Popcorn 3 leapfrogs some Toast video features

[Frobozz]

Roxio has released Popcorn 3.0.1 which continues the leapfrogging that Toast and Popcorn have been doing for the past few years. I'm sure some will complain that they hate paying Roxio to get the extra features of Popcorn 3 if they recently bought Toast 8 or Popcorn 2. But at least the $29.99 upgrade price for Toast 7 or 8 or Popcorn 1 or 2 customers doesn't require a mail-in rebate. I think it's an excellent upgrade for Popcorn and Toast 7 users. If you're a Toast 8 user then the benefits of updating are fewer but may be significant enough depending on your needs or if you have an Elgato Turbo.264 or Tivo.

Popcorn 3 now does everything from Toast 8's video window except for music DVDs, photo slide shows, the ability to add DVD-ROM content along with the VIDEO_TS and burning DivX discs (it encodes DivX but doesn't burn those discs).

Unlike previous Popcorn versions this one can encode and author video DVDs from various video formats. It has a smaller selection of pre-designed menus than Toast but I'm pretty sure one could copy the additional menu designs from a Toast 7 or 8 package into the Popcorn 3 package.

Popcorn 3 supports Tivo-to-go and allows extracting video from VR-mode DVDs recorded on standalone recorders, the same as Toast 8. It has a Media Browser like that of Toast 8 to access EyeTV files and other content.

Some things the Popcorn 3 has that Toast 8 doesn't have include automatically recognizing and using a connected Turbo.264 when appropriate, easily merging content for multiple VIDEO_TS folders, batch video DVD and fit-to-DVD conversions, better export pre-sets, and the ability to export video from VIDEO_TS folders without first extracting MPEGs to the hard drive using the Media Browser (a time-consuming hassle with Toast 7 and 8 ).

I have the Turbo.264 so I'll be using Popcorn 3 instead of Toast for any video needs except when it is something that requires Toast 8. I also use Toast for its data and audio features.

Popcorn 3 requires OS 10.4.10. It includes Disc Cover RE 1.5, a disc-labeling application. If you go to Roxio's site to read about Popcorn 3 be sure to click on the Upgrade Center link to get to the page where the upgrade pricing is available.

I am not affiliated with Roxio just in case you think this sounds like hype.

Addendum:
Another feature I see added is the ability to pause encodings. This is from Popcorn 3 Help:
"Encoding can be paused at any time to free up the CPU for other tasks and then resumed later. When encoding is paused, you can run other applications or even switch to another user account as long as Popcorn remains open. If you close the Popcorn application, even when video encoding is paused, you must restart the process from the beginning."

Addendum Number 2:

Popcorn 3 has a Preview button in the window where you start your project's encoding. Clicking this creates a clip using your encoding settings so you can preview how it looks without having to do the entire video.

[terryj]

Popcorn 3 ......allows extracting video from VR-mode DVDs recorded on standalone recorders, the same as Toast 8. It has a Media Browser like that of Toast 8 to access EyeTV files and other content.

I was unaware of this Fro.
I will have to try this tonight, as this would be
a time saver and not having to finalize
the discs from the DVd Recorder would
save some time.....thanks!

[macyak]

I got a free copy of Toast 8 "Basic" when I purchased EyeTV 250 plus.

This version of Toast can't burn VIDEO_TS folders to DVD. To get this feature
I need to buy Toast Titanium for $69.99.

I see that Popcorn 3 is $49.99.

What is the best solution for using EyeTV and (Toast or Popcorn) to;
1) record TV programs to disk and then burn them to DVD for backup AND viewing on a TV attached DVD player or Mac
2) make viewable DVD copy from VIDEO_TS folders, i.e. viewable backups/copies of my DVD's?

[terryj]

here is the words direct from El Gato:

Terry,

Thank you for contacting Elgato Systems.

I sent you some screenshots of Toast 8 Basic that should answer your questions.

Video DVDs are limited to 1 hour of footage per disc.

You cannot make DIVX discs.

You cannot adjust bitrates manually - there are no Advanced encoding options, like in Toast 8 Titanium.

Let me know if questions remain that the screenshots didn't answer.

Nick Freeman
Customer Support

Elgato Systems LLC

So to answer your questions, macyak,
1. Toast Titanium
2. Toast Titanium.
You could use the Finder to burn discs, but if you need to shrink to fit,
Toast would be the better overall value.

You can also get Toast cheaper, you should have a voucher or something to get the
full copy through the upgrade cheaper than $70. see here.

[Frobozz]

macyak,

Toast 8 Titanium and Popcorn 3 can do what you're wanting equally well. The reason to get Toast is because of what it can do beyond the video features. The reason to get Popcorn 3 is it does what I described at the top of this thread and costs a little less.

If you registered Toast with Roxio you should soon get emails from them with promotional prices.

[chrjohns]

Curious about the VIDEO_TS Compilation feature. Does it allow the creation of DVD menus so that you could take a number of separate VIDEO_TS folders (e.g. episodes of a TV series) and put them together on one DVD and then use Popcorn's menu templates to create a menu for it?

[Frobozz]

Curious about the VIDEO_TS Compilation feature. Does it allow the creation of DVD menus so that you could take a number of separate VIDEO_TS folders (e.g. episodes of a TV series) and put them together on one DVD and then use Popcorn's menu templates to create a menu for it?

There is no menu when using that feature. Instead, each time you press the menu button on the remote control the DVD player starts playing back the next title.

[Frobozz]

Now that Toast 9 is available I'll point out there is no longer anything in Popcorn 3 that can't also be done in Toast 9. I cannot think of a reason to choose Popcorn 3 over Toast 9 except for cost.