Roxio introduces two versions of Toast 10 Titanium

[AppleInsider]

Roxio on Monday kicked off its Macworld introductions early by announcing two new versions of its Toast optical disc burning and digital media software that include new capabilities for creating, sharing, and viewing digital content.

Toast 10 Titanium

Immediately available as a direct download for $99.99, Toast 10 Titanium introduces Mac2TiVo for sending standard definition and HD video content from a Mac to a TiVo DVR, and also adds an audiobook creator for converting audiobook CDs into files compatible with portable devices.

Also new to version 10 is an AVCHD Archive feature for quickly backing up original content from high-definition camcorders onto DVD or Blu-ray Discs, and a Web video file capture and conversion tool that allows web-based video to be viewed on DVD or mobile devices.

Among the other feature additions provided by the standard version of Toast 10 are Folder Sync for synchronizing folders bi-directionally between multiple computers, network volumes or external hard disks; Music Builder for capturing streaming audio and automatically splitting captured songs into tracks that are then sent to iTunes; and an "On-the-go Entertainment" function that will allow users to stream and watch television programs -- such as EyeTV recordings and TiVoToGo transfers -- on their iPhone or iPod touch over Wi-Fi with a new iPhone native application called Streamer.

An accompanying High Definition/Blu-ray Disc plug-in, which is needed to author Blu-ray Disc video, is sold separately for $19.99 but is being made available free of charge for those customers who purchase Toast 10 Titanium online through February 5, 2009.

Toast 10 Titanium Pro

Separately, Roxio has also announced Toast 10 Titanium Pro for $149.99, which it's aiming at prosumers, creative professionals and designers, as well as photo and video hobbyists.



In addition to offering everything available in Toast 10 Titanium, the Pro version includes the High Definition/Blu-ray Disc plug-in and bundles four third-party applications for developing advanced photo, video, and audio projects.

The third party apps include SmartSound Sonicfire for orchestrating sound tracks to accompany videos and slideshows, and BIAS SoundSoap for removing unwanted noise like wind, hisses, scratches, and pops from LPs, cassettes, or almost any audio, music or video soundtrack.

For photo professionals, Toast 10 Titanium Pro also includes LightZone and FotoMagico. The former delivers features such as zone mapping and relight, while the latter promises to turn sets of photos into slideshows with a few simple clicks, which can then be presented in high definition or burnt to DVD or Blu-ray Disc.

Rebates

Roxio is also offering $20 rebates on both versions (1, 2) of Toast 10 for previous owners of Easy Media Creator, Easy CD & DVD Creator, Easy CD & DVD Burning, Easy DVD Copy, PhotoSuite, VideoWave, Toast Titanium, Popcorn, Record Now, MyDVD, DVD It, and Backup MyPC.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[Guartho]

I have not been following Toast developments. Anybody know if there have been improvements in the Blu-ray authoring? Can we do menus now? (We could before, but I mean able to name the chapters and change titles, drop in our own backgrounds etc. )

[Bergermeister]

Unless Apple announces something Blu-Ray related tomorrow, I will get Toast to dabble with BR; I may need to start producing on BR from later this year...

[bloggerblog]

Can Toast do what HandBreak does, convert DVD's to MP4?
Does it support multi-core processing?

[uncledeercamp]

Originally Posted by bloggerblog

Can Toast do what HandBreak does, convert DVD's to MP4?

Says right on Roxio's page that it won't convert encrypted DVD video. HandBrake can't get around every encryption, but it's still the best way to go.

[macxpress]

Originally Posted by bloggerblog

Can Toast do what HandBreak does, convert DVD's to MP4?
Does it support multi-core processing?

Legally I don't think Roxio wants to allow converting/copying of copyrighted material.

[Virgil-TB2]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

Roxio on Monday kicked off its Macworld introductions early by announcing two new versions of its Toast optical disc burning and digital media software ... for $99.99 ...

I always feel kind of sad and nostalgic when a new version of Toast comes out. What used to be a ubiquitous, standardised, easy-to-use and very helpful product in the early days, has become one of the most bloated pieces of crapware available. I don't know anyone but my Mum that's used it for at least five versions.

It now costs more than the entire iLife suite, more than iWork, and more than academic versions of MS Office. All of it's functionality can also be obtained basically for free or is already present at the OS level. It's main claim to fame is that the interface supposedly puts a wrapper around what are OS level duties and makes doing the tasks easier, but most users have a horrible time with it in my experience.

Why, in this day and age should there even *be* a program that's whole raison d'être is basically formatting disks and transferring data from one to another? Would you have bought a $90 dollar program that formatted floppy disks in 1995? There is probably ten times the work going into some five dollar app store apps at this point.

[rods5]

Toast 9 was announced just over 9 months ago. Isn't this a bit soon for another upgrade? I mean, it cost $80 for the upgrade to 9 and now just 9 months later they want another $80 to upgrade to 10. I am one that is not paying another $80 for a new update that should have probably been part of the last update since they came out with it so soon.

I haven't updated with each new release, but if they were $80 each time, I would have spent over $700 for this program since I first got it years ago. They need to lower the upgrade costs more.

I am sticking with Toast 9 for now.

[8CoreWhore]

Originally Posted by uncledeercamp

Says right on Roxio's page that it won't convert encrypted DVD video. HandBrake can't get around every encryption, but it's still the best way to go.

"DVD" (MPEG-2) does not necessarily mean "encrypted". Also, Handbrake does not copy encrypted file types. So, yes, Toast will do what Handbrake does - convert MPEG-2 to MP4.

[OriginalMacRat]

Originally Posted by rods5

I am sticking with Toast 9 for now.

I've been sticking with version 6. Still works great.

[ktappe]

Originally Posted by OriginalMacRat

I've been sticking with version 6. Still works great.

Not on newer Macs it doesn't. It doesn't know how to drive newer optical drives. I tried it--it won't work on Core 2 Duo iMacs, for example.

[OriginalMacRat]

Originally Posted by ktappe

Not on newer Macs it doesn't. It doesn't know how to drive newer optical drives. I tried it--it won't work on Core 2 Duo iMacs, for example.

Toast 6 is working fine on my 4 core Mac Pro running Leopard.

[Johnny Mozzarella]

Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2

I always feel kind of sad and nostalgic when a new version of Toast comes out. What used to be a ubiquitous, standardised, easy-to-use and very helpful product in the early days, has become one of the most bloated pieces of crapware available. I don't know anyone but my Mum that's used it for at least five versions.

It now costs more than the entire iLife suite, more than iWork, and more than academic versions of MS Office. All of it's functionality can also be obtained basically for free or is already present at the OS level. It's main claim to fame is that the interface supposedly puts a wrapper around what are OS level duties and makes doing the tasks easier, but most users have a horrible time with it in my experience.

Why, in this day and age should there even *be* a program that's whole raison d'être is basically formatting disks and transferring data from one to another? Would you have bought a $90 dollar program that formatted floppy disks in 1995? There is probably ten times the work going into some five dollar app store apps at this point.

Agreed, Roxio developers should be embarrassed to put out such shoddy bug-ridden software.
Visit the toast forums and look at how many unresolved serious bugs there are in each version.
Their solution... upgrade to our new "less" buggy version.

Originally Posted by rods5

Toast 9 was announced just over 9 months ago. Isn't this a bit soon for another upgrade? I mean, it cost $80 for the upgrade to 9 and now just 9 months later they want another $80 to upgrade to 10. I am one that is not paying another $80 for a new update that should have probably been part of the last update since they came out with it so soon.

I haven't updated with each new release, but if they were $80 each time, I would have spent over $700 for this program since I first got it years ago. They need to lower the upgrade costs more.

I am sticking with Toast 9 for now.

It's always too soon to give them one red cent.

[hillstones]

Originally Posted by rods5

Toast 9 was announced just over 9 months ago. Isn't this a bit soon for another upgrade? I mean, it cost $80 for the upgrade to 9 and now just 9 months later they want another $80 to upgrade to 10. I am one that is not paying another $80 for a new update that should have probably been part of the last update since they came out with it so soon.

I haven't updated with each new release, but if they were $80 each time, I would have spent over $700 for this program since I first got it years ago. They need to lower the upgrade costs more.

I am sticking with Toast 9 for now.

I am annoyed by this as well. I bought Toast 9 specifically for the TiVo editing feature and it didn't even work! The video was edited, but the audio was left intact, ruining the video. Their tech support sucked, and their suggestions applied to Windows XP! Bunch of dorks can't even figure out support for Mac, for a Mac only product!

Had to wait until Nov 2008 for them to release 9.0.4 to fix the problem! Now that it is fixed, it is great editing and converting TiVo recorded content. However, HD programs don't really burn to DVD very well. Picture quality is DVD quality, but seems to be jumpy whenever the scene pans on screen. Going to try it again with another movie recorded from HDNet. Don't know if it is Toast's MPEG2 converter, or something else. SD content seems fine converting to DVD.

I got 4 with my original SCSI burner years ago, bought 5 and 6. Skipped 7, and bought 8 for the TiVo transfer feature. Then I bought 9 for the editing feature. I won't be buying 10, doesn't seem to offer any features I need. Toast 10 should have been released as Toast 9. But with their track record, you can be sure it will be full of bugs!

[houseley]

Gah. I hate Toast.

[freeny]

apple, please give me a reason to drop my god awful tivo and toast transferring.... pleeeeeeze....

[Dueces]

Wake me up when it hits the torrents.

[hillstones]

Originally Posted by 8CoreWhore

"DVD" (MPEG-2) does not necessarily mean "encrypted". Also, Handbrake does not copy encrypted file types. So, yes, Toast will do what Handbrake does - convert MPEG-2 to MP4.

Handbrake does decrypt commercial DVD's, most of them anyway, if you want to convert the DVD for the iPod, or other portable device. The latest version still does decryption as long as you have VLC installed. Or you can use Mac The Ripper to decrypt the DVD and then use Toast to make a backup copy or conversion to a portable device or AppleTV.

Toast can make copies of non-encrypted DVD's, as well as convert to other formats.

[SpamSandwich]

I have Toast version 6 and see no reason to upgrade... ever.

[hillstones]

Originally Posted by ktappe

Not on newer Macs it doesn't. It doesn't know how to drive newer optical drives. I tried it--it won't work on Core 2 Duo iMacs, for example.

Originally Posted by OriginalMacRat

Toast 6 is working fine on my 4 core Mac Pro running Leopard.

An iMac and a Mac Pro have completely different optical drives. The iMac using a slot-load drive and the Mac Pro using the standard 5.25" drive. Toast 6 may recognize more full size drives, but not as many slot-loading drives, especially new ones. So count yourself lucky that Toast 6 still recognizes your drive.

[success]

Originally Posted by Dueces

Wake me up when it hits the torrents.

lol

+1

[jabohn]

I'm curious about the bundled apps. Version 9 seemed to get rid of some or all of the bundled apps (specifically, I missed the photo slideshow app) and now it looks like you need Pro version 10 to get them back.

[TenoBell]

This is because optical discs are on their way out. With other storage options and media downloads, discs are less necessary and to some degree completely not needed. The irony is that you don't even have to buy Toast on a disc you can download it.

Toast was already a great app for burning discs. Their isn't much more Roxio could do to improve it. So they have to add these other superfluous features to have some reason to sell a new version.

Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2

I always feel kind of sad and nostalgic when a new version of Toast comes out. What used to be a ubiquitous, standardised, easy-to-use and very helpful product in the early days, has become one of the most bloated pieces of crapware available. I don't know anyone but my Mum that's used it for at least five versions.

[OldCodger73]

Another satisfied Toast 6 user. It still does those things that I need it to do.

[JohnJohn5]

Besides for Blu-ray, does anyone really have a need for toast? I don't know, I just don't burn too many CDs these days I guess. When I do, OS X has built in tools for the job.

When I do use Toast, it's either to burn the extremely rare bin/cue file, or to copy a CD (I don't feel like having to use Disk Image)

[Bergermeister]

Toast 6 with Jam was awesome.

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by rods5

Toast 9 was announced just over 9 months ago. Isn't this a bit soon for another upgrade? I mean, it cost $80 for the upgrade to 9 and now just 9 months later they want another $80 to upgrade to 10. I am one that is not paying another $80 for a new update that should have probably been part of the last update since they came out with it so soon.

I haven't updated with each new release, but if they were $80 each time, I would have spent over $700 for this program since I first got it years ago. They need to lower the upgrade costs more.

I am sticking with Toast 9 for now.

I see no problem with that, no one says you have to update with every release.

Originally Posted by JohnJohn5

Besides for Blu-ray, does anyone really have a need for toast? I don't know, I just don't burn too many CDs these days I guess. When I do, OS X has built in tools for the job.

When I do use Toast, it's either to burn the extremely rare bin/cue file, or to copy a CD (I don't feel like having to use Disk Image)

Toast does make it easy to throw together a DVD from EyeTV. That's why I bought it, it's easier than using iDVD for that. It's also a good way to duplicate unencrypted discs, save images, etc. The OS has those features, but I've not been able to do it reliably, it was more frustrating. The big thing that I don't like is that they don't like saving images as a .iso. I forget if they don't offer it or make it tedious.

Their AVCHD DVD encoding feature was annoying, I did notice the jumpiness, and half the time the encoding crashed just before finishing. Nothing like losing a three hour encode run because the program decides to throw an indecipherable file error and offer no way to save the work before quitting the encode. I have not tried the November 2008 update yet.

[gumguy]

Well, think about it, for the Mac platform, Toast is about it, so if a company is going to continue to be profitable, they have to keep charging for upgrades. I hate it too, but business is business. I will see first hand at MacWorld, what version 10 is all about, and if it has what I need, I may upgrade, but I doubt it seriously. I do believe though that their upgrade costs are just too high since version 9 came out just 8 months ago. Version 9 should keep people pretty happy for a long time. I think Blue Ray authoring is an "up and coming" feature for many, but not now for the casual user like me, so I will be sticking with version 9 for a long long time.

[Ken Burns Effect]

NewTech updated, low and behold, Dragon Burn 18 nov!

Previous version was rather buggy under Leo. Have had a licence since 3.x and updated 4.1.2 to 4.5.0.5 the other day w/o problem.

Also BD-support included (even for Tiger) @ 40$.

Remains to test the beast:-)

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/7502/dragon-burn

[Bruce Young]

I agree with points made about (a) the Toast upgrades costing too much, offering too little for the premium $$, (b) functionality and support lacking, esp for having paid $$ to get support.

And now, new special v10 'feature'!: Pay $50 more to get third party apps like you used to get bundled in versions 6,7,8... (OK, maybe the bundle is better with v10, but still... $50 to get LE/SE/cut-down versions of third-party apps?)

Re. third party apps, I did pay the FujiWara folks the upgrade fee to get the full version of the DiskCatalogMaker. (Which, BTW, I find to be a good and lean volume cataloger.)

My personal experience with their support is not good- issues I addressed through their forum, online support and phone access did not result in satisfactory resolution. Just work-arounds. And took ages just to get them to respond. All this after I had been buying their software, sending them my upgrade fees for many versions I have registered with them.

I think it is time to stop sending them my money,,, (I dont think I even want to add up what $$ I have sent them over several years of Toasts, Titaniums, Popcorns, whatever).

I wish they would get some respect for their customers, and produce worthy products with reasonable upgrade paths (80% of new higher price is not a 'deal').

[NeedAnewMac]

Originally Posted by ktappe

Not on newer Macs it doesn't. It doesn't know how to drive newer optical drives. I tried it--it won't work on Core 2 Duo iMacs, for example.

Toast 6 runs just fine on mine, but I'm running Tiger on a Core 2 Duo iMac. I am wondering if Toast 10 runs on Tiger, probably not?

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by NeedAnewMac

Toast 6 runs just fine on mine, but I'm running Tiger on a Core 2 Duo iMac. I am wondering if Toast 10 runs on Tiger, probably not?

It doesn't, the system requirements page links Tiger users to buy Toast 9.

I have no problem upgrading, but I usually try to delay upgrades until I see something I want in the upgrade.

[Cubert]

FINALLY, Roxio is giving anyone a reason to buy Toast again.

[success]

Toast is sooooooooo toast.

[rulebreaker]

also ... beware their "upgrades" ... the discount comes by way of an annoying rebate voucher ... which disgustingly is only redeemable in USA.

The way they advertised Toast 9 upgrades bordered on misleading and us aussie users had to pay full price for our "upgrade".

Shame.

[hillstones]

Originally Posted by JohnJohn5

Besides for Blu-ray, does anyone really have a need for toast? I don't know, I just don't burn too many CDs these days I guess. When I do, OS X has built in tools for the job.

When I do use Toast, it's either to burn the extremely rare bin/cue file, or to copy a CD (I don't feel like having to use Disk Image)

Yes, Toast includes TivoToGo for Mac, the only way to get that feature for TiVo. I transfer TiVo content to either convert for my iPhone or archive on DVD. I also use Toast to burn backup copies of DVD's and self-created DVD's, and the occasional Audio CD.

[hillstones]

So apparently, Toast 10 includes a feature for making Audiobooks. You don't need Toast 10 to do that. I converted Stephen King's The Green Mile from Audio Cassette (yes, long time recording all 10 tapes into the Mac!). Used Toast's CD Spin Doctor for the initial recordings to AIFF. Then used iTunes for the conversion to AAC. Then changed the file extension to .m4b. Then added the files back to iTunes again and now they appear as an Audiobook. They even appear as a Protected file, but they are not Protected. So you don't need Toast 10 to do that. Just like how you don't need iToner to make Ringtones for the iPhone.

[RussS]

Originally Posted by rods5

Toast 9 was announced just over 9 months ago. Isn't this a bit soon for another upgrade? I mean, it cost $80 for the upgrade to 9 and now just 9 months later they want another $80 to upgrade to 10. I am one that is not paying another $80 for a new update that should have probably been part of the last update since they came out with it so soon.

I haven't updated with each new release, but if they were $80 each time, I would have spent over $700 for this program since I first got it years ago. They need to lower the upgrade costs more.

I am sticking with Toast 9 for now.

Actually, it's $60 to upgrade from Toast 9 to Toast 10. The $80 price is for first time buyers and those who don't notice the 'Upgrade Center' button on Roxio's home page.

[Bruce Young]

Originally Posted by RussS

Actually, it's $60 to upgrade from Toast 9 to Toast 10. The $80 price is for first time buyers and those who don't notice the 'Upgrade Center' button on Roxio's home page.

still adds up to a lot of money sent to Roxio/whatevercompany over the years of 'upgrades'.

Given that they never resolved my last issues, nor responded to numerous communications when I was trying to resolve them, I just can no longer justify sending them my money.

[digiboy]

Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2

I always feel kind of sad and nostalgic when a new version of Toast comes out. What used to be a ubiquitous, standardised, easy-to-use and very helpful product in the early days, has become one of the most bloated pieces of crapware available. I don't know anyone but my Mum that's used it for at least five versions.

It now costs more than the entire iLife suite, more than iWork, and more than academic versions of MS Office. All of it's functionality can also be obtained basically for free or is already present at the OS level. It's main claim to fame is that the interface supposedly puts a wrapper around what are OS level duties and makes doing the tasks easier, but most users have a horrible time with it in my experience.

Why, in this day and age should there even *be* a program that's whole raison d'être is basically formatting disks and transferring data from one to another? Would you have bought a $90 dollar program that formatted floppy disks in 1995? There is probably ten times the work going into some five dollar app store apps at this point.

You've obviously never used it and obviously have no uses for your computer beyond surfing the internet and playing MP3's, probably.

Toast is an amazing program that I use constantly at home and at work (video production). Fast encodes for DVD, DVD shrinking, disc cloning, disc images, creating cross-platform discs, creating UDF discs, spanning huge files across discs, burning VIDEO_TS folders that always always play in any DVD player and customizing how files are presented on data discs (I prefer list mode) are just a few things I do with Toast. Your mom does all that? Wow, maybe she can show you a thing or two.

Toast goes way beyond what the OS does for me and it's been more stable in recent versions than ever before. Anyone who says different needs to learn some basics about keeping a healthy Mac.

Try to stick to something you know, eh?