Avid Huddle FAQ

Avid Huddle is a new SaaS solution that allows post-production teams to securely collaborate remotely and accelerate video content review and approvals. In a hybrid work environment, editors using Avid Media Composer® or Avid | Edit on Demand can now easily share high-quality media during a live Microsoft Teams meeting. Remote reviewers can collectively view, discuss, and comment in real-time from anywhere as if they were working in the same room.

No, Avid Huddle is a separate add-on service that works with all Avid Media Composer® models except for Media Composer | First.

The minimum versions needed to use Avid Huddle are:
• Media Composer | Ultimate and Media Composer | Enterprise version 2023.12 and later
• Any Media Composer version 2024.6 and later
• Avid | Edit on Demand 2024.1

The following Microsoft Teams plans support Avid Huddle:
• Microsoft 365 Business Basic
• Microsoft 365 Business Standard
• Microsoft 365 Education

No, only the host is required to have an Avid Media Composer and an Avid Huddle license.

Yes, currently, Microsoft 365 versions of Teams are required for Avid Huddle session hosting. Participants can use any version of Microsoft Teams, including the web interface.

Yes, anyone the host has invited can join as long as they have internet connectivity. Hosts can also turn on guest access to enable others to join as guests.

It can be purchased at Toolfarm. Buy Avid Huddle.

Yes, please see the Avid Huddle Setup and User Guide

Prepare for your meeting by ensuring the following criteria are met:
• Use HD formats – while higher/lower formats are supported, they are down/upconverted. HD resolutions are native to Media Composer’s SRT output.
• Render the timeline (or the section you want to share).
• Make sure your project is in the supported format and frame rate. See the “Video Formats” section of the Avid Huddle Setup and User Guide.
• Make sure Ancillary data is enabled (Settings > Project Tab > General, choose “Generate Ancillary Data TC on playback”).
• Make sure you have a stable, high-bandwidth internet connection
• Join the Teams meeting in advance.
• If possible, use dual monitors (one for Media Composer and the other for the Teams / Huddle session).

Comments typed in the Teams chat can be imported back into Media Composer as markers. The drawn annotations added when the playback is paused are captured as screengrabs during the session and added to a .pdf file that is generated at the end of the session.

Yes, Avid Huddle leverages SRT capabilities that are included in all Media Composer models except for Media Composer | First.

The maximum number of participants Avid has tested is 50.

No, only the session host needs an Avid Huddle seat license.

Support for Avid Huddle is accessed through the support contract of your Media Composer
System ID. Media Composer | Ultimate and Media Composer | Enterprise both include ExpertPlus support which offers 24×7 online case creation, phone support, and more.

For complete details on these offerings, please see https://www.avid.com/support/avid-advantage-support-plans

Contact Toolfarm Sales or visit the Avid Huddle product page for pricing information.

Yes! Special pricing for Education users is available. Contact Toolfarm Sales or visit the Avid Huddle product page for pricing. Access to Education pricing requires verification of academic eligibility.

Avid Huddle supports both scenarios.

If the team administrator wants to use a seat in Avid Huddle (or any other team product), a seat must be assigned to the email associated with the Administrator Avid account.

Not in the initial release, but watermarking is being considered for a future release. One solution is for the Media Composer host to use built-in tools to add a transparent title or image to the topmost track of the material being shared.

There’s a setting in Microsoft Teams to block uninvited users. For more info refer to the
following documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/anonymous-usersin-
meetings

At the end of an Avid Huddle session, the host/editor clicks the “close session” button, and the comments are automatically sent to a text file, and/or PDF that will be presented for download. If multiple sequences were shared during the session, a separate text file or PDF will be created for each sequence where comments / annotations were made. File names are presented as: “reviewsession-summary-8_8_2023-9_35 AM” for example.

In Media Composer, select Tools > Markers > import markers. Select the exported file, and the markers will appear in the timeline for easy reference.

After the session is closed, participants can export a PDF or a TXT file that captures the annotations made during the Avid Huddle session. The PDF will have the annotations with specific timecodes as well as any frames that were captured with drawings on them.

No. Due to security concerns, audio and video are not stored anywhere. As a live stream, no media persists once the session is closed.

For the stream flow, it is very simple: Media Composer > Plugin SRT > Media Server > Avid Huddle Teams APP. All steps are token-protected to ensure security.

Avid Huddle protects your data using modern security practices. For more information, see the “Security Information” section of the Avid Huddle Setup and User Guide.

No, the huddle instance is licensed through your Avid account ID and allows huddle to work. The Teams account ID can be different and unrelated to the Avid.com ID.

No, adding seats to the existing Avid Huddle team during the subscription term can only be done with Annual licenses purchased through the Avid website. If you need additional seats for your users, you can add another Avid Huddle team license to your account with the desired number of seats.

The clock starts ticking on the Avid Huddle license when it is purchased and added to your My Avid account, not when it is activated by the host.