InterVideo launches two new versions of WinDVD 5
InterVideo announced today the release of WinDVD(TM) 5, the latest version of InterVideo's software for DVD playback on a PC. Both WinDVD Gold 5, the standard consumer edition, and WinDVD Platinum 5, InterVideo's high-end version, offer new features to make watching videos on a PC or a laptop easier and more entertaining. InterVideo has also unveiled two new add-on packs that enable users to customize WinDVD playback capabilities. The Audio Booster delivers surround sound and increased user control. The Centrino(TM) Pack enables extended battery life when playing DVDs on Intel® lower-powered laptop CPUs such as Centrino.
New capabilities now available with both WinDVD Gold 5 and WinDVD Platinum 5 include:
- Movie Encyclopedia: A searchable database of movie facts that detects the DVD that is playing and shows information on the movie, actors, director, etc. Movie Encyclopedia also allows users to add information to the database as new titles become available or if a movie isn't in the system.
- Hyper-threading Support: With optimizations for Intel's® Hyper-threading technology, WinDVD customers can now watch DVDs while working on their computer or surfing the Web.
- Enhanced Playback Features: Users can create their own playlists with audio tracks or video files from DVDs, VCDs, SVCDs and CDs. They can bookmark favorite DVDs and save them as a file (.bmk) that can be exported or archived, or grab a screen capture of a cool image and save it as wallpaper or email -- perfect for showing friends that special effect.
WinDVD Platinum 5
Designed for discerning DVD enthusiasts who want the best in audio and video playback, WinDVD Platinum 5 offers many features that are not included in the standard Gold edition. In addition to DivX® support, gamma correction, and a host of video effects, WinDVD Platinum has advanced audio functionalities including Dolby®Virtual Speaker Technology, a technology that replicates rich, 5.1 surround sound with only two speakers, and support for DSP Audio Effects, Dolby EX, Dolby Pro Logic II, and Dolby Headphone technology. With 96-kHz/24-bit audio decode support, WinDVD Platinum consumers can also enjoy high-quality audio.
New features that have been added to WinDVD Platinum 5 include:
- Progressive De-interlacing: a state-of-the-art algorithm that creates a smooth, clear display of interlaced video content originally meant for the TV on a progressive device, such as a PC monitor, an LCD panel, or a plasma display.
- Stackable Video Effects: WinDVD 5 offers a number of Video Effects to enhance the picture quality such as Sharpness and Cinema Effector that is designed to produce clearer video for better looking movies. And now, the image can be customized with the ability to apply multiple effects simultaneously.
- Optimized Display Presets for a TV/LCD/Monitor/Projector: WinDVD offers display settings for different viewing scenarios that can make the display more appealing.
WinDVD Gold 5
In addition to the new Movie Encyclopedia database and support for Hyper-threading and bookmarks, WinDVD Gold 5 now includes many of the high-end features that were previously only available with WinDVD Platinum. These features include:
- Consolidated Browser: Helps users keep track of captured images and favorite bookmarks
- LanguageMate: An edutainment feature that helps users learn a new language while they're watching their favorite movies
- Video Docking: Lets users dock the GUI to the toolbar for an unobstructed view while watching a DVD
- Windows® Media Audio (WMA) Format Support
- Full TV Color Adjustments: Features designed to make adjusting picture brightness and contrast easy and intuitive
WinDVD 5 combines these new capabilities with a high-quality viewing experience, broad compatibility with PCs and notebooks, and an interface designed for ease-of-use. Other WinDVD features include Advanced Screen Capture options that let users grab screen shots for emailing or setting as wallpaper, InterVideo's proprietary Time-stretching technology that lets users watch a movie in the time they have, and TV-out support that combines with a TV out board for using a PC as a living room DVD player.
Audio Booster Pack
With InterVideo's new Audio Booster Pack, both Gold and Platinum WinDVD 5 users can create a customized home theater experience with advanced technologies such as SRS TruSurround XT(TM). In addition to delivering virtual surround sound over just two speakers or headphones, TruSurround XT includes SRS TruBass® for a more theater-like bass response, and SRS Dialog Clarity(TM) for crisper, clearer dialog. TruSurround XT also creates 3D audio from mono and stereo material.
Other features available with the Audio Booster Pack include:
- A Natural Acoustic Equalizer for control of the frequency bands to match the user's listening preferences.
- Individual Speaker Volume and Delay Controls for adjusting the volume of each individual speaker and to improve the user's control of the surround sound.
- Stackable Audio Effects that enable users to enhance current DSP audio effects, like Jazz and Rock, with the Echo Effect simultaneously to create effects that fit the mood of their movie.
In addition, with the Audio Booster Pack, WinDVD Platinum 5 users will enjoy enhanced Dolby Pro Logic II features such as a Movie Mode, which provides discrete 5.1-channel sound with stereo television shows and programs encoded in Dolby Surround Sound. The Audio Booster also provides Platinum users with a Music Mode that allows them to tailor the sound to their specific tastes when listening to stereo music recordings. The Music Mode can be used to:
- Control the positioning of center-channel sounds to provide enhanced vocal imaging and soundstage presentation.
- Gradually move the sound from front to rear to achieve the desired speaker balance.
- Extend the front stereo image to include the surround speakers for a 'wraparound' effect with sidewall imaging.
Centrino(TM) Pack
InterVideo's new Centrino(TM) Pack is designed to help users extend the battery life and playback time of mobile PCs featuring Intel's new Centrino technology and other Intel laptop CPUs.
- System Memory extends playback by selecting the cache size (of system memory) to improve drive power.
- Minimum Battery Life prevents unexpected battery depletion by setting the minimum battery requirements for playback, leaving users time to properly close applications.
Pricing, Availability
InterVideo markets WinDVD to consumers and hardware OEMs, including manufacturers of PCs, video cards, camcorders, disk drives and consumer electronics products. It can be used with PC and laptop computers running Windows 98/2000/Me/XP.
WinDVD is available for purchase at InterVideo's web site at www.intervideo.com. WinDVD Gold 5 has a suggested list price of $49.95. For a limited time, InterVideo is offering WinDVD Platinum 5 with a special introductory offer of only $79.95 -- a savings of $20.00 off the suggested list price. Discounts will also be available to current WinDVD Platinum and WinDVD Gold users wanting to upgrade to WinDVD 5.
The Audio Booster Pack for enhancing WinDVD Gold's 2-channel audio has a suggested list price of $24.95. The Centrino Pack for enhanced battery life and playback on lower-powered CPUs such as Centrino has a suggested list price of $39.95.
- Movie Encyclopedia: A searchable database of movie facts that detects the DVD that is playing and shows information on the movie, actors, director, etc. Movie Encyclopedia also allows users to add information to the database as new titles become available or if a movie isn't in the system.
- Hyper-threading Support: With optimizations for Intel's® Hyper-threading technology, WinDVD customers can now watch DVDs while working on their computer or surfing the Web.
- Enhanced Playback Features: Users can create their own playlists with audio tracks or video files from DVDs, VCDs, SVCDs and CDs. They can bookmark favorite DVDs and save them as a file (.bmk) that can be exported or archived, or grab a screen capture of a cool image and save it as wallpaper or email -- perfect for showing friends that special effect.
WinDVD Platinum 5
Designed for discerning DVD enthusiasts who want the best in audio and video playback, WinDVD Platinum 5 offers many features that are not included in the standard Gold edition. In addition to DivX® support, gamma correction, and a host of video effects, WinDVD Platinum has advanced audio functionalities including Dolby®Virtual Speaker Technology, a technology that replicates rich, 5.1 surround sound with only two speakers, and support for DSP Audio Effects, Dolby EX, Dolby Pro Logic II, and Dolby Headphone technology. With 96-kHz/24-bit audio decode support, WinDVD Platinum consumers can also enjoy high-quality audio.
New features that have been added to WinDVD Platinum 5 include:
- Progressive De-interlacing: a state-of-the-art algorithm that creates a smooth, clear display of interlaced video content originally meant for the TV on a progressive device, such as a PC monitor, an LCD panel, or a plasma display.
- Stackable Video Effects: WinDVD 5 offers a number of Video Effects to enhance the picture quality such as Sharpness and Cinema Effector that is designed to produce clearer video for better looking movies. And now, the image can be customized with the ability to apply multiple effects simultaneously.
- Optimized Display Presets for a TV/LCD/Monitor/Projector: WinDVD offers display settings for different viewing scenarios that can make the display more appealing.
WinDVD Gold 5
In addition to the new Movie Encyclopedia database and support for Hyper-threading and bookmarks, WinDVD Gold 5 now includes many of the high-end features that were previously only available with WinDVD Platinum. These features include:
- Consolidated Browser: Helps users keep track of captured images and favorite bookmarks
- LanguageMate: An edutainment feature that helps users learn a new language while they're watching their favorite movies
- Video Docking: Lets users dock the GUI to the toolbar for an unobstructed view while watching a DVD
- Windows® Media Audio (WMA) Format Support
- Full TV Color Adjustments: Features designed to make adjusting picture brightness and contrast easy and intuitive
WinDVD 5 combines these new capabilities with a high-quality viewing experience, broad compatibility with PCs and notebooks, and an interface designed for ease-of-use. Other WinDVD features include Advanced Screen Capture options that let users grab screen shots for emailing or setting as wallpaper, InterVideo's proprietary Time-stretching technology that lets users watch a movie in the time they have, and TV-out support that combines with a TV out board for using a PC as a living room DVD player.
Audio Booster Pack
With InterVideo's new Audio Booster Pack, both Gold and Platinum WinDVD 5 users can create a customized home theater experience with advanced technologies such as SRS TruSurround XT(TM). In addition to delivering virtual surround sound over just two speakers or headphones, TruSurround XT includes SRS TruBass® for a more theater-like bass response, and SRS Dialog Clarity(TM) for crisper, clearer dialog. TruSurround XT also creates 3D audio from mono and stereo material.
Other features available with the Audio Booster Pack include:
- A Natural Acoustic Equalizer for control of the frequency bands to match the user's listening preferences.
- Individual Speaker Volume and Delay Controls for adjusting the volume of each individual speaker and to improve the user's control of the surround sound.
- Stackable Audio Effects that enable users to enhance current DSP audio effects, like Jazz and Rock, with the Echo Effect simultaneously to create effects that fit the mood of their movie.
In addition, with the Audio Booster Pack, WinDVD Platinum 5 users will enjoy enhanced Dolby Pro Logic II features such as a Movie Mode, which provides discrete 5.1-channel sound with stereo television shows and programs encoded in Dolby Surround Sound. The Audio Booster also provides Platinum users with a Music Mode that allows them to tailor the sound to their specific tastes when listening to stereo music recordings. The Music Mode can be used to:
- Control the positioning of center-channel sounds to provide enhanced vocal imaging and soundstage presentation.
- Gradually move the sound from front to rear to achieve the desired speaker balance.
- Extend the front stereo image to include the surround speakers for a 'wraparound' effect with sidewall imaging.
Centrino(TM) Pack
InterVideo's new Centrino(TM) Pack is designed to help users extend the battery life and playback time of mobile PCs featuring Intel's new Centrino technology and other Intel laptop CPUs.
- System Memory extends playback by selecting the cache size (of system memory) to improve drive power.
- Minimum Battery Life prevents unexpected battery depletion by setting the minimum battery requirements for playback, leaving users time to properly close applications.
Pricing, Availability
InterVideo markets WinDVD to consumers and hardware OEMs, including manufacturers of PCs, video cards, camcorders, disk drives and consumer electronics products. It can be used with PC and laptop computers running Windows 98/2000/Me/XP.
WinDVD is available for purchase at InterVideo's web site at www.intervideo.com. WinDVD Gold 5 has a suggested list price of $49.95. For a limited time, InterVideo is offering WinDVD Platinum 5 with a special introductory offer of only $79.95 -- a savings of $20.00 off the suggested list price. Discounts will also be available to current WinDVD Platinum and WinDVD Gold users wanting to upgrade to WinDVD 5.
The Audio Booster Pack for enhancing WinDVD Gold's 2-channel audio has a suggested list price of $24.95. The Centrino Pack for enhanced battery life and playback on lower-powered CPUs such as Centrino has a suggested list price of $39.95.
