Furman Introduces Pro Plugs
Furman Sound has introduced the Pro Plugs product line, which consists of ruggedly designed and constructed Power Surge Strips and Blocks and extension cords. Pro Plugs feature EMI/RFI filtering to eliminate distortion and hum for external devices and higher Joules Ratings for greater protection and longer life. Circuit breakers protect against overloads and lighted on/off switches make the Pro Plugs Power Surge Strips and Blocks easy to find on dark stages or dark control rooms.
For more information, visit www.furmansound.com.
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Minnetonka Audio Announces Version 2 of discWelder STEEL
Minnetonka Audio Software has announced Version 2 of the DVD-A authoring application discWelder STEEL. This upgrade maintains the DVD-Audio feature set of Version 1 while adding enhancements only found previously in discWelder CHROME, Minnetonkas flagship DVD-A authoring program.
Some new features added to discWelder STEEL Version 2 are:
*Gapless PCM Track Play, allowing most DVD-A players to seamlessly play PCM tracks of the same format (5.1 surround 24-bit 48 kHz, for example) without the random-length gap between PCM tracks that normally occurs in most commercial DVD-A players.
*Custom Menu Image Import, allowing the on-screen menu background image to be imported in any popular bitmap format (within PAL / NTSC pixel dimension limits), to replace the default discWelder menu image.
*Album Image On-screen, which places the imported menu background image on the TV screen connected to the DVD-A player while the tracks are playing, without the menu selection text overlay.
The release of discWelder STEEL Version 2 is scheduled for August of 2003, and it will be available through all Minnetonka Audio Software Dealers and on the discWelder Web site (www.discwelder.com). Upgrades will be available by contacting Support at Minnetonka Audio, at 1-952-449-6481 or on the Web site.
For more information, visit www.minnetonkaaudio.com, www.discwelder.com, and www.surcode.com.
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Apple Releases DVD Studio Pro 2
Hot on the heels of their recent G5 introduction (see page 16), Apple has announced that DVD Studio Pro 2, a new application re-designed to simplify professional DVD authoring with a breakthrough user interface, is available through Apples retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. Customers can now place their orders at www.apple.com/dvdstudiopro. New features such as Apple-designed fully customizable templates, an innovative menu editor, timeline-based track editing, and a new MPEG-2 encoder make DVD Studio Pro 2 a must-have application for every creative professional.
DVD Studio Pro 2 features a new user interface so easy to navigate that both Final Cut Pro editors and users of consumer DVD authoring applications, such as Apples iDVD, can get started right away. DVD Studio Pro 2 provides professionals with a solution that scales from building basic DVDs easily to handling the most advanced projects.
The English language version of DVD Studio Pro 2 can be ordered today through the Apple Store (www.apple.com) at a suggested retail price of $499 (US).
For more information, visit www.apple.com.
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Micronas Releases Dolby Pro Logic II Processor for Televisions
Micronas has introduced a single-chip TV audio processor with integrated Dolby Pro Logic II decoding. Part of a new MSP 44x2K product family, the chips are fully compatible with all other Micronas MSP product families and enable the manufacturer to re-use previously designed software and hardware.
The MSP 44x2K family is an evolution of the series of multi-standard sound processors (MSP family), which Micronas designed to process all TV audio standards worldwide. Like the preceding MSP 44x0G, the MSP 44x2K performs all TV audio baseband processing, operating with a sample rate of 48 kHz. This means that the listener can now receive TV audio in stereo system audio quality.
Members of the MSP 44x2K product family come in a variety of QFP and PSDIP packages and will be available in Q3, 2003. Cost in volumes will range from $10 to $14.50, depending on IC, feature set, and package type.
For more information, visit www.micronas.com.
