[5.3] What DVD production tools are available?
[5.3.1] Video encoding tools
Brent Beyeler
bbMPEG . Basic MPEG-2 encoder for Windows. Free from various download sites.
Canopus
ProCoder . Software video format converter with MPEG encoding. Two-pass VBR. Advanced features such as NTSC<->PAL conversion, deinterlacing, 2-3 pulldown, and batch processing. Windows. $700.
MVR1000 . Hardware real-time video capture and MPEG encoder board for Windows. VBR and CBR. Includes Sonic DVDit SE for DVD/VCD authoring.
Amber . MPEG-2 hardware designed for encoding and archiving video in MPEG format. VBR and CBR. (Panasonic MN85560 encoder chip). Windows. $2,000.
DVRaptor RT . Hardware DV video editing with MPEG output. Windows. $600.
DVStorm . Hardware video editing/encoding system for MPEG and DV. Includes Ulead DVD Workshop for DVD/VCD authoring. Windows. $1,100.
DVRex RT Professional . Hardware video editing/encoding system for MPEG and DV. Includes Sonic DVDit SE for DVD/VCD authoring. Windows. $4,400.
Custom Technology
Cinemacraft Encoder-PRO . MPEG-2 real-time NTSC video encoding software for Windows NT. $38,000.
Cinema Craft Encoder-SP . MPEG video encoding software for Windows XP and 2000. CBR and VBR. $2,000 .
Cinema Craft Encoder-Basic . MPEG video encoding software for Windows. CBR and VBR. $60 .
Darim
MPEGator 2. MPEG-2 real-time encoding hardware for Windows and Windows NT. $1,800.
Dazzle
Digital Video Creator II . MPEG-2 video capture/edit/encode system with PCI card. Includes Sonic DVDit LE . Windows 98/2000. $300.
Digital Ventures
DVDComposer . MPEG-2 video encoding system for SGI. VBR and CBR. (C-Cube chip). $50,000.
Digital Vision
BitPack . MPEG-2 video encoding workstation. Extendable to HDTV.
DVNR system for video pre-processing.
Digigami
MegaPeg . MPEG-2 video encoding software for Windows. VBR and CBR. $500. Also available as Adobe Premiere plug-in for Windows or PowerMac. $400.
DV Studio
Apollo Expert . MPEG-2 video encoding (and decoding) hardware for Windows NT. $2,000.
FlaskMPEG
Freeware encoding software for Windows.
Gunjarm Digital / Metaware (formerly Gunzameory and DreamCom)
MPEGRich . Professional MPEG-2 real-time encoding hardware. CBR and VBR. Windows NT.
Heuris
MPEG Power Professional 1, MPEG Power Professional 2, MPEG Power Professional DVD, MPEG Power Professional DTV-SD, and Power Professional DTV-HD . MPEG-2 video encoding software for Mac OS and Windows. DVD and DTV versions include VBR encoding. $350, $1,000, $1,500 and $2,500.
Cyclone . MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 encoding software designed for OEMs. Mac OS and Windows NT.
Ligos
LSX-MPEG Encoder . MPEG-2 video encoding software. CBR and VBR. Windows. $150.
LSX-MPEG Suite . Adobe Premiere plug-in for producing MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 output. Includes standalone LSX-MPEG player. Windows 9x/NT. $400.
Media100
iFinish RealTime MPEG Option . Editing software with MPEG-2 video encoding add-on. Windows NT. $6,000 to $18,000.
Microcosmos / Nanocosmos
MPEG SoftEngine . MPEG-2 video encoding software for Windows, Solaris, and Linux. $250 to $3500.
Minerva
Compressionist 110, 200, and 250 . Professional MPEG-2 real-time encoding hardware. CBR and VBR. Mac OS host computer. $70,000. [No longer available.]
Publisher 300 . Professional MPEG-2 video and MPEG Layer 2 audio real-time encoding hardware. CBR and VBR. Mac OS. [No longer available.]
Optibase
MPEG MovieMaker 200. Professional MPEG-2 video and Dolby Digital audio real-time encoding hardware for Windows and Windows NT. CBR and VBR. $7,000 to $22,000.
Pegasys
TMPGEnc and TMPGEnc Plus . MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 software video encoders, plus multiplexing/demultiplexing, file joining, and trimming tools. Basic version is free; Plus version is $48 to download, $88 in retail box.
PixelTools
Expert-DVD . MPEG-2 video encoding software. CBR and VBR. Windows. $2,000.
Expert-2. Professional, tweakable MPEG encoder. Windows.
Snell & Wilcox
Prefix CPP100, Prefix CPP200, NRS500, Kudos NRS50, and Kudos NRS30. . Video preprocessors (noise reduction and image enhancement).
Sonic Solutions
SD-1000 . Professional MPEG-2 video encoding hardware. CBR and VBR. Segment-based reencoding. Mac OS and Windows OS. $13,000.
DVD Fusion . Encoding/authoring plug-in for Media 100 and QuickTime video editing systems. Hardware-accelerated version (velocity engine) encodes VBR and CBR in real time. Mac OS. $8,000 and $12,000.
Sony
DVA-V1100 . High-end MPEG-2 video encoding hardware. CBR and VBR. Windows NT.
Spruce Technologies
Note: Spruce was acquired in July 2001 by Apple. The MPX-3000 encoder is still available from some dealers.
MPX-3000 . Professional MPEG-2 real-time encoding hardware. CBR and VBR. Windows NT.
MPEGXpress 2000 (formerly from CagEnt). Professional MPEG-2 real-time encoding hardware. CBR and VBR. Windows NT.
VisionTech
MVCast . Low-end real-time MPEG-2 video/audio encoding hardware for Windows NT and Solaris. AVI-to-MPEG-2 conversion. $2000.
Vitech
MPEG Toolbox-2 . AVI to MPEG-2 VBR/CBR. MPEG-2 video editing. Windows 95/98/NT. $250.
Wired
MediaPress . MPEG-2 encoding hardware (PCI). CBR and VBR. Mac OS and Windows 95/98/NT. $2,500.
Yusuf Motiwala
YMPEG . Basic MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 plug-in software encoder for Windows. Also does KVCD. Free.
Zapex
ZP-200 . Real-time PCI encoder for MPEG-2 video and PCM Audio. Non-real-time encoding and VOB multiplexing from Adobe Premiere. Windows NT.
ZP-300 . Real-time PCI Encoder for CBR/VBR MPEG-2 video, 2-channel Dolby Digital, and PCM Audio. Non-real-time encoding and VOB multiplexing from Adobe Premiere. Windows NT.
[5.3.2] Audio encoding tools
Astarte
Note: Astarte was acquired in April 2000 by Apple.
Digital Vision
BitPack . Multichannel audio encoding workstation for Dolby Digital, MPEG-2, and PCM.
Dolby
DP569 . Multichannel Dolby Digital audio encoding hardware.
Kind of Loud Technologies
SmartCode Pro/Dolby Digital . 5.1-channel encoding software plugin for Digidesign Pro Tools. $1000.
SmartCode Pro/DTS . 5.1-channel encoding software plugin for Digidesign Pro Tools. $2000.
Microcosmos
MPEG SoftEngine/Audio . MPEG audio encoding software for Windows/Solaris. $95/$350.
Minerva
Audio Compressionist . Professional Dolby Digital real-time, 5.1-channel encoder. Windows NT.
Minnetonka Audio Software
SurCode for DOlby Digital . Multichannel Dolby Digital audio encoding software. $1000.
SurCode DVD Professional for DTS . Multichannel DTS audio encoding software. $2000.
PixelTools
Expert-Audio . MPEG Layer 2 audio encoding software. Windows.
Sonic Solutions
Sonic DVD Studio . Professional real-time Dolby Digital 5.1, MPEG-2, and PCM audio encoding hardware. Mac OS.
MLP Encoder . $9,000.
Sonic Foundry
Soft Encode . Dolby Digital 2-channel or 5.1-channel audio encoding software. Windows 95/98/NT. $500 (2 channels) or $900 (5.1 channels).
Sony
DVA-A1100 . High-end, real-time Dolby Digital 5.1, MPEG-2, and PCM audio encoding hardware. Windows NT.
Zapex
ZP-100 . Real-time PCI encoder for 2- or 5.1-channel Dolby Digital and MPEG Layer 2. Windows NT.
[5.3.3] Other production tools
Alcohol Software
Alcohol 52% . Emulate CDs and DVDs without physical disc. Windows. $28.
Alcohol 68% . Copy CDs and DVDs. Windows. $30.
Alcohol 120% . Combination of Alcohol 52% and Alcohol 68%. Windows. $50.
ASINT
Industrial DVD players, touchscreens, and DVD kiosk products.
BCD Associates
DVD controllers for custom installations.
Cambridge Multimedia
Touchscreens and other custom interfaces for industrial DVD players.
Computer Prompting & Captioning Co.
CPC-DVD . Closed Caption production system. DOS. $6,000.
DCA (Doug Carson & Associates)
MIS (Mastering Interface System) . Mastering interface system for DVD and CD. Windows NT.
ITS (Image Transfer System) . Transfer and convert DVD and CD images.
DVS+ (Data Verification System) . Checks DVD and CD images. Includes Interra Surveyor to check for DVD-Video spec compliance. Can transfer between discs and tape. Windows NT.
INMS (Integrated Network Mastering System) . Combination of MIS, ITS, DVS+ in a system with a RAID.
Eclipse Data Technologies
EclipseSuite . DVD and CD premastering tools to copy and verify images, copy tapes, etc. Windows NT.
ImageEncoder . LBR mastering interface for CD and DVD mastering. Windows NT.
FAB
FAB Subtitler DVD Edition. Subtitle generator program (text and bitmap formats) that works with most DVD authoring systems. Windows.
Heuris
Xtractor. Software to extract video and audio streams from unencrypted DVD-Video discs and DVD-VR discs. $150.
Isomedia
DVD DLT utilities: copy DLTs, extract images, inspect ISO/UDF/DDP info, checksums, etc.
Museum Technology Source
DVD controllers for Pioneer industrial players in custom installations.
Novastor
TapeCopy . Copy DLTs, inspect tape blocks.
PixelTools
MPEGRepair . Software to analyze, repair, insert Closed Captions, add panscan vectors, and do other handy things to MPEG files. Windows.
Smart Projects
ISOBuster . Inspect CD and DVD volumes and image files. Freeware/shareware ($26).
SoftNI
The DVD Subtitler . Subtitle graphics preparation software. Windows 95/98/NT/2000.
The Caption Encoder . Closed Caption production system. DOS, Windows 95/98.
The Caption Retriever . Closed Caption recovery and decoding system. Windows 95/98/NT/2000.
Tapedisk
TD Raw . Reads raw data from a SCSI tape drive as if it were a hard disk. DOS/Windows. $500.
TD RAW NT . Version of TD Raw for Windows NT 4.0. $750.
Technovision
Touchscreens and other custom interfaces for industrial DVD players.
Teco
ParseMPEG ($500) and Bitrate Viewer (free). Software to analyze MPEG streams. Windows.
Also see 5.6 for DVD emulation, verification, and analysis tools.
[5.3.4] Other production services
Captions, Inc. (Burbank, CA), 818-729-9501. Captioning and subtitle services.
European Captioning Institute (ECI) (London, UK). +44 (0)20 7323 4657. Captioning and subtitle services.
Captioneering (Burbank, CA), 888-418-4782. Captioning and subtitle services.
National Captioning Institute (NCI) (LA 818-238-4201; NY 212-557-7011; VA 703-917-7619). Captioning and subtitle services.
SDI Media Group (worldwide), +44 (0)20 7349. Subtitle services.
Softitler (Los Angeles, CA). Subtitle services.
Vitac (Canonsburg, PA) 888-528-4822. Captioning services.
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