Apple has announced that DVD Studio Pro 2, a from-scratch re-design of the professional DVD authoring tool, will be available through Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers beginning August 18. Starting August 6, customers can place their orders at www.apple.com/dvdstudiopro. Key new features of the software include Apple-designed customizable templates, a menu editor, timeline-based track editing, and a new MPEG-2 encoder.??DVD Studio Pro 2 offers heightened integration with Final Cut Pro 4, Apple's professional video editing tool, and completes Apple's professional suite of software which includes the Shake 3 compositing and visual effects software; Soundtrack, a professional music production tool; and the Logic Platinum computer-based music production software.??DVD Studio Pro 2 features a new user interface designed to be easy enough to navigate that both Final Cut Pro editors and users of consumer DVD authoring applications, such as Apple's iDVD, can get started right away. New Apple-designed, customizable templates in DVD Studio Pro 2 include a variety of styles, buttons, and backgrounds so users can start creating elegant DVDs in a few steps.
?The new menu editor in DVD Studio Pro 2 integrates with popular graphics applications such as Adobe Photoshop. Context-sensitive drop palettes allow users to make one-step connections. ??Based on the popular timeline in Final Cut Pro 4, a new timeline-based track editing feature in DVD Studio Pro 2 enables users to work faster and more efficiently with a linear view of clips, audio, and other assets. In addition to arranging up to nine video angles, eight audio streams, and 32 subtitle streams, DVD Studio Pro 2 users can do basic trimming, merge clips, and manage chapter markers in one location. ??DVD Studio Pro 2 also offers an integrated MPEG-2 encoder. Compressor, a batch transcoding tool that comes bundled with both DVD Studio Pro 2 and Final Cut Pro 4, lets users export directly to multiple formats including MPEG-2 for DVD and MPEG-4 for streaming media. A.Pack (also acquired from Astarte with the original Studio Pro code) encodes uncompressed audio into highly compressed Dolby Digital AC-3 streams, which can then be used in DVD Studio Pro 2 for full 5.1-channel surround sound or simply as a compressed 2.0 stereo track.??Users can order the English-language version of DVD Studio Pro 2 can be ordered through the Apple Store (www.apple.com) at a suggested retail price of $499. DVD Studio Pro 2 will be available for purchase through Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers beginning August 18. Localized versions in German, French, and Japanese will be available in September. Full system requirements and more information on DVD Studio Pro 2 can be found at www.apple.com/dvdstudiopro

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