If you are looking for an inexpensive but relatively full featured way to quickly convert your video files into streaming formats, or other video formats, you have to consider the new ProCoder Express from Canopus.

ProCoder Express is a lighter, less expensive version of Canopus ProCoder, one of the top programs used by professional video makers to transform their finished video movies into Internet and streaming video masterpieces. ProCoder Express is available for just $59.95 compared to the professional version, Procoder, with a price tag of $499.00

to get ProCoder Express

Procoder Express exports in many of the different video formats used for video distribution and net streaming such as Windows Media, QuickTime, RealVideo, MPEG or even DivX. You get a choice of many different output parameters - reosltion, image size and shape, etc.

As you would expect, Procoder Express does not have all the bells and whistles of the full ProCoder program. For example, Procoder Express will not  convert an individial video file into a variety of streaming formats at the same time. You’ll need to do each conversion one by one. You also don’t have the sophisticated video correction capabilities of the full ProCoder program. However, Most video makers should be able to handle those color correction within their video editing programs.

You can use ProCoder Express as a standalone video converter or as a plug-in to several common nonlinear video editing programs like Canopus’s Let's EDIT or Canopus EDIUS, or Adobe Premiere 6.x or Adobe Premiere® Pro.  During the install process, Procoder Express will load itself into any of these editing programs that are already installed on your computer. 

How does it work?

Procoder Express is very simple to use.

Once you have finished editing and have saved your final production, you can utilize Procoder to quickly and easily convert it to a format for distribution. Yes, most video editing programs offer a variety of video output capabilities but most do not offer the range of formats and parameters provided by Procoder Express. This is especially true of most bundled and inexpensive video editing programs targeted to the consumer and enthusiast markets. 

Getting Started

The first window you will encounter upon launching ProCoder Express is the Welcome window that enables you to either convert a specific file or to create a “Watch Folder”. The “Watch Folder” is basically a batch conversion file that will enable you to create a set of conversion parameters.  In the future, whenever you want to automatically convert a file to that output file, you will just need to drop it in. This is very cool if you have an ongoing need to create movie files that adhere to a specific format.

You next progress to the Load Source window where you select the file to be converted. In addition to displaying technical info about the file, you can also scroll back and forth to check out the video.  The next step is to set your source in and out points.  This enables you to pick exactly which section of your clip you want to convert.

By using the advanced setting, you can even select which area or section of your original video image you want to capture and convert. This is very cool and enables you to crop out the parts of your video image you don’t want seen in your final production. 

Once you have trimmed and cropped your video file, it is time to begin the output conversion process. The first step is to figure out just what type of video file you want to end up with. If you know the technology, you can manually punch it in. If you are relatively new to this, you can also use the Wizard to help you select just what video format and parameters would be best suited for your project. In addition, the program keeps track of your output conversions in a history file to make it easy for you to duplicate previous projects.

The Wizard walks you through the various output options starting with how you want to distribute the finished video – ie – choosing between web, DVD, CD, video editing and even High Definition.

Making Internet Video

For example, if  you want to create a streaming video for web use, ProCoder Express provides the options of converting the production to a QuickTime, Microsoft Video or RealVideo file. It then walks you through the various quality and encoding options.  On the Data Rate windows, you can pick encoding options that vary from 56K dial up connections to 1 MB broadband. Great stuff.

In addition, ProCoder Express enables the use of RealVideo and Windows Media compression options that will automatically vary per the connection. In other words, rather than creating three files - one for dial up, one for low broadband at 300 KB and another for high broadband at 1 MB, you can create a single file that will handle all these options. However, these types of codecs require use of special streaming servers for hosting. You just can’t stick them up on your web site unless you know for sure that your server supports streaming in these formats.

DVD Video

If you want to save your video so that you can burn it to DVD, ProCoder Express will walk you through a series of windows to decide whether you want NTSC video or PAL, whether you want to burn directly to DVD or if you need MPEG2 files for DVD authoring, quality of conversion, how long the finished video needs to be, etc.

Once you have picked your format, you then start the conversion. Some conversions go quickly while others can take a long time, depending on the level of compression you have selected, screen size, as well as  what type of video file you are starting with and the output codec you have selected. In general, converting to streaming formats like Windows Media and Real Video go quickly while converting to MPEG 2 and DivX can take a while. Once the file is done, it is time to burn it to DVD or to stick it up on your web site.

As mentioned earlier, unlike the full version of ProCoder, you cannot set up the program to simultaneously convert one file into a variety of formats. You need to do it manually one after another. However, by using the History section or the Watch feature, this conversion process can be very simple.

ProCoder Express is a wonderful tool for the beginning video editor or video enthusiast who is looking to make the next step up in quality and creativity. As ProCoder Express, is quite affordable, I’d expect even professionals to use find a good use for it, especially if they don’t have the full version of ProCoder in their arsenal.

For more info about ProCoder Express

to get ProCoder Express