Sorenson Media has updated Sorenson Squeeze (for Macromedia Flash MX and QuickTime), a compression tool that accesses the advanced features of a new video codec called Sorenson Spark Professional, and Sorenson Vcast, a live and on-demand video Webcasting service.
The update offers expanded import file formats, SWF file stitching that enables play of long video movies in Macromedia Flash Player 6, Vcast delivery support for Microsoft Producer files, One-Pass Variable Bit Rate (VBR) encoding, and support for “edge” delivery of longer SWF files. The new version (2.02) of Squeeze also promises improved DV capture, an improved video filter preview and keyframe interval control. The updated Vcast also offers multiple Content Delivery Network (CDN) uploading (if the upload fails for one CDN the asset is pushed to different CDN), code snippets generation, a directory upload feature (for those wanting to serve up entire Web sites), and an asset hit history displayed in the asset list.
In order to overcome video file length restrictions for video playback within the Macromedia Flash Player 6, Sorenson Squeeze for Macromedia Flash MX now lets you encode longer video files by creating “stitched” SWF files for smooth continuous play. Stitched output files can then be served centrally from any Web server, or for better quality of experience for the viewer, they can be uploaded to a Content Delivery Network through Sorenson Vcast. Vcast pushes the content to the edge of a global network of servers ensuring that it’s “securely and reliably delivered, instantaneously to any location,” according to Ed McGarr, vice president of marketing at Sorenson Media.
Sorenson Squeeze for QuickTime includes the Sorenson Video 3 Professional codec. With Squeeze, QuickTime media is compressed to a fraction of its original size — allowing for more media on local and portable storage devices — and is streamed across the Internet much more affordably, McGarr said. Sorenson Squeeze for QuickTime supports One and Two-Pass Variable Bit Rate compression.
Vcast is a service that will allow users to register online and send video (live or on-demand) to anyone in the world. After downloading the Vcast client and filling out an online registration form, a user can stream live video from a camera connected to their computer, or compress existing video content with Vcast. The content is then posted to the Internet for Vcast to stream. The total cost of the broadcast is based on the number of viewers the user anticipates will watch the event.
Current owners of Sorenson Squeeze can download version 2.02 for free. The update can be found in the Support section of the Web site and requires registration before downloading.
Sorenson Squeeze for Macromedia Flash MX 2.02 and Sorenson Squeeze for QuickTime 2.02 are available electronically now for Macintosh OS 9.2 and Mac OS X at a suggested retail price of US$119. A standard or customizable Sorenson Vcast account can be established online with pricing starting at $25 per month.