Reprinted from a CyberLink press release:

CyberLink PowerDirector 3 is the latest release from CyberLink Corp., a leading developer of digital video software and e-learning solutions, which has a strong track record of software innovation and sales success.

“What matters the most when someone is trying to produce a Hollywood-style movie? The answer is fairly simple – speed, quality and power,” said Alice H. Chang, CEO of CyberLink. “PowerDirector 3 delivers all three, and is exactly what customers need. With our new technologies, PowerDirector 3 significantly improves both video and audio rendering quality and speed, and enriches the editing process for creating professional home movies. PowerDirector 3 is a reflection of our core values – innovation, change, and the customer always comes first.”

PowerDirector 3 will be released next week, with advanced technologies including:

Advanced Technologies for Added Speed

  • SVRT II: SVRT II is a new generation of the US-patented SVRT which reduced the time needed for rendering video by rendering only the portions of the video that are edited, instead of the whole length. With the new SVRT II, users render the video or audio needed individually, thus saving more time while maintaining the quality of the original video/audio.
  • DV QuickScan: Lets users preview a full length DV tape at up to six times the normal speed, thus, users can easily select and capture specific video segments without manually positioning the tape.
  • Fast Preview (up to 16x speed): An adjustable video player lets users easily preview files at 2x to 16x speeds, allowing them to quickly find the video section they want during a long editing project.
  • InstantMPEG: Lets users transfer DV files into MPEG format directly without the need to transfer to AVI first. Saves time and disk space.
  • Right-to-Disc Recording: Lets users directly burn from a DV camcorder to DVD. Reduces large hard disk drive requirements.

    New Engine and Tools to Ensure the Highest Level of Quality

  • Latest version of CyberLink’s MPEG Engine: PowerDirector is built upon CyberLink’s fourth generation of video compression and decompression engine. The new engine is based on a constant variable bit rate encoder and optimized for interlaced video. According to Brian Lin, Product Manager of CyberLink Corp. “The new engine automatically removes image artifacts and provides better image quality than competing products. It is highly robust and delivers high quality video without compromising video rendering speed.”
  • Buffered Capture: Enables real-time conversion from raw video to MPEG files for fast CPUs. Slower CPUs can also achieve high quality results but not in real time. Video being captured is buffered on the hard disk to ensure no frame drops.

    Power
    A new interface permits editing in dual modes, timeline and storyboard and is suitable for both advanced and entry-level users. More than 15 new editing/capturing features are available, such as the exclusive “Precise-Cut” feature letting users edit with exact precision via a zoom-in trim bar.

    PowerDirector 3 has also incorporated the authoring and burning features from its sister product – PowerProducer and includes exclusive features such as Right-to-Disc to directly record from DV camcorder to DVD disc and Disc Defragmentation to optimize space and improve playback performance.

    Availability
    The online version of PowerDirector 3 will be available next week; upgrade offers will also be released to PowerDirector users. Retail boxed version products will be available in December for US and Asian markets, and early January for the European market. CyberLink will also offer various versions with different function sets to meet the demands of hardware suppliers.