By Katie Marsal
Published: 10:00 AM EST
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:
