Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Corel Releases VideoStudio Pro X2
Posted by Jason Dunn in "Digital Home Software" @ 08:25 AM
"Corel VideoStudio® Pro X2 is an all-in-one video-editing software for creating high-quality HD and standard-definition movies, slide shows and DVDs. Edit video or photos quickly and easily using the Movie Wizard, or take full control with hands-on creative tools. Even paint, write or draw on your video. Burn your movies on DVDs, or high-definition AVCHD and Blu-ray discs. Share on PSP®, iPod® or iPhone®, upload directly to YouTube. Watch your movies on set-top players or with the included Corel® WinDVD®."
Formerly known as Ulead VideoStudio, Corel is slowly changing the Ulead brand into their own, and this latest release of VideoStudio looks like a solid one with exciting new features. One thing that caught my eye right away is that it's optimized for Intel Quad Core CPUs - meaning that when it's rendering video, I expect to see it happily using up all four cores to get maximum performance out of the CPU I'm using on my video editing computer. Compare that with Pinnacle Studio 12, which uses about 15% of my total CPU power when rendering video, and you can tell which one I'll likely prefer to use. Some other notable new features include the Painting Creator, which allows you to draw directly onto your video frames, and Smart Proxy editing which allows you to work quickly and easily with HD video clips by only changing the parts that it needs to change - meaning less overall system load. With the full version costing $99, this is a compelling alternative to Adobe Premiere Elements.
As a side note, I registered an account at Corel's Web site to download the trial version (I'm in Seattle right now, and the my press copy of the software is at home), only to be directed to a download page at CNET, so I felt a little tricked - go to the CNET download page and grab the file yourself. This system is still better than Sony's system though where, when you download a trial version of their video editing software, they force you to register the software before you can use it. I find it quite impressive that the software was just released yesterday and it already has 1.9 million downloads at the time of this writing.
The full press release is after the break. Corel Launches VideoStudio Pro X2 - The Easiest Way to Create Home Movies in Minutes
Award-winning video editing and authoring software makes it easy for people to create and share their most memorable digital stories
OTTAWA - September 09, 2008
Corel Corporation (NASDAQ:CREL) (TSX:CRE), a leading developer of graphics, productivity and digital media software, today introduced Corel® VideoStudio® Pro X2, a significant upgrade to its consumer video editing and authoring software. VideoStudio Pro X2 provides the most complete HD solution for video editing and authoring with sharing tools to upload directly to YouTubeTM and mobile devices, improved ease of use and performance, as well as the all-new Painting Creator that enables users to personalize their videos and share their creativity.
VideoStudio Pro X2 users will find workflows and features ranging from automatic tools for quick fixes to precision controls for fine-tuning and personalizing video projects in the latest formats, enabling family memory keepers, hobbyists, and video enthusiasts to quickly organize, edit, create and share home movies with family and friends.
"Capturing, enhancing and sharing life's moments with family and friends has become increasingly important in today's global society," said Denise MacDonell, Senior Director of Product Management, Digital Media at Corel. "With VideoStudio Pro X2, family memory keepers and technology enthusiasts can more easily personalize and share their digital stories with family and friends across town or across continents. Whether it is creating a simple photo and video slideshow or using more advanced tools like the Painting Creator to customize video projects, consumers can use VideoStudio Pro X2 to share their most important moments in more exciting, fun and memorable ways."
The Most Complete HD Solution
* New Blu-ray Import and Output - VideoStudio Pro X2 is among the first video editing software products to offer support for Blu-ray Disc® Movie Video (BDMV) import and output. Users can now import BDMV files directly from Blu-ray camcorders, making it easier to transfer files and get started with video-editing projects. Users can author HD video with motion menus and burn the video to Blu-ray Disc in single- or dual-layer format. Because compliant video is not re-rendered, users are ensured shorter encoding times and excellent picture quality.
Offering the most complete HD solution, VideoStudio Pro X2 lets users capture, edit, author and output video in all of the leading HD formats, including HDVTM (High-Definition Video), AVCHDTM (Advanced Video Codec High Definition), JVCTM HD camcorder (TOD) and BDMV.
* Enhanced Smart Proxy Editing - With Smart Proxy editing, users can edit HD content as easily as they edit standard definition - even on midrange PCs. By using lower-resolution files for editing and previewing an HD project, VideoStudio Pro X2 requires fewer system resources, which results in faster, smoother editing of HD video. In addition, the final output retains the full resolution of the original HD content. With a 300 percent speed increase, users can now render videos over lunch, rather than overnight.
* New Custom H.264 HD Encoding - VideoStudio Pro X2 uses the new H.264 codec, which provides rapid encoding with superior quality. Both 1440 × 1080 and 1920 × 1080 output frame sizes are supported.
More Options for Creativity and Sharing
* New Painting Creator - With the all-new Painting Creator, users can paint, draw and write on their videos while recording the movements, providing users with new opportunities to personalize their video projects and showcase their creativity.
* New Creative Content - VideoStudio Pro X2 includes new overlay objects, frames, Flash animations, and HD-quality menu templates to enhance every video production. The HD templates are designed to match the quality of any HD video.
* New NewBlue® Film Effects - Users can now apply the distinctive look of film from the silent movie era. Included with Video Studio X2, this dynamic collection of five filters provides 81 presets that recreate the nostalgic effects produced by hand-cranked cameras, dirty projectors, and dusty film vaults.
* New Mobile Device Support - VideoStudio Pro X2 users can now import video from and output video to the Apple® iPhoneTM and iPod® Touch, making it easier for users to capture and share video projects on the latest mobile devices.
* Enhanced Upload to YouTube - With the new, streamlined uploader, users can more quickly and easily upload video directly to YouTube. VideoStudio Pro X2 also offers several settings, such as the WMV, H.264, and FLV formats to ensure the best possible encoding quality.
Improved Performance Supports Enhanced User Experience
* New Optimization for Intel® Quad-Core Technology - VideoStudio Pro X2 now supports Intel® quad-core technology, enhanced for both dual-core and quad-core CPUs. For users this means faster response times and less time spent waiting for encoding which is especially useful when working with HD video.
* New Resizable Interface - VideoStudio now enables users to resize any of the panels within the interface according to their preference, placing the focus exactly where the user wants it.
* New Automatic Video Transition and Audio Crossfade - Users can now simply drag video clips so they overlap on the timeline, automatically creating a video transition and audio crossfade for the duration of the overlap. Users can also easily apply transitions in overlay tracks to create sophisticated picture-in-picture and montage effects.
* New Auto Pan and Zoom Feature - Auto Pan & Zoom is now available to automatically detect the faces of subjects or objects in photos, eliminating the need to manually apply Pan & Zoom effects.
* New Single Clip Trim Dialog Box - The new Single Clip Trim dialog box makes it easy to frame and accurately trim single clips. Users can access the dialog box by double clicking any clip in the Library, making it easier than ever to quickly trim to clips.
* Faster Rendering Times - While rendering a video production, users can now disable the preview window to maximize rendering resources and render the video more quickly.
* Faster Encoding Performance for Transitions and MPEG-2 Files - VideoStudio Pro X2 ensures the fastest encoding at the highest possible quality. The MPEG Optimizer analyzes the bit rates of all clips on the Timeline and suggests MPEG encoding settings that ensure the least re-rendering and re-encoding while maintaining the highest quality for a video project.
Users can also select a target size before encoding MPEGs. This feature is especially helpful to users who share their videos on Web sites that set limits on file size. In addition, when burning MPEGs to DVD, users can easily adjust the size setting to ensure that their files will fit on the DVD.
Pricing
With a suggested retail price (SRP) of $99.99 (US and Canada), Corel VideoStudio Pro X2 is available starting today in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese through www.corel.com and in the coming weeks through Corel's global channel partners. Priced at $69.99 SRP (US and Canada), Corel also offers VideoStudio X2 to import, edit and output AVCHD and standard-definition video.
Upgrades from VideoStudio 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 Standard and Plus versions to VideoStudio Pro X2 are available for $59.99 SRP (US and Canada).
A Photo & Video Bundle is also available that includes VideoStudio Pro X2 and Corel® Paint Shop Pro® Photo X2 Ultimate photo editing software. Sold separately, each product is priced at $99.99 SRP. The Photo & Video Bundle is $149.99 SRP, a savings of $49.99.
To learn more or to download a free trial version of VideoStudio Pro X2, please visit www.corel.com.
About Corel
Corel is one of the world's top software companies with more than 100 million active users in over 75 countries. We develop software that helps people express their ideas and share their stories in more exciting, creative and persuasive ways. Through the years we've built a reputation for delivering innovative, trusted products that are easy to learn and use, helping people achieve new levels of productivity. The industry has responded with hundreds of awards for software innovation, design and value.
Our award-winning product portfolio includes some of the world's most widely recognized and popular software brands, including CorelDRAW® Graphics Suite, Corel® PainterTM, Corel DESIGNER® Technical Suite, Corel® Paint Shop Pro® Photo, VideoStudio®, WinDVD®, Corel® WordPerfect® Office and WinZip®. Our global headquarters are in Ottawa, Canada, with major offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, China, Taiwan and Japan.
