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Software and Games : Pinnacle : Software

• Pinnacle Instant CD/DVD 8.0

  Pinnacle Systems (UK)

  
  Designed as a general-purpose application suite for anybody with a CD or DVD recorder, Pinnacle Instant CD/DVD 8.0 consolidates Pinnacle's Instant applications behind a new interface.

  This is a pretty comprehensive suite of programs designed to handle most of the things you might want to record onto a CD or DVD. The easiest way to approach it is from the starter screen, which offers four tabs for the different kinds of task you might want to complete: Create, Copy, Media and Extras. All the applications have been given a new look, reminiscent of the Apple Aqua interface.

  The Create button leads to four options for creating data, audio and MP3 discs under Instant Disc and VideoCDs and DVDs under Expression. Instant Disc works in a similar way to Nero or Easy CD, and makes it easy to save things to recordable discs by dragging and dropping files or audio tracks. Expression is a very basic video editor, which enables you to split and join sections of digital video, add a front-end menu and burn the results to a VideoCD or DVD.

  The Copy functions of Instant CD/DVD 8 are handled by Instant Copy and Instant Backup, and cover copy, back-up and restore. Instant Copy does just that, copying non-protected CDs or DVDs from one disc to another. You can also create a disc image to hold on your hard drive for super-fast access through Instant Drive. Instant Backup offers little extra over and above the backup program supplied with Windows.

  Media functions are provided by Instant Audio and Instant Music. Instant Audio handles the compilation of MP3, Wave, Aiff, Real Audio and WMA files, recorded from a variety of different audio sources. It also supports the new MP3Pro format, which halves the size of MP3 files while maintaining their audio quality.

  Instant Music is a drag-and-drop sample sequencer, where you can pull together music in up to 16 stereo tracks. One hundred high-quality wav samples are supplied, all in a strong techno idiom. Samples from other sources should work, too.

  Extras include Instant Write, which sits as an icon on your desktop for you to drag files over to burn them directly to CD or DVD, and Instant Cinema, which plays DVD movies in the same way as WinDVD or PowerDVD. --Simon Williams

  
   

• Pinnacle Studio 8.0

  Pinnacle Systems (UK)

  
  Pinnacle Studio Version 8 is the 2002 release of the company's video-editing software. The application has an elegant, simple design, making it easy for beginners to work their way in, while still offering quite sophisticated facilities for the more experienced.

  There are three main parts to the Studio 8 display. First there's the album, which can show video clips, transitions, sound clips or DVD menu screens. To the right of this is a preview panel that can run your video at any stage during the editing process. Below both of these is the storyboard, where you drag-and-drop the various elements that make up your finished video. This display can be switched to show a timeline or a file list in case you prefer working with either of these aids. As you call up other functions of the program, such as sound facilities or titling, the appropriate editing windows slide up or zoom out as needed.

  Video capture calls up a separate display, where you can control your video camera from within the software and pull in just the scenes you want to add to your edit. At the other end of the process you can burn your completed video to a CD or DVD, again from within the program. --Simon Williams

  
   

• Steinberg Cubasis VST 5.0

  Pinnacle Systems (UK)

  
  
   

• Pinnacle Studio 9.0 Upgrade

  Pinnacle Systems (UK)