Reprinted from a Canopus press release:
Canopus Corporation today unveiled ProCoder 2.0, an update to the company’s professional video transcoding software tool. New features in ProCoder 2.0 increase format compatibility and boost productivity by streamlining the transcoding process. These new features include Flash export capabilities that let users convert video formats to Flash graphics for use on the Internet, support for MPEG-4 through DivX Pro, a new wizard that simplifies the transcoding process while retaining the highest possible image quality, a new job queuing feature that streamlines the production workflow by scheduling transcoding jobs to run in succession, and a handy “watch folders” feature that provides automatic conversion when files are placed in specific folders.
“ProCoder has established a reputation of quality, speed and usability with video professionals, as well as corporate system integrators,” said Brandon Higa, senior marketing engineer at Canopus Corporation. “We received a great deal of positive user feedback and suggestions from our existing ProCoder users and are pleased to offer many of their requested features in this new version.”
ProCoder is a standalone transcoding software tool for Windows-based computers 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, MPEG-4, Windows Media, RealVideo, QuickTime, Macromedia Flash, 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 the same time and can even encode to multiple files in multiple formats and also employs video and audio filters to enhance the quality of converted output.
For greater time savings and flexibility, Adobe Premiere Pro and Canopus EDIUS users can export directly from the timeline to ProCoder enjoying streamlined workflow with a multitude of publishing options. ProCoder’s advanced stitching feature also lets users combine multiple input files of different formats and frame rates into one output file, eliminating the need to use an editing application to combine footage. 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.
ProCoder provides added versatility for both Internet and broadcast video applications. While multi-stream support for Windows Media and RealVideo – including 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 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. ProCoder officially supports the acclaimed DivX MPEG 4 CODEC for high quality MPEG 4 delivery.
Pricing and Availability
ProCoder 2.0 will be available fall 2003 through Canopus and its authorized dealers and system integrators for a suggested retail price of $499. Special upgrade pricing for registered users of ProCoder will be announced closer to ship date. ProCoder supports Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional operating systems. Fully optimized for Intel Pentium 4 processor, ProCoder also supports Intel Pentium II and higher, as well as the AMD K6, AMD Duron and AMD Athlon processors.
