Reprinted from a Canopus press release:
Canopus Corporation, makers of award-winning, digital video editing products, today announced ProCoder 1.2, an update to the company’s professional video transcoding software tool. New features include MPEG support for HD resolutions and enhanced Web streaming encoding tools including RealVideo 9 support and multi-stream support for Windows Media and RealVideo.
New features in version 1.2 give ProCoder added versatility for both Internet and broadcast video applications. While multi-stream support for Windows Media and RealVideo — including the new RealVideo 9 — provides excellent flexibility for Web streaming applications, HD resolution support through MPEG-2 Main Profile at High Level (MP@HL) encoding brings ProCoder to the broadcasting market. ProCoder 1.2 also includes support for MPEG-1 settings outside of Standard Profile, such as 640×480 MPEG-1, to provide high-quality video for Web and CD-ROM-based content. In addition, ProCoder 1.2 delivers higher-quality MPEG-2 output and offers expanded DV import capabilities to transcode video files from editing systems that create raw DV files.
“We’re pleased to offer our users this new version so quickly. Our plan is to continue to keep ProCoder on the cutting edge with support for emerging technologies as they become available,” said Brandon Higa, senior product marketing manager at Canopus Corporation. “For example, we’re able to announce support for RealVideo 9 as it gains momentum in the market and plan to offer support for Windows Media 9 by the time it is released.”
ProCoder 1.2 is a Windows-based, standalone transcoding software tool that supports all popular video formats and features Canopus’s acclaimed DV codec and MPEG technologies. ProCoder is targeted at video, DVD production and Internet content creation professionals for use in entertainment, business, government and education. Designed for speed and flexibility, ProCoder is an ideal transcoding software tool for video professionals who encounter multiple video formats on a regular basis. Whether preparing video for DVD, Web streaming, digital archiving or a combination of applications, users will find that ProCoder is a fast and versatile transcoder.
Supporting all popular video formats, including MPEG-1, MPEG-2, Windows Media, RealVideo, Apple QuickTime, Microsoft DirectShow, Microsoft Video for Windows, Microsoft DV and Canopus DV, ProCoder makes it easy to convert video between formats at incredible speeds. ProCoder lets users convert single or multiple source files at one time and can output to multiple files in multiple formats simultaneously. For greater time savings and flexibility, ProCoder’s advanced stitching feature lets users combine multiple input files of different formats and frame rates into one output file, eliminating the need to combine them in a separate editing application. ProCoder also employs video and audio filters to enhance the quality of converted output. In addition, ProCoder features Canopus’s Scalable Technology Architecture to take full advantage of the computer’s processing power — including multiple processors — to deliver the maximum transcoding speed possible.
Pricing and Availability
ProCoder 1.2 will be available October 17, 2002 through Canopus and its authorized dealers and system integrators for a suggested retail price of $699. Registered users of ProCoder can upgrade to version 1.2 through a free download from the Canopus Web site. ProCoder supports Microsoft Windows 98SE/ME/2000 Professional/XP Home and XP Professional operating systems. Fully optimized for Intel Pentium 4 processor, ProCoder also supports Intel Pentium II and higher, as well as AMD’s K6, Duron and Athlon processors.