MGI Software introduces MGI VideoWave III
MGI Software Corp MGI
Shares issued 23,984,712 Nov 1 close $7.15
Tue 2 Nov 99 News Release
Ms. Shelly Sofer reports
In MGI Software's continuing march to consumerize video-editing technology,
the company has made immediate availability of its MGI VideoWave III -- PC
Video Made Easy Even Easier. MGI VideoWave III includes the industry's most
comprehensive support for DV (digital video) and includes SmartDV, a
technology that accelerates DV video production while maintaining its
high-quality results. The new release also supports the ability to work
with video in MPEG-2, the universal standard format for broadcast. In
addition, MGI VideoWave III now makes PC video even easier with a series of
new templates for capturing, editing and publishing movies.
Leading the industry with the most robust DV support
MGI's VideoWave is the first product in its class to offer support for both
conventional analogue video capture hardware, including USB cameras, and
the new digital video (DV) camcorders and PC connection standards
(IEEE-1394/FireWire). The software is designed to enable the co-existence
and cross-compatibility of both analogue and DV, so the user can work in
one or both formats seamlessly, leveraging investments in their VCR,
camcorder and conventional video-capture hardware, while moving to digital.
MGI has worked closely with Microsoft, leading IEEE-1394 chip manufacturers
including Texas Instruments and Lucent Microelectronics, and DV camcorder
manufacturers, to ensure smooth connectivity between camcorder, PC and MGI
VideoWave III. The software includes a new set of underlying drivers that
supports any OHCI-compliant IEEE-1394 card, making the process of getting
DV video in to and out of a computer simply a matter of connecting the
camera to the PC and running MGI's software. There are no special or unique
configuration settings required, regardless of which combination of
camcorder, IEEE-1394 card or PC the user has.
In addition, MGI VideoWave III includes SmartDV, a technology that only
renders or produces the parts of a DV video that have been changed (such as
edited). Rendering only the changed parts dramatically increases the speed
in which the final video is assembled, and ensures that the high quality of
a DV movie is preserved.
MPEG-2 -- the broadcast-ready standard
Produced using a hand-held digital camcorder, the sensational success of
the Blair Witch project has inspired home video enthusiasts everywhere. Now
every home-grown movie maker can produce a DV-quality movie on a shoestring
with VideoWave III that is ready for prime-time airing by their local TV
station, distribution on DVD or via the Internet. MGI Software has enhanced
VideoWave with capabilities that, until recently, were only found in
products designed and priced for the broadcast professional. The software
has an improved MPEG engine that supports real-time MPEG-1 and MPEG-2
capture regardless of source, plus the ability to edit and publish in
either MPEG standard. The combination of DV and MPEG-2 makes the user
broadcast-ready.
"VideoWave is not only a tool that makes it easy for the beginner to create
great videos from their home camcorder tapes, but it makes it easy for the
professional to quickly evaluate a number of different editing options,"
said Maarten Heilbron, an independent producer for TVOntario and Discovery
Channel. "By previewing several approaches to a scene, or series of scenes
in VideoWave, I save hours in an edit suite. It's given me the ability to
find creative and interesting solutions that I never would have tried at
$200 or more an hour."
PC Video Made Easy Even Easier
MGI VideoWave III makes it even easier to capture, edit and publish videos
in AVI, MPEG (1 and 2), DV and Web video formats. New capture and
publishing templates make the video production process easier for both
beginners and advanced users. The templates enable new users to simply
select the hardware they have and the type of video output they want,
without having to figure out and adjust complex settings, such as frame
rates and codecs. More advanced users can, of course, edit or create their
own templates, saving them for future use. MGI VideoWave III now includes
StoryLine templates, for such events as birthday parties, weddings and
graduations, as well as business presentations, which provide tips and
tricks on how to maker better, more interesting videos.
"VideoWave just gets better and easier," said Marc Camm of Boston, Ma., a
home video enthusiast and beta tester. "I've been able to piece together
some very cool family videos from tapes we forgot we even had, plus new
stuff I captured with the DV camcorder I bought this summer. The new
StoryLine templates are a great inspiration and the capture and publish
templates take the headache out of configuring my system. With a couple of
clicks, I was able to create the same video in a high-quality format, which
I burned to a CD ROM, and one small enough to E-mail to my sister."
Availability and pricing
MGI VideoWave III is available now through major computer distributors and
retail stores including Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA, Fry's, J&R,
Nationwide, RCS, and Staples, as well as on-line e-tailers such as
Onsale.com. The software typically sells for about $99. In addition, a $20
mail-in rebate coupon is in included in the box for users upgrading from
previous versions or competitive products. More information, including
system requirements, is posted at www.videowave.com/vw3.
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