Adobe picks up video software maker

Adobe Systems announced Thursday that it has acquired Serious Magic, a privately held maker of video production software.

Folsom, Calif.-based Serious Magic's product line includes Vlog It, a Web video tool; Video Communicator, presentation clip production software; and Ultra, a keying technology. These applications include capabilities already found in Adobe's video editing products, but the desktop publisher said it has no immediate plans to roll the technology over into its current product lines.

Adobe said it will continue to sell the Serious Magic software in its current form. It will be offered as an alternative to people who may have outgrown Adobe Premiere Elements, but are not yet ready to jump into Adobe After Effects, said Simon Hayhurst, director of product management for dynamic media at Adobe.

In addition, the Serious Magic software will help wedding photographers and marketers who want to handle production themselves, he said. It should also be useful for video bloggers, Hayhurst said, noting that Adobe's Flash plug-in for video playing is gaining fans online.

"Flash video is becoming the communication vehicle of choice for video on the Web," Hayhurst said. "We've done surveys with YouTube and (other video site) users and see a tremendous amount of Adobe usage, but we want to give them more opportunities," he said.

Adobe, based in San Jose, Calif., has made moves to keep up with the growing demand for video on the Internet, which has been powered in part by YouTube. On Wednesday, Adobe released a beta, or test version, of its Flash Player 9 software for Linux .

The financial terms of the Adobe-Serious Magic deal were not disclosed.

[dburges]

What about DV Rack?

That's the Serious Magic tool that I own and use all the time. As a video production tool for use in the field it's unlike anything Adobe (or anyone else) has. I wonder what their plans for it will be- maybe a Mac version? ;-)

[hetzbh]

Few things

Adobe says that their tools have what Serious Magic has. Sorry Adobe, but from testing, Serious Magic keying stuff is way better compared to what Premiere Pro offers.

Serious Magic stuff DO need a damn new GUI, a better intraction with other Adobe products, better SUPPORT (yes, even for trial users through forums), and a tutorial for a simple end user - where can you use stuff like Ultra (and change the name finally - it should be "Ultra 2") - prior shooting? while shooting? etc..

Great product, bad integration, bad support, bad GUI, great technology. Adobe SHOULD do something about it IMHO.