DVD Authoring Software

DVDConductor Version 2.5 is the latest version of the mid-range DVD authoring system. The new version features a lower price and valuable new capabilities including WebDVD integration. Version 2.5 is a professional DVD authoring system that lets producers integrate live, interactive Internet content and rich DVD media using Spruce Convergence. Hybrid Web-DVD titles offer many opportunities to producers for creating e-commerce, education, marketing and other titles. Using Convergence tools, DVD creators can add Web connectivity to their titles without using any Web programming.

The new version also includes the company's DVDonCD tool, which lets authors create DVD titles that can be distributed on CD-ROM, enabling them to reach the broadest audience possible. Together, Convergence and DVDonCD provide authors with a solution for delivering web-enriched DVD titles that can be distributed and replayed on the over 100 million PCs that are ready for high quality video playback and internet access.

Many existing features have been significantly enhanced and expanded as well. A new motion menu feature adds moving video within menu buttons for a sophisticated look normally reserved for high-end feature film titles. Users can now also grab still-frames from video content to easily and quickly create graphic menus. The number of audio tracks has been increased from 2 to 8 and the number of subtitle tracks from 2 to 32. Other new features include multiple colors for subtitles, RealSync PCM/AC3 audio concatenation in the timeline, an expanded ability to handle up to 10,000 menus, a printable project log and support for Matrox DigiSuite DTV AVI/MPEG files, and many others.

The software has been designed to work with any MPEG encoder that provides standards-compliant DVD video and audio streams. For optimal performance, it can be paired with the company's MPX-3000 MPEG-2/Dolby Digital encoder. When paired with the company's DVDEncoderPack option, users gain forced I-frame, inverse telecine, segment re-encode and multipass VBR features. DVDConductor is upgradeable in increments, based on the user's needs.

Spruce Technologies Inc., 1054 S. De Anza Blvd., Ste. 200, San Jose, CA 95129-3553. Tel: 408-861-2200; Fax: 408-863-9701.