Studio 12 Offers BD-Burning Support

NEW YORK — Pinnacle will ship this month the latest version of its popular Studio consumer video-editing software suite, offering three versions with various levels of professional-looking special-effects techniques and functionality.

Step-up versions of Pinnacle Studio 12 add support for high-definition video editing, including everything from AVCHD (H.264) support to Blu-ray disc burning. The Pinnacle Studio 12 Ultimate edition ($129 suggested retail) offers more than 25 new features, including more than a dozen user-requested enhancements in addition to a complete HD workflow.

For users with less-demanding needs, Pinnacle also offers its basic Pinnacle Studio 12 ($49.99) and the step-up Studio 12 Plus ($99.99), supporting standard-definition video from a variety of formats.

Among the added features in Studio 12 is a Pinnacle Montage tool that adds a host of new compositing and animation effects, enabling a greater range of creative titles, DVD menus and templates.

All versions were developed with an emphasis on speed and simplicity, said Travis White, Pinnacle senior product manager, noting that Pinnacle has stepped up its outreach to women, who are among the product's largest consumer-growth segments.

White said women are increasingly purchasing the program on impulse along with a video camera or camcorder, because they understand the benefits of assembling a final production.

As a result, the latest version of the program has a number of tools suited to the production of family video memories, Pinnacle said.