debut of cbc’s redesigned home page, www.cbc.ca.

*Avid ships NT

Avid Technology has officially expanded its platform scope with the shipping of its Avid Xpress for Windows nt editing system. The company is offering current mcxpress users who purchased their systems before fall 1998 a 20% price reduction on Xpress for nt until spring 1999.

Avid Xpress for nt is available at $24,999 for the Deluxe bundle and $39,999 for the Elite Bundle.

*Live DTV at the CAB

Canada’s first live digital tv transmissions were received at the annual Canadian Association of Broadcasters convention in Vancouver, Nov. 1-3.

Oakville-based LeBlanc Ltd.’s local broadcast division (part of Burnaby, b.c. subsidiary BMS Communications) and sister company Larcan backed the trial – sanctioned by Industry Canada – that involved a low-power dtv transmitter installed at the Rogers Broadcasting site on Mt. Seymour in North Vancouver.

According to LeBlanc, live dtv transmission is the first fundamental change in tv in 40 years and will eventually spell the end of the analog delivery systems of today.

Digital signals were received at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre exhibitors hall on dtv receivers provided by Sony of Canada. Also involved in the experiment were cable amplifier supplier Capella, antenna supplier Scala Electronic, transcoder supplier Leitch Technology and hdtv encoder Teirnan.

*WIC takes Sony for a ride

WIC Mobile Production has purchased Sony’s 12-bit digital studio cameras for installation in two of its tv mobile production tractor trailers. The Sony BVP-900 and BVP-950 cameras, purchased for $1 million, provide a pathway for the mobile to ready itself for hdtv production.

Montreal’s PMT Video has also bulked up with the purchase of three Sony BVP-900 studio camera systems and three DVW-500 Digital Betacam recorders.