Pinnacle Systems, Inc., the consumer division of Avid Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVID), today announced the latest editions of Pinnacle Studio™ MovieBox® with HDV and AVCHD support. Leveraging the product’s reputation as the ultimate movie-making solution for analog and digital video, the new Pinnacle Studio MovieBox Plus and MovieBox Ultimate include a stylish, high-speed USB 2.0 video capture device and a full version of Pinnacle Studio Plus version 11 and Studio Ultimate version 11 respectively—the software that has been reaping awards for delivering robust HDV/AVCHD video editing and authoring capabilities.

By offering support for the full range of video formats and automatic Web publishing, Pinnacle Studio MovieBox Plus and Pinnacle Studio MovieBox Ultimate will appeal to home videographers/hobbyists and business users who want a single, easy-to-use solution for capturing, editing and authoring professional-looking videos from a brand they can trust.

With AVCHD support, users can capture video from the new Sony™ and Panasonic® AVCHD camcorders and can edit their content directly, in its native format—eliminating the need for time-consuming format conversions. Completed videos can then be burned to an HD DVD or AVCHD format disc using standard DVD media that can be played back by the latest HD DVD and Blu-ray players. The AVCHD standard stores the same amount of video in half the space required by the MPEG-2 format.

Like the earlier versions, the new editions of Pinnacle Studio MovieBox can also be used to capture video from analog sources such as an 8mm camcorder, a VCR, a TV or a set-top box; and from digital devices such as DV camcorders. Consumers can even unleash their creativity by mixing legacy analog tapes, DV video, high definition video and photos to create a project that will be “up-sampled” to HD resolution.

Fully compatible with Windows® Vista™, Pinnacle Studio Plus and Pinnacle Studio Ultimate feature a new, scalable interface that make the software ideal for working on widescreen monitors or adjusting the windows for close-up views. In addition to offering automatic movie creation, these next-generation applications now include the new Scorefitter™ music generator. Designed to automatically generate soundtracks from 40 source tracks and 48kHz audio samples for higher fidelity, Scorefitter provides greater accuracy than previous solutions. Pinnacle Studio Plus and Pinnacle Studio Ultimate also include hundreds of keyframeable and format-independent (SD and HD) real-time effects and transitions to give videos a unique, professional look. Consumers who want to take their videos with them wherever they go can use the special presets to conveniently send them to their Apple® iPod®, Sony™ PSP® or DivX® device.

For video editing power users, Pinnacle offers Studio MovieBox Ultimate with added features such as BIAS Inc.’s SoundSoap™ audio cleaning tools, professional-level special effects from ProDAD VitaScene, precision panning and zooming with StageTools™ MovingPicture, and a Chroma Key green screen backdrop for easy-to-achieve professional results.

Available at Best Buy, Fry’s, Amazon.com, Buy.com and other fine retail and etail stores, Pinnacle Studio MovieBox Plus and Pinnacle Studio MovieBox Ultimate with HDV/AVCHD support have MSRPs of US$119.99 and US$149.99 respectively.

Pinnacle Systems, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Avid Technology, Inc. is an industry leader in video editing solutions, TV tuners for the PC and digital media adapters for the consumer market. The company’s product lines include Pinnacle PCTV™, Dazzle®, Pinnacle ShowCenter®, Pinnacle Mobile Media™ and its flagship Pinnacle Studio™ line. For more information, visit www.pinnaclesys.com. - Source: Pinnacle Studio News Release