Roxio's Crunch to export video for Apple TV, iPod and iPhone

[AppleInsider]

A new video conversion application on its way from Toast creator Roxio aims to simplify the process of taking digital media files and converting them to formats optimized for Apple Inc.'s Apple TV, iPod and iPhone devices.

The $50 software, dubbed "Crunch," will include support for native QuickTime file formats such as DV, AVI, and MOV, in addition to non-QuickTime file formats like DivX, MPEG-2 and DVD-Video.

"Crunch is a one-stop shop for all of your video conversion needs," company representatives said during an exclusive preview of the new application in San Francisco on Tuesday.

Roxio, a division of Novato, Calif.-based Sonic Solutions, said it plans to formally roll out the software next Monday as an electronic software download for U.S. customers via its website. Retail boxed versions and European availability are expected to follow shortly.

Crunch features a user interface which mimics that of Roxio's widely popular Toast disc authoring software, allowing users to convert video files for Apple TV, iPod, or iPhone using the same three-step video conversion process of drag, drop and convert.

Users will be able to choose from multiple MPEG-4 and H.264 quality settings that have been optimized for the various Apple devices, or create their own settings. The software can also convert unprotected DVDs and VIDEO_TS folders, letting users maximizing video quality and save space along the way by selecting individual video titles and languages.



For those individuals with wishing to convert large collections of video files for Apple TV, iPod or iPhone, Crunch will also offer a handy batch export feature. Once converted, the software will automatically add the files to iTunes for easy syncing to the various Apple devices.

Some screenshots of the software's Player Setup, Custom Quality Settings and Batch Conversion interface follow:

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

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[geo06]

Finally, no more collection of like 4 programs to convert my movies.

[audiopollution]

Originally Posted by geo06

Finally, no more collection of like 4 programs to convert my movies.

You'll still need Mac The Ripper to start the process of converting those pesky 'protected' DVDs, it seems.

[ferris13]

Isn't this the same as Popcorn, just with a new name and new presets? I like Roxio, but is is really worth $50?

[bdj21ya]

Originally Posted by geo06

Finally, no more collection of like 4 programs to convert my movies.

If you just use the free product handbrake, you can convert DVD's in a single step. With this commercial product from Roxio, you have to use another program to rip the DVD's first. Hmm...

Also, Visual Hub is likely less expensive and works great for converting movies for AppleTV.

[ferris13]

VisualHub is by far the best product out there. It does everything you would ever want.

[DeaPeaJay]

I've never been a fan of Roxio. Since most of the content I need converted is on DVD, the latest version of handbrake, which exports to Apple TV format (with chapter markings and surround sound audio channels, among other things) is the only application I need.

[psychodoughboy]

Originally Posted by ferris13

VisualHub is by far the best product out there. It does everything you would ever want.

Yeah, pretty much. I don't know if it can work with VIDEO_TS folders and whatnot, but it can do everything else this program can with a very simple interface at much higher speeds than QT Pro and for less than half the price ($23.32!). Of course Roxio will be able to box this and get it into stores so it'll still make them some money from people who have never heard of VisualHub.

edit: and yeah, HandBrake can do the rest

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by ferris13

Isn't this the same as Popcorn, just with a new name and new presets? I like Roxio, but is is really worth $50?

I can't say that Toast is worth half its price, and I'm staying away from Roxio products for the time being until they fix Toast so that it doesn't crash between every two burns. I restart the program every two DVDs so that it doesn't crash on me.

[jhow323]

Originally Posted by audiopollution

You'll still need Mac The Ripper to start the process of converting those pesky 'protected' DVDs, it seems.

If you want to convert the commercial DVD's you own, search for the program FairMount. It takes whatever DVD is loaded, unmounts it and then mounts a decrypted version of the disk on your desktop. You can't play back from that image but you can allow other programs to convert the data then.

[audiopollution]

Originally Posted by jhow323

If you want to convert the commercial DVD's you own, search for the program FairMount. It takes whatever DVD is loaded, unmounts it and then mounts a decrypted version of the disk on your desktop. You can't play back from that image but you can allow other programs to convert the data then.

Cool ... hadn't heard of that one. Thanks.

[jeffhrsn]

Originally Posted by ferris13

VisualHub is by far the best product out there. It does everything you would ever want.

Q: Does it let you add chapters to files from VIDEO_TS folders?

A: NO!

[Guartho]

Will this be a cross-platform app?

[Chucker]

Originally Posted by Guartho

Will this be a cross-platform app?

As in Windows? Doesn't look like it.

[psychodoughboy]

Originally Posted by jeffhrsn

Q: Does it let you add chapters to files from VIDEO_TS folders?

A: NO!

handbrake can do that

[thedonga]

this is silly, appletv needs to be able to play all formats and not just things in the iTunes library...without hacking it.

[geo06]

Originally Posted by bdj21ya

If you just use the free product handbrake, you can convert DVD's in a single step. With this commercial product from Roxio, you have to use another program to rip the DVD's first. Hmm...

Also, Visual Hub is likely less expensive and works great for converting movies for AppleTV.

I already use Handbrake, but I am constantly converting different video types every day for friends, family etc. and it would be nice to have all the formats in one program.

[bdj21ya]

Originally Posted by geo06

I already use Handbrake, but I am constantly converting different video types every day for friends, family etc. and it would be nice to have all the formats in one program.

VisualHub has an extensive list of format options. I recommend you try it. You can try a free demo version (converts only a few minutes of the video) at macupdate.com

[solsun]

Originally Posted by thedonga

this is silly, appletv needs to be able to play all formats and not just things in the iTunes library...without hacking it.

Apple tv and iTunes/Quicktime formats are Apple's way of standardizing video for the web. Apple wants to own and be synonymous with digital content on the web. ... And it is working... The bigger Apple tv, iPod, iTunes and iPhone become, the more we will see native support for Quicktime formats from third parties and websites with digital content.

[palegolas]

For me it's all about how fast the h.264 encoding engine is, and how good the color accuracy is.

[ecking]

It'd be nice if torrents would start using itunes compatible formats instead of xvid and stuff, then conversions wouldn't be necessary. Looks like a nice program thou, mac the ripper plus this can do pretty much everything I'd need.

[lantzn]

Originally Posted by ferris13

VisualHub is by far the best product out there. It does everything you would ever want.

I totally agree, I just bought it after using iSquint, it's free little brother, for some time now.

[ALPICH]

Only last week I purchased Popcorn. I bet they are not offering an upgrade for me to this crunch for free. I mean really it is just a Popcorn upgrade not a new product.

I purchased Popcorn so that I could make a copy of one of my DVD's that was being difficult and would not copy with Handbrake. But the quality of Popcorn's rip to one file was not as good as Handbrake. So I used the feature of Popcorn that lets you rip the DVD main feature to another DVD without compression. That worked. I then used Handbrake to to rip that file to mp4. That worked... well sort of. The video was in excellent quality but there was no sound. So I went back to Popcorn, ripped the DVD to mp4, used Quicktime to extract the Audio into AIFF format and then used iMovie to put the Video and Audio together. It was not easy but it worked and now I have a really good quality H.264 encoded copy of a video that I could previously not copy.

So based on my experience with Popcorn's quality I am in no rush to buy another Roxio product that might have poor video conversion abilities. I am very happy with Handbrake for most ripping and if I really need to I now have a method for those hard to copy disks. Yay.

[Wiggin]

Originally Posted by solsun

Apple tv and iTunes/Quicktime formats are Apple's way of standardizing video for the web. Apple wants to own and be synonymous with digital content on the web. ... And it is working... The bigger Apple tv, iPod, iTunes and iPhone become, the more we will see native support for Quicktime formats from third parties and websites with digital content.

The problem is that AppleTV and iPod do NOT really support QuickTime. They only support a very, very limited subset of QuickTime codecs. I can see this for the iPod, which in it's current form factor may not be flexible or powerful enough to play all QT codecs. But there is NO EXCUSE for AppleTV to not support all of the Quicktime formats (ie, it should be able to play any format iTunes can play). For example, all of those video clips from my digital camera. You are telling me that I can show my photos from my vacation, but not the videos taken on the same camera? Pretty lame. If FrontRow can play it, AppleTV should play it!

[bdj21ya]

Originally Posted by ecking

It'd be nice if torrents would start using itunes compatible formats instead of xvid and stuff, then conversions wouldn't be necessary. Looks like a nice program thou, mac the ripper plus this can do pretty much everything I'd need.

I'll reiterate (in case it hasn't been said enough) VisualHub is most likely a better/quicker,cheaper product.

[reverie]

Those are not Apple or Quicktime codecs, they are official standards that any media player besides Quicktime can use. So no lock-in. The Apple TV could play more of the older codecs like DivX (then again: this is a device without a power brick and without any fans, pretty lean), but it's a lot like the first iMac that only supported USB and nothing else. Apple is forcing out old standards.

Regarding this product from Roxio I'm quite skeptical as well. Roxio's software doesn't really have useful interfaces. That red bumper in the lower right corner alone is enough to turn me away. If you want to fill your Apple TV I still think EyeTV is your best choice as long as we don't have DVD ripping functionality in iTunes (which still might come).