Roxio has rolled out their latest update to their flagship Mac product, Toast 9 Titanium. This new version will set you back $99.99 for new users, or $79.99 as an upgrade for existing users. Toast 9 offers full support for high-definition video, and the ability to burn Blu-ray Discs, via a $19.99 HD/BD plug-in. But if you purchase Toast 9 through April 13, you get the plug-in for free.
Toast 9 also introduces Roxio Streamer, which allows you to stream your video to any Internet connected PC or Mac, as well as connected devices such as the iPhone or iPod Touch. Kind of like having a Slingbox for your Mac videos. It also offers the ability to capture streaming audio, such as recording Internet radio, with automatic tagging of the recordings.
What remains to be seen is if Toast 9 Titanium resolves the TiVoToGo issues users of Toast 8 have been experiencing. I don’t have a Mac, so I can’t comment on that. But if anyone out there has been having issues with Toast 8 and you decide to upgrade to Toast 9, leave a comment either way. For that matter, anyone who upgrades to Toast 9, let us know what you think. Is it worth it?
Roxio’s press release:
Mar 17, 2008 06:30 ET
Roxio Launches Toast 9 Titanium
Blu-ray Disc Authoring and Remote Video Streaming to iPhone Arrive for Mac Consumers
SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Roxio(R), a division of Sonic Solutions(R) (NASDAQ:SNIC) , the leader in digital media software, redefines Mac burning yet again with the introduction of Toast(R) 9 Titanium. Toast 9 allows consumers to record high-definition content from high-definition (HD) camcorders and favorite HD programming from TiVo(R) DVRs and Elgato’s EyeTV devices to Blu-ray Disc (BD). Users also have the option to burn HD video and slide shows on standard DVDs. For on-the-go entertainment, Toast 9 introduces Roxio Streamer(TM). Streamer allows users to stream video content stored on their home Mac(R) to a Wi-Fi connected iPhone(R) or iPod(R) Touch or any Internet connected Mac or PC. Already the first choice for music fans wishing to create great sounding CDs and DVDs, Toast 9 offers the ability to capture streaming audio for recording Internet radio. Another Toast innovation allows captured music tracks to be automatically tagged with song titles, artist or other related information. Toast 9 Titanium is available direct from Roxio at www.roxio.com for $99.99. The High Definition/Blu-ray Disc (HD/BD) plug-in, which is needed to author BD video is sold separately for $19.99 and is available free for those who purchase Toast 9 online at roxio.com through April 13, 2008.
“With the growing adoption of high-definition devices, comes the need for consumer applications that allow users to enhance and enjoy their favorite movies, photos and music on HDTVs or on-the-go,” said Vito Salvaggio, vice president of consumer products, Sonic Solutions. “With high-definition video authoring, remote streaming of personal and commercial content, as well as exciting audio innovations, Toast 9 continues its long history of breakthrough features that empower Mac users to make the most of their digital media.”
Toast 9 is packed with new features and enhancements that set the standard for burning, watching, listening and sharing digital content on the Mac and beyond.
Toast 9 Highlights:
Burn
* Blu-ray Disc Support - Store as many as 12,500 music tracks, 50,000
photos, and hours of high-definition video on a single 50 GB Blu-ray
Disc.
* Mac & PC Data Spanning - Span large files across multiple discs,
including Blu-ray Discs, for easy retrieval on any Mac or PC.
Watch
* Life in High-Def - Enabled by a HD/BD plug-in, consumers can burn HD
video content to Blu-ray Disc and watch it on their HDTV using any
BD set top player. For consumers who do not own a BD burner or
media, the plug-in allows burning high-definition content to
standard DVDs. Users can also create HD video projects using footage
from AVCHD camcorders or recorded TV shows or movies.
* Video Editing - Easy removal of unwanted video segments from TiVo,
Elgato's EyeTV, and QuickTime(R) video files before burning the
final project to disc or exporting it to a portable player.
* Time Savers - Toast 9 includes a variety of innovative features
designed to simplify and accelerate the otherwise time consuming and
CPU intensive video conversion process. These include Batch DVD-
Video conversion to enable consumers to queue multiple video files
for use with Roxio's Fit-to-DVD(TM) compression technology. The
Fit-to-DVD compression technology enables consumers to compress
large files to fit on a single layer 4.7 GB disc. Pause and Resume
buttons enable users to suspend and later resume a video conversion
project, and a Video Quality Preview enables users to review a
snippet of converted video to verify video quality prior to
initiating a complete file conversion.
Listen
* Library Extension - Build an extensive audio library by capturing
any audio playing through the Mac, including Internet audio.
* Audio Fingerprinting - Automatically identify untagged music files
and add song titles, artists and genres, eliminating the mystery of
"Track_01".
* Perfect Mixes - Create perfect mixes with DJ-style crossfades and
transitions, output level adjustments, and enhancement filters.
Share
* On-the-go Entertainment - A new application called Roxio Streamer
enables on-the-go consumers to access video recordings stored on a
home Mac and stream it to a Wi-Fi connected iPhone or iPod Touch or
any internet connected Mac or PC.
* High Quality Photo Discs - Toast Photo Discs store thousands of
full-resolution photos as well as automatically-generated slideshows
viewable on Mac and PC.
* iLife and Aperture - Access iLife(R) 08 and Aperture(TM) libraries
directly from Toast 9's Media Browser.
* Personalized Disc Artwork - Personalize discs with labels, cover
art, and inserts. Includes drawing and text editing tools, as well
as over 600 clip art images and built-in Google image search.
Supports LightScribe and Labelflash(TM) drives and media to allow
users to burn artwork and labels directly to discs.
Pricing and Availability:Toast 9 Titanium is available now for purchase direct from Roxio at www.roxio.com, and will be widely available from e-tailers and retail outlets this month for $99.99. Owners of previous versions may be eligible for upgrade offers. The HD/BD plug-in will be sold as a downloadable component from roxio.com for $19.99. Roxio will offer the HD/BD plug-in for free for customers who purchase from roxio.com through April 13, 2008.
About Roxio
Roxio, Sonic’s Consumer Products Group, develops a range of award-winning digital media creation, management, preservation, sharing, and enjoyment applications for home and business users under the Roxio brand. Roxio products offer the perfect blend of ease and power, enabling consumers to achieve professional results from their photo, video, and music projects with minimal effort. Roxio’s flagship applications, Easy Media Creator for the PC and Toast for the Apple Macintosh, are the best-selling products in their respective categories in North American retail.
Roxio’s parent company, Sonic Solutions (Nasdaq: SNIC; http://www.sonic.com/) enables the creation, management, and enjoyment of digital media content through its Hollywood to Home(TM) products, services, and technologies. Sonic’s products range from the advanced authoring systems used to produce Hollywood DVD and Blu-ray Disc titles to the award-winning Roxio(R)-branded photo, video, music, and digital-media management applications. Sonic’s patented technologies and AuthorScript(R) media engine are relied upon by leading technology firms to define rich media experiences on a wide array of consumer electronics, mobile devices, set-top players, retail kiosks, and PCs. Always an innovator, Sonic has taken a leading role in helping professional and consumer markets make the successful transition to the new high-definition media formats and, through the Sonic DVD On Demand(TM) and Qflix(TM) platforms, Sonic is defining new models for the digital distribution of premium Hollywood entertainment. Sonic Solutions is headquartered in Marin County, California.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations, including the launch, distribution, and market acceptance of Roxio Toast 9 Titanium. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties, including those discussed in the Company’s annual and quarterly reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This press release should be read in conjunction with the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and other reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which contain a more detailed discussion of the Company’s business including risks and uncertainties that may affect future results. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements.
Sonic, the Sonic logo, Sonic Solutions, Roxio, the Roxio logo, Toast, Roxio Streamer, Roxio Easy Media Creator, Fit-to-DVD, Hollywood to Home, Qflix, Sonic DVD on Demand, and AuthorScript are trademarks or registered trademarks owned by Sonic Solutions in the United States and/or other countries. All other company or product names are trademarks of their respective owners and, in some cases, are used by Sonic Solutions under license. Specifications, pricing and delivery schedules are subject to change without notice.
Source: Roxio
CONTACT: Mirka Janus, +1-408-367-5255, Mirka_Janus@sonic.com, for Roxio
Web site: http://www.sonic.com/
