Depth of Options
The controls for dvMatte Blast are very simple. You choose the color to key and you can adjust the high and low color with RGB and alpha with separate sliders. There's a checkbox to "soften vertically" and slider adjustments for black point, in point, out point, gain detail and separate controls for RGB spill.
The plug-in lacks a matte choke, which it desperately needs, especially on footage that I used to test. With this footage and keyer, the green halo doesn't appear around the hair, as it often does with green screen footage. This halo appears around the red clothing. I can adjust the out point a bit and adjust the color of the spill to give it some tint, but that doesn't fully fix the problem.
A light wrap would also be helpful to help the footage look less flat.
I would need to use another tool on top of dvMatte Blast to fully key the footage to the point that I'm happy.
At NAB, Apple provided footage of a ballerina floating across the screen. This footage was HD DVC-Pro footage - and very well lit. With that footage, I had no need for other options.
Performance
The plug-in is seriously fast and works real-time on a fast enough Mac. At NAB, I used a Mac Pro Dual-Core Intel with an ATI Radeon X1900 XT. With the footage playing, I could apply dvMatte Blast and it would continue to play real-time. Not only does it preview real-time., it renders very fast. Because it is an FxPlug plug-in, I expected it to be fast, and I can honestly say it's one of the fastest keyer's I've ever used.
On my PowerBook, G4, it still runs pretty darn fast.... as fast as my footage will play.
There was no need for any type of garbage matte either. dvMatte Blast was able to grab the shadows and unevenly lit areas with ease.
Value
For $99, this really is a terrific value. With the speed and simplicity of features, it's a great tool for those who do not need a keyer with a lot of options and are on a tight schedule and even tighter budget. I would prefer a more robust tool, but what it does, it does very well.
Final Comments
For this price, you won't find a better keyer. You should definitely download the demo and see if it suits your needs. And for both Mac & PC owners, if you need more customization controls, you can get the more powerful dvMatte Pro for an extra $100. (It was part of this month's Green Screen Shootout here at MFM, which you can read here.)
This is such a nice product, that I really hope that Toolfarm can sell this plug-in.... (Hear that, you dvGarage guys? Sell your stuff at Toolfarm! I know it would be a big earner.)
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Ease
of Use |
10.0 |
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Depth
of Options |
6.0 |
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Performance |
10.0 |
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Value |
10.0 |
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Overall
Score |
9.0
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