Reprinted from a Sorenson press release:
Sorenson Media today announced the immediate availability of Sorenson Squeeze 4 a new line of video compression applications for digital video professionals and enthusiasts. The Sorenson Squeeze 4 product line includes the Sorenson Squeeze 4 Compression Suite, Sorenson Squeeze 4 for Macromedia Flash MX, and Sorenson Squeeze 4 for MPEG-4 – all of which are available in Windows and Macintosh versions. With improved workflow and timesaving enhancements, Sorenson Media’s upgraded video compression line-up introduces several innovative new features, including support for high-definition (HD) video and unparalleled encoding efficiency with Sorenson AVC Pro codec (also known as H.264) in the Sorenson Squeeze 4 Compression Suite and Sorenson Squeeze 4 for MPEG-4.
Sorenson Squeeze 4 Compression Suite is the first full-featured compression application to incorporate High Definition (HD) encoding for a variety of video formats including MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, QuickTime, and RealMedia. Additionally, the Windows version of the Suite includes HD encoding options for Windows Media 9. The new Sorenson AVC Pro codec included in the Sorenson Squeeze 4 Compression Suite and Sorenson Squeeze 4 for MPEG-4 creates high-quality video at roughly 70 percent the data rate of MPEG-4. The result is smaller video files with increased clarity for low-bandwidth distribution.
Ben Waggoner, founder of Ben Waggoner Digital and author of CMP’s “Compression for Great Digital Video” said, “With the Sorenson Squeeze 4 Compression Suite, Sorenson Media continues to be a top leader in the video compression market. The application’s new interface improves the user experience dramatically. The software is intuitive enough for enthusiasts to easily optimize video quality, regardless of output format, yet provides advanced features such as batch processing and 2-pass encoding that professional compressionists have come to expect.”
Increasing the overall usability and workflow efficiency, the Sorenson Squeeze 4 line-up features a customizable interface that allows users to arrange a video preview pane anywhere on the screen in either single or multi-monitor workstations. Also, among the list of additions to Sorenson Squeeze 4 is a new batch-processing feature that allows producers to apply many presets and filters at the same time to multiple video files; a new video zoom tool for pixel-perfect cropping; a preview slider with in/out markers allowing a segment of video to be previewed before compression; and shortcut keys that supply quick access to common compression functions.
“In reviewing the product, we ran some preliminary tests by drafting a few SWF files, double-pass Windows Media 9 files, as well as a few Flash FLV files using several different quality settings– the results were impressive,” said five-time Emmy Award winner, Rob Feiner of Net*One Inc. and Squeeze 4 Compression Suite beta user. “In all our tests the video quality was top notch. Furthermore, the ability to easily process and deliver compressed video in multiple bit rates and in such a large number of formats made this a very compelling, time-saving product.”
Pricing and Availability
Electronic versions of Sorenson Squeeze 4 (Windows and Macintosh) are currently available for purchase at the Sorenson Media Web site at www.sorenson.com. Boxed versions will be shipping within three weeks.
Sorenson Squeeze 4 Compression Suite (Windows or Macintosh) is available for US $449. Sorenson Squeeze 4 for Macromedia Flash MX (Windows or Macintosh) is available for US $119. Sorenson Squeeze 4 for MPEG-4 (Windows or Macintosh) is available for US $199. Upgrade pricing is also available for current users of Sorenson Media products. For more information about purchasing a Sorenson Squeeze 4 product, or to find a reseller, call 1.888.767.3676 or visit www.sorenson.com.
