Editing Quantel Paintbox (section)

== History ==
[[file:Old quantel paintbox machine.jpg|thumb|left|The interface of running Quantel Paintbox software on a V-series Paintbox]]

Artist Martin Holbrook worked with Quantel's development team to develop the artist-oriented functionality and user interface, which remained virtually unchanged throughout the life of the product; their Patented pressure-sensitive pen and tablet elevated it from a computer into a real artist's tool.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Pennington|date=2019-11-25|first=Adrian|title=Industry innovators: Quantel|url=https://www.ibc.org/trends/industry-innovators-quantel/5245.article|access-date=2021-07-01|website=IBC|language=en|archive-date=July 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711074717/https://www.ibc.org/trends/industry-innovators-quantel/5245.article|url-status=live}}</ref>

The real time, broadcast quality, [[24 bit color|24-bit]] Quantel "Paint Box" as it was then known, was launched at NAB in Las Vegas in May 1981.  The [[PAL]] ''DPB-7001'' and the [[NTSC]] ''DPB-7000'', were literally just digital paint machines, with stencils/layers introduced nine months later, and font and text functions implemented by Pepper Howard in 1983. The hardware was readily-available off-the-shelf components, supported by [[Programmable Array Logic]] [[Integrated circuit|ICs]] which were custom-programmed by Quantel. Combining the latest hardware, custom software which had solved usable digital paint issues and an artist-friendly familiar way of creating artwork that required no computer knowledge meant that the Paintbox was an instant success. The Paintbox became the global industry standard digital studio and image manipulation tool for the next fifteen years, bringing digital art and graphics onto everyone's TV screens.

The second generation V-Series Paintbox was released in 1989<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.quantelpaintbox.com/archive/PaintboxVSeries/html5forpc.html |access-date=2024-01-06 |website=www.quantelpaintbox.com |title=Quantel Paintbox for the PC |archive-date=January 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240106001136/https://www.quantelpaintbox.com/archive/PaintboxVSeries/html5forpc.html |url-status=live }}</ref> as a modernized and more compact and affordable model;<ref>{{Cite web|last=Robertson|first=Adi|date=2012-07-14|title=Watch this: 1990 demo of the Quantel Paintbox|url=https://www.theverge.com/2012/7/14/3159189/watch-this-1990-quantel-paintbox-demo|access-date=2021-07-01|website=The Verge|language=en|archive-date=July 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709185623/https://www.theverge.com/2012/7/14/3159189/watch-this-1990-quantel-paintbox-demo|url-status=live}}</ref> with internal hardware improvements, better tablet, upgraded keyboard and a cordless stylus. Prices started at $80,000{{cn|date=June 2024}} ({{inflation|US|80000|1989|fmt=eq}}).{{inflation/fn|US}}

In 1985, Quantel found a way to vastly increase the framestore capacity, enabling them to create a high resolution print quality Paintbox, which revolutionized the photo manipulation industry five years before [[Adobe Photoshop|Photoshop]] was introduced and led to Quantel's high-profile lawsuit against [[Adobe Inc.|Adobe]] for using the Paintbox's patented features. In the late 1980s, Quantel filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Spaceward Graphics for creating the Matisse system, which was marketed as a cheaper version of the Paintbox. They won the case against Spaceward at the High Court in London in 1990, but lost the case against Adobe in 1997, who were able to demonstrate that [[Richard Shoup (programmer)|Richard Shoup's]] [[SuperPaint|Superpaint]] (1973) had introduced particular features before Quantel's Paintbox. Though Adobe didn't yet exist as a company when Paintbox was launched, demonstrating prior use to the court meant that Quantel's Patents became invalid and the case was thrown out by the judge in Adobe's home state of Delaware.

A Paintbox was usually integrated into Quantel's editing systems, especially the Quantel Henry,<ref name=":0" /> and later Quantel Editbox.

In contrast to the earlier DPB-7000 series machines, the V-series made extensive use of [[Altera]] [[CPLD]] and [[FPGA]] ICs, which integrated much of the complex [[Small-scale integration|SSI logic]] into a smaller number of ICs. Some versions of the V-series hardware refined the design further by moving the CPLD and FPGA logic into "hard-copy" [[Application-specific integrated circuit|ASICs]], which were manufactured by [[Orbit Semiconductor]].

In 2002, the ''generationQ'' series of products introduced the last stand-alone Paintbox and the QPaintbox software for [[Personal computer|PCs]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Pank|first=Bob|title=The Digital Fact Book Converged media 20th anniversary edition|url=http://www.quantel.com/repository/files/library_DigitalFactBook_20th.pdf|access-date=2009-11-06|archive-date=February 6, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206020538/http://quantel.com/repository/files/library_DigitalFactBook_20th.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Eventually, ''Paintbox'' became a feature of Quantel's other, more powerful editing, media management and post-production products.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pablo grading and finishing for HD, 2K, 4K and stereo3D|url=http://www.quantel.com/repository/files/brochures_Pablo_nab08.pdf|access-date=2009-11-06|archive-date=August 12, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110812155354/http://www.quantel.com/repository/files/brochures_Pablo_nab08.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2005, Quantel updated their line of [[x86]]-based workstations (with Paintbox and Paintbox gQ models, and a software-only version of QPaintbox).<ref>{{Cite news|title=QUANTEL'S NEW GENERATIONPRODUCTS ARE NOW THENUMBER ONE CHOICE WITHBROADCASTERS.|publisher=film-tv-video.de|url=https://www.film-tv-video.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Quantel_Broadcast.pdf|access-date=July 1, 2021|archive-date=July 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709182436/https://www.film-tv-video.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Quantel_Broadcast.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=October 2004|first=TVTechnology 07|title=Quantel re-engineers Paintbox|url=https://www.tvtechnology.com/equipment/quantel-reengineers-paintbox|access-date=2021-07-01|website=TVTechnology|date=7 October 2004|language=en|archive-date=July 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709181929/https://www.tvtechnology.com/equipment/quantel-reengineers-paintbox|url-status=live}}</ref> They also released their new Quantel Editbox.

Despite becoming the industry standard TV graphics and post production computer with hundreds sold around the world, Quantel lost all its market share against cheaper systems and software. There are just fifteen V-Series models and only five original DPB versions known to still exist, one of which is being restored to working order.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTNs6N7Qyz0 | title=DL207 Quantel DPB-7001 Digital Paintbox Restoration & Repair Part 1 | website=[[YouTube]] | access-date=March 19, 2021 | archive-date=February 2, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210202235218/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTNs6N7Qyz0 | url-status=live }}</ref>