Dauger Improves Video Compression Cluster Technology

"Dauger Research has upgraded its Pooch QuickTime Exporter plug-in, which speeds up the latest generation of high-definition H.264 compressed movies in desktop video editing applications.

Essentially, Pooch simplifies the process of assembling and operating a high-performance parallel computer. Directing clusters — which can be managed by version 1.2 of the Pooch (Parallel OperatiOn and Control Heuristic) application — has been simplified for Macintosh users working with applications like iMovie and Final Cut Pro.

The plug-in automatically “parallelizes” video compression from video-editing applications. It extracts and partitions the source video data, assigning it to other nodes. The compressed video data is then returned for sorting and assembly into the final movie. The Pooch technology, available in standard and pro configurations, is targeted to video podcasters, online educators, or others who want to distribute HD and SD content online with fast turnaround.

The compression speed now possible with the Pooch QuickTime Exporter, Dauger said, is the best H.264 performance that can be accomplished with general-purpose hardware. It supports numerous other codecs including: H.261, MPEG-4, Motion JPEG, AAC, Lossless, and MACE.

Features of version 1.2 include compression presets for specific devices and deinterlacing for progressive displays. The technology achieves its best speed advantage, the company said, when compressing with multiple codecs. The software’s newest feature — the simultaneous creation of movies in multiple sizes — is ideal for targeting many device types from one source.

The Pooch QuickTime Exporter is a Universal parallel code, meaning it can use mixed clusters of multi-Core Intel- and PowerPC-based Macs and uses the Message-Passing Interface (MPI) supercomputing-industry standard.

Pooch is priced between $300 and $350, depending on the desired version."

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