Quantel today announced the details of its ground-breaking Pay as you Go HD facility for the eQ editing/effects/grading/mastering system. This highly innovative concept brings risk-free HD to the industrys most powerful post production system.
The concept of Pay as you Go is already well established in the mobile phone industry, and Quantel has adapted this concept to meet the needs of the post production industry as it transitions from SD to a multi-resolution, HD world. Hence an eQ purchased with Pay as you Go HD is a fully equipped system, but ingest and playout is limited to SD until a password is loaded into the system. Weekly or monthly passwords can be purchased from Quantel.
At Quantel we know that the quality and increased creative potential of HD is a fantastic driver for the industry, said Quantel Executive Chairman, Richard Taylor. Understandably though, many customers feel that HD remains a big financial risk. Pay as you Go HD means that Quantel carries that risk. From day one a customer has all of the power and performance of an eQ but only needs to pay for the HD input and output as and when they need it.
Pay as you Go also eliminates the temptation for customers to put up with cheap, low performance HD systems that will ultimately disappoint clients, potentially putting them off HD altogether, adds Steve Owen, Quantel Marketing Manager.
An eQ purchased in Pay as you Go HD configuration costs 60% of the price of the standard always on system. A one week Pay as you Go HD password is priced at just $2250 (£1250). At any time an always on password can be purchased as the HD usage on the system climbs.
In summary, Pay as you Go HD means:
Customers can afford the best HD system around
No need for compromise on quality, performance or toolset
Customers only pay for HD capability as they need it
Reduced risk for the post houses business and increased ROI
Customers can buy the best HD system for the future even if they only want SD today
Customers dont pay extra for HD capability they wont use
eQs four revenue streams (editing, effects, grading, mastering) now great for SD too
Pay as you Go HD from Quantel is believed to be the first example in the industry of this exciting and novel approach. It represents a win-win situation for customers since they get the performance, quality and all round capability of an eQ with risk-free HD.