The Swiss Army Knife of Video Conversion – Canopus ProCoder

by Lance Albright

Converting your edited video projects to the right streaming media format can be a daunting prospect. There are so many choices. What file format should you use? What resolution and frame per second will work best? What kind of Internet connections are my net visitors using? Do I need to create multiple versions of my project for all of the big three streaming formats - QuickTime, Windows Media and RealVideo?

 The new ProCoder software from Canopus helps simplify those tasks. Not only can you convert almost any type of input video into almost nay type of output video, you can set up ProCoder to batch process one or more source files into several different output files, all automatically. In addition, it is easy. This is one of the few programs I have tested that is so intuitive and so well set up, that you really don’t need to read the manual. It is amazing.

 There are just three main steps, three main windows to select from. The source window enables you to select which video and movie files you want to convert. These can be all the same format type of a variety. Next in the Target window,  you set up the conversion parameters. In addition to the standard streaming media formats, you can also convert and output your movies as MPEG1, MPEG2, avi, and DV. Yu can even convert from NTSC to PAL and vice versa.  The final window is the Conversion application and this is where the ProCoder actually doe sits magic.

 In addition, there are several sweet features that nee dot be mentioned. While you are in the Source window, you can use the advanced tab to actually cleanup your video clips and movies. In addition to being able to change frame rates and aspect ratios, and  apply basic filters and color correction, you can also trim the clips as well as stitch clips together prior to converting them. This can be pretty helpful at times.. By using the bitmap keying feature, you can also add a special superimposed watermark or logo bug to protect files once they are distributed. This is cool.

 If you do a lot of video conversion – converting the same type of files to the same set of output files, you can create what Canopus calls droplets, basically macros that sit on your desktop and enable you to ‘drop” your video clip on it for automatic conversion.

 Is Canopus ProCoder for You?

 Maybe. It isn’t cheap. With a list price of $699 you get a powerful software tool that can be invaluable for speeding up your workflow if you do indeed do a lot of video conversion and compression. It you are a serious web producer or broadcaster, you need this. I tested ProCoder on a variety of video formats and was impressed. Not only was it easy to use and reliable, the conversion process was definitely quicker than using built-in codecs that come bundled with video editing programs.

 ProCoder is for Windows machines. Canopus recommends an Intel Pentium III or faster; Athlon 600 MHz or faster. However, it will run on a slower Pentium II.  It also requires at least 128 MB of RAM, and any flavor of Windows from Windows98se on up. The more powerful your processor and the more RAM you can throw at it the better.

 Aside from the price, the only negative is Canopus’s copy protection scheme. They use a USB dongle device. If you lose or break the dongle, ProCoder won’t work. The sort of good news is that they provide a mini-USB hub along with the dongle so you won’t use up your last USB jack hosting the ProCoder dongle. Still I think that Canopus can find a better way to handle this.  

In October 2002 - Canopus Corporation announced the new ProCoder 1.2. . New features include MPEG support for HD resolutions and enhanced Web streaming encoding tools including RealVideo 9 support and multi-stream support for Windows Media and RealVideo see press release below

  For more info or to check out the  ProCoder Performance Benchmarks test – at Canopus Website  

Canopus ProCoder Express - Powerful Video Conversion at a GREAT Price

Also check out Discreet Cleaner Review

List Price $699

PRESS RELEASE: Canopus Announces ProCoder 1.2 with Enhanced Streaming Capabilities and HD Resolution Support

San Jose, Calif. (October 1, 2002) - Canopus Corporation, makers of award-winning, digital video editing products, today announced ProCoder 1.2, an update to the company's professional video transcoding software tool. New features include MPEG support for HD resolutions and enhanced Web streaming encoding tools including RealVideo 9 support and multi-stream support for Windows Media and RealVideo. 

New features in version 1.2 give ProCoder added versatility for both Internet and broadcast video applications. While multi-stream support for Windows Media and RealVideo - including the new RealVideo 9 - provides excellent flexibility for Web streaming applications, HD resolution support through MPEG-2 Main Profile at High Level (MP@HL) encoding brings ProCoder to the broadcasting market. ProCoder 1.2 also includes support for MPEG-1 settings outside of Standard Profile, such as 640x480 MPEG-1, to provide high-quality video for Web and CD-ROM-based content. In addition, ProCoder 1.2 delivers higher-quality MPEG-2 output and offers expanded DV import capabilities to transcode video files from editing systems that create raw DV files. 

"We're pleased to offer our users this new version so quickly. Our plan is to continue to keep ProCoder on the cutting edge with support for emerging technologies as they become available," said Brandon Higa, senior product marketing manager at Canopus Corporation. "For example, we're able to announce support for RealVideo 9 as it gains momentum in the market and plan to offer support for Windows Media 9 by the time it is released."

ProCoder 1.2 is a Windows-based, standalone transcoding software tool that supports all popular video formats and features Canopus's acclaimed DV codec and MPEG technologies. ProCoder is targeted at video, DVD production and Internet content creation professionals for use in entertainment, business, government and education. Designed for speed and flexibility, ProCoder is an ideal transcoding software tool for video professionals who encounter multiple video formats on a regular basis. Whether preparing video for DVD, Web streaming, digital archiving or a combination of applications, users will find that ProCoder is a fast and versatile transcoder. 

Supporting all popular video formats, including MPEG-1, MPEG-2, Windows Media, RealVideo, Apple QuickTime, Microsoft DirectShow, Microsoft Video for Windows, Microsoft DV and Canopus DV, ProCoder makes it easy to convert video between formats at incredible speeds. ProCoder lets users convert single or multiple source files at one time and can output to multiple files in multiple formats simultaneously. For greater time savings and flexibility, ProCoder's advanced stitching feature lets users combine multiple input files of different formats and frame rates into one output file, eliminating the need to combine them in a separate editing application. ProCoder also employs video and audio filters to enhance the quality of converted output. In addition, ProCoder features Canopus's Scalable Technology Architecture to take full advantage of the computer's processing power - including multiple processors - to deliver the maximum transcoding speed possible.

Pricing and Availability
ProCoder 1.2 will be available October 17, 2002 through Canopus and its authorized dealers and system integrators for a suggested retail price of $699. Registered users of ProCoder can upgrade to version 1.2 through a free download from the Canopus Web site. ProCoder supports Microsoft Windows 98SE/ME/2000 Professional/XP Home and XP Professional operating systems. Fully optimized for Intel Pentium 4 processor, ProCoder also supports Intel Pentium II and higher, as well as AMD's K6, Duron and Athlon processors.

About Canopus Corporation
Based in San Jose, Calif., Canopus Corporation manufactures award-winning, nonlinear video editing products for video professionals and enthusiasts. Canopus's realtime DV editing, MPEG encoding, 3D DVE and video transcoding/conversion products combine innovative hardware and software designs to set new standards in performance, functionality and reliability. Canopus Corporation has offices in the UK, Germany, Australia and China in addition to an extensive worldwide distributor network. Canopus Corporation's parent company, Canopus Co., Ltd., with headquarters in Kobe, is Japan's largest maker of video editing and graphics products. For more information contact Canopus at (408) 954-4500 or visit their Web site at www.canopus.com. 

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Canopus is a registered trademark and ProCoder is a trademark of Canopus Corporation. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.