New tools give QuickTime muscle

Article Abstract:

Of the five affordable QuickTime production tools evaluated, Terran Interactive's Movie Cleaner Pro 1.3 and its Web-Motion have received the highest ratings. Movie Cleaner Pro 1.3 improves the appearance of CD-ROM videos and sells for $189.95. Movie Cleaner provides superior compressed-picture quality by featuring noise-reduction filters that smooth isolated pixels of various values to save data bits for the actual picture. Movie Cleaner also compresses noise by including blur filters to eliminate sharp edges. Terran Interactive's other excellent product, Web-Motion, is priced at $99.95, and it is the company's initial plug-in for Movie Cleaner Pro. Web-Motion is easy to use and lengthens difficult frames by employing QuickTime's variable frame-rate architecture. McQ Productions' MovieTools is primarily targeted towards the print-to-tape editing environments. MovieTools costs $195 and includes a field rendering tool and a film-effects library.

Desktop video software, McQ Productions, Terran Interactive Inc., MovieTools (Desktop video software), Movie Cleaner Pro 1.3 (Disk/file compression software), Web Motion (Disk/file compression software)

---

Doing the wave

Article Abstract:

Compression Engines' $295 wavelet-based Compression Engine Professional software for Windows 95 and NT delivers image files that are smaller yet offer better quality than JPEGs. This is a good product for Webmasters seeking high-quality images for a targeted audience. CEProfessional opens most popular file formats, then efficiently compresses them in wavelet format. CEProfessional supports rotation, flipping and color and grayscale adjustment, but many graphic professionals will probably prefer working in Photoshop. CEProfessional can compress images from 1:1 to 255:1. Mild compression artifacts appear as softness, which is better than the degradation of JPEGs. Close-ups can be compressed 50:1 without intrusive artifacts, while scenery is better left at 30:1 to 40:1. Compression time for small images lasts only a few seconds. Web users will need a free CEngine decoder plug-in to view the resulting CEW and WIF images.

Software single product review, Disk and file management software, Compression Engines Inc., Compression Engine Professional (Disk/file compression software)

---

DVD-video authoring

Article Abstract:

Sonic Solutions' $19,999 ($39,999 for a turnkey system) DVDCreator and Spruce Technologies' $29,750 ($37,750) DVDMaestro stand out in evaluations of four DVD-mastering software packages. DVDMaestro is fast and easy to use, and it is especially recommended for corporate training, but it has fewer programming capabilities than DVDCreator and lacks that product's overview interface. Minerva's $9,995 Impression is easy to use and affordable. Daikin's $29,000 Scenarist is powerful, but its interface is complex.

Video processing equipment, Video capture boards, Multimedia authoring software, Sonic Solutions (Novato, California), SNIC, DVD mastering software, Daikin, Minerva Systems Inc., Spruce Technologies Inc., Sonic Solutions DVD Creator (DVD mastering software), Minerva Impression for Windows NT 4.0 (DVD mastering software), Scenarist Professional (DVD mastering software), DVDMaestro (DVD mastering software)

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: Essential tools of the trade. As the worlds turn. Not just a 'me-too' gimmick
• Abstracts: DLP technology gives new life to display systems. PCI captures Mac video vendors. DVD is coming to town
• Abstracts: VRML 2.0 tools aim at 3D multi-user interactivity. CBT tools take on the Web. WebPainter 2.0
• Abstracts: Showtime for streaming video. Unix for digital-content creation. Power hardware for 3D users
• Abstracts: Where to park your gigs: rating the removables. Nomai 750.c. Removable media sprints ahead

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.