Reprinted from a Pinnacle press release:
Pinnacle Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: PCLE), a leader in digital video solutions, today unveiled several new video editing software products as part of its full range of solutions for beginner to professional users. The company announced that it is extending its award-winning Pinnacle Studio line of home movie-making software with the introduction of Pinnacle Studio Plus and Pinnacle Studio MediaSuite. Studio Plus is an enhanced version of Pinnacle Studio that gives home video enthusiasts and advanced users powerful new tools to create compelling movies and slideshows. Studio MediaSuite is a complete package of media tools that includes Pinnacle Studio Plus, audio and photo editing, CD and DVD backup, a digital media organizer, and – a real bonus for consumers – a 5-foot by 6-foot green sheet backdrop for creating chroma key effects at home.
Pinnacle Studio Plus builds on the industry’s favorite user interface, known by customers and the press for its ease-of-use and simple, three-step movie-making process. Available as a standalone product or as part of the new Pinnacle Studio MediaSuite bundle, Pinnacle Studio Plus includes powerful new creative tools:
“With Studio Plus, Pinnacle has made it easy for users to create high-quality DVDs with Dolby Digital stereo soundtracks,” stated Greg Rodehau, Director PC Technology Marketing for Dolby Laboratories. “No longer do users have to sacrifice precious space on their disc for high-quality audio soundtracks.”
“When we first introduced Studio, we knew our customers wanted a flexible editing solution with an easy-to-learn interface. As our customer base grows to over 10 million users, we’ve learned that some users want more powerful tools,” said Ajay Chopra, COO of Pinnacle Systems. “Pinnacle Studio Plus provides these tools. Studio users also have hundreds of creative options with a stunning array of titles, transitions and effects included with the basic version of Studio.”
For Studio customers looking for a comprehensive digital media toolkit, the new Pinnacle Studio MediaSuite offers Studio Plus video editing application with a full set of media editing and management tools for a suggested retail price of $129. In addition to Pinnacle Studio Plus, Studio MediaSuite includes Steinberg WaveLab Lite (audio editing) Corel PhotoBook (photo editing and sharing), Pinnacle Instant DVD Recorder (direct to disc DVD capture and burn), Pinnacle Media Manager (digital media organizer), Pinnacle Instant CD/DVD (CD/DVD burning, copying and data backup), Pinnacle Instant Cinema (DVD player app.), and a green cloth backdrop (5- by 6-foot) for chroma key effects.
About Pinnacle Studio
The Pinnacle Studio product line is based on powerful, easy-to-use video editing software that continues to set the standard in consumer technology. Pinnacle Studio 9 is an ideal solution for consumers with a PC and a camcorder looking to edit their video at home. The software lets users capture home movies, edit, add titles, music, narration and special effects and then output the edited masterpiece to DVD, videotape and the Internet. Key features of Pinnacle Studio include the ability to create a professional looking movie with one click–complete with titles, transitions, and special effects–all synchronized to the beat and duration of the background music selected; a powerful suite of audio and video enhancement features that restore and enhance video and audio; and the ability to create a true home-cinema experience through surround-sound audio and 16:9 support. Pinnacle Systems also offers a line of Pinnacle Studio hardware capture products for a complete video editing solution.
Pricing and Availability
Customers may purchase Studio Plus as a standalone software product for $99 suggested retail price, beginning in late September. Pinnacle MediaSuite will carry a suggested retail price of $129 and is expected to be available in late October. Pinnacle Studio Plus and MediaSuite will be available at major retailers such as CompUSA, BestBuy and Fry’s as well as e-tailers such as Amazon.com, Bestbuy.com and Tiger Direct. As the Studio product line has expanded, Pinnacle Systems has lowered the price of the standard version of Studio to $79.99 (suggested retail price). Studio Plus will be bundled with the “Deluxe” versions of Studio hardware such as Studio MovieBox Deluxe and Studio AV/DV Deluxe. These two hardware/software bundles also include Hollywood FX Plus, enabling users to add more 3D transitions and effects to their home movies. The standard version of Pinnacle Systems Studio will continue to be bundled with other Studio hardware products such as MovieBox USB, MovieBox DV and Studio AV/DV. Existing Studio owners may upgrade to Studio Plus at prices between $29 and $69, depending on the version of Studio presently owned.
