Pinnacle Systems, Inc., the consumer division of Avid Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: AVID), announced today version 12 of Pinnacle Studio™, its market-leading consumer video editing software. Pinnacle Studio version 12 builds on the features that have established the Pinnacle Studio family as number one in the consumer video editing market in the U.S. and Europe1. The new version includes Pinnacle Montage, an innovative tool that makes high-end compositing and animation effects accessible to consumers. With more than 25 new features, version 12 adds many new capabilities requested by users, while still maintaining the ease of use that has become the hallmark of Pinnacle Studio products. More titles, DVD menus and templates have been added as well as new professional audio and video controls and a complete HD workflow with Blu-ray authoring in certain versions of Pinnacle Studio version 122.
The Pinnacle Studio version 12 family consists of three affordably priced versions to meet the needs of consumers ranging from novices to dedicated video enthusiasts. In addition to Pinnacle Studio, the basic version, Pinnacle offers Studio Plus and Studio Ultimate with more advanced audio and video tools, including a complete HD workflow.
“The video editing market isn’t just growing vertically, it’s growing horizontally,” said Jon Peddie, president of Jon Peddie Research (JPR), a leading market research firm based in Tiburon, Calif. “New markets have emerged led by casual and younger users who simply want to quickly edit their videos and post them to the Web, women who have become the designated memory keepers in the family, and the growing number of folks over 50 who are becoming video hobbyists. The people in these new markets don’t want to deal with a complicated application; they just want the fun of quickly creating videos that are entertaining. Clearly, Pinnacle Systems’ customer-driven approach has helped it unlock opportunities in these emerging markets.”
Pinnacle Studio version 12 Beta users say the new photo and video Pinnacle Montage feature alone makes the upgrade worthwhile. Designed to make it easy to achieve high-end results with multiple video layers, animated text and graphics, the Pinnacle Montage feature includes more than 11 pre-defined themes with over 80 single templates. In addition, all Pinnacle Studio version 12 products now offer marker tools for the timeline. Format compatibility has also been expanded to include photo import in Photoshop’s native PSD format and the GIF format. With the new export options, users can create MP3, Flash Video, WAV and 3GP files or upload files direct to YouTube®.
Addressing the features most requested by customers, Pinnacle Studio version 12 now incorporates advanced capabilities for audio, with numerical audio volume, master volume controls, a timeline VU meter and peak indicators. New convenience features include the ability to reference images in the album and direct crop control to automatically remove black bars of a video or image. The new version also offers improved effects performance on lower-end PCs, advanced 2D editing, the ability to rotate effects and new content for titles and DVD menus.
Among the first to offer native HDV and AVCHD editing software, Pinnacle Systems Studio Plus and Ultimate now includes new Blu-ray disc burning capabilities in BD-MV with motion menus. AVCHD 1920 and support for various HD camcorder types including JVC full HD, Canon Vixia, Sanyo Xacti have also been added.
Designed for the most serious video enthusiasts, Pinnacle Studio Ultimate version 12 also includes a green sheet for Chroma keying effects and integrates a three of the industry’s most highly acclaimed professional video tools:
* ProDAD Vitascene (a $399 value) – a complete library of highly customizable transitions and lighting effects. The effects include film looks, blurs, glows, sparkles, and glass effects. Transitions include film effects, ripples, wipes, sparkle and starburst dissolves, and many others.
* Red Giant Software Magic Bullet Looks (a $399 value) – a powerful tool for adjusting tone, color and focus to simulate the appearance of classic films or specific production conditions. Offers more than 100 simple-to-apply presets to match common looks found in television programs, commercials, and motion pictures.
* Boris Graffiti (a $299 value) – the 2D/3D vector title animation plug-in that includes text on a path, jitter, randomization, independent vector text, advanced type-on title animation and automated rolls, crawls, fades and zooms. Comes with hundreds of presets to streamline title creation.
Pricing, Availability
Designed for Microsoft® Windows® XP and Windows Vista systems, the Pinnacle Studio version 12 family includes Pinnacle Studio, as well as Pinnacle Studio Plus and Pinnacle Studio Ultimate with full HD support. MSRPs are US$49.99, $99.99 and $129.99, respectively. The Pinnacle Studio version 12 family is available now for pre-orders at the Pinnacle Systems estore and will be at e-tail and retail stores later this month. Upgrades from all of the previous Pinnacle Studio versions to version 12 will also be available from the Pinnacle Systems website with prices ranging from $69.99 (upgrade to Pinnacle Studio Plus) to $99.99 (upgrade to Pinnacle Studio Ultimate).
For tips, tricks and techniques on all Pinnacle solutions, visit Pinnacle Life.
About Pinnacle Systems, Inc.
Pinnacle Systems, Inc., a part of Avid Technology, Inc., is an industry leader in providing a complete set of home video editing and TV viewing tools for the consumer market. The company’s product lines including Pinnacle PCTV™, Dazzle®, Pinnacle ShowCenter®, and its flagship Pinnacle Studio™ line, cover the needs and requirements of any level of video storytellers or consumers who simply want to enjoy TV from their computer. Pinnacle Systems has received nine prestigious Emmy® Awards for its technical innovations and carries the commitment to help consumers enhance, preserve and share their memories with ease. For more information, visit www.pinnaclesys.com.
About Avid Technology, Inc.
Avid is a worldwide leader in tools for film, video, audio, 3D animation, gaming and broadcast professionals – as well as for home audio and video enthusiasts. Avid professional and consumer brands include Avid, Digidesign, M-Audio, Pinnacle Systems, Sibelius, Softimage and Sundance Digital. The vast majority of primetime television shows, feature films, commercials and chart-topping music hits are made using one or more Avid products. Whether used by seasoned professionals or beginning students, Avid’s products and services enable customers to work more efficiently, productively and creatively. Avid received an Oscar® statuette representing the 1998 Scientific and Technical Award for the concept, design, and engineering of the Avid® Film Composer® system for motion picture editing. For more information about the company’s Oscar, Grammy® and Emmy award-winning products and services, visit www.avid.com.
© 2008 Avid Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Product features, specifications, system requirements, and availability are subject to change without notice. Promotions and discounts are subject to availability and change without notice. All prices are MSRP for U.S. only and are subject to change without notice. Contact your local reseller for prices outside the U.S. Avid, Digidesign, Film Composer, M-Audio, Pinnacle Systems, Sibelius, Softimage, Sundance Digital, the Pinnacle Pinwheel logo, Pinnacle PCTV, Dazzle, Pinnacle ShowCenter, Pinnacle MobileMedia, and Pinnacle Studio are trademarks or registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. or its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. Oscar is a trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Emmy is a registered trademark of ATAS/NATAS. Grammy is a trademark of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Inc. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
1 Sources:
The NPD Group/Retail Tracking/Consumer Video Editing (Annual 2007) – US.
Based on consumer sales for 4 European countries (DE, FR, IT and GB cumulated) annual 2007 in the GFK Retail-Market.
2 Complete HD workflow with Blu-ray authoring available only in Pinnacle Studio Plus version 12 and Pinnacle Studio Ultimate version 12.
